ã€ŠPhoenix Destinyã€‹


 Chapter 1: Birthday gift

    <h4>Chapter 1: Birthday gift</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    Carved in bones and engraved in the heart. A perfect description of Lu Mingshu¡¯s seventh birthday.

    She was born on the second day of February, which falls on the flower festival. Where brightly coloured flowers bloomed, weing her birth.

    On that fateful morning, Hui Niang had picked up a peach blossom as a hair essory for Lu Mingshu that suits her.

    ¡°When I woke up this morning, I heard a magpie calling from the window. It¡¯s definitely a good sign, as it¡¯s your birthday today, miss.¡± Hui Niang said with all smiles.

    Soon after, Xiao Huan rushed, panting heavily. ¡°Miss, miss, I¡¯ve got big news!¡± She didn¡¯t wait for Hui Niang to berate her for her impudence as she shouted, ¡°It¡¯s your father! Your father has sent someone!¡±

    Hui Niang swallowed back the words she was about to say and turn to Xiao Huan, startled. ¡°What did you say?¡±

    ¡°My father?¡± Lu Mingshu turned around immediately.

    She has never seen her father before. However, based on what her mother had told her, her father had left to be an apprentice to a master while she has yet to be born, and has never since returned. ¡°Your father may have been dyed by some urgent matters.¡± That¡¯s what Lu Mingshu¡¯s mother always says.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, a guest just arrived. He ims to have been sent by your father...¡±

    However, before Xiao Huan could finish her sentence, she was being cut off by Hui Niang who smacked her head hard. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®your father¡¯? Don¡¯t you have any manners? You are to address him as ¡®master¡¯!¡±

    ¡°Oh...¡± But this wasn¡¯t the main point. Xiao Huan went over to Lu Mingshu and grabbed her by the arm while jumping up and down excitedly. ¡°Miss, you haven¡¯t seen the horse carriage parked outside! It¡¯s so pretty! And the person that was sent over as pretty as a fairy! Before I came in, I overheard someone saying that our master was a Sect Leader. Our master must¡¯ve had a great teacher and has since be an expert!¡±

    The Lu family¡¯s son-inw, Fu Ze, is a talented martial artist with lots of potentials. However, the town of Qingfeng was located in a remote location, thus there wasn¡¯t any good martial arts academy within a hundred-mile radius. As such, the Lu family had forked out of their savings in order to help him find a good teacher in the capital seven years ago. From then on, there hadn¡¯t been any news from him.

    Lu Mingshu always dreamed for her father to return soon so that her family could be reunited. Never in her wildest dreams would she expect for this dream toe true on her birthday!

    Is this a birthday gift from the heavens?

    ¡°It must be that master ended up seding and he¡¯s here to pick you up! Miss will be able to live a good life from here on out...¡±

    ¡°Miss!¡±

    Lu Mingshu ignored Hui Niang¡¯s shouts from behind her as she dashed right out of the room.

    Within no time, she¡¯s outside of the drawing-room.

    ¡°This is for you.¡± A feminine voice could be hearding from the drawing-room

    Lu Mingshu took a deep breath and tip-toed to get a glimpse of what¡¯s going on in the drawing-room.

    Both her grandfather and her mother were present, along with a woman dressed in beautiful silk fabrics, who was seated atop a guest seat with her back to Lu Mingshu. Though she couldn¡¯t see the woman¡¯s face, she was able to see an exquisite butterfly hairpin pinned in her silky ck hair, which had been rolled up into a bun.

    The servant girl by her side was handing over a fine box to her grandfather.

    Her grandfather received the box and carefully opened it, pulling a piece of paper out.

    Her grandfather¡¯s face immediately turned bright red with anger. ¡± This ... what¡¯s the meaning of this?¡± his voice quivered slightly.

    That servant girl put on a thin smile. She seems arrogant and contempt. ¡°I heard that the Lu family is the family of a farmer and a schr. Even though you¡¯re poor, I am sure that Sir Lu is a knowledgeable and cultured man. Or could it be that Sir Lu is illiterate?¡±

    Lu Mingshu was stunned. Is this servant girl mocking my grandfather? A servant girl?¡±

    ¡°Rui Xiang.¡± The woman seated atop the guest seat called out, her voice oddly sweet-sounding.

    The servant girl turned towards the woman and bowed respectfully. ¡°Yes, miss.¡±

    The woman said, ¡°They¡¯re from the countryside, thus it¡¯s inevitable that theyck general knowledge. Speak nicely with them, don¡¯t be rude.¡±

    ¡°Yes, miss.¡±

    The servant girl turned around, her chin now slightly raised. ¡± Sir Lu, as it seems that you can¡¯t read, servant shall exin it to you. This is a divorce letter. Once your precious daughter signs it, she will forever part ways with our sect leader. They will then have nothing to do with each other anymore.¡±

    Lu Mingshu stared with wide eyes. A divorce letter? Father hadn¡¯t sent someone to pick them up, but to divorce mother?

    Her mother suddenly stood up and grabbed the piece of paper. Her hands trembling as she read through it, her eyes full of disbelief.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t believe it!¡± Lu Mingshu¡¯s mother tore the paper in anger. ¡°Ah Ze[1] wouldn¡¯t treat me like this! Where is he? Let hime here personally!¡±

    ¡°You want the sect leader toe here personally?¡± The servant girl snickered. ¡°Mrs. Lu, do you even realize what does being the sect leader of the Nine Jade Pce represents? He¡¯s someone that even the King of Dongyue has to treat as an esteemed guest; for what reason would the sect leadere over just to meet a country bumpkin like you?¡± She nced at the paper that¡¯s torn apart taking another one out. ¡°You can tear as much as we want, we have lot¡¯s of copies here for you to tear.¡±

    ¡°Qingyi!¡± Grandfather stopped Lu Mingshu¡¯s mother before she could continue, then turned his gaze towards the female that had remained rtively uninvolved since the start. ¡°Youngdy, you have to exin this clearly. Ah Ze is my family¡¯s son-inw, which is clearly stated on the marriage certificate. Even if he does want a divorce, he shoulde back and tell us in person.¡±

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t everything clearly exined in the divorce letter?¡± The servant girl continued, ¡°Our sect leader...¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking to you!¡± Elder Lu shouted. ¡°What¡¯s a servant like you butting in for? Hasn¡¯t your master taught you anything?¡±

    ¡°You¡ª¡± The servant girl said angrily as she straightened her body. ¡°Sir Lu, it¡¯s already considered a courtesy for our miss to address you as a Sir. ¡®A servant like me?¡¯ Did you know that ¡®a servant like me¡¯ also goes to the pce? Even the high-ranked officials of Dongyue have to be polite to me!¡±

    The woman that had remained uninvolved suddenly raised her head. ¡°Rui Xiang, be nice. Don¡¯t be like these lower-ss people, who use words in order to gain an advantage.¡±

    COMMENT

    ¡°Sorry miss, servant will immediately clear things up with him.¡±

    The woman waved her hand. ¡± No need. Let me speak.¡±

    She turned to face Lu Mingshu¡¯s angry grandfather and incessantly weeping mother and said calmly, ¡°Sir Lu, you should understand that even heroes will fall apart during difficult times. Back then, when Fu Ze had nothing but ambitions that were hard to realize, your self-proimed ¡®kind¡¯ Lu family not only didn¡¯t lend him a helping hand, you actually forced him to be a member of your family. Taking advantage of him is unforgivable by itself. As for the marriage certificate...¡±

    Even Lu Mingshu who were only seven could distinguish the disdain in her voice. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have the face to bring that up if I were you.¡±

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s grandfather¡¯s eyes immediately widen in shock upon hearing her words, while her mother forgot to cry as she looked at her, jaws dropping.

    Lu Mingshu clenched her fists tightly, as she felt unspeakably shocked. What did she just say? My grandfather forced father into this? If grandfather had truly treated father badly, grandfather wouldn¡¯t have taken out all his savings in order to help father find a good master! The Lu family isn¡¯t rich; they only had a single residence and fifty acres ofnd. She¡¯d heard from mother that in order to gather father¡¯s travel expenses, they¡¯d sold away half of thend they had.

    After a few moments, Lu Mingshu¡¯s grandfather finally looked up. ¡°These words...are all his actual words?¡± His lips quivered as he said.

    ¡°Why? Do you not admit to it?¡± The servant girl snickered.

    The woman waved her hand as she continued, ¡°He¡¯s a broad-minded man who has be a dragon and went to where he belongs. He isn¡¯t trying to make things difficult for you. As long as these divorce papers are signed, he¡¯ll have nothing to do with the Lu family anymore. I¡¯ve heard that he has a child? The silver banknotes in this box will be child support. Consider this his repayment to the Lu family for her meals all these years.¡±

    The servant girl quickly added, ¡°Sir Lu, is it meaningless for you to continue this argument with us. Our sect leader isn¡¯t some son-inw you can order around anymore. With his genius level of talent, it only took him seven short years to go from the inner breath realm to the spirit realm. He¡¯s ranked as one of the top experts in Xichuan now. If it weren¡¯t for your Lu family tying him down, he could even enter the sky ranking list. Can someone like this truly be supported by your family? A noble person knows oneself. If I were you, I would neatly sign these divorce papers, in order to avoid inviting disgrace upon myself!¡±

    ¡°You¡ª¡± Lu Mingshu¡¯s mother was so angry that she turned red. ¡°What nonsense are you spouting?! Back then it was clearly Ah Ze¡ª¡±

    ¡°Qingyi!¡± Lu Mingshu¡¯s Grandfather stopped her mother once again, then tightly clenched his jaw. ¡°Don¡¯t say anything more, sign the papers!¡±

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s Mother was dazed, then shouted, ¡°Father!¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t they clearly exin it? If we can¡¯t support the person, even if you don¡¯t sign the papers, that person still won¡¯t stay. Since he¡¯s resolved himself to wipe us from his past, then let it be as he wishes!¡± Lu Mingshu¡¯s Grandfather coldly replied.

    Her Mother fell silent, then slowly signed the divorce letters amidst choked sobs.

    Once the matter had been settled, the servant girl put on a thin smile, ¡°Well then Miss Lu, your marriage is irrelevant now that you¡¯ve signed the divorce papers. You¡¯re still young, thus it still isn¡¯t toote for you to marry someone else. Just don¡¯t find someone like our sect leader. We all understand that you want to find someone who¡¯s young and talented, but you need to keep in mind your own status. You can¡¯t be greedy if you want to grow old with someone!¡±

    The woman now has stood up and bowed her head in respect. However, the words she spoke wereced with arrogance, ¡°We¡¯ve troubled you. We¡¯ll take our leave now.¡±

    When she saw them leave the drawing-room, Lu Mingshu can¡¯t help but follow them to the courtyard door.

    The woman notice her and turned to nce at her momentarily, before turning back around.

    Like Xiao Huan had said, she was indeed as pretty as a fairy.

    And yet, would someone as pretty a fairy speak such words; words that people found unbearable?

    Before the horse carriage left, she heard a voice trailing out from inside. ¡°Rui Xiang, you said too much just now. What was the point in telling them so much?¡±

    Rui Xiang¡¯s voice waspletely different than before as she answered yfully, ¡°Because servant could not stand them! What sort of figure is the sect leader, to have been a son-inw to such a family...¡±

    Lu Mingshu would have never thought that rather than a family reunion, but a divorce paper to her mother from her father.

 Chapter 2: Do you have any rights?

    <h4>Chapter 2: Do you have any rights?</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    Lu Mingshu stood dazedly in the doorway until Hui Niang came up and hugged her. ¡°Miss, don¡¯t be upset...¡±

    However, Lu Mingshu wasn¡¯t upset. Her father¡ªto her¡ªhad just been a shadow in her imagination; he was someone that she¡¯d never seen before. Hence, she didn¡¯t really have any affection for him. The family reunion she¡¯d hoped for had been smashed. Rather, when she saw that her mother had been bullied by father, the emotion that was rampaging around in her heart was something that she has never felt.

    ¡°Hui Niang.¡± Lu Mingshu opened her mouth and said.

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    ¡°What rights do they have to look down on grandfather and mother like that?¡±

    Hui Niang stared at her nkly.

    Lu Mingshu looked up at Hui Niang with a serious look on her face. ¡°Is it just because she¡¯s good-looking and dressed nicely?¡±

    ¡°Of course not...¡±

    ¡°Then is it because she has more money?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Hui Niang sighed. ¡°Not only are they rich, but they also have power. Miss, you don¡¯t know what does being the Sect Leader of a Sect represents; they¡¯re martial practitioners! That¡¯s a different world to us! Take our Dongyue as an example: The most powerful entity here isn¡¯t the King of Dongyue, but rather the Heavenly Sea Pavilion. Even the King of Dongyue¡¯s sessor had to obtain their approval.¡±

    ¡°So incredible ...¡± Lu Mingshu whispered.

    ¡°Indeed. Even though I don¡¯t know which is the Sect that master is the Sect Leader of, even if it¡¯s iparable to Heavenly Sea Pavilion, it¡¯s still definitely not a ce that smallmoners like us can anger.¡±

    As the two were speaking, they heard Lu Qingyi¡¯s shouting from out the drawing-room, ¡°Father! Father!¡±

    Hui Niang¡¯s heart rate suddenly elerated as she hastily ran into the drawing-room.

    When Hui Niang entered the drawing-room, she was utterly shocked. Sir Lu has copsed atop the table, unconscious, bloodstains dotting his robes.

    Lu Qingyi had lost her mind and didn¡¯t know what to do.

    Hui Niang hurried over to calm her down. ¡°Madam, please calm down. Let¡¯s get the doctor first.¡±

    Lu Qingyi immediately reacted after she heard Hui Niang¡¯s reminder, ¡°A doctor ... right, get Ah Sheng to find a doctor!¡±

    The doctor arrived in no time and went to feel Sir Lu¡¯s pulse. ¡°Forgive my shallow medical knowledge. I¡¯m powerless to aid him.¡± The doctor stood up to leave after a few moments,

    Lu Qingyi began to weep loudly after hearing the news.

    Qingfeng is a small town that only consisted of a thousand households, and this is the doctor in Qingfeng. If he said that there is no cure, then there is no other person who would be able to help.

    The doctor had just crossed the threshold of the door when all of a sudden he felt a tug on his clothes. He looked down and saw Lu household¡¯s little daughter tugging on his shirt.

    When he saw the child, whose age was simr to his granddaughter¡¯s, the doctor¡¯s heart softened. ¡°Child, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to save your grandfather, but I am powerless!¡±

    Lu Mingshu raised her head and gazed at him. ¡°Doctor, can¡¯t you at least prescribe herbs for my grandfather, or use your needle on him? Grandfather always says that you can only listen to destiny once you¡¯ve finished your human affairs.¡±

    The doctor was startled when he heard this.

    ¡°We¡¯re aware that grandfather is very ill. We won¡¯t me you if he doesn¡¯t recover.¡±

    The doctor hesitated for a moment.

    When Lu Qingyi heard their conversation she nodded her head furiously. She even wanted to prostrate herself before the doctor. ¡°That¡¯s right, doctor Hu, you¡¯re an elder who¡¯s watched us grow up. Please, share some of your benevolent heart with us.¡±

    The doctor sighed, then retracted his foot that had passed beyond the door¡¯s threshold. ¡°Alright, let me try.¡±

    He both prescribed some medicine and used his golden needles. Lu Qingyi thanked him continuously before ordering her servant Ah Sheng to see the doctor home.

    Both Lu Qingyi and Lu Mingshu kept watch deep into the night before Sir Lu finally awoke.

    Lu Qingyi began to weep from joy while she sat down when she saw him wake up.

    When Sir Lu saw the state she was in, he immediately felt resentful for not being able to meet her expectation. ¡°You... you...¡± His lips trembled as he opened his mouth, but he didn¡¯t know what to say.

    Lu Qingyi became startled. ¡± Father, don¡¯t be angry. It was all my fault...¡±

    Sir Lu closed his eyes when he heard this, and calmed down after a while.

    After a while, he opened his eyes and waved Lu Mingshu over. He gently stroked her head, his eyes full of sadness.

    I¡®m to me. I only have a single daughter, yet I¡¯ve spoiled her since she was young; I raised Lu Qingyi to be weak and ipetent. Now my son-inw has abandoned my daughter, and my granddaughter is still so young. Who could my daughter and granddaughter rely on if I were to leave them?

    Tears tricked down Sir Lu¡¯s cheeks as he thought.

    ¡°Grandfather, don¡¯t cry,¡± Lu Mingshu said with her head raised as she held his hand, ¡°I heard from Hui Niang that the reason they were able to bully you was that they¡¯re martial practitioners. I want to practice martial arts too¡ªso that I can bully them in the same manner that they bullied us next time.¡±

    Sir Lu was taken aback by her words. He put his hand on her head and struggled to say, ¡± Don¡¯t... tell anyone else... this...¡±

    Afterwards, he called Lu Qingyi over by pointing to the small cab next to his bed, expecting her to retrieve a house deed from it. He then left a few words for her. ¡°Once I go, you must... recruit Ah Sheng... to establish the household. Carefully raise...¡±

    However, before he could finish, his eyes closed and his breathing stopped.

    ¡°Father! Father!¡± Lu Qingyi yelled. When she didn¡¯t receive a reply, she began weeping.

    When Hui Niang heard Lu Qingyi weeping, she rushed over to see if he was still breathing. After doing so, she began to weep alongside Lu Qingyi. ¡°Sir has left us...¡±

    ¡ª-

    They kept watch over his coffin for three days whilst wearing mourning clothing. When Sir Lu¡¯s funeral arrangements had been concluded, Lu Qingyi fell ill due to her excessive grief.

    They originally thought that it was a minor illness. However, it didn¡¯t seem to have gotten any better by May, even though she¡¯d contracted it in February. Instead, it seemed to only get worse and worse.

    Considering the fact that she had a naturally weak body, Lu Qingyi was lucky to have lived through giving birth. Falling ill for a few months had caused her entire body to thin so much that her clothes had be toorge for her.

    Sir Lu knew that his daughter had a weak constitution and that she wouldn¡¯t be able to hold up their household single-handedly. Hence, he¡¯d wanted her to recruit Ah Sheng as her son-inw, in order to have some support. As the household¡¯s top worker, Ah Sheng had been sold to the household because his family had too many children. As he hadn¡¯t had time to pick a good son-inw, the old master had chosen Ah Sheng before he died. Ah, Sheng might be a servant, but at least he knew the household like the back of his hand.

    How could he have known that, once he left, Lu Qingyi would be half-dead with illness? Combined with her heart that was still fixated on her divorce, she didn¡¯t even have the will to live on anymore, let alone recruit a son-inw.

    Doctor Hu ran out of new prescriptions when May came around. Knowing that things weren¡¯t looking good for her, Lu Qingyi called Hui Niang and told her what her ns were.

    Hui Niang was stunned when she heard them. ¡°Please think twice, Madam!¡± Lu Qingyi had actually proposed they look for Fu Ze. However, now that she was half-dead, how would they travel? Even if she could travel, there was also a chance that she wouldn¡¯t be able to hold on!

    Lu Qingyi¡¯s tears fell rapidly. ¡°My condition isn¡¯t looking good. What will Mingshu do if I leave this world? She¡¯s only seven! Not only does our Lu family have a history of not being able to bear many children, but we also don¡¯t even have any n members. Ah Ze might be ruthless to me, but he¡¯s still her father. Now that things have progressed to this state, who else can I entrust my child to than him?¡±

    ¡°The reason you fell ill is just that you¡¯ve been too upset. If we treat your illness carefully, you can still gradually recover. Besides, once there¡¯s a stepmother, there will also be a stepfather. With how ungrateful Fu Ze is, he¡¯ll definitely remarry. It¡¯s not necessarily a good thing for miss to be entrusted to him!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t console me, I know the situation my illness has put me in.¡± Lu Qingyi shook her head and ignored Hui Niang¡¯s advice. ¡°Call Ah Sheng here.¡±

    Lu Qingyi had been weak her entire life, yet, now that she¡¯d fallen into a half-dead state, she had be unexpectedly strong. She had Ah Sheng look for a middleman, then sold off their residence and fields for silver. Leaving arge portion for her travelling expenses, she gave what was left to Hui Niang and the others as a severance payment.

    Hui Niang had advised her against it, but she wasn¡¯t able to change her ns, thus she could only listen to her and hire a carriage. However, she wasn¡¯t willing to leave. Once she¡¯d sent Xiao Huan home, she escorted Lu Qingyi and Lu Mingshu to Chuan[1] with Ah Sheng.

    Only then did Lu Mingshu realize that her birth father was at the Nine Jade Pce in Xichuan.

 Chapter 3: Turned away

    <h4>Chapter 3: Turned away</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    Lu Qingyi had never travelled so far in the twenty years that she¡¯d been alive. She¡¯d previously thought that travelling was just as simple as walking, but now, she realized how difficult it was.

    Though there were four people in their group, Lu Mingshu was too young to make such a journey, while she was basically half-dead with sickness. If it hadn¡¯t been for Hui Niang and Ah Sheng¡¯s support, they probably would¡¯ve had to return almost as soon as they¡¯d left Qingfeng town.

    Even so, the trip was by no means easy. They had to organize their food and lodgings on the way and had even needed to sleep outside once when they couldn¡¯t reach the inn. Furthermore, Lu Qingyi¡¯s prescription couldn¡¯t be cut off, and they had to be wary of thieves at all times... Ah Sheng was an honest and simple man, while Hui Niang was just a weak woman. Considering the fact that the two had never left Qingfeng town, how much insight could they have? The journey from Dongyue to Xichuan was a thousand miles. It took them half a year to traverse the bumpy road and reach their destination.

    However, the real trouble came when they reached Xichuan.

    ¡°Leave, leave, leave! Haven¡¯t I said it already? There¡¯s no one called Fu Ze in our Nine Jade Pce!¡±

    The Nine Jade Mountain that the Nine Jade Pce was situated on was the number one mountain range in Xi Chuan. It had a total of nine tall peaks, steep terrain, and its tallest peak was so steep ordinary people couldn¡¯t climb it. If one were to look for someone in the Nine Jade Pce, they¡¯d have to visit the Jiul¨¹ province, which was situated at the foot of the Mountain, along with the lower house of the Nine Jade Pce.

    Even though Ah Sheng visited the Jiul¨¹ province a few times, he was turned away every time.

    Ah Sheng wasn¡¯t very good with words, thus he could only tap his chin anxiously. ¡°How could Fu Ze not be here? That... that¡¯s our master¡¯s name! He, he should be your Sect Leader!¡±

    ¡°What nonsense are you spouting? Our sect leader isn¡¯t called something like Fu Ze. Leave! If you don¡¯t, I won¡¯t be polite anymore.¡±

    Ah Sheng still wasn¡¯t willing to leave when he heard this, thus he was forced to leave after he¡¯d endured a few hits.

    Hui Niang was giving Lu Qingyi her medication when Ah Sheng returned to the small inn that currently served as their temporary residence. She sighed when she saw Ah Sheng¡¯s state. ¡°Was it another failure?¡±

    Ah Sheng lowered his head.

    Lu Qingyi was lying on the bed when Ah Sheng returned. Her face was devoid of colour and her lips were as white as paper. Their living conditions weren¡¯t good, as the house was filled with the nauseating stench of sweat mixed with herbs.

    They hadn¡¯t had much money left when they reached Xichuan. Even though they still had the silver banknotes that female had given them, Lu Qingyi refused to use the money. Thus, their only choice was to stay in a small inn.

    Lu Qingyi coughed twice.¡±I¡¯ll personally go tomorrow. No matter what, I was his wife. He¡¯s bound to show up if I make a scene.¡±

    1 ¡°You can¡¯t madam!¡± Hui Niang anxiously cried, ¡°how would your body be able to endure any blows?¡±

    Lu Qingyi had already been half-dead when they were in Dongyue; the tough travel they¡¯d experienced had almost dried up what little life she had left.

    ¡°Dragging this out isn¡¯t a solution either. The more I can¡¯t endure it, the faster we¡¯ll have to find Mingshu a ce to live.¡±

    ¡°Madam ...¡±

    ¡°Mother.¡± Lu Mingshu pushed the door and entered. ¡°Maybe there¡¯s a solution.¡±

    It has been said that suffering can mould a person. As much as she¡¯d travelled, Lu Mingshu had grown day by day, to the point that both her words and actions were no longer near as childish as they¡¯d been before. When her grandfather had been alive, she¡¯d only cared about having fun. However, now that her grandfather was gone, and with her mother as ill as she was, she couldn¡¯t afford to be so childish.

    ¡°What sort of solution do you have?¡± Lu Qingyi asked.

    Lu Mingshu replied, ¡°I saw them cleaning the streets just now, so I went and asked the supervisor. The supervisor said that Zhongzhou Seven True tform¡¯s Gentleman Lian Zhen, would arrive in Xichuan in a few days and that the Nine Jade Pce¡¯s Sect Leader might be at Jiul¨¹ province to receive him.¡±

    Ah Sheng and Hui Niang were overjoyed when they heard this unexpected news.

    Hui Niang said, ¡°Ah Sheng and I will go and block him!¡±

    Lu Qingyi smiled, which is a rare sight ever since her father passed on. ¡°It¡¯ll be good if there¡¯s an opportunity to do so...¡±

    Ah Sheng left to get detailed information about Lian Zhen¡¯s visit, while Hui Niang left to finish washing the dirtyundry. This left Lu Qingyi and Lu Mingshu alone together.

    Lu Mingshu removed her shoes and climbed into her mother¡¯s bed, then carefullyid by her mother¡¯s side. ¡°Mother.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Lu Qingyi stroked her head.

    ¡°I found out that he... he¡¯s changed his name to ¡®Fu Shangqing¡¯. He married the Nine Jade Pce¡¯s ex-sect leader¡¯s daughter six years ago... they even have two children.¡±

    Lu Qingyi stared at Lu Mingshu in disbelief.

    ¡°Mother!¡± Lu Mingshu raised her head, a trace of tears could be seen in her eyes. ¡°Can¡¯t we just go back to Dongyue? He¡¯s already forgotten about us. He¡¯s even discarded his name! I don¡¯t want such a father.¡±

    Lu Qingyi¡¯s thin face trembled. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to practice Martial Arts?¡±

    ¡°There are sects in Dongyue too. It doesn¡¯t have to be Xichuan.¡± Lu Mingshu hugged her mother tightly as tears dripped onto her chest. ¡°I don¡¯t want father, I just want you to live.¡±

    When her grandfather had died, she¡¯d felt extremely awful; it was as if someone had slit open her heart and left a hole in it. If my mother... Lu Mingshu looked down in regret. Why have I not convinced her to not do so before we left?

    Seeing Lu Mingshu¡¯s tear up, tears streamed down Lu Qingyi¡¯s cheeks too. Why would she even think of sending her daughter to the man who¡¯dmitted such treachery if she could recover? But doctor Hu had already hinted that her illness was fatal when they¡¯d left Qingfeng. There hadn¡¯t been any exceptions, despite her visiting many different doctors on the way here.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that martial practitioners are able to refine many different kinds of spirit pills,¡± Lu Qingyi said lightly, ¡°if you really want mother to live, once you¡¯ve recognized your father, ask for some spirit pills to help treat mother¡¯s illness, alright?¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± A sh of light shone through Lu Mingshu¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Really...¡± Lu Qingyi turned her head away to avoid her daughter¡¯s gaze.

    A few dayster, the Jiul¨¹ province was bustling with noise and excitements. Roads were paved and cleaned thoroughly with loess and water, while the street stalls were prohibited from operating. At the same time, the Nine Jade Pce¡¯s disciples were dispatched to clear the way; they didn¡¯t allow anyone to pass.

    Lu Mingshu blended into the crowd and listened to the gossip around her.

    ¡°What arge practitioner force... which sort of influence does this Seven True tform have, for it to get our sect leader to wee them personally?¡± As Jiul¨¹ Province was located at the foot of Nine Jade Mountain, residents here were generally protected by it. Furthermore, a majority of the residents were disciples of the Nine Jade Pce, thus they had a sense of belonging to Nine Jade Pce.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know about Seven True tform? It¡¯s one of the top three sects in the world! Seven True tform, Jade Ancient Summit, and Heaven Sea Pavilion are the three great powers that control the world!¡±

    ¡°Then what about our Nine Jade Pce?¡±

    ¡°Our Nine Jade Pce is extremely formidable too, but we still fall short of the top three sects by just a bit...¡± The person speaking felt guilty when they said this. If it had been a hundred years ago, Nine Jade Pce indeed would¡¯ve only been a bit short. However, as talent had been sparse these past few years, they were now inferior to the three heavenly sects by a wide margin....

    ¡°Even so, we don¡¯t have anything to fear. Our sect leader is a genius that only appears once every hundred years. Despite only joining the sect for seven years, he has already reached the Spirit Realm. It¡¯s only a matter of time before he gains insight into true intent and bes a Grandmaster!¡±

    ¡°Right, right,¡± The other person¡¯s response was sincere, ¡°Our Nine Jade Pce will definitely blossom in the hands of the sect leader.

    When noon arrived, a group of people lined up outside of Jiulu Province.

    Within this group of people, the majority rode horses, while the rest rode in a carriage. On both sides of the road stood disciples from the Nine Jade Pce, as well as another dozen individuals that were either wearing in white Taoist robes or were wearing monk robes.

    Seven True tform was a Taoist monastery, but not all were Taoist priests. The majority of them were monk disciples.

    ¡°Look, that¡¯s Gentleman Lian Zhen!¡±

    Lu Mingshu was sitting on Ah Sheng¡¯s shoulders when she heard this. She immediately turned towards the direction the crowd were looking at.

    When she turned over, she saw two monk disciples walking towards the carriage and draw the curtains apart. They then proceeded to pick up a wheelchair with a youth sitting on it and set it on the ground.

    The youth appeared to be around fifteen to sixteen years old. He¡¯s extremely good-looking, as if he was a snowy peak beneath the blue skies. He was also tall and elegant. Like a star, he shone brightly among the crowd. Even though he was sitting in a wheelchair, he still seemed peaceful and had an extraordinary bearing.

    Xichuan people are known to be rough. Thus, when he appeared in the crowd¡¯s sight, everyone was bbergasted at how handsome and elegant he was.

    At that moment, people began walking forward at a fast pace from the other direction. A thirty-plus-year-old male was leading the group. He had average features and a gaze that exuded strength. His clothes were that of the Nine Jade Pce¡¯s sect leader, which made him look at ease and handsome, yet at the same time imposing.

    When Ah Sheng saw this person, he became so agitated that he couldn¡¯t speak. Only when Hui Niang patted him on the back did he shout, ¡°Master, master, I¡¯m Ah Sheng!¡±

 Chapter 4: Life as a stake (for gamble)

    <h4>Chapter 4: Life as a stake (for gamble)</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    Hui Niang and Ah Sheng have thought too simply of the matter. They thought they would have seeded once they met the person in question, but who knew they would be caught by the Nine Jade Pce¡¯s disciples in-charge of maintaining order when they finally stepped out from the crowd.

    They were aware that if they did not meet Fu Ze today, they would not have any chance to do so again in the future. Thinking of Lu Qingyi who was at herst breath in the inn, they squeezed in with all their might.

    Hui Niang also shouted, ¡°Master, look in this direction, this is Miss ¨C your own birth daughter!¡±

    Fu Ze ¨C now called Fu Shangqing ¨C furrowed his brows when he heard the shout. He gave the disciple by his side a signal with his eyes but did not turn around.

    For him to be able to be Nine Jade Pce¡¯s Sect Leader in a short seven years was of course not only because of his talent. Now, with noble guests from Seven Truths tform visiting, absolutely nothing could be allowed to go wrong as there was a lot at stake for Nine Jade Pce. It was better if he ignored them; for if he were to respond, was he not telling others to whom they were calling out? He was a Sect Leader now, so his subordinates would deal with anything that cropped up.

    Fu Shangqing went over to wee the other party normally, revealing a smile, ¡°I have long heard of Gentleman Lian Zhen¡¯s name, and in meeting you now, I see your reputation is indeed well-deserved. Fu Shangqing, your humble servant, is Nine Jade Pce¡¯s Sect Leader.¡±

    Gentleman Lian Zhen revealed a faint smile. ¡°I do not dare to. I am humbled to be able to meet a heaven-defying genius like Sect Leader.¡±

    The two exchanged conventional greetings.

    On the other end, the disciple instinctively approached. Upon seeing the male and female as well as a child being surrounded by the disciples, he frowned. ¡°What¡¯s going on, haven¡¯t you been informed early on that nothing must go wrong today?¡±

    Before the disciples could answer, Hui Niang directed a shout at the man, ¡°Young man, please be benevolent. Your Sect Leader is our master. This is his daughter. We have travelled here all the way from Dongyue, please let us meet him!¡±

    Unexpectedly, once the disciple heard this, his facial expression did a one-eighty. Hemanded the disciples, ¡°What are you waiting for? Block their mouths! Can such words be spoken blindly?¡±

    The disciples hastily responded and went up to block their mouths.

    Hui Niang eyes widen, staring at him in disbelief. Regardless of her sparse spectrum of knowledge and experiences, she could tell there was something wrong with this person¡¯s response. He must know that she was speaking the truth, so it was really because Fu Ze did not want to meet them!

    Seeing that Fu Shangqing and that Gentleman Lian Zhen were about to leave, Ah Sheng grew anxious. His muffled shouts rang out, desperately wanting to break free. But his strength only went so far ¨C how was he topete with these martial practitioners? He suffered a beating again.

    Ah Sheng was being beaten up; Hui Niang¡¯s mouth was blocked; whereas Lu Mingshu was unable to move. Seeing Fu Shangqing¡¯s figure go further and further away, the three fell into a grim situation.

    Lu Mingshu was very anxious. Although she did not want her father anymore, the matter of saving her mother still fell on her father¡¯s shoulders. If she were to miss this chance, what was to be done about Mother¡¯s illness?

    Right at this moment, a woman¡¯s voice rang across the ce, ¡°Fu Ze, you ungrateful man ¨C left your wife and married another, infuriating your father-inw to death. How do you still have the face to be Nine Jade Pce¡¯s Sect Leader?¡±

    Hui Niang immediately recognized this voice. Madame! Taking advantage of the fact that the other party was distracted, she bit his hands, heading in the direction of the voice once she broke free. ¡°Madam!¡±

    Lu Mingshu was startled as well. Mother had actuallye, too? Her condition was far from good....

    Actually, not long after the three left, Lu Qingyi had followed them out.

    She knew that this was the only chance; a chance once missed that would make it difficult to meet Fu Ze, as he now had a wife and children. He certainly would not wish for his ex-wife and daughter to appear. Ah Sheng and Hui Niang were only servants, and Lu Mingshu was a child. It was too easy for the other party to deny the allegations.

    To think the matter proved more difficult than imagined, Ah Sheng and Hui Niang could barely let out a scream before they were caught once again, with even their mouths blocked.

    If she did not call out now, the chance would be lost.

    Prior to this, as Fu Ze had not appeared at all, and Lu Qingyi had still harboured a trace of delusion about her ex-husband, she had not expected that he would be so ruthless. Her anger that was suppressed for half a year abruptly burst out. Taking advantage of the fact that the attention of the Nine Jade Pce¡¯s disciples was not on her, she let out a loud shout.

    This one shout was sad and shrill, and it was impossible for Fu Shangqing to pretend not to hear it, as Lu Qingyi had already openly revealed his wrong-doings to the ears of the surrounding onlookers with her earlier tirade.

    However, he did not behave too seriously, only looking around and calmly instructing another disciple, ¡°Go over and check out what¡¯s happening.¡±

    The subordinate moved as ordered.

    Without thinking, in her despair and anger, Lu Qingyi broke away from the Nine Jade Pce¡¯s disciples only to identally collide head-on with the pir.

    ¡°Madam!¡± Hui Niang screamed, throwing herself toward her.

    Blood trickled down Lu Qingyi¡¯s forehead, leaving her at herst gasp. Fortunately, there were enough people in the way to cushion the collision. Otherwise, with her condition as is, her life would have been lost.

    Those watching the show had never disliked a big issue, and everyone gathered together to spectate. Seeing Lu Qingyi¡¯s state, they followed up by making a big fuss, ¡°Someone¡¯s dead! Someone has dropped dead!¡±

    With such a change in the situation, the lead disciple turned green.

    Fu Shangqing¡¯s heart thumped, and many thoughts quickly shed across his head. ¡°Quickly bring that person to the lower house, see if you can treat her.¡± He came up with a reason almost immediately.

    The subordinate made to oblige. Once she entered the lower house, they no longer had to fear what that woman would spout out.

    Unexpectedly, a hand extended out from sideways, ¡°Wait for a moment.¡±

    Fu Shangqing looked over, a bad feeling secretly nesting in his heart.

    The person that spoke in the intervention was called Yu Wen Shi, one of the young elders of Nine Jade Pce. Before he entered the Sect, Yu-Wen Shi was regarded as the best candidate to be the next Sect Leader. But because Fu Shangqing improved in realms too fast and even had the support of the previous Sect Leader, thus Yu-Wen shi was ripped off the position.

    Even so, with his shallow foundation, his position as Sect Leader was not stable, and almost half of Nine Jade Pce¡¯s elders did not really obey him. As this was the case, he was urgently trying to push the corporation of the Seven Truths tform towards aplishment, expanding his influence.

    For Yu Wen Shi toe forward this moment, Fu Shangqing did not need his brains to know that the other party wanted to make use of this matter.

    ¡°Sect Leader, this woman speaks without thinking and has even put her life at stake. If we don¡¯t clear this matter up clearly, I am afraid it would affect Sect Leader¡¯s reputation. In my opinion, why not let this womane out and make things clear, so as to avoid others believing her words?¡±

    Fu Shangqing: ¡°Senior Yu Wen, this Sect Leader understands your good intentions.¡±

    Yu Wen Shiughed, ¡°Has Sect Leader forgotten? If it¡¯s medical expertise, I am able to boast a little, so why look far and not near? As for the noble guest, I believe Gentleman Lian Zhen would understand, for a human life is at stake here.¡±

    As he spoke, he looked towards the wheelchair.

    Gentleman Lian Zhen smiled and raised his hand, ¡°The guestplies with the owner¡¯s convenience.¡±

    Yu Wen Shi no longer continued to ask Fu Shangqing ¨C he waved his hands to indicate for the disciples to carry the person over.

    Seeing him speak out for them, Hui Niang kneeled down and repeatedly pleaded, ¡°Mister, I beg of you to save our madam. We travelled a thousand miles to look for our rtive, without thinking that Master had remarried and thus causing Madam to be turned away. That¡¯s why we came up with this n. Our old master died from anger and Miss is only seven. We absolutely must not be without Madam!¡±

    Without waiting for Yu Wen Shi to speak, taking advantage of the other party¡¯s negligence, Lu Mingshu broke away and ran over, ¡°Mother!¡±

 Chapter 5: Deliberately distorting the truth

    <h4>Chapter 5: Deliberately distorting the truth</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    Lu Qingyi was lying on the ground, pale and thin beyond recognition, her forehead was bloodstained and one could barely sense her breathing.

    Lu Mingshu kneeled beside her in a daze. Had she known this would have been the result of looking for a rtive, she would never have let her mothere.

    With the changes in the affairs of life this half a year, she had long thrown aside her past yearning for a family reunion, extremely disappointed in a father like this. If not for her mother¡¯s insistence, she did not even want to recognize a parental figure in the first ce.

    Seeing Yu Wen Shi walk over, Lu Mingshu was jolted awake. Grabbing his clothes, she looked up and pleaded, ¡°Uncle, please save my mother. We won¡¯t look for our rtive anymore. We will head back to Dongyue once you save my mother.¡±

    Yu Wen Shi squatted down,forting her with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious, let me take a look first.¡±

    He first looked at Lu Qingyi¡¯s forehead wound, lifted up her eyelids, and then took her pulse.

    When Lu Mingshu saw him furrow his brows, she grabbed Hui Niang¡¯s hand nervously.

    After a moment, Yu-Wen Shi sighed. ¡°She has exhausted her life force.¡±

    Lu Mingshu fell into a daze, looking at him with pleading eyes.

    When Yu Wen Shi saw how confused she was, the look on her face softened his heart despite his intentions in taking advantage of the situation. ¡°Don¡¯t be upset, life and death is only the path of all living beings...¡± But what was the point in telling a seven-year-old child such things? One could only fathom the pain of bereavement* through personal experience.

    Hui Niang stared into nkness, before covering her face to weep.

    Her weeping sounds were mournful, and how could Lu Mingshu not understand? Her whole body suddenly lost all strength, tears rolling down her face continuously as she slumped on the ground.

    Yu Wen Shi cast a nce towards Fu Shangqing, seizing the opportunity to speak, ¡± Who are you people? Why are you trying to smear our Sect Leader¡¯s reputation? Even if there are difficulties, you can¡¯t spout such words irresponsibly.¡±

    Knowing that Lu Qingyi was a spent force, Hui Niang¡¯s hatred towards Fu Shangqing grew. She cried in destion after swallowing her weeps, ¡°We did not spout these words irresponsibly! Your Sect Leader, who is our master, was formerly called Fu Ze and born in Qingfeng town of Dongyue. Because he lost his rtives from young and lived in poverty bullied by his neighbors, our old master often took care of him out of pity. Later on, when Madam was of age to marry, Fu Ze admired her and offered himself to be a member of her family. Old Master did not permit this originally, but through persistence, he married in and was even regarded by our old master as his own son. When Fu Ze desired to look for a good teacher to practice Martial Arts, Old Master took out all his savings and sold half of the Lu family¡¯s fields for his road expenses. Who could¡¯ve known ¨C that once he left, he was gone forever. Half a year ago, a female suddenly came to our household with an absoluteck of courtesy in every possible way while stating that she came under the orders of Fu Ze to send the divorce papers. In his rage, our Old Master vomited blood and passed away. Our madam fell deathly ill after being dealt such a big blow. We only came to Xichuan to look for a rtive, as Madam was afraid Miss would have no one to rely on.¡±

    Hui Niang wiped her tears while trying to muffled her sobs. ¡°We only found out after we arrived that Fu Ze had long remarried six years ago. It¡¯s probably because of this that Madam is on her deathbed.¡±

    These words were heard clearly by the onlookers, inadvertently devolving into a spirited discussion. The majority of them found it hard to believe that the Nine Jade Pce¡¯s Sect Leader was actually such a character, but with Hui Niang¡¯s sobbing at every word, it did not seem to be entirely false.

    ¡°Is this so?¡± Yu Wen Shi revealed a face of astonishment, looking towards Fu Shangqing.

    Previously, Fu Shangqing did not speak out to prevent them because he knew that it was useless. With Yu Wen Shi around, he would definitely have to let Hui Niang finish speaking. He had already thought up countermeasures as she spoke. Fu Shangqing sighed, looking over to Lu Qingyi, ¡°We were once a married couple, so there is no need to bring up all our gratitude and grudges from former days. A human being eventually dies, what is there to argue for? Hui Niang, speak your mind about your madam¡¯s wish. I will definitelyplete them for her based on our former rtionship.¡±

    Listening to his words that suggested she was spouting nonsense, yet he was magnanimous to not argue with her, Hui Niang felt deep hatred, ¡°Fu Ze, why didn¡¯t you say you knew us earlier? Invertedly acting like a good person now!¡±

    ¡°Hui Niang, I don¡¯t wish to argue anymore on past matters. Therefore, we are only strangers even if we meet, so why are you trying to pressure me?¡±

    ¡°Stop trying to speak elegant but insincere words here. If you left, then so be it, the Lu family lives on fine without you, but why did you still have to send the divorce papers? Infuriating the old master to death and madam to illness. Poor Miss is only seven years old but already living a life of solitude and impoverishment ...¡±

    ¡°You are the one that should stop speaking elegant but insincere words here.¡± A female¡¯s voice traveled over from the distance. When everyone looked over, it was a ten-plus years old female dressed luxuriously with delicate makeup applied on her face, exhibiting a fairy-like appearance.

    Her features were imposing, and she produced a piece of paper when she walked over, ¡°Since you said our Sect Leader remarried while still married, why don¡¯t you take a look at when the divorce papers were signed. Eight years ago, when he was chased out of the Lu family, your ties had already been broken. Yet you have the cheek to sully our Sect Leader¡¯s reputation now!¡± As she spoke, she passed the paper over to Gentleman Lian Zhen on the wheelchair. ¡± Gentleman Lian Zhen, I will have to trouble you to look at the date ¨C when was this divorce paper signed?¡±

    With the divorce papers before him, Gentleman Lian Zhen was forced to take a look at it despite intending to stay out of it, ¡°Xuan Ping 5th year, and it¡¯s the 13th year of Xuan Ping now, so it¡¯s indeed 8 years ago.¡±

    With Gentleman Lian Zhen to bear witness, the date on this divorce paper could only be considered true. The crowd started its whisperings.

    The woman snicked, ¡°How is it, do you still want to make up stories?¡±

    Hui Niang was shocked. The divorce papers had only been sent over in February this year, so how could it have been signed 8 years ago? Had they been preemptive and deliberately written an earlier date?

    The woman took the divorce papers back and turn around to face the crowd, ¡°Fellow folks, there¡¯s no need to listen to this woman¡¯s nonsense. As the previous Sect Leader¡¯s daughter Zhou Yinru, I have inside information. Sect Leader was indeed born in Dongyue¡¯s Qingfeng town, but this woman is not speaking the truth. That family has some inheritance in Qingfeng town, with only a daughter in line; Elder Lu set his sights on the young and promising Sect Leader and forced him to be a member of the Lu Household. Afterwards, when he realized that a martial practitioner such as Sect Leader could only squander his resources and would not profit him, he started to despise him, and therefore they signed the divorce papers and even expelled Sect Leader out of the household penniless. He headed to Dongyue¡¯s capital after that and met my father and my big sister, before entering the Nine Jade Pce. Who knows how they found out that Sect Leader wasn¡¯t as he was before. With a heart to cling on, they travelled here. Knowing they suffered a loss from their previous actions, they ndered the matter to force Sect Leader to ept them. How atrocious!¡±

    ¡°Nonsense!¡± Hui Niang anxiously shouted out while sweating profusely, but the other party made up aplete story, leaving her with no evidence to even refute.

    Since they were currently at Jiul¨¹ Province, this crowd, as citizens in Jiul¨¹ Province, naturally would lean towards believing Zhou Yinru more. Moreover, Hui Niang only had empty promises, while Zhou Yinru had divorce papers as proof.

    The gaze everyone gave Hui Niang, was already filled with condemnation. The saying went that Dongyue¡¯s people are cunning, and sure enough, it was true. No wonder the Sect Leader did not want to acknowledge them.

    Fu Shangqing sighed, ¡°Yinru, everyone makes mistakes, so we should forgive when possible. They are also at the end of their ropes.¡±

    Hui Niang did not expect Fu Shangqing to assume the moral high ground. Revolted, she spat on him. ¡°Fu Ze, you show ingratitude to a benefactor, now you even want to pour dirty water on them. Sooner orter, you will suffer retribution for your actions.¡±

    ¡°Hui Niang ...¡±

    Right when Fu Shangqing wanted to open his mouth, Lu Mingshu called out, ¡°Mother!¡±

    Lu Qingyi was presently receiving Yu Wen Shi¡¯s internal force and had her final radiance before death could set in.

    ¡°Mother, how are you feeling?¡±

    Fu Shangqing kneeled down, speaking in a soft voice, ¡°Qingyi, why are you doing this?¡±

    Lu Qingyi did not look at him, revealing a difficult smile towards Lu Mingshu; she stretched her hand out to Hui Niang.

    ¡°Madam!¡± Hui Niang¡¯s eyes filled with tears as she held her hand.

    ¡°Hui Niang, don¡¯t say any more.¡± Lu Qingyi uttered weakly, ¡°With things as they are now, what¡¯s there to say anymore?¡±

    ¡°But Madam, they ...¡±

    Lu Qingyi lightly shook her head, ¡°Hui Niang, although we aredy and servant, we are as close as sisters. Now that I am leaving, I only want to ask one thing of you.¡±

    Hui Niang wept with grief, ¡°Madam ...¡±

    ¡°The only thing I cannot bear to leave is Mingshu. She is still too young, hence I can only ask you to look after her till she¡¯s all grown up.¡± She looked towards Lu Mingshu, ¡°Mingshu, Hui Niang will be your aunt from today onwards. You are to treat her as you would Mother, do you understand?¡±

    Tears rolled out of Lu Mingshu¡¯s eyes. She turned around to kowtow to Hui Niang. ¡°Aunt Hui.¡±

    Hui Niang hugged her, her tears unceasing.

    Lu Qingyi¡¯s mouth lifted up with a quiet smile, turning around slowly to look at Fu Shangqing.

    This man was much more mature than when he left; the signs of his dire straits soured by the loss of precious adolescent years on his face were no more. With his imposing majestic presence, he exuded a genuine Sect Leader¡¯s bearing.

    ¡°Fu Ze.¡±

    ¡°Qingyi.¡± Fu Shangqing wanted to hold her hand, but she shook it off.

    At her critical moment, Lu Qingyi looked at this man calmly. ¡°I know you are already different from the past, but no matter the hatred and me you have for me, Lu Mingshu is your child. If you still remember our past feelings, give them a way out.¡±

    ¡°This is natural. When have I ever rejected your requests?¡±

    Lu Qingyi chuckled coldly, turning away. She rested herst nce on her daughter¡¯s face.

    She showed a gentle smiling expression, but her eyes were filled with sorrow.

    Her consciousness gradually grew fuzzy ...

    ¡°Madam¨C¡±

    ¡°Mother¨C¡±

 Chapter 6: confused by rumors

    <h4>Chapter 6: confused by rumors</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    Even though ¡®right and wrong¡¯ had been discussed, things had yet to be settled.

    When the people from Seven True tform showed up at the Nine Jade Mountain, Lu Mingshu, Ah Sheng, and Hui Niang were with them.

    Lu Mingshu remained in a daze throughout the entire journey as she guarded Lu Qingyi¡¯s corpse.

    When they reached the Nine Jade Pce, Lu Mingshu, Ah Sheng, and Hui Niang were asked to temporarily stay in a hall to await proper arrangements.

    Meanwhile, in the Main Hall, Fu Shangqing had just sent Gentleman Lian Zhen off and was just about to leave himself, when he was stopped by Yu Wen Shi.

    ¡°Sect Leader, what are your ns regarding this matter?¡±

    Fu Shangqing thought for a moment before asking, ¡°Senior Yu Wen, are you asking about my daughter Lu Mingshu?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Yu Wen Shi smiled. ¡°By right, I should not be meddling in Sect Leader¡¯s family affairs. However, considering the fact that the Jiul¨¹ Province¡¯s citizens served as witnesses, the news is bound to spread sooner orter. For the sake of both the sect leader and the Nine Jade Pce¡¯s reputation, I need to know what your ns are.¡±

    Fu Shangqing clenched his fist but did not express his unhappiness. You speak with such awe-inspiring righteousness, yet aren¡¯t you just trying to catch my shorings? Lu Mingshu¡¯s existence would undoubtedly harm his reputation despite his previous excuses. As such, Yu-Wen Shi somewhat supported the idea of Lu Mingshu remaining. It¡¯s fine even if Lu Mingshu is solely kept just to disgust Fu Shangqing.

    ¡°I promised her Mother that I¡¯d take good care of her, which I will. Furthermore, she¡¯s my daughter. I assure you, Senior Yu Wen, that you can rest assured on this matter.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Yu Wen Shi asked while smiling, ¡°Does this mean that the Sect Leader intends to let her stay in Nine Jade Pce?¡±

    ¡°This...¡±

    However, he didn¡¯t wait for Fu Shangqing to answer as he said, ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be a good idea to send her away. She is, after all, the sect leader¡¯s daughter. Wouldn¡¯t you simply be reaffirming the Lu Family¡¯s servant¡¯s words if you don¡¯t keep her by your side? Besides, a Sect Leader who has ample of resources yet doesn¡¯t teach his own daughter Martial Arts would inevitably be a popr gossip topic.¡±

    Fu Shangqingughed grimly. ¡°Senior Yu Wen is right. Of course, I have to keep her at my side.¡±

    ¡°Who does Sect Leader n to send her to? Or will Sect Leader coach her personally?¡± Yu Wen Shi pursued this matter relentlessly, intent on getting Fu Shangqing to arrange a ce for Lu Mingshu immediately.

    Fu Shangqing took in a deep breath and stered a smile on his face. ¡°I¡¯d like to personally teach her, but I have too many cumbersome issues in my household, and I have my own practice to oversee. I¡¯d only dy her practice if I were to teach her, so it would be better to find another teacher for her.¡±

    ¡°Then you¡¯ll have to pick wisely. So, does Sect Leader have any specific person in mind?¡±

    What candidate could I possibly have? I¡¯ve only just met my daughter for the first time today! Can¡¯t you let me breathe? However, he could not possibly voice out his thoughts.

    Just then, Zhou Yinru¡ªwho¡¯de back with them¡ªsuddenly interrupted, ¡°I have someone in mind.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Yu Wen Shi looked at Zhou Yinru in surprise. ¡°May I know who Junior Sister Yinru has in mind?¡±

    Zhou Yinru turned towards Yu Wen Shi and stered on a sweet smile.¡±Liu Jizhen, Senior Brother Liu.¡±

    Yu Wen Shi was stunned when he heard this. ¡°This isn¡¯t suitable.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s not appropriate about it?¡± Zhou Yinru raised her head. ¡°His family background isn¡¯tcking; one of Senior Brother Liu¡¯s ancestors was a Grandmaster! As for his talent, Senior Brother Liu is a rare talent for Nine Jade Pce; he¡¯s someone that only appears once every hundred years! He even entered the Spirit Realm when he was only 24 years old. Others wouldn¡¯t even be able to dream of having someone such as him as their Master!¡±

    ¡°But, Senior brother Liu has now...¡±

    ¡°Senior Brother Yu Wen,¡± Zhou Yinru look over at him, still smiling sweetly. ¡°since you¡¯re so concerned, why don¡¯t you take her in as your disciple?¡±

    Yu Wen Shi replied, ¡°I¡¯m currently facing a bottleneck, hence I¡¯m afraid that I would not be able to take care of her properly.¡± What a joke. I still need to practice and I have my own disciples! Aren¡¯t I just asking for more trouble if I take his daughter in?

    ¡°That¡¯s understandable,¡± Zhou Yinru hummed, ¡°how could an outstanding master such as Yu Wen Shi¡ªwho¡¯s busy with their practice¡ªhave the time to properly teach her? Giving her a somewhat inferior old master would also cause Senior Brother to feel like she¡¯d been dishonoured. Furthermore, their training styles would be different, as they¡¯re generations apart.¡±

    Yu Wen Shi was left speechless.

    ¡°Moreover, even though Senior Brother Liu is currently facing some difficulty, his martial experience is real. With his level of experience, do you really need to doubt his teaching ability? Senior Brother Yu Wen, you shouldn¡¯t look down on Senior Brother Liu!¡±

    These words were akin to a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing, as they left Yu Wen Shi truly dumbfounded by how cunning Zhou Yinru could be.

    Currently, in the hall, Lu Mingshu was kneeling on the ground, silently watching Hui Niang putting makeup on Lu Qingyi.

    A badly battered Ah Sheng stood guard to the side.

    There was no one else besides the three of them in the hall. In fact, the servants hadn¡¯t even bothered to send a cup of water in.

    Rather, they were all gathered outside the hall, gossiping about the three people who have just caused amotion.

    ¡°They¡¯re the Sect Leader¡¯s previous wife and daughter?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±

    ¡°How could they still have the face toe here? You despised Sect Leader back then, so don¡¯te here if you don¡¯t have the ability!¡±

    ¡°Right! If it wasn¡¯t for the Sect Leader¡¯s good insight, he¡¯d still be an abject hero today!¡±

    ¡°They really are blind, it serves them right!¡±

    Their voices suddenly stopped when they realized that youth in a wheelchair had appeared at the door of the hall.

    The crowd hurriedly rushed over. ¡°Young Master Lian Zhen, what do you need...¡±

    Young Master Lian Zhen waved his hand. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I¡¯m just here to see this child. After all, we were brought together by destiny.¡±

    ¡°This....¡±

    The two Seven True tform Disciples attending him didn¡¯t wait for them to answer as they lifted the wheelchair and headed into the hall.

    Hui Niang and Ah Sheng were aware that this Young Master had an extraordinary identity, hence they all stood up when he entered. Only Lu Mingshu remained kneeling and unresponsive next to the stretcher, still in a daze as she gazed at Lu Qingyi.

    The wheelchair stopped at the other side of the stretcher, and Young Master Lian Zhen looked down, but he didn¡¯t speak.

    Hui Niang felt apprehensive. What exactly does he want?

    After a stretch of silence, Young Master Lian Zhen spoke warmly, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you speak up? You knew that they were framing your elders.¡±

    Hui Niang looked at Young Master Lian Zhen in surprise when she heard him. Previously, when she saw Young Master Lian Zhen testifies for the divorce papers, she¡¯d thought that he¡¯d believed Zhou Yinru.

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s eyshes moved as she lifted her head to look at Young Master Lian Zhen with a stupefied expression on her face.

    Lian Zhen leaned down slightly and gazed at her condescendingly before he repeated himself, ¡°Why?¡±

    Lu Mingshu shifted her gaze away from his to her Mother¡¯s body. ¡°Because we only have three mouths, yet they have thousands of them. It¡¯s useless to fight them.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± A gleam appeared in Young Master Lian Zhen¡¯s eyes when he heard this. However, it was unknown whether it was one ofpassion or heartlessness. ¡°Then when will you speak?¡±

    Lu Mingshu held onto her Mother¡¯s cold hand as anger gradually appeared in her cold eyes.

    She then said, ¡°When it¡¯s not useless for me to speak; when everyone beneath the Heavens has to listen when I speak.¡±

    Young Master Lian Zhen smiled as if it was currently the beginning of spring when he heard this.

    ¡°Remember your words today. I hope that I can be there on the day you do speak.¡± He then loosened a jade pendant, rolled up its tassels, and leaned down to ce it next to her hand.

    The two Seven True tform Disciples then pushed the young master in the wheelchair towards the hall¡¯s door.

    Hui Niang and Ah Sheng kneeled down, while Hui Niang said with a sorrowful voice, ¡°Thank you for your words today, Young Master!¡±

    The wheelchair left the hall and gradually went further away.

    The date on the divorce papers had indeed been Xuan Ping of the 5th year. However, the paper had been the silk floss paper that wasmonly used in Xichuan¡ªnot the fine writing paper that people from Dongyue used. Furthermore, the ink didn¡¯t look like it had gone through the wear and tear of eight years.

    It only took a nce to know who¡¯d told the truth and who¡¯d lied.

 Chapter 7: Unconcerned

    <h4>Chapter 7: Unconcerned</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    After some time, someone finally came to visit.

    This man looked to be a steward. He did not even bother to greet them when he entered, and he immediately called a few helpers over to move the stretcher away.

    Hui Niang asked in a panic, ¡°What are you doing? Where are you taking Madam to?¡±

    The Steward nced coldly at her. ¡°Do you not want your Madam to have a funeral?¡±

    Without waiting for Hui Niang¡¯s answer, the group of men carried away Lu Qingyi¡¯s corpse.

    Hui Niang hastily called for Ah Sheng and pulled Lu Mingshu before they followed after the group of men.

    As Nine Jade Pce was located on the peak, it was very cold outside with snow still covering some ces, making it tough to manoeuvre around. The group of men seemed ustomed to it, as they walked with lightning speed. The three of them, a child, a female, and a wounded person had a tough time chasing after them.

    After twisting and turning through the connected pces, they finally stopped at a remote small courtyard.

    In the small courtyard hall, a coffin had already been prepared. The group of men lowered Lu Qingyi¡¯s corpse into the coffin and left. After a while, another group of people carried over white banners, burial clothes, sackcloth, a fire basin, as well as joss papers etc.*

    The Steward stood before them and said in a cold tone, ¡°Madam** has a kind heart and has allowed you to keep watch beside the coffin. Three dayster, whether you want to bring the coffin back to your hometown or cremate it will be up to you.¡±

    Lu Mingshu stood before Lu Qingyi with clenched fists and an emotionless face when he mentioned the Sect Leader¡¯s wife.

    When the Steward finished speaking, he pushed opened the doors and left along with the group of men he brought.

    Without anyone to help, they were left to their own devices.

    Ah Sheng limped around decorating the funeral hall, while Lu Mingshu helped Hui Niang clean the corpse and change her into the burial clothes.

    When the decorations were finished, the three changed into hemp garments, surrounding the fire basin with gold ingots piled up inside.

    Although no one would send their condolences, they were still meticulous in preparing the funeral.

    At this moment, light footsteps were heard from outside, and then someone entered the hall.

    Hui Niang quickly stood up and asked angrily, ¡°Why are you here?!¡±

    This, someone, was Fu Shangqing.

    Still wearing that emotionless facade, he whispered, ¡°On the ount that we were once a couple, I am here to send her off on her final journey.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need!¡±

    Fu Shangqing ignored her and looked toward Lu Mingshu, ¡°Come over here.¡±

    ¡°Miss.¡± Hui Niang anxiously held onto Lu Mingshu¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Hui Niang, it¡¯s fine,¡± Lu Mingshu whispered. ¡°This is my father.¡±

    A sharp pain pierced Hui Niang¡¯s heart, ¡°Miss...¡±

    Lu Mingshu took a deep breath and walked over with steady footsteps.

    Following Fu Shangqing, Lu Mingshu entered a separate hall that was originally used to entertain guests.

    Fu Shangqing sat down on the main seat, reaching out to pour tea out of habit only to grab air.

    He touched his nose, looking at his eldest daughter that he had never met before.

    Her luminous and elegant face resembled Lu Qingyi, with the typical graceful and subdued features that women from Dongyue had. However, her high nose bridge had an uncanny resemnce to his, looking a little cold and lonely.

    With a mind numbed with indifference, he spoke in a calm tone, ¡°Once your mother¡¯s funeral is over, move to Green Jade Valley. I¡¯ve found a Master for you.¡±

    Lu Mingshu quickly lifted her head.

    In this corner, in the small and deserted courtyard, the father and daughter met for the first time. On the other side, in a magnificent pce, a pair of sisters were chatting.

    ¡°Where is our brother-inw?¡± Zhou Yinru casually asked as she had not seen Fu Shangqing when she entered the Jasper Jade Pce.

    On a warm heated brick bed by the window sat a young married woman with an appearance as beautiful as hers. While skillfully doing needlework, she answered, ¡°He went over to see if they need any help.¡±

    She did not specify who, but Zhou Yinru understood right away. ¡°Big Sister, you really have a big heart. Brother-inw went to see his old love, yet you are still able to sit still.¡±

    The beautiful young married woman; which was Fu Shangqing¡¯s wife Zhou Miaoru, looked up and nced over at her. ¡°Nonsense, this is only the proper thing to do.¡±

    ¡°Hmph! You are always spoiling him!¡± As the youngest daughter of the family, she had an arrogant nature. While she acted with restraint on the surface, she did not need to worry about showing her overbearing nature in front of her sister.

    ¡°If you had settled the matter cleanly, would he need to do this?¡± Zhou Miaoru said unhurriedly. ¡°Back then when you volunteered to go to Dongyue, I thought you had matured, but who knew you would almost muck up this issue. Sending the divorce papers over was to fill the loopholes in case Yu Wen Shi were to grab hold of information to use against us. But, thanks to you, one was angered to death and the other fell ill. On top of that, you even left behind evidence. Allowing them to follow the lead here to Xichuan.¡±

    ¡°Sister!¡± Zhou Yinru was dissatisfied at being criticized. ¡°Haven¡¯t I thought of a way to make up for it? Besides, it wasn¡¯t my intention to infuriate them. Who knew they would die of anger when Rui Xiang only said a few extra words.¡±

    ¡°With whatever kind of Master, you would have whatever kind of a servant. If not for your dissatisfied heart, would Rui Xiang have the guts? Don¡¯t take this lightly, even if such a thing was sessfully glossed over, it¡¯s still impossible for this to not have an impact on Shangqing¡¯s reputation.¡± Zhou Miaoru sighed. This would definitely be a blemish on his spotless reputation through seven years.

    ¡°What impact would there be?¡± Zhou Yinru was unconcerned. ¡°Brother-inw is the sect leader of Nine Jade Pce and a grand expert of the Spirit Realm. When he bes a Grandmaster one day, how many people would try to favour him, writing tales of his achievements? Who would still care about this?!¡±

    Not wanting to argue with her immature sister over this, Zhou Miaoru simply shook her head.

    But when she stopped speaking, Zhou Yinru questioned, ¡°Big Sister, how do you intend to settle that little bastard?¡±

    Zhou Miaoru looked up at her. ¡°What little bastard? A maiden shouldn¡¯t speak such vulgar words.¡±

    Zhou Yinru pouted. She couldn¡¯t stand her sister when she acted like this; was there a need to be so cautious and timid?

    ¡°Of course it¡¯s that feral girl that woman gave birth to. Yu Wen Shi made up his mind to bring that feral girl in to disgust us ¨C it¡¯s so irritating.¡±

    Zhou Miaoru looked at her mirthless smile. ¡°Haven¡¯t you already found a good way out for her?¡±

    Speaking of this, Zhou Yinru felt proud of herself, ¡°Big Sister, isn¡¯t my idea awesome? If Yu Wen Shi wants to keep her, fine. If he wants to find a good Master for her, no problem. Liu Jizhen is famous enough, right? Sister, you didn¡¯t see how Yu Wen Shi was made speechless by me. It was so funny!¡±

    Sheughed twice, only to find Zhou Miaoru still serious as if she was unconcerned. ¡°Big Sister, don¡¯t you care?¡±

    ¡°Do you think I should care?¡±

    Zhou Yinru wrinkled her nose. ¡°If it¡¯s me, I would definitely be unhappy. Every day that feral girl is around, it would remind me that my man once belonged to another.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why you aren¡¯t me.¡± Putting down her needlework, she pinched her brows together. ¡°Really, ah, you. Always only looking out for yourself since young.¡±

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Zhou Yinru felt displeased upon being criticized once again, ¡± Big Sister, you really don¡¯t want to y some tricks on her? It¡¯s easy to take care of her now...¡±

    Zhou Miaoru nced over at her. ¡°Don¡¯t be nosy.¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t be that you are afraid of brother-inw¡¯s anger? brother-inw doesn¡¯t even care about her.¡± Zhou Yinru whined.

    ¡°Of course he wouldn¡¯t care if I stay silent and not do anything. However, if I did, it would sooner orter be my sin.¡± Zhou Miaoru picked up her tea, smiling. ¡°Moreover, haven¡¯t you already plotted this out properly? What kind of future would she have once she goes to Green Jade Valley?¡±

 Chapter 8: The Genius Master

    <h4>Chapter 8: The Genius Master</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    After three days of keeping watch over Lu Qingyi¡¯s coffin, her remains were cremated.

    Lu Mingshu had just finished picking up the remains on the other side of the courtyard when someone suddenly shouted from the other side of the wall for them to pack up and leave the small courtyard.

    It was the same steward that had handled the matter of the funeral.

    Once they¡¯d left, he remained silent and focused on leading the way.

    The Nine Jade Mountain was huge and had harsh topography. If one were to walk between the peaks, it would take at least a day or two for the closest peaks, and somewhere between three and five days for the peaks that were further away.

    Fortunately, the Green Jade Valley was just to the side of the main pce. As such, it wasn¡¯t very far from the Blue Jade Peak.

    Despite this, their feet were still sore when they reached the Green Jade Valley. Lu Mingshu had rejected Ah Sheng¡¯s offer to give her a piggyback ride her in the middle, as she¡¯d noticed that he was still limping.

    As they followed the Mountain path downwards toward the interior of the valley, the sound of water reverberated in their ears from the meandering stream.

    Of course, now that November had arrived, winter was deeply prevalent throughout the mountains. However, despite it being winter, both the pine and cypress trees were still verdant, and the green meadows enticed one to sleep upon them. This was truly fitting considering the two words ¡®Green Jade¡¯ in the valley¡¯s name.

    As Lu Mingshu walked, she thought of the day she¡¯d met her Father.

    ¡°I found an extraordinary master for you. He¡¯s the Eldest Senior Brother of the fifteenth generation of the Nine Jade Pce¡¯s disciples, whose famed as a rare talent only seen once in a hundred years. He started practicing martial arts at 8, entered the Inner Breath Realm at 10, the Fusion Realm at 15, and the Spirit Realm at 24. Don¡¯t underestimate these numbers, for in Xichuan, and even throughout the entirety of China, only 10 people have entered the Spirit Realm before the age of 25 in the past millennium. If not for his ambitions lying elsewhere, this Sect Leader¡¯s position would definitely belong to him.¡±

    Lu Mingshu had looked up at her father in surprise.

    Fu Shangqing had lightly coughed underneath her gaze, then had moved his line of sight away from her.

    ¡°He¡¯s now the Courtyard Leader of the Heavenly Ascension Pavilion, just beneath the position of Sect Leader. However, he¡¯s still above Enforcers and Elders, as he¡¯s in charge of the various courtyards. ¡±

    Lu Mingshu had felt a little unconvinced when she heard this; her Father had actually chosen to let such a person be her master? It sounded like this Master was really awesome...

    ¡°However, he¡¯s recently encountered a bit of difficulty,¡± Fu Shangqing exined warmly, ¡°which has caused his temper to be a little weird. Currently, he doesn¡¯t respond to others much, thus you¡¯ll have to be patient with him.¡±

    Lu Mingshu had secretly be excited when she¡¯d heard this, as her grandfather had once told her that those with ability would normally have big tempers. She¡¯d immediately thought that, no matter how bad her Master¡¯s temper was, she¡¯d endure it.

    To be able to find such a good master for her, this father of hers really isn¡¯t that bad.

    Once they¡¯d walked inside of the valley for around an hour, the view before their eyes suddenly widened. Arge in that was at least ten acres in size appeared in front of them and had a small trail in the middle. At the end of the trail was an extremely wide cave, which was lit up and had two crooked huts beside it.

    ¡°Kacha! Kacha!¡± A sound came from the two huts. When they looked towards where the sound hade from, they saw a slovenly man chopping wood.

    When the Steward saw the man, he immediately walked towards him. ¡°Courtyard Leader Liu.¡±

    That man was engrossed in chopping wood, thus he didn¡¯t bother to respond.

    As if the Steward was used to it, he continued, ¡°This servant has brought you a disciple.¡±

    The man paused his actions, then said, ¡°Take her away. I don¡¯t need a disciple.¡± Even though his voice was cold, it was unexpectedly euphonious.

    The steward clenched his teeth and replied, ¡°This is the Sect Leader¡¯s order. Look, here¡¯s the Sect Leader¡¯s warrant.¡± He produced a piece of paper, yet the man didn¡¯t even spare a nce towards it.

    The steward¡¯s face sank. ¡°Courtyard Leader Liu, ording to the Sect¡¯s rules, you have to have a disciple now that you¡¯ve reached the Spirit Realm. However, you still don¡¯t have a disciple. This doesn¡¯t conform to the rules.¡±

    ¡°Kacha! Kacha!¡± The man stepped on the saw on the bench and deliberately ignored the steward.

    Even though Lu Mingshu had prepared her heart, she was still shocked when she saw the man himself. Was this truly the ¡®genius master¡¯ my Father had described? How sloppy...

    Hui Niang was also secretly worried. She¡¯d thought that Fu Shangqing actually had a conscience and that he¡¯d considered their blood rtionship when he¡¯d found Lu Mingshu a master. However, when she saw the man in front of them, it seemed that he¡¯d had an ulterior motive.

    This man, with his sloppy appearance, looked destitute no matter how you looked at him. Based on his conversation with the steward, it looked like he didn¡¯t have much respect either. All in all, the situation didn¡¯t look good.

    ¡°Courtyard Leader Liu.¡± The other party hadn¡¯t been baited when he¡¯d used toughness, thus the steward chose to change his tone to a slower one. Considering the fact that the task had been issued by the 2nd Zhou Miss, he needn¡¯t think of remaining a steward if he failed this task. ¡°The rules are as such. Even if you reject it this time, we¡¯ll still have to send someone else. You can refuse the Sect Leader¡¯s warrant the first time, but do you think that you can refuse it every single time?¡±

    When he saw that the other party hadn¡¯t responded, he added, ¡°Besides, if you refuse, we¡¯ll have to find another ce for her. Both of us feel vexed about this issue, so why not save both of us the trouble and inconvenience?¡±

    The man finally stopped, ced his foot down, and stood up.

    When he stood up, it was the first time that Lu Mingshu had seen his genuine appearance. He was tall¡ª taller than the Steward by half a head. He also had a sturdy physique, and his rolled-up sleeves showed his bulging muscles. He wore a greyish-blue shirt that was covered with wood shavings and had a messy beard that covered half of his face. It was hard to tell how old he was based on his looks; perhaps he was 30 years old, or perhaps he was 40. His eyes held a listless expression and brimmed with tiredness, which made it seem as if nothing could arouse his interest.

    His gaze swept over the steward andnded on Lu Mingshu.

    ¡°I don¡¯t ept dolls.¡±

    The steward let out a breath of relief when he saw the man finally relent. ¡°These two are simply her servants; you can just chase them away if you don¡¯t like them.¡±

    When Lu Mingshu heard, she hastily said, ¡°Wait, they can¡¯t be chased away, they¡¯re my family!¡±

    The steward turned and red at her unhappily. ¡°ording to the rules, you¡¯re not allowed to bring servants into the Nine Jade Pce¡ªeven the royal family has to follow this rule. If they didn¡¯t, what would be the use of the Jiulu Province?¡±

    ¡°But¡ª¡±

    Hui Niang hastily cut Lu Mingshu off and said, ¡°Miss, if the rules are as such, Ah Sheng and I can just stay outside.¡± She then turned and bowed towards the steward. ¡°Our Miss is still young, please don¡¯t take into your heart.¡±

    Even though this Courtyard Leader Liu didn¡¯t seem very reliable, Hui Niang knew that it would be tough for Lu Mingshu to seed if she wasn¡¯t able to find a Master.

    Lu Mingshu bit her lip, then lowered her head and kept silent.

    Somewhat pleased to hear this, the steward turned back around. ¡°Courtyard Leader Liu, look...¡±

    The man seized Lu Mingshu up, then said, ¡°I can ept her.¡± He then pointed towards the small pond to the side and continued, ¡°there are two buckets over there. Therger can hold 5 litres, while the smaller one can hold 3 litres. You¡¯re to fetch me a litre of water without anyone¡¯s help, nor are you to use anything else.¡±

    The two buckets could each be filled up with 5 and 3 litres respectively, yet he only wanted a single litre? How was Lu Mingshu to fetch that much water?

    Hui Niang grew anxious and said, ¡°Esteemed master...¡±

    ¡°Quiet!¡± The man coldly swept his gaze over her, ¡°Get out if you¡¯re not happy.¡±

    Hui Niang anxiously nced towards the steward. However, the steward ignored her and simply watched from the side as he rejoiced in Lu Mingshu¡¯s misfortune.

    If Courtyard Leader didn¡¯t ept the disciple, it would be his failure. However, if it was because Lu Mingshu hadn¡¯t passed the test by herself, it would be none of his business. It would be good for her to make a fool of herself; a broken family wanted to be a Miss of Nine Jade Pce now?

    Unfortunately, Lu Mingshu wasn¡¯t as bewildered as he thought she¡¯d be. She simply stopped Hui Niang and walked towards the pond.

    The steward furrowed his brows. Don¡¯t tell me she knows what to do? Therger bucket can hold 5 litres, while the smaller bucket can hold 3 litres. It¡¯s reasonable for her to fetch 2 litres, but how can she fetch just 1 litre of water? It¡¯s not possible even when you use addition and subtraction! It¡¯s clear that Courtyard Leader Liu is using this question to embarrass her! He sighed. If even he didn¡¯t know the answer, it¡¯d be a wonder if a child like her could answer.

    The steward confidently gazed at Lu Mingshu as she lifted up the smaller bucket and threw it into the pond to fill it up with water, then struggled to lift it back up.

    Hui Niang wanted to help her, but when the steward red at her, she resisted helping Lu Mingshu with great difficulty.

    The small and weak Lu Mingshu staggered as she carried the smaller bucket and emptied its contents into therger one, then threw the smaller one back into the pond to refill it.

    The second time she emptied it into therger bucket, therger bucket was filled up before the smaller one had been fully emptied.

    A surprised expression suddenly appeared on the steward¡¯s face when he saw this.

    The smaller bucket could be filled with 3 litres. Once she¡¯d emptied it into therger bucket the first time, therger bucket would have 3 litres of water in it, while she would only be able to pour 2 litres from the small bucket into therger bucket the second time before therger bucket would be full. 3 litres minus 2, which meant that the smaller bucket would only have 1 litre of water left.

    COMMENT

    Was this the answer?

    The steward gazed at Lu Mingshu¡¯s small figure with a bit of surprise in his gaze.

    Lu Mingshu then walked towards the man with the smaller bucket that only had some water left in it. ¡°Here¡¯s 1 litre of water.¡±

    The man eyes seems to light up. ¡°Bring me another 4 litres of water.¡±

    Lu Mingshu thought for a moment, then lifted the smaller bucket up and returned to the pond. She poured out therger bucket, then poured the litre of water in the smaller into therger bucket. She then refilled the smaller bucket and poured the 3 litres into therger bucket.

    The original 1 litre coupled with another 3 litres from the small bucket equalled 4 litres of water altogether in therger bucket.

    That man was speechless.

    The problem wasn¡¯t actually that hard, but those that didn¡¯t ponder over it wouldn¡¯t be able to solve it.

    This was especially surprising considering her age, as she¡¯d only recently reached the age of enlightenment.

    He casually pulled a stool over and sat down. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°Lu Mingshu. Ming from ¡®bright moon(Ã÷ÔÂ)¡¯ and Shu from ¡®free from worries(Êæ³©)¡¯.¡±

    ¡°How old are you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be 8 years old in three months.¡±

    ¡°Are you literate?¡±

    ¡°En... my grandfather taught me the Book Of Family Names* and the Thousand Character ssic**.¡±

    ¡°Do you have any problems with taking care of your everyday needs?¡±

    Lu Mingshu nced towards Hui Niang. ¡°No problem.¡±

    That man stopped asking questions, took the Sect Leader¡¯s warrant from the steward, and coldly said, ¡°I¡¯ve epted this thing. Now that I have, don¡¯te and bother me anymore!¡±

    Realizing that he¡¯dpleted his errand, the steward¡¯s mind loosened up. ¡°Yes, yes, yes, servant bids you farewell.¡± When he was done speaking, he signalled for Ah Sheng and Hui Niang to follow him with an angry facial expression. ¡°What¡¯re you two standing there stunned for? Courtyard Leader Liu doesn¡¯t like you being here,e with me!¡±

    Hui Niang hesitated. ¡°But the luggage...¡±

    Seeing how unobservant she was, the steward unhappily shouted, ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what Courtyard Leader Liu said earlier? If she can¡¯t even take care of her everyday life now, how could she be qualified to practice martial arts? Don¡¯t dy your miss¡¯s future!¡±

    ¡°This...¡±

    When they saw that there wasn¡¯t another alternative, Hui Niang and Ah Sheng left, but turned around and nced back at Lu Mingshu every three steps they took. When they left, they left behind Lu Mingshu and herrge amount of luggage behind.

 Chapter 9: Leave me alone

    <h4>Chapter 9: Leave me alone</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    The man lowered his head, turned back towards the wood and focused on chopping the woods.

    He wasn¡¯t the least bit concerned about leaving Lu Mingshu to deal with her luggage.

    As she watched the steward lead Hui Niang and Ah Sheng further and further away, the only choice she had was to take the initiative to speak, ¡°...Master?¡±

    The man stood up when he heard her, then squinted his eyes to observe the thickness of the wood he¡¯d cut, which had been cut into long strips. ¡°My name is Liu Jizhen. I¡¯m a fifteenth-generation disciple of the Nine Jade Pce and am currently the Courtyard Leader of the Heavenly Ascension Pavilion. Since you¡¯ve been ced under my name, you should be a sixteenth-generation disciple. I don¡¯t care what you do in the future, just don¡¯t bother me.¡±

    Lu Mingshu was stunned. Her grandfather had once told her that, to a martial practitioner, having a master for a day was akin to finding a father for a lifetime. Paying respects to a master held the same amount of honour as having a father, while a master and disciple rtionship could be said to be even more important than the rtionship between a father and his son. Before they¡¯de, Hui Niang had told her that once she had a Master, it would mean that she¡¯d gained an honourable elder. However what sort of elder would say ¡®don¡¯t bother me¡¯ to their disciple? In fact, this master seems to be very different from what I imagined a master to be...

    ¡°Master, where do I live?¡± She timidly asked.

    Liu Jizhen ced a piece of wood down in front of him, then swapped his saw for a ne*.

    ¡°Since I oversee the Heavenly Ascension Pavilion, you¡¯ll naturally live with me at the Heavenly Ascension Pavilion.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nced left and right, but only saw two crooked huts. ¡°This...is this the Heavenly Ascension Pavilion?¡±

    Liu Jizhen immediately stopped what he was doing and squinted at her. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you were literate?¡±

    Lu Mingshu quickly grew flustered beneath his re, and hurriedly turned around, only to find three words engraved atop the cave behind her. She recognized the first word as ¡®Heavenly¡¯, while thetter two words appeared to be ¡®Ascension¡¯ and ¡®Pavilion¡¯.

    So, this cave is the ¡®Heavenly Ascension Pavilion¡¯?

    ¡°There¡¯ll be a row of stone houses to your left when you enter. The first house is mine, so you can pick from the rest.¡± After he said this, Liu Jizhen returned to his previous state of ignorance and lowered his head as he began to shave the wood.

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s only choice was to pick up her luggage and slowly walk into the cave.

    With how wide and broad the cave appeared on the outside, it naturally wasn¡¯t small on the inside.

    Even though it waspletely dark deeper in, rays of sunlight lit up the cave¡¯s entrance. A slight chill permeated her bones like threads of silk as she entered, however, she was too scared to take another look towards the deeper part of the cave. She quickly turned around and found the row of stone houses Liu Jizhen had mentioned.

    The row of stone houses was situated near the left wall of the cave. Old, in, cotton clothing hung from the first house¡¯s door, while the second house was empty and full of dust.

    Lu Mingshu dragged her luggage into the second house.

    The stone house was spacious, and it was fully furnished even though it shouldn¡¯t have been; it had a table, an apanying set of chairs, a bed, and a cab.

    Lu Minshu walked out of the cave, then noticed a broom, mop, and cloths outside of her hut. She asked, ¡°Master, can I use these?¡±

    Liu Jizhen didn¡¯t lift his head at her question. He simply waved his hand towards Lu Mingshu.

    Lu Mingshu casually took the broom, mop, and cloths, filled up one of the buckets with water, then took them to her room.

    She¡¯d never done chores before at home, hence, she could only think back to how Hui Niang had done the chores and changed the bed sheets when she¡¯d cleaned their house.

    The sky had already turned dark by the time she¡¯d finished arranging her luggage.

    When the sound of shaving wood finally stopped, Lu Mingshu noticed that Liu Jizhen was peacefully sitting atop a rock outside of his house, and was quietly watching the sunset. When she went out to take a look, she inexplicably felt a sense of loneliness when she saw his bearded face.

    The afterglow of the sunset hadn¡¯t yet dispersed when Liu Jizhen¡¯s eyes undted slightly, and he asked, ¡°Is there something that you want to say?¡±

    Lu Mingshu mustered up her courage, then said, ¡°Master, what¡¯re we having for dinner?¡±

    Liu Jizhen furrowed his eyebrows as if his patience was wearing thin. He endured however, and replied, ¡°There¡¯s a kitchen to the right. Take a look by yourself.¡±

    Does he want me to cook? Lu Mingshu thought before she walked back into the cave.

    There was a row of stone houses to the right of the cave¡¯s entrance as well, and the first one happened to be the kitchen.

    There was rice, noodles, and fruit in the kitchen, just poorer in quality than what she was used to. Since no one was there to care for the food, it was piled up and looked messy¡ªalmost as if it wasn¡¯t meant for consumption. Especially the fruits, where some had a few withered leaves, and a few others were rotten.

    Even though Lu Mingshu hadn¡¯t ever cooked before, she copied what Hui Niang usually did; she rinsed the rice, then lit a fire.

    Torches lit up the cave as the sky began to turnpletely dark.

    Lu Mingshu carefully observed Liu Jizhen¡¯s facial expression from beside the dining table as she ced food on it.

    She ced a te of stir-fried vegetables, a bowl of pumpkin soup, and two bowls of rice bowls on the table.

    The stir-fried vegetables were half-burnt and half-cooked; they were ckened to the point that it was questionable if they were really edible. The boiled pumpkin soup had instead been cooked too cleanly, to the point that it had essentially be a bowl of in soup.

    Liu Jizhen scooped up a few bites of rice, then stuffed a few of the vegetables into his mouth using a pair of chopsticks.

    His face remained expressionless as he ate; neither a trace of happiness nor anger could be seen.

    Master isn¡¯t angry...does that means it¡¯s still edible? Lu Mingshu let out a breath she didn¡¯t realize she¡¯d been holding in, then picked up her chopsticks.

    She scooped up a few mouthfuls of rice, but her facial expression immediately changed the moment she tasted it. ¡°Wa,¡± she opened her mouth to spit it out.

    What¡¯s this? It¡¯s like I¡¯m eating a huge mouthful of sand! Is the rice not cooked?

    Liu Jizhen turned a blind eye to her actions as he continued to eat his rice and vegetables as normal...

    Lu Mingshu spent a long time in a daze when she saw the way that Liu Jizhen was acting. A whileter, she tried to eat some of the vegetables, but immediately spit them out again.

    This is so unptable...

    She stared at Liu Jizhen for a while, before she couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Master, don¡¯t you find the food unptable?¡±

    However, Liu Jizhen didn¡¯t answer her. As soon as he¡¯d finished thest mouthful of rice, he set his bowl down and left.

    Lu Mingshu stood dazed for a while, before she silently finished thest of the pumpkin soup, then packed the cooking utensils up.

    When she returned home, she heard the sounds of her master shaving wood again as she passed by his house.

    The Light filtered through the window and reflected Liu Jizhen¡¯s concentrated figure.

    He stopped from time to time, but with the contrast from the lighting, Lu Mingshu could only imagine what his current concentrating expression looked like.

    What¡¯s Master doing? To Lu Mingshu, it seems like he isn¡¯t concerned with anything; he¡¯s not concerned about his clothing and food, he¡¯s not concerned about his housing... He¡¯s not even concerned about his disciple. He only seems to show concern towards his wood work.

    Why does he only do wood work? Why doesn¡¯t he practice martial arts? Are all geniuses this entric? What kind of person... is Master, exactly?

    Lu Mingshu lowered her gaze and quietly returned to her room.

    When she entered her room, the lit torches illuminated the room full of coldness, which left only the shadows on the stone wall as herpany.

    She opened her closet and took out two memorial tablets, then arranged them side-by-side on the stone table. She put her palms together and murmured, ¡°Grandfather, mother, I¡¯ve paid respects to a master. Master is incredible; he¡¯s the previous generation¡¯s best disciple, and is known as a genius! Master is also very good to me, as he didn¡¯t scold me even when I burnt my stir-fried vegetables and only half-cooked the rice. I will practice martial arts diligently in future. As such, please don¡¯t worry about me, just take care of yourselves in Heaven.¡±

    She then bowed twice towards the tablets, but when she attempted to smile, tears unexpectedly began to roll down from her eyes, while her lip trembled slightly.

    Lu Mingshu quickly wiped away the tears she¡¯d shed. ¡°I just miss you guys so much. This isn¡¯t because I¡¯m sad, don¡¯t be upset. I...¡± However, she couldn¡¯t seem to stem her overflowing tears. She shook her head and sobbed, ¡°Let me cry just this once, just act like you didn¡¯t see it, okay? I won¡¯t cry anymore in the future once I finish crying this time...¡±

    She covered her face as her tears continuously and unceasingly fell to the floor.

    Only when her sleeves have been soaked with tears, and when her voice had gone hoarse, did she slowly stop crying.

    Lu Mingshu wiped thest of her tears from her face, then looked at the memorial tablet in front of her with red, puffy eyes. She choked down herst sobs as she said, ¡°Look, I kept my word and have stopped crying.¡±

    She bowed a few times afterwards, then said, ¡°Grandfather, mother, I¡¯m going to bed. I still have to wake up early tomorrow morning, as I¡¯m not sure what Master will teach me tomorrow. You guys should sleep early too!¡±

 Chapter 10: Visit

    <h4>Chapter 10: Visit</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    It¡¯s the second day and like yesterday, Liu Jizhen did woodwork for the entire day.

    Lu Mingshu ran to and fro for him.

    ¡°Master, drink water.¡±

    ¡°Master, do you want to wipe off your sweat?¡±

    Finally, Liu Jizhen furrowed his brows and snapped, ¡°I already said don¡¯t bother me ¨C what part of don¡¯t bother me do you not understand?¡±

    Lu Mingshu lowered her head, ¡°Oh....¡±

    I guess Master does not like to talk to people? However, he had already taken me in thus pegging him with the responsibility of teaching me martial arts no matter what! How was he going to teach me by ignoring me? That¡¯s right, Grandfather once said it is not easy to be someone¡¯s disciple. ¡®Your master will test your sincerity in wanting to learn and only teach you true ability when he is satisfied with you.¡¯ That must be it ¨C Master is testing me!

    Lu Mingshu pulled herself together. Her master did not like being bothered by others, so she would not bother him. She wanted to work hard on improving her ability at doing chores such as cooking the rice, washing theundry, as well as cleaning. As her master had specially asked her if she could take care of herself, he must not favour a disciple whocked in that department. He would definitely be satisfied if she did well in all of them!

    Seven to eight days passed in this fashion. There were finally visitors at Green Jade Valley.

    ¡°Aunt Hui! Uncle Ah Sheng!¡± Seeing the figures that appeared on the trail, Lu Mingshu set her chores aside and ran over to wee them happily.

    Hui Niang and Ah Sheng, tailing behind a teenager, both revealed a smile when they saw Lu Mingshu run over.

    ¡°Miss!¡±

    Seeing Lu Mingshu¡¯s appearance, Hui Niang¡¯s eyes reddened. Her hair was tied into two uneven braids, her cor untidy, and her belt sash tied messily. Although the Lu Household was notrge, Old Master and Madam had always doted on her, so that little Miss never need to suffer such hardship in the past!

    ¡°You are Lu Mingshu?¡± That young man¡¯s examining gaze fell on her.

    He looked to be about thirteen to fourteen years old. He wore the uniform of a Nine Jade Pce disciple, with a sword slung on his back, while his waist and back were erect in a straight posture and proud demeanour.

    Lu Mingshu bowed in respect. ¡°Senior Brother.¡±

    The youth reluctantly nodded. ¡°Yes. My name is Shao Zhengyang. You should have met my master, Elder Yu Wen, before.¡±

    Puzzled, Lu Mingshu only came to a realisation when Hui Niang reminded her with a whisper.

    ¡°So that kind uncle was Elder Yu-Wen; I haven¡¯t had the opportunity to thank him for speaking up for mother...¡±

    Kind uncle? The veins on Shao Zhengyang¡¯s forehead popped up. ¡°No need, my Master¡¯s notcking a thank you from you as he does a lot of kind deeds.¡± He looked around once he finished speaking. ¡°Where is Senior Uncle Liu?¡±

    Right when he asked, he saw Liu Jizhening out from Heavenly Ascension Pavilion.

    Shao Zhengyang walked over, giving Liu Jizhen a bow of respect after tidying up his sleeves. ¡°Junior Nephew Shao Zhengyang greets Senior Uncle Liu.¡±

    Liu Jizhen gave him a brief nce.

    Shao Zhengyang added another line, ¡°My Master is Elder Yu Wen.¡±

    Finally, Liu Jizhen spoke, ¡°Why are you here?¡±

    Shao Zhengyang smiled. ¡°Master sent me here to send his regards to Senior Uncle Liu as well as to check on Senior Uncle¡¯s new disciple since my Master had met her once through fate.¡±

    Hearing these words, Liu Jizhen furrowed his brows and pondered for a moment before turning around. ¡°You,e here.¡±

    As Liu Jizhen brought Shao Zhengyang into Heavenly Ascension Pavilion, Hui Niang took this chance to tidy up Lu Mingshu¡¯s clothes and reb her hair.

    Hui Niang¡¯s nimble hands rounded around her head, and a small bun appeared.

    Lu Mingshu called out, ¡°Aunt Hui, slow down, let me see how you tied it.¡±

    Hui Niang¡¯s heart ached at this statement. She slowed down her movements and slowly tied up the other half of her hair. ¡°Look, just twist it around like this, stuff it in, and it¡¯s done.¡±

    Lu Mingshu told her to undo it, to attempt the hairdo herself, till she could sessfully tie up her hair. She smiled. ¡°It¡¯s done! I have learnt it!¡±

    Hui Niang revealed a smile. ¡°Miss is really smart!¡±

    On the other hand, Ah Sheng ced the basket on his shoulders down and showed her item after item from the basket. ¡°Miss, these are bought by us at the foot of the mountain, though we weren¡¯t sure what youck here....¡±

    A kit of needles, oil, salt, wine and vinegar, a teapot set, as well as rice, noodles, and fruits... They basically bought everything they could think of ¨C as well as a basket of eggs.

    Hui Niang nagged, ¡°When you are alone, you must remember to eat well and dress warmly. Don¡¯t worry about Ah Sheng and I. We have asked the Steward for a position to do chores on the mountains. The job is not difficult and we are paid wages every month...¡±

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s eyes reddened when she saw Hui Niang¡¯s blistered hands and Ah Sheng¡¯s worn-out shoes.

    She took out a banknote from the embroidered pouch. ¡°Aunt Hui, take this...¡±

    Hui Niang hastily waved her hands. ¡°I can¡¯t! This was left to you by Madam for protection, so you can¡¯t use it so easily.¡±

    They had almost spent the money from selling the fields on the way to Xichuan from Dongyue, so these two baskets of things were definitely bought with all the money the two of them had in person. These banknotes were given by Zhou Yinru to get them to sign the divorce papers, but Lu Qingyi had been unwilling to use them as she wanted Lu Mingshu to keep it as insurance.

    ¡°There are still a lot of it here!¡± Lu Mingshu stubbornly stuffed the banknote into her hand. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s inconvenient for me to leave, so how could you not have money when you still have to bring things to me?¡±

    Hui Niang looked at Ah Sheng, hesitating to ept it. ¡°Then we will keep it to buy things for miss...¡±

    ¡°You two shouldn¡¯t be so thrifty ¨C Hui Niang, you should buy some ointment for your blistered hand, and Ah Sheng should also buy a new pair of shoes...¡±

    Hearing her words, Hui Niang felt gratitude.

    She turned her head to avoid Lu Mingshu¡¯s gaze yet spotted the half-washedundry. Busily, she rolled up her sleeves. ¡± I¡¯ll first wash theundry; Ah Sheng, carry the things in.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t!¡± Lu Mingshu hastily stopped her. ¡°Taking care of Master is not something to be done by others.¡±

    ¡°Just once. Courtyard Leader Liu won¡¯t mind.¡±

    Lu Mingshu still shook her head.

    Since she could not convince her, Hui Niang could only stop and help Ah Sheng carry the things in.

    Upon seeing the state of the kitchen, Hui Niang was on the verge of tears, ¡°Why is it like this? This rice and these noodles are so rough, and the vegetables are already withered. Is it even edible?¡±

    Hui Niang had heard some rumor when she was doing chores and had been worried all along, but seeing the reality of the situation now made her heart ache.

    They said Courtyard Leader Liu, the one assigned to Green Jade Valley, was inferior to even a steward despite his title as a courtyard leader. Hui Niang originally passed it off as mere gossip, but to think the situation was worse than her imagination. Which steward would be willing to eat this kind of rice and noodles? Only servants like them ate such food.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine, haven¡¯t you guys just brought some new ones here?¡± Lu Mingshuughed tofort her.

    Hui Niang opened her mouth but did not manage to speak what was on her mind.

    Her Miss had already paid respects to her master, so what else could she do? It would only be unbearable if she were to tell her...

    It was all because Fu Shangqing, on top of being heartless to the old master and the madam, would even treat his own blood and flesh this way!

    ¡°Lu Mingshu!¡± A voice traveled in from outside. Shao Zhengyang walked in.

    ¡°Senior Brother Shao.¡±

    Shao Zhengyang nodded his head and proceeded to ask Ah Sheng, ¡°Where is my stuff?¡±

    ¡°Here, here!¡± Ah Sheng hastily took out a package from the basket.

    Shao Zhengyang began opening the package. ¡°My master knows the Courtyard of Affairs is not very thorough in handling their duties, hence he got me to send your disciple package personally. Look, this seal tablet is your proof of identification. Don¡¯t lose it. This is your disciple handbook as well as a foundation technique, and some misceneous stuff...¡±

    By right, every disciple was given the package when they entered the sect. As for why Lu Mingshu¡¯s package had to be personally sent was naturally self-exnatory.

    With Hui Niang repeatedly thanking Shao Zhengyang, how could he be patient? He waved his hand. ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving first. You two shoulde with me too, as I am afraid Senior Uncle Liu doesn¡¯t like it when others disturb him.¡±

 Chapter 11: Two options

    <h4>Chapter 11: Two options</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    After sending Hui Niang and the others off, Lu Mingshu went back to the pond to continue doing theundry.

    Liu Jizhen walked over and stood by the side, watching her silently.

    Lu Mingshu lifted her head. ¡°Master?¡±

    Liu Jizhen nodded. ¡°Come here.¡±

    ¡°Yes...¡±

    Liu Jizhen sat down, looking at Lu Mingshu before him.

    On the day she had just arrived, as he recalled it, she still had had the semnce of a very delicate youngdy. But today, with an old apron tied around her waist and her hands red from soaking in the cold water, she had already lost that delicate touch to her demeanour.

    ¡°Master?¡± Lu Mingshu felt nervous under his gaze.

    Liu Jizhen moved his line of sight away, speaking with a t tone, ¡°I already know of your birth status.¡±

    Lu Mingshu lifted her head at once. She knew her birth status was awkward in Nine Jade Pce, which was the issue that worried her most when she had to acknowledge a Master. Now that Liu Jizhen suddenly brought this up, did he not want her under his tutge anymore?

    While riddled with anxiety, she listened as Liu Jizhen continued, ¡°Do you know what kind of a person I am?¡±

    The topic changed so fast it stunned Lu Mingshu. She answered, ¡°I know, Master is Nine Jade Pce¡¯s previous generation¡¯s Eldest Senior Brother. Famed as a rare talent only seen every hundred years, started practising martial arts at age eight, entered the Inner Breath Realm at age ten, Fusion Realm at age fifteen, and the Spirit Realm at age twenty-four.¡± She paused in thought before adding another line, ¡°In Xichuan, there haven¡¯t been more than ten people entering the Spirit Realm before the age of twenty-five in a millennium!¡±

    These words had been memorized in her heart, repeated many times over.

    Liu Jizhen smiled slightly. ¡°What you said is not incorrect, but those are all things of the past.¡±

    Lu Mingshu was stunned. Of the past? What did that mean?

    Liu Jizhen looked down at his hands, his usually cold voice sounding a little different, ¡°I am now just a handicapped person.¡±

    Lu Mingshu froze for a moment, speaking out in confusion, ¡°Master?¡±

    Liu Jizhen lightly said, ¡°Eight years ago when I entered the Spirit Realm, I went out and travelled in search of challenging experts. But when I travelled to Beiming, I was defeated and even had my Meridians crippled in that challenge. I barely got back my life but had be a cripple.¡±

    He looked at Lu Mingshu. ¡°I believe you have a rough gauge of what kind of ce Heavenly Ascension Pavilion is by now. Although this ce is counted as one of the courtyards, it has in actual fact already been given up on. Being thrown in here means I am only just waiting for my death.¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked at him in a daze, her eyes not in focus for a long while.

    Which was to say, that father of hers was not truthful to her. He had indeed found a genius Master for her, but the man was a cripple...

    Lu Mingshu found herself not at all surprised, but instead with a tranquil calm. It was probably because she unconsciously knew that this was exactly what her father was more than capable of doing.

    ¡°When you first came, I didn¡¯t want to ept you, for I knew you would be no different than a half-cripple if you were to follow a cripple like me. But that steward reminded me that if I didn¡¯t want you, he still had to find another suitable ce for you that might not necessarily be better than this ce.¡±

    Lu Mingshu lowered her head and kept silent.

    ¡°But I didn¡¯t expect your birth status to be as such. A cripple like me doesn¡¯t want to be involved in the grudges of the sect.¡± Liu Jizhen rubbed his chin ironically. ¡°Hence, I give you two options.¡±

    He looked at this child and spoke in a calm voice, ¡°One, to stay here and live like an exile. The advantage is that no one will bother you, as Green Jade Valley has long been forsaken. Two, I still have some connections from my former years and can send you to the lower house to practice martial arts along with the lower house disciples. But you must know, being a lower house disciple will be tougherpared to being a disciple with a Master.¡±

    ¡°Consider it slowly, there¡¯s no hurry for an answer. Let me know once you have decided.¡± Liu Jizhen stood up and walked into the cave.

    Lu Mingshu stood unmoving under the sunlight for a long while.

    On the evening of that day, in the bamboo-fenced small courtyard on Blue Jade Peak, Yu Wen Shi listened to Shao Zhengyang¡¯s report while meditating on a bamboo tform.

    Shao Zhengyang felt puzzled. ¡°Master, disciple does not understand.¡±

    Shao Zhengyang passed the tea cup over with a knowing nce when Yu Wen Shi opened his eyes and came down from the bamboo tform, stretching his muscles and bones.

    Leisurely sipping his tea, Yu Wen Shi spoke, ¡°You don¡¯t understand why Master did what I did?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Shao Zhengyang furrowed his brow. ¡°Master is very clear on Senior Uncle Liu¡¯s current situation. By informing him of that girl¡¯s birth status, he would on the contrary not want to get involved....¡±

    Yu Wen Shi smiled, ¡°What I want is this result.¡±

    Shao Zhengyang was startled, ¡°Master?

    ¡°Think about it, what would be the result of leaving that girl in Green Jade Valley?¡±

    Shao Zhengyang thought out loud, ¡°With Senior Uncle Liu being disheartened nowadays, even if he were to be forced to ept a disciple ording to sect rules, he would definitely not be dedicated in teaching. With a few years wasted, no matter how talented she is, she would still be dyed in her progress.¡±

    ¡°Not bad.¡± Yu Wen Shi tapped his fingers on the table. ¡°That¡¯s the reason why Zhou Yinru proposed this. With such an arrangement, this idle chess piece will forever be idle.¡±

    Although it was now an idle chess piece, it would not be worth it for him to use if there was no prospect for development whatsoever. How could he let her seed in trying to cripple this piece?

    ¡°But, now that Senior Uncle Liu knows of her birth status, all the more he would refuse to teach her!¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand him.¡± Yu Wen Shi sighed, ¡°Senior Brother Liu may look cold, but his heart is in fact really soft. Now that he has learned the truth, even if he doesn¡¯t teach her himself, he will most likely arrange a way out for her.¡±

    Shao Zhengyang thought for a long time, only to then shake his head, ¡°Master, please forgive this slow-witted disciple, but where can that girl go? Her birth status is so awkward ¨C isn¡¯t it more than likely that no one would want to take her in?¡±

    Yu Wen Shi smiled. ¡°That¡¯s right, it is indeed difficult to send her to someone else. But, it is very easy to send her to the lower house.¡±

    Shao Zhengyang was shocked. ¡°Lower house? What use is there? Isn¡¯t it just giving the Zhou family an easier opportunity to strike?¡±

    Yu Wen Shi nced over at him. ¡°I told you to figure out the rtionships in the sect, but you didn¡¯t do so did you? Jiul¨¹ Province lower house¡¯s Courtyard Leader Zhang Kun is also from the line of a Grandmaster. In seniority, he is Senior Uncle Liu¡¯s direct senior uncle. He only volunteered to teach the disciples at the lower house as he had hurt his foundation in his early years. If Senior Brother Liu were to ask for a favour, Senior Uncle Zhang would not refuse. Heh, no matter how long the Zhou family¡¯s hand is, they will not be able to stretch into the lower house with Senior Uncle Zhang standing guard there.¡±

    ¡°So it¡¯s like that...¡± Shao Zhengyang understood now, but he was still puzzled. ¡°What use is there to go to the lower house? How many of the disciples in the lower house end up bing a genius?¡±

    The Nine Jade Pce¡¯s lower house was used to appease the elderly. There were some elderly in the sect who had contributed a lot to the sect but did not have outstanding sessors, causing them to be unable to enter the sect. Hence, they opened up the lower house in Jiulu Province, to teach their sessors. It was not that there were not any geniuses there; they were just sparse in numbers.

    ¡°Do you expect her to be an absolute top expert?¡± Yu Wen Shi broke out intoughter. ¡°No matter how Fu Shangqing behaves, there is no doubt about his talent. I only need this child to grow a backbone and be able to upy a ce in the sect, as she might be usable in the future.¡±

    He thought for a while, before continuing, ¡°This girl has good willpower. It¡¯s possible to mould her into a genius.¡±

    Shao Zhengyang pouted, ¡°Howe I couldn¡¯t see it....¡±

    Yu Wen Shiughed, ¡°Kid, what are you trying topete with a little maiden for? How petty!¡±

    As the saying went, a master and a disciple were just like father and son. Shao Zhengyang was Yu Wen Shi¡¯s first disciple, taught step by step personally from the very beginning of his martial journey, which made their feelings run deep. He was fond of putting on airs in front of others, but he was somewhat childish in front of his master.

    As he spoke, he thought of another matter, ¡°Master, say, is Senior Uncle Liu crippled without hope?¡±

    ¡°His Meridians are crippled, what do you think?¡± Yu Wen Shi knocked on the table and then sighed. ¡°If it was not because Senior Brother Liu had had an ident, why would a small fry like Fu Shangqing aplish his ambitions? If he were fine, the position of sect leader would already have been in my hands.¡±

    Although Liu Jizhen was the Eldest Senior Brother back then, he wholehearted pursuit of the highest realm of martial arts made him hold no desire for the sect leader¡¯s position. The previous generation of elders then settled their gaze on the smooth and slick Yu Wen Shi. But who knew, Liu Jizhen woulde back as a cripple after his travels. Following that, the previous sect leader brought back Fu Shangqing. With Yu Wen Shi having an ambition differing from the Zhou family¡¯s, why would they allow Yu Wen Shi to be the sect leader when they had Fu Shangqing, the son-inw? Thus, they gathered all their power to make Fu Shangqing the sect leader.

    Had Liu Jizhen still been around, Fu Shangqing¡¯s strength would have paled inparison to his; and with his foundation being eclipsed by Yu Wen Shi¡¯s, they would certainly not have had a chance of pulling it off.

    What a pity ¨Cbut maybe this is what destiny is. Liu Jizhen, unfortunately, became a cripple, causing Yu Wen Shi¡¯s stable position as the next sect leader, to be so easily stolen.

 Chapter 12: Tomb of the founder

    <h4>Chapter 12: Tomb of the founder</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    Lu Mingshuy on the bed, unable to fall asleep untilte at night.

    The moonlight outside flourished greatly, and a gleam of light coincidentally shone through a small hole that shed skylight onto her window.

    She thought repeatedly on what to do. The advantage of staying here was that she would not be disturbed, whereas the disadvantage would be that having a Master was no different from not having a Master. She could practice martial arts if she went to the lower house, but she would not have anyone to care for her.

    It appeared as though there was no other choice. If she wanted to practice martial arts, she could only go to the lower house. But, she was afraid she would make the wrong choice.

    As she lost herself in the train of thoughts, she drowsily fell asleep.

    Not knowing how long had passed, she sat up carelessly.

    It was dusky in the room, yet it was exceptionally bright outside.

    Lu Mingshu left the bed and opened the door.

    The formerly dark cave was now brimming with light.

    She was attracted by that light, walking step by step towards it.

    Unknowingly, walking deeper and deeper.

    In the cave, the stone paths intersected, densely packed like a spider web. Yet she seemed as if she had a target, walking forward without the slightest hesitation.

    Walking past stone paths, passing through numerous stone halls, she finally stopped in the hollowed-out middle of the mountain.

    The empty mountain cavity was wider than Nine Jade Pce¡¯srgest za, void of any furnishing in its surroundings. There was nothing but a skeleton sitting on the stone tform in the middle of this space.

    This skeleton sat with a crossed-legged posture on the stone tform. It was naked with nothing on, and it¡¯s hands folded together over an object that shone faintly.

    Lu Mingshu stretched out her hand, and that object began levitating in front of her.

    This object was four-way with six sides in total, a cube with distinct edges and corners. What struck out most was that it was made up of many identical, small square-shaped blocks. With nine on each row and nine on each column, a total of 9¡Á9 equalled 81 small square blocks on each side. Each small cube was engraved with sinct patterns; there were mountains andkes being portrayed in these patterns, as well as animals and nts and pictures of ambiguous meaning. The patterns were filled with colours, and when Lu Mingshu counted, there were in total six coloursprising the following: red, yellow, blue, green, ck, and white.

    When she reached out to lightly touch it, she realized that these small cubes could be twisted. A side that was made up of 81 cubes, whether horizontal or vertical, outeryer or middle, could be twisted. With every twist, the small cube¡¯sbination of colours on each side would change.

    Now, with all these colours mixed up, the cube looked especially disordered.

    As she examined it, a thought shed past Lu Mingshu¡¯s mind. Six sides, six colours ¨C was it possible to turn each side into one unteral colour?

    And that was exactly what she did. However, with 81 cubes on each side and a chain change each time she twisted one row or column, one could imagine the difficulty in returning each side to a unified colour!

    A few careless turns and the colours turned even messier.

    Lu Mingshu stopped her movements, carefully observing it.

    If this side was turned, two of the cubes would be unified, but the other cube side would lose its congruence in colour. It¡¯s going to be another colour if I turn it again... She thought step by step, her train of thought extending out in the same direction.

    A long time seemed to have passed, yet Lu Mingshu had not realized it at all. She knew neither hunger nor thirst, cing all her attention on this wooden cube.

    No, there¡¯s too many...

    Right, it could be divided into many areas before unifying. Eight cubes could be clearly seen on three sides, easy to divide. Furthermore, on another two sides...

    Her train of thought slowly became distinct.

    In the neighbouring stone house, Liu Jizhen suddenly awoke with a start in the middle of the night.

    Although his meridians were broken and he was nothing but a cripple, his early years of diligent training had left him with his expert intuition.

    He did not know where his intuition came from. Lost in thought, Liu Jizhen left the bed and draped anotheryer of clothing on.

    Pushing open the stone house¡¯s door, he discovered the unusual brightness in the cave today. The moonlight of the full moon that passed through a gap on the cave ceiling reflected on every inch of the whole room with a dazzle.

    This was the kind of scene Liu Jizhen could get ustomed to.

    This Heavenly Ascension Pavilion was no ordinary ce, built by the Nine Jade Pce¡¯s founder in the early years. That founder had been a top genius figure, one of the five Grandmasters of his time, and had been world famous.

    Unbeknownst to all as to what provocation this Founder Song had suffered from, he ignored everything in hister years and gathered the sect¡¯s strength to tunnel out this remote peak and build Heavenly Ascension Pavilion in order to gather all of the book collections beneath the Heavens. Afterwards, he directly died in a seated position here, never leaving this ce.

    Even stranger was that he had left behind amand. To not move his corpse or bury it, and only to shut off the ce where he had sought enlightenment every day and consider it his tomb.

    For this reason, the previous generations of the sect viewed the Heavenly Ascension Pavilion as a sacred ce in the sect. The position of courtyard leader for this area was held by the sect leader. There was no one who did not want to enter the Heavenly Ascension Pavilion and check out the founder¡¯s ce of enlightenment.

    In their opinion, as a generation of Grandmaster which was the highest achievement of the Nine Jade Pce, there must definitely be a reason why Founder Song did so. Perhaps there was an exceptional martial arts secret hidden in the Heavenly Ascension Pavilion?

    Unfortunately, they couldn¡¯t find any secret, generation after generation. This Heavenly Ascension Pavilion thus ultimately became nothing but a book collection pavilion. Although the book collection was abundant with many valuable rare books, what use were these for martial practitioners like them? There were only a few useful secret manuals, which they had already taken out, and what was left was either some fragments of a book or scraps that were identified to be useless.

    Over time, the sect abandoned Heavenly Ascension Pavilion, with not even a courtyard leader assigned to it. Instead, they sent someone to watch over it. After all, thisnd was the ancestral founder¡¯s ce of slumber ¨C there must at least be someone to guard the tomb, right?

    Before his Meridians were severed and because Liu Jizhen did not want to seed the position of the sect leader, the elders in the sect were intending to make him the Courtyard Leader of Quintessence Courtyard. Quintessence Courtyard is like a court, governing over rewards and punishment; though unstressed and idle, it was a first-ss, important position in the sect. After his Meridians were crippled, it was impossible for him to take on this position, but it was not nice for their reputation if he didn¡¯t have a position. Hence, someone had an inspiration,ing up with the Heavenly Ascension Pavilion that was submerged in dust as a solution.

    Liu Jizhen was a very serious person, and especially the fact that his Meridians had been severed made his temper turn even more entric. Since he was assigned to be the Courtyard Leader of Heavenly Ascension Pavilion, he had been ced in charge of keeping watch over the Heavenly Ascension Pavilion ¨C although there was nothing to keep watch over.

    With his self-banishment, the enemy faction couldn¡¯t be more delighted; people on the same side as him stopped trying to persuade him after a few times when they saw how stubborn he was. Everyone was busy, so it was not bad for them to have looked after him based on past rtions, but a crippled Liu Jizhen truly did not need them to spend any more time on him.

    Liu Jizhen pushed open the neighbouring door, discovering that his in-name young disciple was not indoors.

    He furrowed his brows.

    It was in the middle of the night, and he had already shut the cave¡¯s stone door, so it was impossible for her to leave.

    He searched once in the two rows of stone houses on both sides. But he did not catch a glimpse of her figure.

    Liu Jizhen furrowed his brows tightly but could only cast his gaze towards the depths of the cave.

    Heavenly Ascension Pavilion was constructed enormously, simr to an underground pce. Liu Jizhen lifted his fire torch up, following the main path to begin his search.

    After half an hour, he stood before the tomb, and his face fell immediately.

    The tomb door had been opened!

    This tomb door had remained shut ever since the sect founder had passed away, and even the door itself had been shut by the founder himself.

    He took a deep breath and stepped into the tomb.

    Then, he saw Lu Mingshu copsed by the stone tform where the founder¡¯s skeleton sat eternally in the empty tomb room.

 Chapter 13: Heavenly wheel

    <h4>Chapter 13: Heavenly wheel</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    After speaking about Liu Jizhen with his disciple the day before, Yu Wen Shi¡¯s mind trailed back to Liu Jizhen once again.

    If one were to push forward time by ten years, how impressive would Liu Jizhen have be? By default, he was the Eldest Senior Brother when he entered the sect and was the direct descendant of a Grandmaster lineage. As a martial practitioner, he had be the top expert of the fifteenth generation, always leading by a far margin.

    Nine Jade Pce was not at all a harmonious sect; there had always been internal strife in every generation, but this did not include the fifteenth generation. This time, Liu Jizhen became the figure that they all admired in the fifteenth generation ¨C someone they had neither the right nor ability to challenge.

    Yet who would have thought, the former Liu Jizhen that no one could hope to match up, to wound up having his Meridians severed and end up being banished to Green Jade Valley?

    Yu Wen Shi felt a myriad of emotions as he thought of Liu Jizhen¡¯s former glory. In this life, I probably won¡¯t be able to see that familiar silhouette again even if it were outside Green Jade Valley, right? It is indeedmentable.

    Wait a moment! Who is that man? Why does he look so familiar?

    Yu Wen Shi could not help but reach out and rub his eyes. Following his tenth birthday, he had never behaved so naively in front of others.

    He observed a man walk over, entering his bamboo-fenced small courtyard from the outside. That man wore in cotton-clothing and had unkempt hair and a beard, a modest appearance that was offset only by his tall and muscr stature.

    He stopped outside the fenced-off courtyard door and gave it a few knocks.

    Yu Wen Shi realized what was going on and stood up in surprise. ¡°Senior Brother Liu?!¡±

    The visitor was indeed Liu Jizhen.

    His calm gaze looked towards Yu Wen Shi as he nodded. ¡°Junior Brother Yu Wen.¡±

    Yu Wen Shi hastily opened the door. ¡°Why have youe? Did anything happen?¡±

    He was not to me for having such a thought, for he knew very well of Liu Jizhen¡¯s stubbornness as they grew up together. There was no doubt that he did not have the intention to leave after he entered Green Jade Valley. It was totally unexpected that Yu Wen Shi could still see him outside the Valley.

    ¡°There¡¯s a matter I would like to ask for your help on.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°That disciple of mine, she has fallen ill.¡±

    Yu Wen Shi¡¯s jaws fell open, as he stared at Liu Jizhen in disbelief.

    ...

    Lu Mingshu forgot where she was.

    Wrong, again. Wrong, try again.

    She did not know how much time had passed since she began trying to solve the cube, but her mind waspletely immersed.

    Slowly, she found a solution. 81 cubes may be a lot, but she could start from the corner then unify...

    The rows of colours on the wood cube gradually acquired a regr pattern, the colours slowly unifying.

    Lu Mingshu had yet to discover the abnormalities urring in her body.

    Back when she first started to fiddle with the wood cube, a light streamer had flown up to twine around her. Every time she twisted a row, those streamers would light up.

    When the colours on the cube were cluttered, these streamers would flutter in a mess before finally dissipating. When the cube colours became more orderly, the streamers would also slowly exhibit a regr pattern in their motions, permeating into her body bit by bit.

    The streamers grew brighter and brighter, congregating into rainbow rays, forming a river...

    The final cube returned to its rightful position. Six t surfaces and six different colours were separated neatly.

    ¡°Boom!¡±

    On the wood cube, the congregated six colours discharged six streams of air that soared to the sky.

    Red, yellow, blue, green, ck, and white. The six-coloured streams of air merged into an enormous air pir.

    Lu Mingshu only felt as if she was hit by a huge force before a scene of brilliant colours flew past her line of sight.

    First, it was a boy practising martial arts and his sword, and then the image shed, changing into a depiction of a teenager and then a youth... who startled the world with his swordsmanship after he reached middle age. He began travelling everywhere, before finally stopping at and of magnificent mountains and rivers.

    There were nine mountain peaks that extended into the distance, with steep terrain and firm topography. Rising steeply from the ground, the nine high peaks were as if pirs that supported the heavens.

    To the east of Nine, Peaks were ins of fertile earth, and the west of Nine Peaks was instead filled with vicious beasts wreaking havoc. He had heard of the legend of Nine Peaks from the mountain natives. One thousand years ago, when this ce was still deste, vicious beasts roved the area and tormented the locals. Afterwards, it was with a goddess¡¯s mercy that the beasts were driven away with the Nine Mountains created as an obstruction, that this ce finally had peace and happiness. Therefore, these nine mountains came to be known as the Goddess Mountains.

    Curious about the legend, he travelled into the depth of Nine Peaks and met the Goddess¡¯s remnants somewhere, receiving an object.

    Since then, he had not left this ce. He stayed on the mountain and founded a sect, taking under his wing disciples upon whom he could impart his skills. In this manner, he passed on the skills he¡¯d umted over the years.

    In hister years, he opened a building at the ce of the remnant of the Goddess and gathered the book collections beneath the Heavens before going into seclusion to achieve enlightenment.

    However, he had not uncovered the secret of the Goddess¡¯s remnant even until the day he died. Despite searching the books thoroughly, all heprehended were the two words ¡°Heavenly Wheel¡±...

    Suddenly, Lu Mingshu awoke from her half-dreamlike state.

    As the streamers slowly dispersed, she found herself standing in a strange space. Surrounded by fluttering six-coloured streamers. Space seemed infinite yet infinitesimal at the same time.

    What is this ce? Why am I here?

    Lu Mingshu wanted to take a step forward to find out that she do not have a material body. When she looked down, all she saw was a fuzzy shadow.

    What was I doing previously?

    The more Lu Mingshu thought, the more frightened she was.

    She remembered now. She had awoken unknowingly in the middle of the night. It had been bright outside and she had walked towards the depths of the cave as if she had been bewitched. When she finally reached the mountain mid, she had seen a skeleton in a cross-legged position. Then, she had picked up the strange wood cube in the skeleton¡¯s hands...

    What exactly happened? I am obviously afraid of the dark, so why would I run in? Could it be a sinister plot...

    Then where am I now? Had I been bewitched? Or am I dead?

    There were no answers to these questions, as there was not a sound or a living thing in this strange space. There was only her alone.

    The fluttering six-coloured streamers in the sky gradually formed a circle that resembled an enormous wheel, rolling forward incessantly.

    The two words ¡°Heavenly Wheel¡± suddenly came to mind.

    Lu Mingshu stared at it nkly for a long while, before slowly recovering her attention.

    What were the new memories that had suddenly appeared in my mind? Nine Peaks... started the sect and epted disciples...Don¡¯t tell me, that was the Nine Jade Pce¡¯s Founder?

    Thereafter, she felt as if she wasn¡¯t the same. She suddenly understood some things she couldn¡¯t understand previously; and suddenly, she wasn¡¯t afraid of the things she was afraid of previously.

    For example, she had only thought of Yu Wen Shi as a kind Uncle before. Thinking of it now, she could discern some kind of conflict between him and Fu Shangqing. In another example, she had only felt surprised and not fear despite remaining clueless as to why she would run into the depths of the cave in the middle of the night.

    In other words, it was as if she had suddenly grown up¡ª

    She vaguely guessed that something fascinating had happened to her.

    Time here passed very slowly. A day dragged past as if a year, with nothing but boredom on her hands.

    Lu Mingshu couldn¡¯t find anything to do. She could not even properly execute the basic action of opening the mouth to speak, nor move forward. It was as if she had turned into a statue, quietly standing there. If not for her active thoughts, she would be no different from a corpse.

    Under such a plight, she could only ponder.

    Her thoughts concluded this ce to be the inside of the Heavenly Wheel.

    The founder wanted to find the secret of the Heavenly Wheel even if he had to sacrifice his whole life, but apart from the name he had not found anything else.

    Could it actually be because the founder could not return the various colour of the Heavenly Wheel back to their respective ces?

    Lu Mingshu suddenly didn¡¯t know whether tough or to cry.

    She had always been extremely sensitive to mathematics since young. In beginner¡¯s calctions, those chicken and rabbits in cages* questions posed no difficulties to her. When Liu Jizhen tested her, she nearly arrived at an answer immediately.

    In retrospect, the train of thought in unifying the Heavenly Wheel was considerably simr to calctions.

    So the wise founder with exceptional martial arts wasted half his life because he could make no sense of calction?

 Chapter 14: Other worlds

    <h4>Chapter 14: Other worlds</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    As time passes on slowly, the flying streamers that filled the space continued to twine themselves around her body.

    Lu Mingshu felt extremelyfortable while this happened; it was as if something had seeped into her body and moistened both her body and spirit.

    She suddenly thought of the words ¡®flexible tendons¡¯ and ¡®purified marrow¡¯. She then inwardly thought, This should be a good thing, right? For the Nine Jade Pce¡¯s Founder to squander half of his life on this ¡®Heavenly Wheel¡¯, not even giving up at his deathbed... it must be an extraordinary item.

    Lu Mingshu quietly waited as she harboured this thought.

    As time continued to pass, the streamers on her body grew denser and denser, until they ultimately formed something simr to a thin cloth over her body, and solidified into a perfect form. Suddenly, with it ruptured with a loud boom.

    Lu Mingshu immediately gasped for air from the fresh air that gushed forth, then realized that she was now outside of that lump of darkness.

    She stretched out her hands and looked at her palms, only to see that the frostbite she¡¯d gained from soaking her hands a few days ago had disappeared. Not only had her palm been healed and returned to its previously tender and smooth state, but there was now ayer of luster present.

    There were still faint streamers on her body that hadn¡¯tpletely dispersed.

    Lu Mingshu then moved her hands and feet around and discovered that they¡¯d suddenly be extremely lithe.

    She moved them to and fro as she began to grin from ear-to-ear. However, she suddenly thought of a question: How can I leave this ce? There¡¯s nothing here...

    She turned her head as she thought, then jumped in shock from what she saw.

    A tree! There was a tree!

    There was now a tree where I previously stood!

    This was too strange; other than the six-colored streamers, there was nothing else present! And yet, against all reason, a tree had somehow grown, despite there not being any soil beneath her feet.

    Lu Mingshu walked towards the tree once she managed to ovee her shock. The tree looked extremely ordinary, and didn¡¯t seem to be of any sort of peculiar variety. It had a thick trunk, lush branches, and glistening verdant leaves.

    She stretched out her hand in an attempt to pick a leaf. However, her whole body froze up the moment her hand touched the leaf.

    [ I have a <Blue Spirit Scripture>, I¡¯m willing to exchange it for a Seven-leafed Lotus. ]

    [ Does anyone know how to grow a peanut? I¡¯ll be very grateful to the person who tells me how to. ]

    [ Clearance! I¡¯m selling everything listed below, bartering is allowed... ]

    ...

    An enormous amount of information gushed into her through the leaf she¡¯d touched. As the information continued to gush in, Lu Mingshu began to feel like her head was about to burst. ¡°Ah!¡± She shouted as she quickly retracted her hand from the leaf she¡¯d been touching.

    She then immediately grasped her head and gasped for air.

    Her tension only eased after a period of time had passed. When it had, she began to quietly reflect on the massive influx of information she¡¯d just received.

    It seems... like people have left messages on the tree?

    Lu Mingshu hesitated to stretch her hand out towards the tree again, as she was somewhat afraid of the painful feeling she¡¯d received from having her head overwhelmed with information. However, she wanted to get to the bottom of this matter. Thus, she steeled her heart, then grasped hold of a leaf once again.

    [ Does anyone know the ¡®Ancient Tool Refining¡¯ technique? Those who know please borate. ]

    [ I¡¯ve reached a bottleneck recently. I¡¯m so bored... someonee and chat with me. ]

    [ Whoa, what¡¯s going on? I haven¡¯t been here in a while, but the former theory discussion has be a flea market? ]

    [ That... where is this ce...? ]

    Lu Mingshu removed her hand when her mind reached its limit.

    Her head was still in great pain, but it wasn¡¯t nearly as bad as before.

    She¡¯d noticed that final, weak sentence in the mountain of information. Was someone in a simr situation as her, and didn¡¯t know where they were?

    Once she¡¯d had enough rest, Lu Mingshu grasped a leaf once more. This time, she intends to look for that message.

    She quickly found it, and when she did, more messages gushed forth, seemingly in reply to their question.

    [ Yo, are you a newbie? Don¡¯t you know that this ce is the Heavenly Wheel? ]

    [ What¡¯s the Heavenly Wheel¡¯? ]

    [ Hahaha, what a pure and inexperienced newbie. Come,e, this old fellow shall enlighten you... ]

    Lu Mingshu released the leaf and foolishly stood there in a daze.

    That self-proimed old fellow had said, ¡°The world that you exist in isn¡¯t the only one. In fact, there are many worlds that are simr to your world. However, these worlds will generally not interlock with each other. They¡¯ll move individually and develop their own societies. However, there will always be unusual circumstances amongst regr circumstances. The Heavenly Wheel is one such foreign matter, through which you canmunicate with other worlds.¡±

    Lu Mingshu was stunned when she heard all of this. She was still young, barely past the phase of learning how to read, and thus hadn¡¯t yet begun to study the history of Confucius ssics. All of her understanding of the world was from what her grandfather had told her in passing when he told her stories.

    For example, she knew that the ce she lived in was called Ancient China. It was generally divided into Zhongzhou, Dongyue, Xichuan, Nanze, and Beiming. Furthermore, there were other,rger countries outside of Ancient China. However, Dongyue was already extremelyrge, as it had seven provinces and eighteen cantons. Half a year ago, she¡¯d experienced just how vast Dongyue was when she¡¯d travelled with her mother from Dongyue to Xichuan. It was extremely hard for her to grasp just how vast the entirety of Ancient China was, not to mention the other countries outside of it.

    Yet now, she¡¯d suddenly been told that the world she resided in was only one of many worlds; that there were many other simr worlds evenrger than hers.

    Her scope of knowledge had suddenly dramatically increased.

    Lu Mingshu slowly digested the new information she¡¯d received, and a strong sense of curiosity to be in contact with even more information formed.

    Once she¡¯d finished digesting the new information she¡¯d received and rested for a while, she touched a leaf again. She stopped to rest whenever her head hurt. Slowly but surely, she began to understand the humongous world that had appeared before her.

    As it turned out, not all worlds were simr to hers, in the sense that they also practiced martial arts. Some of them cultivated to be an immortal like what that ancient text had stated. Some of them tempered their body in order to synchronize with their spirits. Some were even divided into two paths, with some entric worlds also studying magic.

    She received an enormous amount of information that she couldn¡¯t understand, thus her only choice was to push it to the side for now.

    Currently, she had another concern.

    Amongst the mess of information she¡¯d gained, Lu Mingshu had found some interesting things.

    The message had most likely been left behind from aparatively long while ago, as someone had said that he¡¯d met a bottleneck in his cultivation and had beseeched guidance from a Senior. Afterward, others had asked about his situation. He turned out to be someone that had just joined a sect and said that he wasn¡¯t cultivating any rare techniques. As such, he shared the full details of his cultivation technique. The others then had a lively discussion about his cultivation technique and had proceeded to take out the cultivated techniques that they¡¯d learned when they¡¯d just begun to cultivate topare them.

    The contents of these techniques, as well as their discussion on them, was an eye-opener to Lu Mingshu. Someone from a simr world to hers took out a book called <Basic Sword Manual>, then proceeded topare them word by word. Even though Lu Mingshu hadn¡¯t yet begun to practice martial arts, the memories she¡¯d gained from the Founder caused her to intuitively know that all of what he¡¯d said was both feasible and brilliant!

    Lu Mingshu couldn¡¯t wait to test out what she¡¯d learned, but...

    She was still stuck in this space with no visible way out. Lu Mingshu felt depressed when she thought of this.

    The tree had also had a question from someone who¡¯d asked about this problem, which the others had answered. ording to what they¡¯d said when she entered the Heavenly Wheel, her body had suffered some form of impact. Only once her body had beenpletely restored to its original condition, would she be able to leave.

    Hence, her only choice was to wait.

    As she had nothing else to do, Lu Mingshu continued to browse through the information the tree held.

    Even though she knew many words, she still hadn¡¯t learned the ssics or history yet. Thus, there were some cryptic words she couldn¡¯t quite understand. Fortunately, there were many exnations for people that weren¡¯t very proficient in literature, which she carefully looked through.

    When she did this, she discovered that her memorization skills had improved enormously, to the point that she now had a photographic memory. Furthermore, her understanding of things had also improved a lot, thus she was now able to understand a majority of the exnations she saw with a single nce.

    Time continued to pass at a lightning-fast speed.

    When Lu Mingshu felt that she¡¯d been in the Heavenly Wheel for at least ten days, she couldn¡¯t help but grow anxious.

    The information the tree held was interesting, but she felt very uneasy since she couldn¡¯t see the outside world.

    If she were here, what had happened outside? Would Master find out that I have disappeared? What should he say when I get back?

    While she was harboring such an anxious mood, the streamers that had covered her body were finally fully absorbed by her. She was browsing through the information that the tree held when this happened, and she immediately fell into a trance. Afterward, her body was sent out of the Heavenly Wheel.

 Chapter 15: Beginning to understand the heavenly wheel

    <h4>Chapter 15: Beginning to understand the heavenly wheel</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    ¡°Awake?¡±

    Coming out from the Heavenly Wheel, Lu Mingshu had not reacted to the change. Hearing Liu Jizhen¡¯s voice, she drowsily called out, ¡°Master?¡±

    After a while, as her consciousness recovered, she quickly got up, ¡°Master!¡±

    Liu Jizhen sat by her bedside, and his originally casual image seemed sloppier than ever. Seeing the healthy and active Lu Mingshu, his gaze loosened up. ¡°Do you feel unwell anywhere?¡±

    Lu Mingshu shook her head and then asked carefully, ¡± Master, how long have I been asleep?¡±

    ¡°Three days.¡± Liu Jizhen frowned as he spoke. ¡°Why did you go to the founder¡¯s tomb?¡±

    Distinguishing his imputative tone, Lu Mingshu lowered her head. ¡°I, I don¡¯t know what happened either. That night was as if a dream...¡±

    Only three days? She thought she had spent at least ten days in there! Could the Heavenly Wheel have an elerated flow of time?

    ¡°Dream? You did not go in voluntarily?¡±

    Lu Mingshu shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t remember...¡±

    Liu Jizhen¡¯s brows furrowed even deeper. Could it be sleepwalking?

    ¡°Master,¡± Lu Mingshu asked quietly, ¡°am I in trouble?¡±

    Looking at her nervous appearance, Liu Jizhen sighed in his heart. Sure enough, he should not have epted a disciple. Even if he made up his mind to not care about her, he still could not be unconcerned about her in the end.

    ¡°You¡¯re not, since no one knows.¡± Liu Jizhen stood up. ¡°Now that you have woken up, don¡¯t lie back down. There¡¯s porridge in the kitchen, go and eat some.¡±

    Lu Mingshu only realized her very empty stomach now.

    Having spent three days unconscious, it would be a wonder if she wasn¡¯t hungry.

    She wasted no time in swallowing the warm porridge mixed with salty vegetables in the kitchen down inrge gulps. Emptying two big bowls, she finally feltfortable.

    Only when she walked out of the cave door and caught the scent of the fragrance of medicine did she realize Liu Jizhen was currently brewing medicine.

    Lu Mingshu walked over. ¡°Master, have you fallen ill?¡±

    Liu Jizhen fanned the fire. ¡°This is for you.¡±

    Lu Mingshu was startled. ¡°Me?¡±

    ¡°The air in the tomb is extreme yin; this is for you to bnce out the yin qi in your body.¡±

    Liu Jizhen spoke expressionlessly, yet his actions of fanning the fire were very careful.

    He did not think much of what he spoke, but he never expected to be met with the sight of Lu Mingshu standing there in tears once he turned around.

    ¡°You...¡± It would have been fine if all she did was make a ruckus, but this one cry made Liu Jizhen at a loss for words. How would an unmarried man like me know how to coax a little girl?

    Lu Mingshu reached out her hand to wipe off the tears on her face. In her heart, she reminded herself of the promise she had made to Grandfather and Mother about never crying again.

    ¡°Master, I am not leaving.¡± She lifted up her head with visibly reddened eyes.

    After Grandfather and Mother left, only Hui Niang and Ah Sheng were good to her, but in the end, they were not her parents. She had never known the feeling of having a father, and her real father evoked nothing but hatred rather than the feelings of a child towards their father in her. However, seeing her Master brew medicine for her the way he did, she suddenly thought of the word ¡®Father¡¯. Having a father should vaguely feel like this, I guess? No matter how cold he was to me usually, whenever something happened, he was always concerned and showed care.

    Liu Jizhen pursed his lips, keeping silent for a long while.

    Of course he was hoping Lu Mingshu would choose the Lower House. That way, she could practice martial arts normally, and he wouldn¡¯t have to shoulder the responsibility. Yet this child chose to stay...

    ¡°Master?¡±

    ¡°Stay then.¡± Liu Jizhen continued to fan the fire. He sighed in his heart¡ªit¡¯s fine, this disciple is probably my inescapable destiny.

    With the approval, Lu Mingshu¡¯s tears turned intoughter, and she snatched away the fan in his hand. ¡°Master, let me do it.¡±

    ¡°You just woke up...¡±

    ¡°I am very well, look!¡± Lu Mingshu jumped up and down.

    Eh, why does it feel like I have be lighter? She looked at her hands; the frostbite had really disappeared. So by getting healed in the Heavenly Wheel, she really had recovered?

    What the amazing person in the tree said was true. Her body in the Heavenly Wheel had been a projection of her real self, and once the six-colored streamers from resetting the Heavenly Wheel had washed her body, her real body would be healed.

    Liu Jizhen carefully sized her up, examined her pulse condition, and confirmed that there were no abnormalities.

    When he invited Yu Wen Shi over that day, there were no abnormalities either. Yu Wen Shi had even said that not only was she well, but her body¡¯s inner qualities were also superb. He had no idea as to why she would¡¯ve fainted.

    Liu Jizhen obviously did not mention the matter where Lu Mingshu entered the founder¡¯s tomb. Yu Wen Shi and he were from different paths. They might have some friendly rtions, but that was as far as it went. He still had his suspicions about how Lu Mingshu entered the tomb, so it would be inconvenient if someone else knew of it.

    When he thought of what Yu Wen Shi had said before he left, Liu Jizhen felt his heart sink even deeper down.

    ¡°Senior Brother Liu, this child¡¯s body constitution is exceptionally good¡ªa good seedling for practicing martial arts. It would be a pity to give up just like that.¡±

    He could distinguish that Yu Wen Shi was trying to probe him. Ever since getting his Meridians severed, he had banished himself. Hence, Yu Wen Shi wanted to know if he still had any fighting spirit left.

    Liu Jizhenughed at himself in mockery. So what if I still had any fighting spirit? A cripple like me...

    For this child to follow a cripple like me was indeed a pity...

    In the evening, master and disciple retired back to their respective stone houses.

    Lu Mingshu locked the door, sat on her bed, and settled her nerves. She primed herself to once again enter the Heavenly Wheel by following the messages in the tree.

    It was not just a moment of impulse for her to tell Liu Jizhen that she wanted to stay with him. Of course, the care Liu Jizhen had shown for her was one of the reasons, but she also thought that it wouldn¡¯t be suitable for her to go to the Lower House when she was in possession of the Heavenly Wheel.

    For example, that book called <Basic Sword Manual> that she wanted to try. If I were to go to the Lower house, what exnation was she to give if she were spotted while training? Green Jade Valley was still a better choice if she did not want to be bothered.

    She kept her eyes shut, nerves calmed. With a change in thought¡ª

    Sha, the scenery in her surroundings fluctuated. She had entered the Heavenly Wheel.

    A lush tree grew in the empty space, with fluttering six-colored streamers floating around it.

    As she touched the leaf on that tree, a copious amount of information gushed forth.

    After adapting previously, Lu Mingshu no longer incurred a headache. She calmly received the messages and sifted through them for the ones she needed.

    There were even more replies to the new person that had asked about the whereabouts of this ce previously. There were even a few who started a discussion rted to this question.

    [ Newbie, what rank is your Heavenly Wheel? ]

    [ What do you mean by what rank? ]

    [ It means how many blocks are there per column. ]

    [ Oh, it has five blocks. ]

    [ Rank five? Amazing! Mine is only a rank three! ]

    Someone else replied to thest question. Lu Mingshu discovered everyone that spoke there had a number, and the number would be indicated in front of each message.

    [ That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right, I am only a rank four. ]

    Lu Mingshu thought, does it mean my Heavenly Wheel is a rank nine from this theory? Those that answered questions here were mostly rank three and rank fours, with a few above rank five and the highest being rank six.

    So is it better to have a higher or lower rank? As she thought, she could not help herself from leaving a message.

    She had a number too, 15127.

    [ Eh, you are also a newbie too, right? Yours is such a big number. Of course, a higher rank is better¡ªa higher rank lets you have an exchange with more worlds. ]

    Lu Mingshu did not understand. Everyone is exchanging here, so what does it mean to exchange with more worlds?

    Until someone gave her an answer, solving her question.

    [ This is only the firstyer of space. You will be able to undo the seal once your strength is formidable enough, enough to enter theter fewyers of space. There, you will find the world of experts. ]

 Chapter 16: Collecting pills

    <h4>Chapter 16: Collecting pills</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    After fumbling about for a while longer, Lu Mingshu confirmed the function of the Heavenly Wheel.

    One, to exchange or trade with others through the tree. Two, time flowed faster in the Heavenly Wheel than it did outside. The time she had at her disposal to achieve enlightenment exceeded what others had by several times. Three, one¡¯s body inside the Heavenly Wheel was merely a projection. Hence, if her real body were to be injured, getting healed by the six-colored streamers inside the Heavenly Wheel would be faster than naturally healing outside.

    As for breaking through the seal to the entrance of anotheryer, that would be a matter for the future.

    She busied herself until the middle of the night, before taking a well-deserved rest.

    The sky had just brightened when Liu Jizhen smelled the aroma of freshly-made porridgeing from the kitchen.

    When he walked over, he saw Lu Mingshu frying an egg while standing on a stool¡ªshe wasn¡¯t tall enough, so even when she stood straight, she was not much taller than the kitchen stove.

    His eyes shed, and he walked over to seize the spat from her hands.

    ¡°Master?¡±

    ¡°Go scoop the porridge.¡±

    ¡°Un...¡±

    Although the porridge had a mud-like texture, it was at least cooked.

    Master and disciple quietly finished their breakfast before Liu Jizhen went back to his wood work, while Lu Mingshu flipped through the disciple handbook and foundation technique Shao Zhengyang had brought her.

    The sect rules and things to take note of in the disciple handbook were not of much use to her. Lu Mingshu flipped through it for a moment before throwing it to one side.

    While she flipped through that foundation technique, shepared it ording to the discussion in the Heavenly Wheel, to test its feasibility.

    Speaking of it, it was a little troublesome even if she wanted to start practicing martial arts.

    Being a Martial Practitioner was not simply tempering one¡¯s body. The first step to bing a Martial Practitioner was to first awaken one¡¯s Meridians.

    The so-called act of awakening one¡¯s Meridians involved using rare medicinal herbs to stimte them into awakening. Initially, one¡¯s Meridians are in a closed state, and only with enough stimtion will they awaken. Once one¡¯s Meridians are awakened, one will be able to utilize the mystic force through training.

    If it was just nimble agility, then what difference would it have from the skills used by soldiers in the army? Even the sight of hundreds and thousands of such soldiers would not evoke fear in a true practitioner of the martial way. Every one of those famous generals from Ancient China had the power of a thousand soldiers.

    This was how they portrayed true experts, which was also the reason why Martial Practitioners were deeply respected.

    And awakening one¡¯s Meridians was no easy task. The best time to awaken Meridians was from eight to ten years old. At this age, the body would have grown into the initial stage with its potential yet undisyed. By awakening the Meridians at this point in time, it would stimte one¡¯s potential to reach the optimum level.

    There was also a risk of failure when awakening the Meridians. If any single step was done incorrectly, it would affect the development of one¡¯s potential.

    Take Fu Shangqing as an example, he was already twelve when he opened his Meridians. His household did not have any resources, and it was a kind-hearted martial school¡¯s teacher who discovered his innate talent and helped him awaken his Meridians. It was precisely because he waste in awakening his Meridians that his potential had been affected, which was the reason why the servant girl Ruixiang had spoken of a dy that day when Zhou Yinru delivered the divorce papers to the Lu family.

    Of course, the Lu family had nothing to do with Fu Shangqing¡¯s dyed awakening of his Meridians. His own family hadcking conditions, so if not for the Lu family¡¯s financial aid, how would he have ever acquired the capital needed to go to Dongyue¡¯s capital or even meet the Zhou Sect Leader and his daughter?

    Lu Mingshu calcted in her heart. The material benefit in Nine Jade Pce wasn¡¯t bad, and every disciple had ess to the Basic Spirit Pill that would allow them to awaken their Meridians. There was also a portion of increased medicinal efficiency, of which the sum of money given by Zhou Yinru was sufficient to cover the cost...

    Once she was done thinking, Lu Mingshu rubbed her head and looked up to see Liu Jizhen shaving the wood in his hands as he sat there.

    The block of wood began to slowly take on the semnce of a wooden sword.

    Lu Mingshu stared at him nkly.

    What is Master doing? Why does he keep making a wooden sword? The very day she had met her Master, she had seen those two huts unequivocally filled to the brim with wooden swords that he had made.

    If Master had already given up on hope, why would he keep making wooden swords? If he has not given up, why didn¡¯t he do something else besides making wooden swords? What exactly is Master thinking?

    If Liu Jizhen¡¯s line of thought was so easy to guess, he would not have banished himself to Green Jade Valley for so many years.

    On the second day, Lu Mingshu informed Liu Jizhen about a trip down the valley by herself.

    She was heading to the Truth Courtyard to collect pills in preparation for the awakening of her Meridians.

    While it was uncertain if it was due to being baptized by the six-colored streamers, Lu Mingshu did not feel tired at all despite walking from Green Jade Valley to the Main Pce in one go.

    Finding Truth Courtyard by following the map, Lu Mingshu handed her Disciple Seal Tablet in through the window of the reception once she was there.

    The clerk inside looked over her Seal Tablet, ¡°You¡¯re here to collect your Meridian Opening Pills?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The clerk smiled, ¡°Right, just wait over there.¡±

    Lu Mingshu took a seat on the long bench by the side and waited.

    After a long wait, Lu Mingshu felt a little anxious after discovering that it was already lunchtime. ¡°Clerk, are my pills ready?¡±

    The clerk replied calmly, ¡°You came at a bad time. The Jade Pear Residence just sent someone over to collect arge batch of Meridians Opening Pills. There aren¡¯t anymore left here. We had to temporarily transfer some here. If you can¡¯t wait, it¡¯s best youe another time.¡±

    The trek from Green Jade Valley was a long-distance, so Lu Mingshu could only sit back down and quietly endure.

    A whileter, a boy came in, ¡°Collecting Meridians Opening Pills!¡±

    The clerk nced over, smiling, ¡°Please wait by the side, it will be here shortly.¡±

    The boy answered with a hummed and casually headed over to sit down by the side.

    He looked over at Lu Mingshu curiously and asked her, ¡°Are you also here to collect the Meridians Opening Pills?¡±

    This boy did not seem much older than her. Donned in traditional clothing, he possessed the imposing bearing of an aristocrat.

    Lu Mingshu nodded.

    ¡°Which line are you from? I don¡¯t seem to have seen you before.¡±

    Which line... Lu Mingshu did not know how to answer this, ¡°I am from Green Jade Valley.¡±

    ¡°Green Jade Valley?¡± The boy thought for a moment, ¡°Never heard of it.¡± But this did not prevent him from starting a conversation since he was idle and bored, ¡°I am from the line of Willow Woods. My name¡¯s Gao Xiang, and my Master is Elder An. What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°My name¡¯s Lu Mingshu.¡±

    The two exchanged questions and answers, chatting to pass the time.

    Not long after, the clerk stuck his head out from the front desk, ¡°Young Master Gao, the pills are ready.¡±

    Gao Xiang went up to collect his pills, and Lu Mingshu followed after, ¡°What about my pills?¡±

    ¡°Yours is here.¡± The clerk handed over a separate package.

    Lu Mingshu received it. ¡°Thank you.¡± As it wasn¡¯t awfullyte yet, she would manage to rush back in time.

    Right as she was about to leave, Gao Xiang stopped her short. ¡°Eh, aren¡¯t you going to check it?¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked at him in confusion.

    ¡°In case the amount of pills isn¡¯t right, they will not admit it once you step out of this door.¡± Gao Xiang opened his package as he spoke. Checking it one by one before wrapping it back, he revealed a satisfied expression. ¡°Not bad.¡±

    On second thought, Lu Mingshu opened her package. She counted it to be a fair amount, before opening the smaller package inside...

    Lu Mingshu was stunned upon seeing those dried up medicinal herbs.

    If she had not previously seen Gao Xiang¡¯s package, perhaps she would have thought hers was normal. But once shepared it to Gao Xiang¡¯s package, this was obviously...

    ¡°Inferior grade!¡± Gao Xing blurted out. ¡°Clerk, what is with this? You can tell this root bark is of an inferior grade at one nce! You actually dared to use inferior herbs?¡±

 Chapter 17: Fighting injustice

    <h4>Chapter 17: Fighting injustice</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    The clerk smiled while feigning a good attitude. ¡°Young Master Gao, we do not originally possess many medicinal herbs of top grade. By coincidence, a batch had previously been collected by the Jade Pear Residence, and the newly transferred over batch is of this grade.¡±

    ¡°Then why is mine of a top grade?¡± Gao Xiang questioned.

    , ¡°This package had long been prepared since Elder An sent word over previously. Otherwise, Young Master Gao would be collecting a package of this grade too.¡± The clerk did not even bat an eye as he replied.

    ¡°This...¡± Gao Xiang was momentarily at a loss for words. Even though he felt something was amiss instinctively, he was still young and did not think things through enough.

    As for Lu Mingshu, she is fully aware of the situation that she is currently facing. Even if the top grade was not avable, a normal grade would do. Why go so far as to deceive me with inferior herbs? I do not believe Nine Jade Pce would dare permit its disciples to use inferior herbs for something as important as opening one¡¯s Meridians. Firstly, they put me on a long wait and then give me inferior grade herbs. The other party must have nned to make things difficult for me!

    But the other party has spoken pretty words while maintaining a polite attitude, so much so that she was utterly helpless against her situation.

    ¡°No, get your Hall Head toe out!¡± Gao Xiang called out. ¡°Why haven¡¯t I ever heard of the sect giving inferior herbs to its disciples?¡±

    ¡°Young Master Gao...¡±

    Lu Mingshu wanted to speak, but she paused after some hesitation.

    When Fu Shangqing received the news and had rushed to the scene, the situation had long since turned awful.

    By right, a small matter like this would not have been reported to the sect leader. But coincidentally, he was in the Truth Courtyard to check the medicine list when the incident urred.

    The line* of Willow Woods possessed a high status in the current Nine Jade Pce, and the number one expert in Nine Jade Pce, Grand Elder Zhuo Jiangui, was from the line of Willow Woods. This line of theirs had always stayed out of disputes and maintained its neutral position. In that same vein, no one would try and offend them, as that would force them to another sect.

    Given that Fu Shangqing¡¯s position as sect leader was quite unstable, why would he then offend the line of Willow Woods? One could not just write Gao Xiang off as just a child, for the line of Willow Woods had always only had a sole heir¡ªthere would only be one lineal disciple every generation. Zhuo Jiangui only epted An Tongchen as an official disciple, and An Tongchen had now selected Gao Xiang in this generation. Without a doubt, he would be the future sessor of the line of Willow Woods, and An Tongchen was bound to be vengeful if things got ugly here.

    A few days had only passed since the farce, so Fu Shangqing would never do anything unnecessary at this moment.

    ¡°What is going on here?¡± Fu Shangqing walked out with a solemn expression.

    That clerk had acted on his own initiative and on the notion of: so what if a child like Lu Mingshu was bullied? The more important thing was to gain favor with the Second Miss. Who would have thought that fellow Gao Xiang would appear at this moment hell-bent on standing up for Lu Mingshu, thusplicating this matter?

    He did not dare to call the Hall Head. Distributing Spirit Pills was an important task only clerks have right to handle. He was very clear on what status Gao Xiang held; what if the Hall Head fires him in order to appease Gao Xiang? No matter how many gifts a clerk like him sends, he would never be as important as the sessor of the line of Willow Woods.

    Unexpectedly, Fu Shangqing came right when he was hesitating on what to do.

    The clerk looked at him, unsure whether to feel assured or worried.

    He felt reassured because he normally curried favor with Zhou Yinru. Plus, he knew Fu Shangqing was unhappy with this daughter that appeared midway. On the other hand, he felt worried because Lu Mingshu was after all his daughter, and Sect Leader Fu leaves no faults to be found in regards to his actions on the surface.

    Lu Mingshu was surprised at Fu Shangqing¡¯s unexpected arrival. Right when she was hesitating on how to address him, Gao Xiang casually cupped his fist in the other hand. ¡°Sect Leader, you came at the right time. Truth Courtyard is acting too unreasonably. Opening one¡¯s Meridians is such an important matter, yet this vile person reced with inferior herbs and embezzled from a disciple! If this were to be spread out, would our Nine Jade Pce still have face?¡±

    Fu Shangqing was speechless. These words were spoken too brilliantly! Just how old is this child? He¡¯s too difficult to take care of!

    ¡°What exactly is going on?¡±

    The matter was very clear; once the two packages were opened up in front of Fu Shangqing, the contrast was distinct. Everything in Gao Xiang¡¯s package was of top grade and filled with luster while Lu Mingshu¡¯s package was dried up with an abnormal smell.

    Fu Shangqing red at the clerk, hating him secretly in his heart. He knew Zhou Yinru wanted to make things difficult for Lu Mingshu, but he was also toozy to care about it. However, it should not be brought up to the surface, as it was now a critical junction for their cooperation with the Seven True tform. Who would even have the time to handle such trivial matters?

    In front of him, the clerk did not dare to bring up those words he spoke previously. Stuttering, he could not finish a sentence even after a long while.

    Fu Shangqing felt annoyed at his stuttering, but when he saw Gao Xiang staring at him, he could only be decisive in thisplex situation. ¡°I have stressed and stressed time and time again that the responsibility the Truth Courtyard holds is significant. There is no room to treat anything lightly. How could inferior herbs be reced in an important matter such as opening one¡¯s Meridians?! Don¡¯t you know to report to the higher-ups if there¡¯s ack of Spirit Pills? Since you can¡¯t do a good job, you need not do it anymore!¡±

    The clerk¡¯s knees weakened, and he kneeled down on the floor with a loud thud before imploring, ¡°Sect Leader, it¡¯s all because I was greedy at a moment of convenience. I beg Sect Leader to show mercy!¡±

    Before Fu Shangqing even spoke, Gao Xiang red at him. ¡°You haven¡¯t even been punished and you already want mercy? Isn¡¯t it a little too early?!¡± As he spoke, he asked Fu Shangqing again, ¡°Sect Leader, what do you think his punishment should be?¡±

    Fu Shangqing waved his hand. ¡°To punish by ten floggings, and then chase him out of the sect.¡± A small clerk is no big deal.

    The clerk was greatly rmed. ¡°Sect Leader...¡±

    He had just spoken, and there were already people dragging him to Quintessence Courtyard in order to execute his punishment.

    Once the matter was settled, Fu Shangqing looked towards Lu Mingshu with furrowed brows. ¡°How have you just entered the sect and you are already causing trouble? In the future, don¡¯t leave Green Jade Valley if it¡¯s not important. I will send people to bring you anything you need.¡±

    She was obviously the one being bullied, yet Fu Shangqing spoke words to reprimand her. Lu Mingshu had long lost her faith in this father of hers, hence she did not feel upset. ¡°I am afraid this won¡¯t be easy. Green Jade Valleycks too many things.¡±

    Fu Shangqing¡¯s brows furrowed even deeper. ¡°What more can youck if you have clothing and food?¡±

    ¡°Green Jade Valley has not been involved with the outside world for a long time. Since my Master has a good temper, those people have long been used to jeopardizing our supply with inferior goods. This is not the first time. The rice, noodles, and fruits they send over are all inferior goods that even maidservants aren¡¯t willing to consume.¡±

    Fu Shangqing suppressed the unhappiness in his heart and answered, ¡°Alright, I am aware of this issue now.¡±

    Once he finished speaking, he stood up and left with his attendant.

    Gao Xiang asked puzzledly, ¡°Are you familiar with the sect leader?¡±

    Lu Mingshu smiled. ¡°He is my father.¡±

    ¡°Ah?¡± Gao Xiang was greatly rmed.

    Lu Mingshu thanked him seriously. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you today, thank you. It¡¯s not early anymore, so I have to go back now. Feel free toe and y at Green Jade Valley whenever you are free!¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing much...¡±

    Lu Mingshu collected the new package of pills and left Truth Courtyard without double-checking. The incident had only just transpired, hence she was sure they would not dare try deceiving her again.

    Gao Xiang looked at her disappearing figure in a daze. He thought in his heart, I¡¯ve seen the sect leader¡¯s daughter before, a spoiled little girl. When did he get another daughter?

    Lu Mingshu was truly grateful to him. When she realized the clerk¡¯s deliberate bullying, she had already decided to kneel down before the Main pce once she walked out of this door.

    She would not let the clerk off so lightly for acting the good person in front of others and then making things difficult for her in private.

    Mother¡¯s incident made her realize that submitting to humiliation would only encourage more arrogance. If Fu Shangqing has no sense of shame, why should I save face for him? I have nothing now, and as the saying goes¡ªa barefooted isn¡¯t afraid of wearing shoes.

    However, she had unexpectedly met Gao Xiang, who had warm-heartedly fought injustice for her.

    She was not afraid of the Zhou Family¡¯s hatred, but Gao Xiang¡¯s help had saved her a lot of trouble and also given her the opportunity to solve the issue of the bad treatment for Green Jade Valley.

    I have noted down and put this favour in my heart.

 Chapter 18: First transaction

    <h4>Chapter 18: First transaction</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    Lu Mingshu immediately sought out Hui Niang once she¡¯d left the Truth Courtyard.

    The Nine Jade Pce¡¯s workers, who¡¯d been chosen from the Jiul¨¹ Province, were the ones mainly responsible for the chores in the sect. They were registered in the Nine Jade Pce, thus they could be conferred techniques.

    The Nine Jade Pce also had some hardbor that required more manpower than it had avable, thus they would asionally hire external help. As they were external hires, these people wouldn¡¯t be registered in the Nine Jade Pce¡¯s register. Not only were the jobs they did extremely tiring, they even had low status and were basicallyborers.

    Since Hui Niang and Ah Sheng weren¡¯t from the Jiul¨¹ Province, their only choice was for them to be workers if they wanted to stay.

    When Lu Mingshu found Hui Niang, she was in the midst of washingundry.

    The Nine Jade Pce was located in an elevated and cold area, and December would arrive soon. As such, the icy cold water that Hui Niang used from a nearby creek had caused her hands to turn red and swell.

    When Hui Niang realized that Lu Mingshu was present, she hastily got up and wiped her hands. ¡°Miss...¡±

    One look was all it took for Lu Mingshu to know that the money she¡¯d given Hui Niang had been useless.

    She stayed silent as she took out a few more banknotes.

    Hui Niang panicked when she saw the banknotes. ¡°Miss, this...¡±

    ¡°Hui Niang, take the money. I need you to help me buy some herbs from below the mountain.¡±

    Hui Niang¡¯s heart calmed down when she heard this. ¡°Miss, what do you need me to get you?¡±

    Lu Mingshu handed a piece of paper to her.

    Hui Niang carefully looked through the list, then pocketed it. ¡°I¡¯ll get Ah Sheng to go down the mountain and buy herbs for Miss tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Remember to get some herbs for your hands.¡± Lu Mingshu added.

    When she saw Hui Niang¡¯s gradually reddening face, she continued, ¡°Aunt Hui, please don¡¯t think about suffering on your own. If you¡¯re suffering, I¡¯ll suffer too. I know that the both of you have an enormous amount of goodwill towards me, but if you don¡¯t want me to constantly be worried, you can¡¯t continue to wholeheartedly endure hardship, just for the sake of giving me a good name.¡±

    Hui Niang lowered her head. ¡°I truly am useless. Madam entrusted Miss to me, yet I...¡±

    Lu Mingshu lightly smiled. ¡°How are you useless? Don¡¯t I need someone to help me in descending the mountain right now?¡±

    Hui Niang¡¯s grasp tightened on the banknotes she¡¯d received from Lu Mingshu, but she remained silent.

    ¡°Listen to me. Do less of this hardbour, and try not to tire yourself out as much. Both of you should spend your days well so that you have the ability to take care of me.¡±

    Hui Niang wiped tears away from her eyes and softly answered, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll listen to Miss.¡±

    Lu Mingshu sighed in relief when she heard Hui Niang. Afterward, they discussed a few more issues before Lu Mingshu set off to return to the Green Jade Valley.

    Currently, Lu Mingshu¡¯s only option was to continue doing things as she had been. For the sake of their future, she needed to think of another way to give Hui Niang and Ah Sheng a better life.

    The sun had already set by the time she returned to the Green Jade Valley.

    Liu Jizhen didn¡¯t ask her how she was, nor did Lu Mingshu speak of it.

    Both of them ate their dinner, then returned to their respective houses once they¡¯d cleaned up. Now that Liu Jizhen had a disciple, he¡¯d made some changes to his lifestyle. For example, how often he showered had increased. Even though he didn¡¯t care about his appearance, he was still, at the very least, not filthy. I couldn¡¯t always let my disciple smell my body odor, right?

    Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t enter the Heavenly Wheel immediately. Instead, she took out a pen and a piece of paper. She jotted down everything she had rted to opening one¡¯s meridians, then carefully recalled everything relevant she could from the Heavenly Wheel and jotted it down.

    Once she¡¯d jotted it all down, she began topare it all.

    Besides The Spirit Pill, there were only a few basic techniques used to awaken one¡¯s meridians. The only difference among most was theplimentary herbs added to the Pill¡¯s recipe in order to increase its efficiency. Thus, the reason that secret recipes weren¡¯t to be divulged to an outsider from the various Sects and ns was due to theseplementary herbs. Based on what she read, the grade of theplementary herbs used in the creation of the Spirit Pill would affect how much one¡¯s potential was unlocked when they awakened their meridians.

    Lu Mingshu continuously pondered over whichplementary herbs would be best to use. However, she couldn¡¯t rashly decide, thus she entered the Heavenly Wheel.

    She found the message she¡¯d previously seen about items on clearance and browsed through the message¡¯s wares.

    This dear clearance friend was most likely a collectionist, as he had practically everything in the belongings he exhibited, so much so that they didn¡¯t seem to be limited to a single world. A vast majority of them were just basic technique manuals and books, which weremonly referred to as garbage. Not many people would want them, yet it would be a pity if they were simply thrown away.

    After browsing the sender¡¯s wares for a while, she sent him a message.

    [ Big brother, do you have any secret recipes for awakening one¡¯s meridians? ]

    The person was actually present when she sent him her message, as a reply quickly came.

    [ I have them! I have all sorts of Basic Technique manuals! Anything that you need is avable! Don¡¯t hesitate to tell me anything you need! We can discuss this more in a private chat. ]

    Private chat? Lu Mingshu thought.

    [ May I ask what a private chat is? ]

    She¡¯d only just asked when a streamer suddenly flew out from one of the leaves and transformed into a circle of airflow in front of her.

    A rugged voice was then emitted from the airflow circle, ¡°Brother, what do you want?¡±

    Lu Mingshu jumped up in shock. Such a magical technique actually existed?

    She calmed her nerves, then said, ¡°Big brother, I want a secret recipe meant to awaken a Martial Practitioner¡¯s meridians.

    The brother was shocked when he heard her voice. ¡°Eh, so it¡¯s a little girl? You aren¡¯t very old, right?¡± However, he didn¡¯t wait for an answer and immediately continued, ¡°It seems like you¡¯re from the line of Martial Practitioners. No problem, I have at least a dozen relevant secret recipes on hand. I¡¯ll go ahead and peck them all up for you!¡±

    Lu Mingshu instantly felt happy, but worry soon took over her. ¡°That... what do I need to give you in return? Silver...? Un, I still have some, but I have to go to the bank first...¡±

    ¡°No need, no need!¡± The brother heartilyughed. ¡°I can earn silver anywhere. As such, wouldn¡¯t it be silly if I earned silver through the Heavenly Wheel?¡±

    ¡°But... I don¡¯t have anything valuable...¡± Almost all of her money had been used up during her trip to Xichuan from Dongyue. She only had a single stack of banknotes left now. When Lu Mingshu recounted her possessions, the most valuable item that she had was actually the jade pendant that the Young Master Lian Zhen had given her.

    Speaking of which, that Young Master Lian Zhen was really quite odd; why had he gifted her a jade pendant? Although the pendant had a pretty colour, and had the Big Dipper engraved on it¡ªone star slightlyrger than the other six¡ªit looked to just be a keepsake.

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing that you don¡¯t have anything valuable on you, as what you want are these Basic Technique manuals. However, I¡¯m having a clearance sale. No matter what, everyone will always gain some small advantages. How about this: Do you have any books? I love collecting books, so if you can bring me some useful books, I¡¯ll ept them in return for the manuals.¡±

    Lu Mingshu immediately thought of the Book Collection Pavilion in the Heavenly Ascension Pavilion. There were lots of books there that nobody wanted, plus her Master definitely wouldn¡¯t object to her desire to read.

    ¡°I do have some! What kind of books do you want?¡±

    ¡°Secret Technique manuals, geography books about the mountains and ins, historical ssics, folktales... It doesn¡¯t really matter to me.¡±

    Lu Mingshu thought for a moment, then said, ¡°Big brother, I¡¯ll need some time to copy these books, but I¡¯m not sure if you can wait...¡±

    ¡°Copy them? There¡¯s no need for you to!¡± Who would¡¯ve thought that he would then say, ¡°Here, let me teach you a method that will make a copy for you, and allow you to send it to me.¡±

    Lu Mingshu was stunned the moment the door to a new world opened up.

    This person¡¯s number in the Heavenly Wheel was 14336, and once the two had grown slightly familiar with one another, he forthrightly asked her to call him Brother Six. Afterward, he decided that he would address her as Little Sister Seven, as her number ended in a 7. Even though they hadn¡¯t had much of a rtionship prior to this, he¡¯d managed to bring them closer together.

    (TL note: Lu Mingshu¡¯s no. is 15127)

    Brother Six was a very warm-hearted person. He taught her how to initiate a private chat with someone, and also taught her the method to copy books with. Afterward, they agreed on a time to contact each other again.

    Lu Mingshu let out a sigh of relief when she left the Heavenly Wheel.

    She¡¯d finally resolved the issue of awakening her meridians.

    The next day, she asked Liu Jizhen if she could read at the Heavenly Ascension Pavilion.

    Liu Jizhen simply threw a bundle of keys towards her and told her to do as she pleased.

    Lu Mingshu held onto the keys as she passed through the middle of the mountain and embarked on a stone path.

    It had already been 500 years since the Nine Jade Pce was founded, and nearly 400 years since the founder had died in a seated position. Despite how much time had passed, the Heavenly Ascension Pavilion¡¯s books were still in very good condition.

    Stone rooms were arranged neatly and orderly on both sides of the stone path, while bookshelves lined the walls. The bookshelves were covered in a rare perfume and had a board over each shelf, both of which protected the shelves from collecting dust.

    The library had still gone a long time without maintenance however, thus the papers had turned yellow with age and had be fragile.

    Lu Mingshu carefully unlocked the lock to the library and removed it, then swiftly entered the Heavenly Wheel.

    The Heavenly Wheel was a projection of reality, thus the original version of a book wouldn¡¯t enter it. Instead, its projection would. This projection was exactly the ¡®copying method¡¯ she¡¯d been taught by Brother Six.

    Brother Six had told her that books were a very special exception inside of the Heavenly Wheel. You¡¯d normally need to construct a special channel if you wanted to take other things out of it, but books were an exception due to the most important thing about them being their content.

    Once she¡¯d busied herself with the projections for a while, it had almost reached the arranged time for her to contact Brother Six.

 Chapter 19: New Year

    <h4>Chapter 19: New Year</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    Lu Mingshu flipped through the books while waiting for Brother Six.

    Not longter, circles of airflow appeared, stirring up the leaves.

    ¡°Sister, sorry for the wait, I got dyed by some matter.¡±

    Lu Mingshu quickly walked over. ¡°I just arrived, too! Brother six, I have also brought the books you wanted.¡±

    ¡°Okay, move over for a bit.¡±

    Through a function of the Heavenly Wheel, he made an item fly out from a circle of airflow that then fell onto the floor with a loud thud.

    Lu Mingshu discovered it to be a bundle of books.

    She followed a set pattern ording to the method Brother Six taught her yesterday, tossing the pile of books on her side over.

    ¡°I¡¯ve received it! I have something going on, so I¡¯ll see you next time, little sister seven!¡±

    ¡°Okay, thank you, brother six.¡±

    The circle of airflow gradually stabilized, before finally dispersing.

    Lu Mingshu sat down and untied the bundle of books, browsing through them one by one.

    This one perusal broadened her horizons greatly.

    Brother Six indeed did what he said when he said he would give Lu Mingshu all the basic techniques for the line of Martial practitioners¡ªthese few books were teeming with all sorts of content.

    To Martial Practitioners from a simr world, awakening the meridians were merely one of the roads one could take upon embarking on one¡¯s martial journey. There were other practices of Martial Arts that took different paths. Some started by training their blood and vital breath, while some soaked in medicine to forge their body. On the other hand, some would also first cultivate their constitution.

    However, Lu Mingshu discovered that albeit these lines of martial practitioners had different paths, they shared many simrities, generally speaking.

    There was no telling which way was better, for they all had their good points.

    Having gained these dozens of technique manuals, Lu Mingshu immersed herself in them for half a month. During that period, when Ah Sheng had sent medication over, Lu Mingshu finally felt reassured when she saw him fully healed and filled with vigor while wearing new shoes.

    Naturally smart, Lu Mingshu possessed a mind quite unlike a child¡¯s and that especially after she went through the cleansing of the Heavenly Wheel¡¯s streamers. In this half a month, she had altered the general method for awakening the meridians into something decent.

    But unlocking the meridians was a matter of utmost importance, and Liu Jizhen had made it clear he had no intention of meddling. Despite her sess, she wasn¡¯t feeling entirely confident in doing it alone in this manner.

    At the thought of the Heavenly Wheel, Lu Mingshu sped her hands. There were so many experts there, that it would be a shame to not ask them.

    Hence, she copied that newbie fromst time and left a message on the tree, posting the meridians-awakening technique that she had altered on it.

    In this mix of people, the majority were warm-hearted and idle, as not longter her topic had garnered the attention of some people who began discussing the details of the revised technique.

    What made Lu Mingshu happy was that a majority felt her altering was very well done. However, she was, after all, using only theory without any practical experience, so it was inevitable that she had overlooked some details. Through the effort of countless Wheel experts from various worlds, the meridians-awakening secret recipe was fresh out of the oven as simple as that.

    This specific variation of the meridians-awakening techniqueprised knowledge from various worlds. Lu Mingshu believed it would not be any worsepared to the best technique in her current world.

    Once she busied past this matter, the year was alreadying to an end.

    After she informed Fu Shangqing of their ill-treatment back then, the supplies provided to Heavenly Ascension Pavilion were all changed to the top grade. No one dared to cut corners with their provisions anymore. Vegetables and fruits were sent once every three days, and rice and noodles arrived in bulk every half a month. At year-end, a holiday gift was sent over as well.

    There was also the New Year¡¯s goods sent over by Hui Niang and Ah Sheng, although they did not stay for New Year¡¯s in fear of bing a bother to Liu Jizhen.

    Lu Mingshu busied herself with cleaning, pasting the red rhyming couplets, and sorting out the New Year¡¯s goods...

    After a month plus of practice, she was now doing chores in a decent manner. Although she had nobody to teach her cooking skills, she had actually improved a lot by reading through books.

    Liu Jizhen sat in front of the hut and gazed at the sunset, a hand-carved wooden sword ced on his knee.

    At this moment, Lu Mingshu ran over while holding new clothes in her hands. ¡°Master, time to wear new clothes for New Year¡¯s!¡±

    Liu Jizhen shifted his gaze to her, only to see her wearing new winter clothes. Nine Jade Pce was located on snow peaks, with white as a clothing theme. The winter clothing was made with beast hide so fluffy that it was quite cute, and, because it was New Year¡¯s on top of that, they added on a vermilion overcoat, giving it a vibe that was full of joy.

    He secretly sighed.

    It was really a pity for such a lively child to be stuck here with me.

    ¡°Master?¡±

    Faced with her expectant gaze, Liu Jizhen could only stand up and receive the new clothes in her hands, going inside to change.

    A short whileter, Liu Jizhen walked out.

    Lu Mingshu turned around, pping, ¡°Master looks really good in your new clothes!¡±

    Even though Liu Jizhen was akin to being banished, he still had a rank, hence the clothes they had sent over were meant to fit his status as a courtyard leader. The same beast hide overcoat had an even more delicate standard, and the new clothes made him look even taller than the usual.

    Lu Mingshu frowned again after herughter. ¡°I think your beard is too messy, so why not shave off your beard, Master? It¡¯s already New Year¡¯s...¡±

    Liu Jizhen wanted to refuse, but her expectant gaze rendered him unable to say it. Hence, he went back into the house.

    When he came back out, Lu Mingshu¡¯s eyes went wide.

    Where did this handsome unclee from!?

    Liu Jizhen¡¯s shaved beard revealed a face with deep facial features, an eminent pair of eyes, and tall nose bridge with a defined jawline, making him look very masculine. Although his casuallybed hair still cascaded down his shoulders, it had unrestrained confidence and ease.

    Living together for more than a month, Lu Mingshu had never known that her Master was so good-looking!

    With such a face, don¡¯t you feel shame being sloppy all day?

    She had made up her mind¡ªto always urge her Master to shave from now on!

    These features of Master were in no way inferior to that pretentious father of hers!

    Lu Mingshu busied herself with setting up a table of food for New Year¡¯s Eve; with her current cooking skills, she could only make something that passed as food, something you couldn¡¯t really consider a delicacy. Fortunately, Liu Jizhen was not a picky person, given that he could even eat uncooked rice, and Lu Mingshu was in a good mood, eating while beaming with joy.

    Fireworks exploded magnificently from the direction of the Main Pce, the mountains behind providing a setting sun as night fell as the backdrop.

    Liu Jizhen sat there in silence as usual. Lu Mingshu sat beside him, admiring the fireworks.

    She rememberedst year¡¯s New Year¡¯s, where Grandfather took her to paste the couplets while Mother made new clothes for her, and the whole family was bustling with noise and excitement. Who could¡¯ve known that the whole family would split up within the year?

    ¡°Master, I miss Mother and Grandfather...¡±

    ¡°Do they celebrate New Year¡¯s in Heaven, too?¡±

    ¡°Grandfather said, ¡®a day in Heaven is like a year on Earth¡¯, so do they celebrate New Year¡¯s every day?¡±

    ¡°Would I still be able to see them?¡±

    ¡°Master, I promised Grandfather before to practice Martial Arts diligently, and not to allow anyone to bully me anymore in the future.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, I won¡¯t let anyone bully you either...¡±

    Feeling a weight on his arm, Liu Jizhen looked down to see Lu Mingshu already asleep on his arm, tightly hugging it.

    Seeing her unguarded appearance while sleeping, his heart softened. He could not remember thest time someone had trusted him this much. He had always been a genius at practicing Martial Arts since young that others sought after. All up until his Meridians were severed had he not realized that none of them were genuine. Once his genius halo had dispersed, he was only an ordinary person and nothing more.

    This child¡¯s trust made him feel fear helplessly. Just what about a crippled person like me deserved the trust of others? Just because of that bowl of medicine?

    It was most likely that she had been feeling extremely helpless in her heart back then, to a point where even a bowl of medicine made her trust and be dependant on him to this degree. Thinking of it, her father was still alive, yet she was still thrown away to this ce. This child was more pitiful than him...

 Chapter 20: Awakening of Meridians

    <h4>Chapter 20: Awakening of Meridians</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    February arrived in the blink of an eye after Chinese New Year¡¯s Eve.

    On her birthday this year, Hui Niang had been the only one who had made Longevity noodles for Lu Mingshu.

    Lu Mingshu was already very delighted. Moreover, she would turn eight years old after her birthday, which is the age to start practicing Martial Arts.

    ...

    A bowl of medicinal soup on the stone table filled the entire stone room with its fragrance.

    This bowl contained the meridians-opening herbal soup.

    Lu Mingshu was a little nervous. For this bowl of soup, she had spent two months in the kitchen squatting and tending to the fire in an attempt to control the intensity of the heat in the process of learning how to cook soup.

    She had exhausted almost all of her savings on this bowl of soup, so it would put her in a bind if it were unsessful.

    ¡°It¡¯s definitely going to seed, it¡¯s definitely going to seed,¡± Lu Mingshu kept muttering. She had made this bowl of soup ording to the recipe devised by the seniors of the Heavenly Wheel after hefty discussion, so how could it fail?

    She let out a breath, picked up the bowl with shaky hands, and downed it all in one go.

    Returning back to sit on the bed, she didn¡¯t feel a reaction in the beginning. But when Lu Mingshu was about to suspect that the recipe had failed, the point three inches below her navel went numb, and then she started to feel a prickling pain.

    Numbness in the beginning and then a wave of prickling pain as if being pricked by needles. The prickling pain grew more and more intense, more and more violent.

    A drop of sweat slid down from Lu Mingshu¡¯s forehead, shortly followed by a second drop. Soon, her whole body was soaked, full of sweat.

    Lu Mingshu clenched her teeth tightly, tearing up from the intense pain. But, when she thought of Mother and Grandfather, she desperately endured it.

    The book said that once you forcefully awaken a closed meridian, intense pain would follow. This was a path that one was bound to walk if they were to open their meridians; a pain one must endure.

    The pain started to spread to her torso, hands, feet then to her head... Her heart throbbed like a beating drum, and the sticky beads of sweat trickled down from every part of her.

    Her fingers twitched as she bit into a cloth, numb from the pain.

    Her meridians tore open inch by inch, wracking her with pain as potent as the efficacy of the medicine she had taken.

    Lu Mingshu could only forcefully endure in the face of the endless pain, repeatedly murmuring to herself in hopes of ignoring this pain.

    But the pain would not lessen because of one¡¯s willpower¡ªit would still hurt when it hurts.

    After an unknown period of time, when she felt she was about to die from the pain, her whole body suddenly started spasming. It seemed like something that had been agitated inside her was trying to forcefully split open her body.

    ¡°Ah¡ª¡± Had her meridians ruptured from the shock?

    Lu Mingshu only felt a strong force break out from her body, and her whole body felt as if it was split open. She cried out in agony, losing consciousness.

    Her cry traveled out, rming Liu Jizhen in the neighboring house. He kicked the door in, breaking into the room.

    Lu Mingshu woke up in a daze, sooning to the realization that she was soaking in a liquid that gave off the smell of medicine.

    ¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± She heard a deep voice instructing her.

    Lu Mingshu called out vaguely, ¡°Master?¡±

    Arge palm covered her head, and that usually cold voice she was used to wasced with slight emotion, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you mention you were awakening your meridians?¡±

    She answered while her consciousness was still fuzzy, ¡°Master...don¡¯t want to trouble...¡±

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s small body was folded up in the huge tub filled with steam that diffused the thick smell of medicine into the air.

    Liu Jizhen stood by the side, his face hidden in the shadows.

    Lu Mingshu seemed to have dreamt a very long dream. In the beginning of the dream, there was a multi-colored light and shadow, and then there wasplete darkness as thick as blood. A flood of negative emotions drowned her, leaving her unable to distinguish whether it was pain or sadness through these vicarious visions. Unknowingly, she had burst into tears, yet she continued murmuring that she would not cry anymore in the future.

    In the lightless room, someone stroked her head, lightly sighing.

    Hence, in her dream, the warmth of that palm was left.

    She had been asleep for an unknown period of time. Waking up from her dream, the sunlight filtered into her room through the window.

    Silence was all that covered the stone room.

    Lu Mingshu moved her stiff limbs, shortly discovering that she was sitting in a bathtub.

    The water was still warm, but the smell of medicine had dispersed.

    Right when she was hesitating on whether to stand up, the door creaked opened.

    ¡°Master!¡±

    Liu Jizhen ced the bucket of hot water down, moving over to stroke her head. ¡°You are fine now.¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked at him with a stunned expression.

    Liu Jizhen sighed in his heart, ¡°Come out to see me once you have changed.¡±

    ¡°Un...¡±

    When the door was closed once again, Lu Mingshu nked out for a while until the water turned cold before standing up to get changed.

    Leaving Heaven Ascension Pavilion, Liu Jizhen sat on a big stone in front of the hut, looking towards the sun.

    ¡°Master...¡± Lu Mingshu lowered her head, not daring to look at him.

    Liu Jizhen turned around.

    ¡°Do you know your mistake?¡±

    Lu Mingshu answered shortly with guilt, ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Where did you make a mistake?¡±

    ¡°I...shouldn¡¯t have troubled Master.¡±

    Liu Jizhen opened his mouth, unsure of what to say. It was he that had said ¡®don¡¯t bother me¡¯, so it was slightly inappropriate for him to me her now. He sighed. ¡°Forget it. You should know to awaken the meridians is such an important matter, so how could you do so without supervision and someone to protect you? You should know that if I didn¡¯t find you then, your meridians could have been ruined, turning you into a cripple like me?¡±

    Lu Mingshu was greatly shocked¡ªwhy hadn¡¯t anyone in the Heavenly Wheel informed her?

    How could she have known this wasmon sense¡¯smon sense? The people in the Heavenly Wheel had not even imagined she wouldn¡¯t know that.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know where you got the secret recipe for awakening the meridians, but you actually dared to attempt such a potent recipe alone!¡± Liu Jizhen had also been shocked¡ªfortunately, he discovered her in the nick of time and used medicine left from his former days to stabilize her.

    Speaking of it, he was secretly surprised. Yu Wen Shi had once said Lu Mingshu possessed a ¡®good¡¯ body constitution, but to think it would be this good. If it were anyone else, their body would have already burst under the strain of such potent medicine.

    He was oblivious to the fact that Lu Mingshu¡¯s body had been cleansed by the streamers from the Heavenly Wheel, a cleansing that made her body iparably better than the average person¡¯s.

    ¡°I am sorry, Master...¡±

    Liu Jizhen shook his head. ¡°You¡¯ve aplished your goal of awakening your meridians. Get a good three to five days of rest, as you¡¯ve exhausted your mental reserves.¡±

    Lu Mingshu felt exultant from the news. ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Un. I have brewed herbal tea for you, drink it first.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Master.¡± Lu Mingshu ran into the room happily.

    Liu Jizhen stared at her back with aplicated expression. The aptitude she had revealed did not differ from him of his glory days. Could I really tell her to self-learn?

    He pondered over whether to find a good ce for her. Previously, he did not abuse his rtionship to send her to the lower house because of her awkward birth status. Given the revtion of her outstanding aptitude now, her talent had moved his heart. He had a pretty good rtionship with a few Grand Elders, so it wasn¡¯t impossible for him to ask for some favors if Lu Mingshu were to work hard...

    Lu Mingshu did not know her Master had a change of heart, to try and send her away. Her body now being much more nimble delighted her, and so did the fact that her sense of hearing and sight had improved, after awakening her meridians.

    She obediently rested for a few days, at the end of which there were guestsing to Green Jade Valley.

    ¡°Master!¡± She carried a pot of stew, happily wanting to get her Master to test it out. Once she stepped out, she saw an extra person on that big stone her Master usually sat on.

    This man with an imposing aura appeared to be a young man, yet he had white brows and white hair, like a pile of winter snow.

    A young boy stood behind him. He was Gao Xiang, the one that had helped her that day.

    Once she stepped out, all three gazes fell on her.

    Lu Mingshu was stunned upon seeing outsiders so abruptly, unsure on how to greet them.

    Thankfully, Liu Jizhen spoke, ¡°Come here, greet Senior Granduncle.¡±

 Chapter 21: Feeling Mystic Force for the First Time

    <h4>Chapter 21: Feeling Mystic Force for the First Time</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    ¡°This is Martial Granduncle Zhuo, from the line of Willow Woods.¡±

    Lu Mingshu bowed and cleverly greeted him.

    Grand Elder Zhuo Jiangui was the current head of the line of Willow Woods and was also the best martial artist in the Nine Jade Pce, as he was currently in the Assimtion Realm.

    Lu Mingshu knew that there were a total of six realms for martial practitioners: Body Tempering, Inner Breath, Harmonization, Spirit, Assimtion, and Void.

    They were ranked as such: Beginner Body Tempering, third-tire Inner Breath, second-tire Harmonization, first-tire Spirit, Peak Assimtion, and Transcendent Void.

    The first two realms focused on tempering a martial practitioner¡¯s body and internals, which an average martial practitioner would be able to achieve. Once the martial practitioner reached the Harmonization realm, talent became a must; this was normally the realm that the Nine Jade Pce¡¯s disciples who¡¯dpleted their apprenticeship would be in. For the Spirit Realm, they are considered as first-tire experts and there are no more than twelve people from the Nine Jade Pce who managed to break through the spirit realm. Lastly, the Assimtion realm. Where the martial practitioners would then be known as experts. The only Nine Jade Pce martial practitioners who are in the Assimtion realm are the three Great Grand Elders.

    What about the Grandmasters that had reached the Void Realm? Throughout Ancient China, the number of martial practitioners became a grandmaster is scared.

    Throughout the Nine Jade Pce¡¯s history, there are only two persons that managed to break through the Void realm. They are Founder Song and Grandmaster Xiang from the line of Shengyang.

    Founder Song had lived for two hundred years, yet had passed away, sitting crossed-legged in the Heavenly Ascension Pavilion. As such, his lifespan was considered to be very short among Grandmasters. No matter how high of a realm one has reached, one¡¯s lifespan would always depend on maintenance. The reason that his lifespan had shortened so much was due to the fact that he¡¯d kept himself locked up in the Heavenly Ascension Pavilion throughout hister years as if he¡¯d been possessed ...

    As for Grandmaster Xiang, Liu Jizhen¡¯s Martial Great Grandmother, she¡¯d disappeared more than thirty years ago once she reached the Void Realm; nobody knew where she has gone. Afterwards, the line of Shengyang was termed as a line of Grandmasters.

    Not only was talent required in order for one to breakthrough the Void Realm, but luck too. On average, throughout Ancient China, a Void Realm Grandmaster would only appear every sixty years.

    Experts in the Assimtion Realm were already the best of the best and were definitely not to be underestimated.

    It had already been three months since Lu Mingshu had entered the Nine Jade Pce, and even though she rarely left Green Jade Valley, she still knew the sort of status that Zhuo Jiangui held in the sect, due to what Ah Sheng and Hui Niang told her when they visit her every now and then. He was somebody that even the sect leader had to personally receive, but even then, there was no guarantee that he would want to see the sect leader. Why would such a person suddenly decide to visit Green Jade Valley?

    The instant that Zhuo Jiangui¡¯s gaze fell on her, Lu Mingshu¡¯s whole body suddenly felt as if it had been enveloped in an icy mist, which filled her with an unspeakably cold sensation.

    Fortunately, Zhuo Jiangui only gave her a nce before he shifted his gaze away.

    ¡°It¡¯s her?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Zhuo Jiangui nodded, then looked back towards Lu Mingshu. ¡°Come and y with Xiang¡¯er when you¡¯re free.¡±

    Lu Mingshu was startled, but Liu Jizhen patted her on the head. ¡°Quickly thank Martial Granduncle.¡±

    Even though she didn¡¯t quite understand, she still obediently thanked him, ¡°Thank you, Martial Granduncle.¡±

    Gao Xiang revealed a beaming smile, then asked, ¡°Lu Mingshu, do you still remember me?¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t youe to find me? Come on, let¡¯s go y.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nced towards Liu Jizhen. Only when she saw her master nod did she turn to leave with Gao Xiang.

    As he watched the two children leave, Zhuo Jiangui asked, ¡°You intend to let this continue?¡±

    Liu Jizhen lowered his head but remained silent.

    ¡°You¡¯re only thirty-five right now. Even if you only live to be a hundred years old, that means that you still have sixty-five years of your life left to live. Do you truly intend to let the remaining decades of your life pass just like this?¡±

    Liu Jizhen replied in a low voice, ¡°What does Senior Uncle think I can still do? A cripple like me ...¡±

    If you truly regard yourself as a cripple, then you really are a cripple.¡± Zhuo Jiangui gazed at him. ¡°As your master¡¯s friend, I really can¡¯t bear to see the disciple, whom she taught with the utmost care, die silently in Green Jade Valley.¡±

    Liu Jizhen remained silent.

    ¡°What about this child? What do you intend to do with her?¡±

    Liu Jizhen¡¯s glupped andughed bitterly. ¡°Since she doesn¡¯t want to leave, the only thing I can do is let her stay. Moreover, her birth status is quite awkward. I¡¯m afraid that she wouldn¡¯t fit in if she were to go to the lower house.¡±

    Zhuo Jiangui lightly replied, ¡°Why do that, considering how her biological father has already washed his hands of her? This is also part of her destiny.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Liu Jizhen became speechless. The line of willow wood had always stayed out of the other faction¡¯s affairs, thus he wasn¡¯t able to ask for anything more. Zhuo Jiangui had already given him face by allowing Lu Mingshu to y with Gao Xiang, which in turn meant that he¡¯d take the opportunity to offer her a few lessons. It was only due to who his master was, that Zhuo Jiangui had been willing to personallye to Green Jade Valley to see her, despite her own awkward status.

    On the other side of the Valley, Gao Xiang was chatting away.

    ¡°So Green Jade Valley was here. Nobody knew where it was when I asked them.

    ¡°I heard that there was some ce called the ¡®Heavenly Ascension Pavilion¡¯ here.

    ¡°Let¡¯s stroll around!¡±

    Gao Xiang was a very chatty boy and he hadn¡¯t stopped speaking since she¡¯d begun to y with him. This had left Lu Mingshu speechless.

    ¡°Let¡¯s stroll around then.¡± Even if Gao Xiang hadn¡¯t helped her before and was a mere guest, as the host, she still would¡¯ve shown him around.

    She led Gao Xiang to visit the stone houses that she and her master lived, and answered any questions he had. Not long after, Zhuo Jiangui announced that it was time to leave.

    Gao Xiang reluctantly left after reminding her several times to visit him in the Willow Woods.

    Lu Mingshu agreed. Feeling that there was a hidden meaning behind them ying in the Willow Woods.

    Once Zhuo Jiangui had left, the master and disciple pair ate their meal together, then returned to their respective houses. As per usual, one continued to shave wooden swords, while the other entered the Heavenly Wheel.

    After a few days of rest, Lu Mingshu felt that she¡¯d returned to her peak condition, and that she was now ready to start practising martial arts.

    She started browsing through the new topics when one suddenly caught her eye.

    [ Recruitment: Looking for partners for the Fire Lava Cave. The reward is a Soul Gathering Formation Diagram. ]

    Someone immediately replied.

    [ You messaged the wrong ce. ]

    [ Oh oh, sorry. This message is invalid. ]

    However, many people began to ask questions when after they saw his message.

    [ What does this mean? Can we go over to other worlds by recruiting partners here? ]

    [ Don¡¯t tell me that the Heavenly Wheel can not only trade items but people too? ]

    [ Is there any Senior around that can answer us? ]

    After a few messages, someone replied.

    [ Newbies shouldn¡¯t ask too many questions. You guys will learn about it in the future. ]

    [ Eh? You can¡¯t tell us more? ]

    [ It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t, but that it would be useless even if I did. You guys simply haven¡¯t reached thatyer yet. You¡¯ll naturally know about it once you¡¯ve reached thatyer. ]

    When the newbie questioned further, no one answered him.

    Lu Mingshu began to specte, could it be that there are more uses to the Heavenly Wheel? By recruiting partners... does that mean that we can go to other worlds? If that¡¯s so... wait, forget about it. I¡¯ve only just awakened my meridians, so I should focus on increasing my ability right now.

    Temporarily putting the matter on hold, Lu Mingshu took the <Basic Swordsmanship> manual from before, then left the Heavenly Wheel to begin her training.

    The moves in the sword manual didn¡¯t seem to be veryplicated, as she was able to finish practising the first with only a few tries. She wasn¡¯t sure how to practice martial arts, but the book said to practice diligently, so that was what she did.

    Energy suddenly flowed through her arm as she was practising. ¡°Crack!¡± the tip of her sword broke.

    Lu Mingshu immediately stopped in her tracks and looked up. She saw something on the wall and took a closer look. It was a shallow scratch.

    She was surprised when she saw the scratch, but then she felt excitement.

    Mystic force! This must be the mystic force that the book mentioned!

    Now that she¡¯d finally seen an actual result, she began to practice even more diligently, to the point where she managed to familiarize herself with all of the sword moves in the manual in just three days.

    ¡ª-

    Again, it was the 15th of the month. Lu Mingshu had practised until the middle of the night that night, then taken a shower and gone to bed.

    The moonlight filtered into her room from the hole above and was reflected through her window.

    Lu Mingshu vaguely sensed herself dreaming. This time, rather than sleepwalking to the Founder¡¯s tomb, she was standing in an illusory space. Suspended in front of her, was the true form of the Heavenly Wheel, which she hadn¡¯t seen in quite a while.

    She reached out and grasped the Heavenly Wheel, which begin to rotate all of a sudden.

 Chapter 22: First Traversal of Worlds

    <h4>Chapter 22: First Traversal of Worlds</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    The form of Heavenly Wheel differed greatly from the first time Lu Mingshu has seen it.

    The unified, scattered colours exuded faint lights.

    From what Lu Mingshu could see, every small block had an extending streamer intertwining vertically and horizontally; some mutually repelled each other, while others came together to form trajectory paths.

    Every time a block underwent a rotation, those streamers followed the rotation and formed another trajectory to achieve a new kind of bnce.

    She turned it lightly, causing a transformation in the streamers that made them surge towards a new trajectory. The six-coloured streamers crisscrossed, and then¡ª

    ¡°Boom!¡±

    After the melting and expansion, the six-coloured streamers ultimately fused and fell onto a certain small block.

    That small block embossed out as the streamers moved across the pattern, enveloping Lu Mingshu with rays of light. *

    ...

    ¡°Wake up, little girl.¡±

    Lu Mingshu woke up puzzledly, jumping up in shock when she opened her eyes.

    The first thing she saw was an erged, bearded old face with wrinkles all over.

    She quickly got up and backed up, confused as to what had happened. Where is this ce? Why am I here?

    Lu Mingshu looked up only to discover herself lying below a tree, surrounded by thatched cottages in what looked to be a vige. There were very few people in this vige, making the vige feels dead.

    It was an old man with a crutch that had woke her up. When he saw that she had awoken, he asked, ¡°Little girl, why are you here alone? Where are your parents?¡±

    Lu Mingshu hesitated for a moment, before answering his question with a question. ¡°Elder, where is this ce?¡±

    ¡°This is Locust Tree Vige.¡± The old man looked at her strangely. ¡°I am familiar with the people in the neighbouring viges. You aren¡¯t from here, right? What¡¯s going on, have you lost your way?¡±

    As Lu Mingshu recalled the previous scene, she thought, could my appearance here be rted to the Heavenly Wheel?

    Keeping the thought in mind, she answered cautiously, ¡°I am passing by. My Master had something to do and asked me to wait here for him.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± The old man suddenly cheered up as he thought of something. ¡°Judging from your get-up, are the both of you Mystic Masters? This is great! There is now hope for our vige!¡±

    ¡°Mystic Masters?¡±

    ¡°Little girl,e,e,e,e and rest in our house. When will your mastere?¡± The old man led her into the vige warmly.

    He even greeted the vigers they encountered on the way. ¡°Money Two, you have ground beans today, right? Send a bowl of beancurd over.¡±

    ¡°Third Lady Zhao, have your chickensid eggs? Bring two over to my house.¡±

    The two asked, ¡°Elder Tian, is there a guest?¡±

    Elder Tian smiled heartily. ¡°That¡¯s right, this is an important guest¡ªthis little girl¡¯s master is a Mystic Master!¡±

    A gleam lit up in the vigers¡¯ eyes, and they began spreading the news with unlimited joy. ¡°There¡¯s a Mystic Master, there¡¯s a Mystic Master!¡±

    Lu Mingshu was dumbfounded. She hadn¡¯t even said anything...

    Elder Tian led her home as the vigers all flocked over. Money Two brought beancurd, Third Lady Zhao brought eggs, while there were even people who brought vegetables and radishes...

    ¡°Has a Mystic Mastere?¡±

    ¡°Where is there only a little girl?¡±

    ¡°Can she make it?¡±

    Elder Tian exined to the vigers, ¡°This little girl said she¡¯s waiting for her master here, so the Mystic Master will be here very soon.¡±

    So this little girl was not a Mystic Master but an apprentice Mystic Master. The vigers understood, chatting animatedly in a circle around Lu Mingshu.

    After listening to their conversation, Lu Mingshu finally understood what¡¯s going on.

    A month ago, a demonic wolf had trespassed into the vige¡¯s back mountain and eaten a lot of the vige¡¯s livestock, even injuring someone. The vige had organized their most elite and strongest, in hopes of culling the demonic wolf, but they had returned in defeat and even lost two lives. Hence, they thought of inviting a Mystic Master over to get rid of this demonic wolf.

    They sent a request to the authorities, but they were told that the county was in short supply of Mystic Masters and that they had to wait for further arrangements. Who knew how long they had to wait? With the demonic wolf descending from the mountain from time to time, many had already left to hide in their rtives¡¯ home. When night fell, every household would close its doors tightly, for fear of the demonic wolf breaking in.

    Lu Mingshu frequently browsed through the Heavenly Wheel these days, which had broadened her horizons greatly. From what the vigers said and some slight guessing, she deduced that she might have traversed to another world through the Heavenly Wheel. Each world was notpletely identical, yet they were simr. Martial Practitioner, Cultivator, and Mage were the same thing. The Mystic Master mentioned by the vigers should be one of them, which was the way the locals called it.

    She felt a little guilty. Those words about some skilled Mystic Mastering for her were only lies made up by her because she was, in fact, all alone. However, she could not bring herself to say it when she looked at all the expectant faces of the vigers.

    Moreover, she was also unsure as to how she was to return back to her own world.

    Once night fell, the vigers all rushed back home.

    Elder Tian got his daughter-inw to settle her down in a room before shutting the main door tightly.

    Lu Mingshu seized the time to enter the Heavenly Wheel and start a private chat.

    ¡°Brother Six, Brother Six are you there?¡±

    As luck would have it, a voice travelled over not longter, ¡°Yo, little Sister Seven. Why you have something to ask?¡±

    ¡°Brother Six, I have something I need to ask you.¡±

    ¡°Speak.¡±

    ¡°I suddenly traversed to another world and am not sure what is going on.¡±

    Brother Six¡¯s voice suddenly grew excited. ¡°What? Did you traverse to another world? Tell me more specifically about what happened.¡±

    Lu Mingshu told him the gist of what had happened.

    ¡°Brother Six, what is going on with me?¡±

    Brother Six¡¯s voice returned after a while. ¡°What rank is your Heavenly Wheel?¡±

    Lu Mingshu hesitated for a while, before answering, ¡°Rank nine.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Brother Six¡¯s voice vibrated in her ears. ¡°Rank nine? You aren¡¯t joking around right?¡±

    After asking a few more times to confirm, brother six¡¯s voice weakened, ¡°You are too incredible, rank nine...¡±

    ¡°Is it really that incredible?¡± Lu Mingshu had no idea, as all she knew was that ranks above five were few in numbers.

    ¡°It is. Remember how we¡¯ve discussed before that since none above rank seven has been seen before, it must be that those from rank eight and nine could not even do the restoration. That means they could not even enter the Heavenly Wheel.¡±

    After this question, Brother Six said, ¡°I do think I have heard of a situation identical to yours before. You should know that the higher your Heavenly Wheel¡¯s rank, the more ces you can go to? In actual fact, every Heavenly Wheel has the same set of functions, but they differ in quality with each rank above the previous. Every step up in rank also increases the efficiency of your Heavenly Wheel, making it spend less Mystic force to work. To go to another world requires storing enough energy, which is called Mystic force in your world. Hence, it might be possible that you didn¡¯t need to gather a lot of Mystic force to open a channel to another world. Of course, the energy level won¡¯t be higher either in a world where a channel was opened this way.¡±

    So this was the case. Lu Mingshu quickly asked, ¡°Then how can I go back?¡±

    ¡°Why are you in such a rush to go back?¡± Brother Six smiled. ¡°Each world has its own speciality, and since you are there, you shouldn¡¯t waste this chance. As for going back, it¡¯s very simple. You are able to inspire the Heavenly Wheel to send you back once you have gathered enough Mystic force.¡±

    ¡°Gather Mystic force?¡±

    ¡°Right, that world should have some kind of extraordinary force, too, right? There are two ways if you want to gather this kind of force. One, to grasp hold of a heaven-and-earth treasure that is filled with this force. Two, to kill a person or a beast that possesses this force.¡±

    Lu Mingshu asked, ¡°What about my body? Would it be alright?¡±

    ¡°It would be alright. You should know time flows slower in the Heavenly Wheel. Now that you have traversed to another world through it, the flow of time there should also slow down. However, it¡¯s best you do not stay in that ce for too long, or else your physical body is going to have a problem without long-term support.¡±

 Chapter 23: The Demonic Wolf Enters the Village

    <h4>Chapter 23: The Demonic Wolf Enters the Vige</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    Once she ended the private chat with Brother six, Lu Mingshu did not feel good about this.

    She had to gather mystic force if she wanted to return to her world. In order to gather mystic force, she had to either find a heaven-and-earth treasure or kill a person or a beast that possessed mystic force.

    Where was she going to find a heaven-and-earth treasure in such a small vige? As for killing a person or a beast that possessed Mystic force ... obviously, she could only find that demonic wolf.

    It had not even been ten days since Lu Mingshu awakened her Meridians. In other words, she was still an ordinary child ten days ago. Yet now, she needed to kill a demonic wolf.

    Even if the energy level of this demonic wolf wasn¡¯t high, it was after all still a demonic beast that a whole vige could do nothing about.

    Moreover, she did not bring her sword here. Although that sword was only a standard weapon allocated by the Nine Jade Pce, it was still not ordinary steel. Without a sword, was I to use a hoe to kill the demonic wolf?

    In her dilemma, a shout sounded outside, ¡°The wolf is here, the wolf is here!¡±

    Lu Mingshu quickly left the Heavenly Wheel and got up.

    Elder Tian, the two sons, and daughters-inw from the Tian family, as well as the grandchildren, were all gathered in the main hall.

    The two men stood guard by the door, while the women guarded the children.

    When they saw her, Elder Tian asked, ¡°Little girl, when will your Master be able toe?¡±

    A wave of guilt washed over Lu Mingshu. ¡°Master did not say ...¡±

    A muffled roar could be heard from outside. Lu Mingshu then smelled a weird fishy smell and screaming and crying followed.

    A woman cried out, ¡°Help, Help me!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Third Lady Zhao,¡± the colour drained from Elder Tian¡¯s face.

    Elder Tian leaned on the windowsill and looked out. ¡°Oh no! The kid from the Zhao family has been bitten by the demonic wolf!¡±

    Everyone was utterly shocked.

    ¡°Father!¡± Elder Tian¡¯s second son looked towards his father with a questioning gaze.

    Elder Tian¡¯s facial expression changed. He clenched his jaws. ¡°Big brother, go and help out! We cannot sit here and do nothing while the kid from the Zhao family gets bitten to pieces.¡± The boy would lose his life the moment the demonic wolf abducts him. Third Lady Zhao was a widow; she only had this lifeblood.

    Tian¡¯s eldest son was very nervous, and his face had even turned pale. However, his final decision was still to take up the hoe and open the door. ¡°Younger brother, you have to guard this ce well.¡±

    The second son swallowed a mouthful of saliva. ¡°Brother, rest assured.¡±

    The eldest son rushed out, carrying the hoe. The second son hurriedly shut the door tightly and ced the bolt on it.

    Lu Mingshu leaned on the windowsill for a look.

    This vige was quite united. Once they heard Third Lady Zhao¡¯s cry for help, many men rushed out. Some held fire torches, while others carried farming tools, blocking the demonic wolf¡¯s way.

    Looking at that demonic wolf, Lu Mingshu was greatly rmed.

    The demonic wolf had a huge physique, strong as a maverick. Its bloodshot eyes braved an ominous glint, and a child that looked to be about ten years old hung from its mouth like a piece of bleeding meat.

    The vigers began yelling, encircling the demonic wolf, but no one dared to step out, only staying in the encirclement.

    This was not their first time going against the demonic wolf. The vigers brought out a fire basin and ignited the torches, throwing them at the demonic wolf once an order was issued.

    The demonic wolf avoided them left and right, making it obvious that it held some fear for the fire. Suddenly, a strong gust of wind swept by them as it swung a w and someone let out a blood-curdling scream.

    Arge hole was ripped open in a man¡¯s thigh, in which the bone could almost be seen, and his wound was a mess of blood and torn flesh.

    Lu Mingshu was greatly rmed. Whenever the demonic wolf raised its ws, that strong wind clearly contained mystic force.

    She felt both joy and worry. Joy, as her target, was right before her and she had confirmed it possessed mystic force and she only had to kill it to gather it. Worried, as the demonic wolf looked tough to deal with. Will I be able to kill it?

    ¡°Quickly, stop it! Fire! Fire!¡± the vigers shouted out when the demonic wolf wanted to run. They wouldn¡¯t be able to save the child if the demonic wolf took him away.

    They threw more fire torches, leaving the demonic wolf with no choice but to retreat. It dumped the child and jumped out of the encirclement, and then, sending a viger flying with its w, it disappeared into the darkness without looking back.

    ¡°Little Stone, Little Stone!¡± Third Lady Zhao rushed to her son and hugged him.

    Someone went up to inspect the child¡¯s injuries and said, ¡°Quick, get the doctor! His injuries aren¡¯t light!¡±

    Almost no one could sleep on that noisy night.

    In the morning of the next day, Lu Mingshu followed Elder Tian to Third Lady Zhao¡¯s house.

    The demonic wolf had bitten a hole into Little Stone¡¯s waist, but fortunately, it had not harmed his internal organs. To a child, such heavy injuries were considered dangerous.

    Third Lady Zhao¡¯s eyes were as swollen as peaches from excessive crying. The doctor said that it was still not certain if Little Stone could keep his life.

    When she saw Lu Mingshu, she threw herself on her knees. ¡°Little Mystic Master, I beg of you to save my son. He is my lifeblood. If he dies, I don¡¯t want to live either!¡±

    Elder Tian berated her, ¡°What nonsense are you spouting? Little Stone will definitely be able to pull through this! The Mystic Master wille, don¡¯t make things difficult for the little girl.¡±

    Third Lady Zhao was helped up to her feet, hupping from all the crying.

    Lu Mingshu hesitated for a moment and took out a bottle. ¡°This is a bottle of medicine given to me by my Master for injuries. I haven¡¯t used it before...¡±

    Third Lady Zhao was overjoyed. ¡°Thank you, little Mystic Master! I will definitely do anything for little Mystic Master once Little Stone lives!¡±

    Lu Mingshu repeatedly waved her hand. ¡°I don¡¯t know how good its effects are, there¡¯s no need...¡± The Nine Jade Pce distributed this medicine for injuries to every disciple; as she conveniently had it on hand, it carried over when she unintentionally crossed worlds.

    Another farmer also came over and requested for said medicine when he overheard them talking. Fortunately, there was enough for the two of them in the bottle.

    At the look of their bad condition, Lu Mingshu made up her mind that the demonic wolf must be gotten rid of!

    When she went back, she told Elder Tian, ¡°I don¡¯t know when my Master wille. Each day the demonic wolf is left alive will be another day of unrest in the vige. We can¡¯t wait anymore!¡±

    Elder Tian sighed shortly. ¡°Little girl, you have seen how incredible that demonic wolf is yourself. How are we to fight it without a Mystic Master!?¡±

    Lu Mingshu said, ¡°Why not let me try?¡±

    Elder Tian looked at her with suspicion. ¡°You?¡± It was not that he underestimated her, but with how young she was, how capable could she be? She might not be even stronger than an adult!

    ¡°Obviously fighting head-on won¡¯t be realistic,¡± Lu Mingshu began. ¡°However, we humans are smarter than a wolf!¡±

    Having made up her mind, Lu Mingshu looked for the vigers to ask about the habits of the demonic wolf.

    The vigers could not help but be sceptical when they heard that Lu Mingshu intended to fight the demonic wolf. However, they were very cooperative as Lu Mingshu was doing this for their vige.

    After asking around, she got the gist of the demonic wolf¡¯s habits.

    This demonic wolf would only appear at night, and it would only descend down the mountain every three to five days to hunt for food.

    Also, it had almost never fought the vigers face-to-face; simr to yesterday¡¯s situation. When it was enraged, it could just leave altogether after taking two lives.

    Another viger mentioned that its hind legs did not seem to be in a good state; it leaned to the side whenever it ran.

    ¡°This wolf might be injured,¡± Lu Mingshu guessed. ¡°It could havee here to recuperate from its injuries.¡±

    Elder Tian said, ¡°Even if it¡¯s injured, we are still no match for it!¡±

    Lu Mingshu was deep in thought, ¡°Perhaps we should take the initiative to attack.¡±

    ¡°Initiative?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! Being injured, it must be desperate for energy. We will dig a trap when the timees ...¡±

 Chapter 24: Luring the Wolf into the Trap

    <h4>Chapter 24: Luring the Wolf into the Trap</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    Persuading Elder Tian was a sess.

    He called the vige elders over for a meeting and told his eldest son to listen to her orders.

    She first dispatched the hunters from among the vigers to scout the back mountains and map out the route taken by the demonic wolf whenever it decides toe down the mountain. To an experienced hunter, it was not hard to distinguish the route.

    As for herself, she roamed around the vige for a day and drew a simple map.

    Once she drew the route distinguished by the hunters onto the said map, Lu Mingshu quickly decided on the position for the trap.

    Elder Tian expressed his doubts about this position, ¡°Little Mystic Master, we are digging it outside the vige?¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t be convenient if an ident happens were we to dig it in the vige.¡±

    ¡°But would the demonic wolf go out of the vige?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why we have to lure it there.¡± Lu Mingshu pointed at the map. ¡°It has an injury on its leg, so we can make it consume energy by luring it to walk a distance.¡±

    Lu Mingshu had calcted the distance. She roughly drew an estimate of the demonic wolf¡¯s reserves of mystic force ording to the strength it had disyed that night. If they ced the trap too close to the vige, it wouldn¡¯t tire out the wolf; too far, and the wolf might not follow after her.

    She was good at calcting things, but she was not sure if there were no errors in her equation, as this was the first time she had applied her knowledge in something practical. After all, she was only a newbie when it came to mystic forces.

    ¡°Let¡¯s test it out first. Let¡¯s go and dig the trap.¡±

    Lu Mingshu could only be sidelined for things like digging a trap. The vige elders gathered everyone with some semnce of brawn and told them to dig a trap ording to the instructions of the hunters. Given the demonic wolf¡¯srge size, the depth of the pitfall had to be deep as well as wide.

    The vigers picked thorns and spread them out densely,yer afteryer.

    But this alone was not enough. When the vigers dug the trap, Lu Mingshu took the opportunity to enter the Heavenly Wheel and ask Brother six for an item.

    ¡°Anaesthetic?¡± Brother six thought for a while. ¡°Who do you intend to give it to? Which realm is the other party in? What effect do you want to be achieved?¡±

    Lu Mingshu was still unable to differentiate between the realms, hence she could only roughly describe the demonic wolf¡¯s strength.

    ¡°Understood! This demonic wolf should only be a novice rank demonic beast. This isn¡¯t difficult, as most anaesthetics would be effective.¡±

    Lu Mingshu was overjoyed. ¡°Brother six, can I have it on credit first? I don¡¯t have anything on hand now...¡±

    ¡°No problem, it¡¯s a small matter!¡± Brother six was very straightforward. Knowing Lu Mingshu had a rank nine Heavenly Wheel, he more or less had an investment mentality. Someone with a rank nine Heavenly Wheel would definitely have extraordinary achievements in the future. There might not be a chance to establish a friendly rtion if he did not take advantage of the fact that she was still young and weak.

    Lu Mingshu asked again, ¡°Brother six, this demonic wolf is not slow at all, would I be able to run faster than it?¡±

    ¡°You would definitely be able to run faster than it if you know the Light Body Technique Manual.¡±

    ¡°Light Body Technique Manual?¡±

    ¡°Un, it¡¯s a very useful basic technique manual of the cultivation world.¡±

    ¡°Does Brother six have this?¡± Lu Mingshu felt a little guilty after asking, ¡°Let me put it on credit first...¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a small matter, no need to be so polite. Just give me a little of that world¡¯s speciality once you obtain some.¡±

    ¡°Thank you Brother six.¡±

    Ending the conversation, Lu Mingshu left the Heavenly Wheel, called the eldest Tian son over, and passed the anaesthetic to him.

    ¡°Little Mystic Master, what is this for?¡±

    ¡°Dissolve this medicine in a basin of water and apply it onto the thorns. The demonic wolf will lose its strength once it gets scratched with this.¡±

    The eldest son of the elder followed the order.

    Lu Mingshu proceeded to silently learn the Light Body Technique Manual once she was alone.

    The demonic wolf was determined to descend the mountain in earliest, three days, which was to say that she only had two days¡¯ time to learn the Light Body Technique Manual. She could only seed and not fail if she wanted to go back, hence she had to work hard.

    This Light Body Technique Manual consisted of a short hundred words, mainly talking about how spiritual force moved in the meridians.

    Brother six once said that each world had a slightly different type of energy, but they were, in essence, the same thing. She did not have spiritual force, but she did have mystic force.

    Lu Mingshu sat with her eyes closed, silently moving the mystic force within her body ording to the manual.

    The mystic force in her body was very weak; it was roughly only a strand when pulled taut. Following the path of her meridians, her mystic force began to congeal along the channels of her meridians and pass through an acupuncture point, establishing a cycle.

    When the head and tail of the mystic force touched ends, Lu Mingshu¡¯s body jolted, as the mystic force suddenly sped up and flowed through her meridians at lightning speed.

    Her body grew as light as a feather as a sense of omnipotence climbed up from within her.

    Lu Mingshu got down from the bed, walked to the door, and left Elder Tian¡¯s house. As she walked, she unknowingly started running.

    How fast and light¡ªmy body feels as if it¡¯s flying like it has no weight.

    No wonder this was called the Light Body Technique Manual!

    The feeling of being as fast as lightning was simply fascinating.

    Lu Mingshu could not help but reveal a smile at the feeling of the wind sweeping past her ear. Such a carefree feeling was as if she was a gust of wind, flying freely in the sky.

    As she ran, her foot suddenly stumbled. She let out a cry, nearly falling down head-first.

    Luckily she caught onto a tree branch, stabilizing her body. Lu Mingshu patted her chest in relief.

    Her tiny amount of internal mystic energy was consumed, causing the Light Body Technique to lose its effectiveness.

    What a pity, she had too little mystic force.

    Lu Mingshu turned back, estimating the distance as she walked back. Her previous speed could not be considered fast, for she did not run far enough... Hmm, the control of her mystic force was arge problem.

    On this side, Lu Mingshu practised the Light Body Technique. On the other side, Locust Tree Vige¡¯s young and strong hurried along in digging the trap day and night.

    Once the trap was done, Lu Mingshu had also be familiar with her new skill.

    Everything was prepared. The vige dispatched people to stand guard by the mouth of the mountain and watch the route the demonic wolf takes to descend the mountain attentively.

    After an anxious day of waiting, the hunters on duty sounded the whistle on thiste night.

    Lu Mingshu was nocturnal these few days, so she rushed out of the house once she heard the whistle.

    She had already familiarized herself with the vige terrain, rushing with lightning speed to the route the demonic wolf was most likely to take. She could feel the sweat on her palms from nerves, but she primed her mystic force regardless.

    The injured demonic wolf was desperate for nourishment, which would make the Lu Mingshu who possessed extraordinary force look like a fat piece of meat in its eyes. Lu Mingshu believed the demonic wolf would definitely not be able to resist this temptation given its sentience.

    Therefore, she intended to lure the demonic wolf into the trap with herself as bait!

    She was aware of how dangerous this was. But other than this, she could not think of a better idea.

    She had already stayed in this world for three days. In other words, four hours had already passed in her own world. She had to rush back, otherwise Master might discover ...

    All kinds of thoughts flew around in her mind as the fishy smell was growing stronger in the air. Finally, sheid eyes on the demonic wolf¡¯s massive form.

    In that instant, Lu Mingshu¡¯s mind drew aplete nk.

    Some people would not be able to do anything once they tensed up, while others would disy even greater strength.

    Lu Mingshu was thetter.

    Faced with the demonic wolf¡¯s blood-shot eyes and mouth filled with an overwhelming stench, she reacted by turning around and making a run for it after the initial nk-out.

    It¡¯s a normal reaction to flee, and a normal reaction for the demonic wolf toe after her.

    Having only recently advanced from being a wild beast, its sentience was not sufficient enough to supportplicated thought. It only knew that a piece of fat meat that possesses the energy it needed was making a run for it in front of it.

    Her consciousness was as if it had separated itself from her body. Lu Mingshu quickly began calcting the speed of the demonic wolf by means of the gap between them, while also calcting how long her mystic force couldst at her current speed.

    She could not be too fast, as that would consume her mystic force too quickly. Nor could she be too slow, or else the demonic wolf would catch up to her.

    A human and a wolf, dashing towards the trap.

 Chapter 25: The moment of life and death

    <h4>Chapter 25: The moment of life and death</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    With the stench of the fishy breath in hot pursuit, Lu Mingshu kept her breathing even, and calmly calcted her speed and the remaining distance.

    Brother six¡¯s deduction was right. The demonic wolf had just broken through to a demonic beast, hence it did not possess a high energy level. It was possible to outrun it using the Light Body technique; the problem lied in the consumption of mystic force.

    She had produced only a strand of mystic force a few days ago, so even when it came to the lowest grade of the Light Body Technique, it still consumed her mystic force rapidly.

    One third, one half...

    Only half of her mystic force was left, yet the distance to the trap was still more than a half.

    Lu Mingshu knew that the extra consumption of mystic force was due to her nervousness in the beginning.

    For today¡¯s trap, only an even more urate calction would be able to mend this gap. Otherwise, once her mystic force waspletely consumed and she had not reached the trap, she would end up in the wolf¡¯s belly.

    Dying in a different world, without anyone knowing, was definitely not the kind of ending I want!

    A strong desire to survive surged in Lu Mingshu¡¯s heart as her mind started to turn.

    She slowed down to let the gap between her and the demonic wolf shorten. The demonic wolf was so close that it¡¯s breathing and growling seemed to be right by her ear, and she could smell its stinky breath.

    On the lookout post temporarily constructed next to the vige¡¯s entrance, the hunters let out a shout of rm. Under the shine of the fire torch, the demonic wolf was gradually closing into the small figure in front of it. It seemed as if it would clutch the child in its ws and devoured her with one more leap.

    The short distance was also a kind of excitement for the demonic wolf. For when a fat, fragrant piece of meat was right in front of it, what reason was there not to snatch it? Hence, it slightly stooped in order to gather strength to reach her in one jump.

    Its ws slid over Lu Mingshu¡¯s back, brushing past her clothes.

    The wolf had thought the piece of meat would immediately end up in its mouth, not expecting to miss it by a hair¡¯s breadth. The demonic wolf was furious, chasing her without regard to its injured hind legs.

    Lu Mingshu, however, did not speed up, and instead, she maintained a uniform speed.

    Every time the demonic wolf thought it would finally be able to eat this piece of meat and jumped, it ended up missing by a little; hence, it could only look on hopelessly as Lu Mingshu escaped his grasp.

    The hunters on the watchtower personally witnessed this thrilling scene.

    Every time they thought Lu Mingshu was done for, she would dangerously escape from the wolf.

    And just like that, a human and a wolf were gradually approaching the trap...

    Her mystic force was being rapidly consumed, but right before it had been used up, the trap finally appeared in her line of sight.

    The demonic wolf behind was getting more and more anxious; missing time and time again had triggered its fierce nature. Each pounce ced a lot of pressure on its injured hind legs.

    Usually, it would give up on the prey when its survival instincts kicked in and escape back to the mountains just like when it gave up on the Zhao family¡¯s child the other day.

    Now, however, with its fierce nature triggered by the numerous failures, it was unwilling to give up. It felt that the meat would be in its mouth with just a little more effort.

    Thirty feet.

    Twenty feet.

    Ten feet.

    Lu Mingshu gradually rxed. Her internal mystic force was almost used up, however, the trap was also almost there.

    Once she reached the side of the trap and grabbed the rattan ced there... The demonic wolf behind would never be able to leave once it fell in.

    Three feet.

    She could almost grab the rattan when she stumbled. As the lighting was too dim, she tripped on a protruding rock and fell t on her face.

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s blood went cold.

    There was only one step left, just one more step... Will I be buried here just like that?

    When she turned back, she saw the demonic wolf¡¯s thick and sharp teeth gleaming brightly under the light of the mes. Its strong body the size of a calf, leapt up and pounced towards her.

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s mind went nk.

    In that moment of life and death, she suddenly rolled and threw herself towards the trap.

    How would the demonic wolf be willing to give up? It chased after her.

    ¡°Boom!¡± The trap copsed.

    ¡°We caught it! We caught it!¡± the hunter on the lookout shouted.

    The whole vige started beating gongs and drums, taking everyone along to see the caught demonic wolf.

    The vigers left their houses and cautiously approached the trap.

    As the fire torches could not light up the depths of the pit, they could only vaguely see the demonic wolf lying there, howling weakly.

    ¡°This is great!¡± Elder Tian eximed, unable to contain his joy. His expression went solemn as he looked left and right, ¡°Where is the little Mystic Master?¡±

    These words reminded everyone of the missing Lu Mingshu, and they turned their gazes towards the hunters on the lookout.

    One ashen-faced hunter stammered, ¡°I saw the little Mystic Master fall to the ground, then throw herself forward. I thought she jumped across ...¡±

    Elder Tian was rmed. ¡°This pitfall is about forty to fifty feet wide, how would she be able to jump over?¡±

    For security reasons, they had intentionally dug the pitfall wide and deep. It would be considered pretty good for an adult to jump ten feet; even if the little Mystic Master was stronger than an ordinary person, how was she to jump this far!

    Everyone turned silent when they looked towards the trap.

    Even if one wouldn¡¯t die because of the fall, he would be stabbed to death by the spikes smeared with an anesthetic. Adding on the demonic wolf which jumped in after her, she would have long since turned into a tbread ...

    Elder Tian burst into tears and then fell to his knees trembling. ¡°Thepassionate little Mystic Master is the benefactor of our vige!¡±

    The other people knelt down one by one as they wiped their tears.

    ¡°Kill the demonic wolf and exact vengeance for the little Mystic Master!¡±

    ¡°Right! Kill the demonic wolf! Kill the demonic wolf!¡±

    ¡°Bring the fire!¡±

    The raging vigers were itching to pull off the demonic wolf¡¯s tendons and hide.

    Right when the vigers were about to throw the fire torch, a weak voice could be heard from the pit, ¡°Don¡¯t throw ...¡±

    A child heard the voice and shouted, ¡°Father, there¡¯s a voiceing from inside the pit!¡±

    ¡°What nonsense is that?¡±

    ¡°Really! Just listen.¡±

    Everyone quieted down. There really was a voice travelling out from the pit, ¡°Pull ... pull me up.¡±

    Elder Tian brought the fire torch over to light the pit and discovered a person hanging onto the wall of the trap!

    ¡°The little Mystic Master did not die!¡± He called out, ¡°Quick, pull her up quick.¡±

    Lu Mingshu was pulled up to reveal a body full of grass and soil, gasping for breath as she sat on the ground.

    After narrowly escaping death, her whole spirit had been sucked dry. It had really been a life-or-death matter. She would have long since be a meat patty (the badly mangled type) had she not held onto the rattan in the nick of time.

    Luckily, she survived.

    Locust Tree Vige celebrated the capture of the demonic wolf the entire night.

    While the daylight stillsted, the strong vigers went to retrieve the demonic wolf who had died of excessive loss of blood.

    Elder Tian spoke to Lu Mingshu respectfully, ¡°Little Mystic Master, this demonic wolf was killed by you, so it belongs to you.¡±

    She had already asked for Brother six¡¯s opinion on this matter so she said, ¡°You should ughter it, and then distribute the meat. I only need the skin, ws, bones, and eyes.¡±

    The meat of a demonic wolf that had just be a demonic beast did not contain much mystic force. It was not worth bringing such things back to her own world as it consumed mystic force.

    Elder Tian was overjoyed. Eating the blood and meat of the demonic wolf would strengthen one¡¯s physique. Perhaps even a Mystic Master or two might appear in their vige!

    Locust Tree Vige was bustling with joy. It looked as if there was a celebration going on while the vige waited for the demonic beast to be ughtered and its meat distributed. Yet, Lu Mingshu entered the back mountain alone at this time.

    For the demonic wolf to choose to recuperate here, there had to be a ce where the mystic force was denser. Such ces had a high probability of holding heaven-and-earth treasures.

    With the wolf killed, she felt the energy of the Heavenly Wheel getting replenished, there was a chance she would be able to open a channel and go back very soon.

    Thus, she did not have time to waste if she wanted to search for the treasure.

 Chapter 26: Itéˆ¥æªš good to be alive

    <h4>Chapter 26: It¡¯s good to be alive</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    Following the fishy stench left behind by the demonic wolf, Lu Mingshu entered deep into the mountain, where she found a cave.

    Given that it was located in a barrennd, Locust Tree Vige did not have much production. Yet this cave was teeming with lush grass and evenrge patches of blue flowers all around.

    Blue flowers were rarely seen in the natural world, let alone in such concentrated amounts. Lu Mingshu¡¯s intuition told her that something was amiss.

    She entered the cave while holding a fire torch.

    Light did not filter into this deep cave, which left it cast in darkness.

    The air was also very poor, and the demonic wolf¡¯s fishy stench especially pervaded the area.

    Lu Mingshu held her nose and continued deeper in.

    She would not have imagined herself to have such guts were it a few months ago, to have enough guts to roam such a cave in the countryside. Having been baptized in the cleansing of the Heavenly Wheel¡¯s streamers, her line of thinking had not only deepened, but her courage had improved by leaps and bounds.

    Lu Mingshu suddenly stopped.

    Strange, the fishy stench was getting increasingly strong while I was heading in this direction previously, so why does it seem to be fading now? This ce does not look like the demonic wolf¡¯s shelter at all.

    She lifted the fire torch and carefully observed the walls. As she looked, her eyes seemed to have shed past a dim light.

    The stone wall of the cave is glowing?

    Lu Mingshu went up and pushed aside the moss on the wall.

    There is a faint reflection of light that¡¯s blue in colour on the stone wall!

    She immediately thought of the numerous blue flowers outside.

    As Lu Mingshu found a few tree branches on the spot and scraped off the mosses on the stone wall, she tried hard to suppress her excitement.

    She could sense a faint mystic force ¨C this is an ore that contains mystic force!

    But she quickly calmed down. Even if this is an ore that contains mystic force, how am I to take this out? Dig it out with my hands?

    As she thought about a solution, Lu Mingshu continued walking forward.

    The fishy smell that was no longer present in her position should have been neutralized by the mystic ore. The smell that got fainter as she walked deeper indicated that the mystic ore further inside was even more concentrated.

    Sure enough, Lu Mingshu spotted some fragmented broken ore on the ground by the side after walking for about a thousand feet.

    The blood vessels in her eyes nearly popped from trying to keep the glowing stones in her line of sight as she walked to the end of the cave in one sitting.

    The light-blue mystic ore embedded in the walls of the cavern radiated a faint blue light under the shine of the fire torch, lighting up the entire cave like a world of blue crystals.

    This must have been the wolf¡¯s shelter. It was empty, devoid of objects and any sign of life.

    Lu Mingshu had no idea that this was not the scene that would have greeted her had shee a little earlier. Due to the existence of this mystic ore, almost all of the demonic beasts in the vicinity were drawn to this ce. But ever since the demonic wolf¡¯s arrival, the demonic beasts that upied the pits here were all driven away. With the demonic wolf¡¯s stench still being present, no beast dared approach.

    Lu Mingshu could not wait to enter the Heavenly Wheel and ask Brother Six for advice on the ore and how she was to mine it. But this was after all the wilderness. What if there was a danger when she left her body unattended to enter the Heavenly Wheel ...

    Forget it, for safety¡¯s sake, I¡¯ll take as much as I can. The fragmented broken ores outside should suffice.

    Lu Mingshu took off her robe, tied a few knots to make it into the shape of a package, and stuffed the nicer-looking broken ores into her package.

    When she had finally picked a full package of broken ores, she proceeded to carry them down the mountain.

    By the time she returned to the vige, the ughtering of the demonic wolf was about done. Elder Tian brought the wolf hide, the wolf ws, and the wolf teeth they had dealt with first to her.

    Lu Mingshu entered the Heavenly Wheel.

    The two met each other smoothly as Brother Six was normally around at this hour of the day.

    Brother Six expressed his interest in hearing Lu Mingshu speak of the bag of broken ores that she had picked up at the demonic wolf¡¯s shelter.

    He built a channel and let her send a small ore over.

    Lu Mingshu intended for precisely this by looking for Brother Six. It would definitely not be wrong to ask Brother Six, who was passionate about collecting all sorts of information and had a broad knowledge.

    Soon, Bother Six¡¯s hoarse voice travelled over, ¡°Little Sister Seven, this is good stuff!¡±

    Lu Mingshu hurried to respond, ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°This is mystic spirit ore. It may be called differently in different worlds, but in short, it is a kind of low-grade ore. The blue ones you collected are pure with good quality, and the energy they contain is very pure too. It would be very useful to use these for practice.¡±

    Brother Six told her of the specifics of the grade and uses of the mystic spirit ore, addingstly, ¡°Little Sister Seven, you don¡¯t have to give me the harvest from killing the demonic wolf, but can you instead give me two pieces of this broken ore?¡±

    Lu Mingshu naturally agreed, gifting him two pieces of good quality ones.

    Brother Six sighed when he received the ore, ¡°What a pity you do not have storage tools, or else you would have been able to bring back more.¡±

    A special channel must be constructed if one wanted to bring physical objects into the Heavenly Wheel, which required mystic force. Lu Mingshu would not be able to construct one with her current, low amount of mystic force. She could only use other, smaller items in her exchanges. For example, this mystic spirit ore. Moreover, one could not store physical objects inside the Heavenly Wheel. The object would be broken down into mystic force once the user left, returning to their body.

    Therefore, the Heavenly Wheel could only be used as a tform for exchange and not as storage space.

    Lu Mingshu asked, ¡°Brother Six, what are storage tools?¡±

    ¡°Storage tools are normally in the form of a pouch or ring, and some call it mustard seed pouch, while others call it universal pouch. Some even call it Sumeru ring* ... The name isn¡¯t important. In short, it functions as storage. It may look small, but the space inside is huge, making it convenient to carry items.¡±

    Lu Mingshu eximed, ¡°Something so magical actually exists?¡±

    Brother Six found it strange. ¡°Your world should have it too. Why, didn¡¯t your elders exin it to you?¡±

    Lu Mingshuughed dryly. ¡°I just entered my sect ...¡± and she continued to ask, ¡°That, can I buy one?¡±

    ¡°It is possible to buy, but this item isn¡¯t cheap ...¡±

    ¡°Is it very expensive?¡±

    ¡°Un. I have mixed around for so long and only managed to conveniently get an old one from someone else¡¯s hands.¡±

    Even Brother Six had to pick up a cheap one ¨C it really must be absurdly expensive.

    However, Lu Mingshu still longed for one. If she had this, she would have been able to bring back more ores today.

    ¡°If you really want one, I can keep a lookout for you.¡±

    Lu Mingshu was overjoyed. ¡°Thank you, Brother Six.¡±

    She asked a few more general-knowledge questions before leaving the Heavenly Wheel.

    It was almost time; she had the feeling that she was on the cusp of returning to her own world.

    When she went out to say a few farewells, almost all of Locust Tree Vige ran out to send her off when Elder Tian informed them of her departure.

    In this manner, Lu Mingshu was sent out of the vige while carrying ores and the rest of her paraphernalia. Then she disappeared out of thin air in front of the whole crowd of vigers.

    The vigers turned pale with fright and immediately fell to their knees to kowtow, repeatedly calling out ¡®celestial being¡¯ in her wake.

    On the other side, Lu Mingshu opened her eyes. She was still lying down on the bed, and the sky outside had brightened.

    She sat up, looking toward the package filled with the wolf parts she had procured from the vigers.

    Once she hid the package under the bed, Lu Mingshu left the room.

    An aroma wafted out of the kitchen. When she went in for a look, sheid eyes on Liu Jizhen, who was making fried eggs.

    Lu Mingshu felt warmth in her heart. Her master always said he did not care about her, but he had actually changed a lot ever since she had appeared in Green Jade Valley.

    Liu Jizhen ted the omelette, cing it on the table. ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go wash my face!¡± Lu Mingshu ran out to brush her teeth and wash her face, returning to eat once she had cleaned up.

    She had a grin on her face today. Liu Jizhen nced at her a few times, ¡°What are you so happy about?¡±

    Lu Mingshu revealed arge, toothy smile. ¡°Nothing much, it¡¯s just that I¡¯m d to be alive and that being able to eat this much delicious food is great.¡±

    Liu Jizhen looked down. Rice porridge, salted egg, pickles ... Is my cooking really that good?

 Chapter 27: Willow Woods

    <h4>Chapter 27: Willow Woods</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    Lu Mingshu pondered for a long time before deciding on trading the variousponents of the wolf she had procured earlier.

    Such a demonic beast¡¯s hide could be used to make leather, while its teeth and sharp ws could be used to make weapons. But since she did not have the means to make them now, she decided to trade them for something useful.

    Therefore, she put up a request for trade of items on the Heavenly Wheel.

    After a day¡¯s wait, someone contacted her.

    [ I have a book on Basic Alchemy here, do you want it? ]

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s eyes lit up, as alchemy was from the world of Xianxia*. Brother Six once told her that each world had their own system of cultivation and practice at which they excelled. For example, the world she was in walked the path of practicing Martial Arts and was the most valiant in strength. For a magic world that uses a magic precision system, their devil talismans that depicted demonic patterns were the most useful. For the world of Xianxia, alchemy definitely upied an important position.

    The most fundamental pursuit of cultivators was not power but longevity; they would always ce more importance on a rebirth rather than the acquisition of strength by cultivating steadily. Practitioners pursuing strength alone, on the other hand, had no regard for their longevity. Mages needed to go through all sorts of rituals to increase their lifespans, whereas cultivators were always tempering their body through their cultivation. Therefore, their lifespan increased hand-in-hand with every milestone in their cultivation.

    One of the skills they depended on the most was alchemy. When they drank one of their elixirs, it would immediately apply the effect on their body. Therefore, the art of alchemy tolerated no oversights whatsoever.

    Lu Mingshu immediately initiated a private chat with the other party.

    A voice traveled out as the circle of airflow blew out of the leaf, ¡°Fellow Daoist, are you willing to trade?¡±

    The voice was quite light, indicating that it belonged to someone quite young.

    Lu Mingshu answered, ¡°Can you give me a rough description of the content?¡±

    ¡°Eh,¡± the other party was startled for a moment. ¡°So it¡¯s a little sister. Of course.¡±

    The focus of the book on Basic Alchemy was in the word ¡®basic¡¯. Starting from the herbs, it detailedly introduced the reader to the basics of the alchemical world.

    ¡°Which is to say, there isn¡¯t a pill recipe?¡± The recipes were undoubtedly the most precious part of alchemy.

    The other party paused for a moment before replying, ¡°There is only one pill recipe, which is the Congeal Constituent Pill ...¡±

    Lu Mingshu hesitated once she heard that. With two different worlds came two different types of Spirit Medicine. Would it not be a waste if that one Pill Recipe required an ingredient that was unavable in my current world? Entering and leaving the Heavenly Wheel involved the consumption of arge portion of the item¡¯s mystic force, which didn¡¯t make for a worthwhile exchange for either party.

    ¡°Fellow Daoist,¡± The youth continued, ¡°I needn¡¯t speak anymore of how useful alchemy is, but it is also not easy to find such a detailed book on the introduction of alchemy.¡±

    Lu Mingshu was aware of this, but something still bothered her ...

    When she spoke of her concerns, the youth immediately replied cheerfully, ¡°There¡¯s no need to be worried about this, as the Congeal Constitution Pill is the most basic pill over here. Anyone with a bit of skill in pill refining will be able to refine this pill. This same recipe has myriad variations. Not only does each sect have its own unique recipe, but every alchemist would also have their own secret recipe too. Basically, you could refine this pill by throwing any kind of substitute in. Although my Congeal Constituent Pill only consists of a single pill recipe, it contains more than ten kinds ofbinations to mix and match theponents. There should definitely be a version you can refine ¨C otherwise, you can just refine based on its principle.¡±

    This is okay too?

    Lu Mingshu was a little dumbfounded.

    ¡°Rest assured, you would not be at a loss if you trade!¡± the youth said. ¡°I am anxious too. I have to go on a training expedition in ten days and need to make a whole body of protective leather. Were that not the case, I could have exchanged for a finished product right away if I were to take my time and bargain for a better price.¡±

    Lu Mingshu believed this point. A book on alchemy was a scarce resource, whereas the hide and ws of a demonic beast were not. The two had simr worth, but the book on alchemy still sold better.

    ¡°Well, okay.¡± Lu Mingshu paused for a moment of thought. ¡°Right, can I ask how the mystic ores in your world are generally used?¡±

    ¡°Mystic ore?¡± The youth quickly understood, ¡°Oh. My world should call it spirit ore? It depends on what kind of ore it is. It is generally used to refine a Device Array, as the simplest use for it is to extract spiritual energy for cultivation ...¡±

    Lu Mingshu noted it down seriously. The two then opened a special channel to carry out the trade.

    After the trade, Lu Mingshu left the Heavenly Wheel.

    She carefully opened the semi-old book adorned with lines.

    This one look and she was unable to stop.

    After Lu Mingshu read the whole book on Basic Alchemy in one go, she let out a long breath and rubbed her dizzy head.

    No wonder Brother Six had told her that the alchemy of the world of Xianxia was the most miraculous, given their excellent medical knowledge, unlike the magic world where people were restricted by rules and regtions.

    That youth had not lied to her. The Congeal Constituent Pill recorded in the book could be said to have no known limit in derivatives for the ingredients. As long as she grasped the key, the pill recipe was irrelevant. It would at most result in her refining a pill of lower efficacy.

    She put away the book and confidently began practising her sword technique.

    After the fight with the demonic wolf, her internal mystic force had increased and her strength had improved vastly.

    When dinner was over, Liu Jizhen suddenly said, ¡°Go and y at Willow Woods tomorrow.¡±

    Lu Mingshu was stunned for a moment, nodding, ¡°Mhmm ...¡±

    On the second day after breakfast, Lu Mingshu left for Willow Woods.

    Willow Woods was a little distance away from Green Jade Valley. Without any means of transportation, she had reached Willow Woods by foot when the sun already stood at its zenith and red down at her.

    Willow Woods did not inhabit a single willow tree despite the name, and the topography in the area consisted of onerge, gentle slope. The Willow Woods residence itself was built on a gigantic rock on the other side of the said gentle slope.

    At this moment, the Willow Woods residence was very quiet with no signs of life insight. Lu Mingshu felt a little helpless as she stood underneath the gigantic rock.

    How am I to climb up such a high rock without anything in my surroundings that could assist me in climbing up?

    Without a choice, she could only call out, ¡°Gao Xiang! Gao Xiang, are you around?¡±

    After she had called out three times, someone ran out from Willow Woods.

    Gao Xiang waved excitedly towards her when he spotted her below, ¡°Lu Mingshu, it¡¯s you! I am around!¡±

    With that, he jumped down from a ¨C not sure where he got it ¨C rattan rope and dropped down in front of her. ¡°You finally came, I thought you had forgotten!¡±

    If not for her Master¡¯s reminder, Lu Mingshu would have truly forgotten. She was a busy girl, spending a majority of her time reading books in order to understand the various worlds described in the Heavenly Wheel. That included books from Heavenly Ascension Pavilion as well as the books from the other worlds that she had acquired through various exchanges. She still had to practice her techniques and even do chores ¨C she couldn¡¯t always let Master cook his meals, right?

    ¡°Come, let us go up!¡±

    Gao Xiang grabbed the rattan rope, climbing up with a whoosh! like a monkey.

    Lu Mingshu pulled on the rope, and after finding it solid, she followed behind him with a pattern.

    ¡°Walk this way.¡± Once she entered the Willow Woods residence, Lu Mingshu discovered a different view in the back. Past the residence itself, the sight of arge t grasnd, a small meandering stream, and the shade under the leafy canopy of a green willow tree entered one¡¯s vision.

    Tables and chairs were arranged under the willow tree with someone seated on the chair.

    With hair as white as snow and the appearance of a young man, this someone was Zhuo Jiangui.

    Lu Mingshu went over to bow, ¡°Martial Granduncle Zhuo.¡±

    Zhuo Jiangui, who had his eyes closed, slowly opened his eyes when he heard the sound. He looked towards her and nodded once.

    The sensations of a cold intent enshrouding her in mist struck her again. This greatly rmed her. What kind of art does this Martial Granduncle Zhuo actually train in?

 Chapter 28: Half a step

    <h4>Chapter 28: Half a step</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    Lu Mingshu did not stay at Willow Woods for long.

    Zhuo Jiangui only said one line, ¡°You came at the right time, Xiang er is going to the Great Dao Hall, you should go together.¡±

    Great Dao Hall ¨C Nine Jade Pce¡¯s hall for practising Martial Arts.

    In addition to the different disciple lines, Nine Jade Pce also established a unified teaching program. If the Masters had matters to attend to, they could entrust their disciple to the Great Dao Hall. Alternatively, one could go to the Great Dao Hall topare notes with other disciples from a different line.

    Gao Xiang naturally went to polish his skills.

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s legs went limp when she saw Gao Xiang lead a wolf out of the stables.

    This wolf appeared to be simr to the demonic wolf from the other world. Its physique was as strong as a calf; it was obvious at one nce that it was not an ordinary variety.

    She had a psychological shadow*!

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Gao Xiangughed when he saw her not daring to approach. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, my Martial Grandfather personally caught this wolf; it has been domesticated so it won¡¯t bite.¡±

    Given howrge the Nine Jade Pce was, they needed some kind of transportation. Lu Mingshu had seen people ride sheep and deers before, but never a wolf.

    However, this wolf was not exactly fierce; it did not hold a ferocious gleam in its eyes and even had azy demeanour. Moreover, it had been scrubbed squeaky clean without even the tiniest bit of stench.

    She went behind it, without drawing too close, and carefully got onto its back under Gao Xiang¡¯s direction.

    ¡°Hold on tightly!¡± Gao Xiang let her grab onto his waist and patted the wolf, signalling it to go.

    The whole journey was just passing over mountain ridges as fast as lightning.

    This is definitely faster than walking. When will I be able to own my own ride?

    ¡°Lu Mingshu, have you familiarised yourself with <Cloud-treading Sword Technique> ?¡± Gao Xiang leisurely asked while urging the wolf on.¡±

    <Cloud-treading Sword Technique>, was the basic technique of the Nine Jade Pce.

    Lu Mingshu felt a little guilty. She had been training in the <Basic Sword Manual> from the Heavenly Wheel these few days and had only practised the <Cloud-treading Sword Technique> once before; she stopped practising it when she felt it was inferior to the <Basic Sword Manual>.

    ¡°Not too familiar ...¡±

    ¡°What a pity.¡± Gao Xiang¡¯s expression was full of disappointment, ¡°I almost broke into a fight with the fellow from Star Picking Precipice thest time I went to the Great Dao Hall, and we have set the day of the fight to today. You came here today just in time to help me out with the fight!¡±

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Fight? Doesn¡¯t the Sect restrict private fights?¡± It was written as such in the disciple handbook!

    ¡°Even you say it is a private fight as well! But by having a teacher of the Great Dao Hall as a witness, it bes a public fight!¡±

    Alright ...

    Getting more and more excited, Gao Xiang hit his small chest. ¡°Martial Grandfather wants me to guide you, so you must watch attentivelyter on!¡±

    ¡°Un.¡± Lu Mingshu nodded seriously. She also wanted to find out just how strong the orthodox-inheritance disciples could be.

    The wolf swiftly brought them to their destination in less than half an hour.

    Horses, cows, deers and other mounts rested in the stables outside the hall. There were also wolfs simr to Gao Xiang¡¯s. Lu Mingshu even saw a Lion with an entirely golden pelt!

    Gao Xiang left their mount in the stables and brought Lu Mingshu into the Great Dao Hall.

    In the corner exclusive to the new people, a few children were fighting. They were young so no techniques were used, despite this, the fight was still bustling with noise and excitement.

    Once Gao Xiang entered, a tall and strong child immediately stopped and shouted towards him. ¡°Gao Dama, I thought you wouldn¡¯t dare toe!¡±**

    Gao Xiang swaggered over. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I dare to? Zhang Xiaoqiang, are you really this anxious to be beaten up!¡± As he spoke, he introduced him to Lu Mingshu, ¡°Well, this is Zhang Qiang, just call him Zhang Xiaoqiang.¡±

    Xiaoqiang was the hypocoristic for cockroach. Zhang Qiang¡¯s childhood pet name was Xiao Qiang. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, he just had to have the surname Zhang; hence Gao Xiang gave him this nickname.***

    Zhang Qiang was already quite nervous when he saw the little maiden which Gao Xiang brought along as reinforcement, so after being humiliated, he immediately blew up. ¡°Gao Dama, you are all talk. Come,e,e, let us see who is really better!¡±

    ¡°Come at me! Who¡¯s afraid of you!¡±

    They gave up on talking, took up a wooden sword each from the weapons shelf beside them, and started fighting!

    The teacher, who was standing at the side, nced over but did not say anything once he confirmed that they were using wooden swords.

    Merely nine years old, Zhang Qiang was as sturdy and tall as a twelve or thirteen-year-old, while Gao Xiang had an ordinary eight-year-old body that was a full head shorter.

    Lu Mingshu watched as Zhang Qiang¡¯s wooden sword struck down. Gao Xiang raised his wooden sword to block, but the sword wavered a little due to the impact.

    Zhang Qiang knew he was born tall and strong and was no fool as to where his advantage lies. Each of his strikes was as strong as the previous ones.

    However, Gao Xiang was not a fool either. By relying on his flexibility, he evaded whenever he could and ran around Zhang Qiang in order to make him use up his energy.

    One struck while the other one evaded. The fight seemed even.

    Kids ¨C as kids do ¨C did not know when to hold back. Hence, when the sword swept past Zhang Qiang¡¯s legs, he immediately went on a rampage. He raised his wooden sword to stab Gao Xiang¡¯s shoulder. Enraged, Gao Xiang rushed in. The two henceforth threw their swords away and started wrestling with each other.

    The group of children started cheering obnoxiously. When the teacher saw what was happening, he came over with an ashenplexion, grabbed each of them in one hand and threw them apart. ¡°I will throw the two of you into confinement if you continue making trouble!¡±

    Lu Mingshu helped Gao Xiang up. He had wanted to rush up again but was stopped by her.

    ¡°This happens every single time,¡± Gao Xiangined, ¡°His sword technique is mediocre, and he uses his sword like a knife, so he always relies on his greater strength.¡±

    Lu Mingshu pondered over it for a moment before whispering, ¡°If you move half a step to the right each time he strikes, his strength would be useless.¡±

    Gao Xiang¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Lu Mingshu blinked. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t be able to hit you!¡±

    Gao Xiang was a little confused. ¡°He will catch up to me the moment I move half a step!¡±

    ¡°Try it if you don¡¯t believe me.¡± Lu Mingshu made a calction in her head, then measured up a distance with her hands, ¡°Roughly this distance would do.¡±

    Gao Xiang was rather sceptical; he stood up and tried it twice. ¡°Like this?¡±

    ¡°Right?¡±

    Gao Xiang scratched his head; cing all his trust onto Lu Mingshu, he once again went into battle. ¡°Zhang Xiangqiang, do you dare toe again?¡±

    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I dare to?¡± Zhang Qiang suddenly stood up, ¡°I will not let you win this time either.¡±

    ¡°Bragging! We still don¡¯t know who will end up winning yet!¡±

    The two picked up their wooden swords once more and started to exchange pointers.

    When Zhang Qiang¡¯s sword struck down, Gao Xiang remembered Lu Mingshu¡¯s words and moved half a step to the right.

    Zhang Qiang naturally caught up, but his sword stopped once it was next to Gao Xiang¡¯s shoulder.

    Gao Xiang tried it a few more times and this happened every single round. As long as he moved half a step, Zhang Qiang would be unable to stab him.

    Excited, he repeatedly attacked and finally managed to strike Zhang Qiang¡¯s sword to the ground. He burst into haughtyughter and pointed his sword at Zhang Qiang. ¡°How about this! Are you done now?¡±

    Having inexplicably lost, Zhang Qiang just stood there perplexed.

    On the way back, Gao Xiang was overjoyed. ¡°How did you know Zhang Qiang won¡¯t be able to hit me if I move half a step?¡±

    ¡°With such a big physique, his body can¡¯t be that flexible. Plus, he is also right-handed, so hitting the right side won¡¯t be as convenient as hitting the left side. Isn¡¯t his left side your right side? If you move half a step to the left, he won¡¯t be able to hit you if he doesn¡¯t have enough time to turn around.¡±

    Gao Xiang¡¯s jaw dropped, and his mouth was open wide enough to ce an egg inside it. ¡°You ... can even see this?¡±

    Lu Mingshu answered seriously, ¡°I don¡¯t ¡®see¡¯ it, but calcte it.¡±

    ...

    Gao Xiang returned to Willow Woods once he sent Lu Mingshu back to Green Jade Valley.

    His Master, An Tongchen, was sent to seclusion as he was at a critical phase in his cultivation. Hence, his Martial Grandfather was taking care of him now.

    When Zhuo Jiangui heard of what happened today at Great Dao Hall, he fell silent for a long while.

    Gao Xiang could not help but ask, ¡°Martial Grandfather, can this be calcted?¡±

    After a long time, Zhuo Jiangui slowly broke the silence ¡°It is possible to calcte, but, to do so at her age ...¡± As he looked at the setting sun, an expression of disappointment and frustration appeared on his face. ¡°This child reminds me of her Martial Grandmother ...¡±

    ¡°Ah? Who are you speaking of, Martial Grandfather?¡±

 Chapter 29: Inner breath realm

    <h4>Chapter 29: Inner breath realm</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    Lu Mingshu had no idea about the conversation held in the Willow Woods.

    Once she¡¯d returned to the Green Jade Valley, she naturally continued to read, practice, and watch her master shave wooden swords.

    Thus, the master and disciple duo continued their isted lifestyle.

    Every ten to fifteen days, Gao Xiang woulde to the Green Jade Valley and take Lu Mingshu to y in the Willow Woods. The Martial Granduncle, who was always present, would remain silent most of the time, but would asionally speak up to correct her actions, or to guide her in her practice. Every time he offered her his advice, it caused Lu Mingshu to feel as if she¡¯d been enlightened due to perfect wisdom.

    As time passed, a year passed, during which several major events took ce within the Nine Jade Pce.

    An example was that Sect Leader Fu Shangqing had formed an alliance with the Seven Truths tform. The Nine Jade Pce had begun to dispatch disciples to Zhongzhou in exchange for them allowing the disciples of the Seven Truths tform pass through the Nine Jade Mountains unhindered in order for them to train in the Jade West Mountain Forest.

    Ever since the sect¡¯s founding, the Nine Jade Pce had always been in charge of guarding against the vicious beasts in ce of Xichuan. As such, this decision immediately caused an uproar in the sect. For them to allow the Seven Truths tform to visit the Jade West Mountain Forest as they pleased was equivalent to the Nine Jade Pce viting the responsibility it had always firmly held onto. Furthermore, arge number of resources used by the Nine Jade Pce came from the west mountains. How was this any different to opening up one¡¯s private warehouse to someone?

    As a result of this, a series of power struggles took ce within the Nine Jade Pce. Some people gained power and were promoted, while others lost power and their positions.

    Yet, none of this had anything to do with Lu Mingshu. The Green Jade Valley had long since been forgotten by everyone, and nobody would bother the Willow Woods.

    As time continued to slowly move forward, Lu Mingshu gradually transformed from a newbie that knew nothing about the world to a seasoned veteran. As she continued to mingle with themunity within the Heavenly Wheel, she chatted about random things with them and picked up any bargains she could afford.

    [ Brother, are you still trading your Seven Star Pill? ]

    [ I am! What does Fellow Daoist have to offer? ]

    [ Glimmering Green Grass. ]

    [ Okay, let¡¯s chat privately. ]

    [ How about you leave me a message. It¡¯s not convenient for me to chat privately with you currently. ]

    [ Alright. ]

    Lu Mingshu let out a relieved breath once she¡¯d retrieved the small bottle that contained the Seven Star Pill from the Heavenly Wheel.

    A martial practitioner would need to bathe in medicine baths as they cultivated. If they didn¡¯t their meridians wouldn¡¯t be able to tolerate the burden brought about by the continuous cirction of mystic force, which would, in turn, cause internal injuries to form in their muscles and bones. As such, a martial practitioner would have to slow down their cultivation if they didn¡¯t have a sufficient amount of resources.

    The sect had stopped giving Courtyard Leader Liu Jizhen the resources they were supposed to, as his meridians had been damaged severely. Lu Mingshu, on the other hand, was merely a third-rate disciple; she was only qualified to receive a pitiful amount of resources. Lu Mingshu was only been able to take medicine baths once a month due to this.

    Money was necessary to practice, and when Lu Mingshu became of aware of this, she became a middleman like Brother Six.

    The way that the people from the Martial Art¡¯s world used spirit herbs was no different from wasting them to people from the Xianxia world. Rare and iparable spirit medicine was either boiled in a cauldron of a decoction or was boiled in a small pot of decoction for consumption. If such ingredients were to be ced in the hands of a Xianxia cultivator, just how many rare elixirs would they be able to refine?!

    Now that she had the book of <Basic Alchemy>, Lu Mingshu naturally wanted to refine pills herself. As such, she¡¯d nned to trade her mystic spirit ore for a cauldron in the Heavenly Wheel, but had unexpectedly encountered a swindler who¡¯d given her a scrap product.

    Afterwards, when Lu Mingshu saw someone directly selling elixirs, she suddenly realized she could buy the elixirs directly? The mes and smoke from when I use the cauldron would inevitably be discovered by Master if I were to produce them on my own. Wouldn¡¯t it just be better to directly trade for the elixirs I need??

    After she realized this, she began to consciously use spirit herbs that were scarce in the Xianxia world yet abundant in her world to trade for elixirs.

    Every month, either Ah Sheng or Hui Niang would make their way to the Green Jade Valley, then take the items that she¡¯d traded for¡ªlike mystic ore¡ªto the base of the mountain and sell them. They¡¯d exchange them for spirit herbs, then hand them to her on their next visit.

    In order to maintain secrecy, she chose elixirs that didn¡¯t look out of the ordinary, and consciously controlled the amount.

    Fortunately, nobody had found out so far.

    Lu Mingshu sat down on her stone bed and consumed the Seven Star Pill. Afterwards, with a chunk of mystic spirit ore in both of her hands, she slowly urged her internal mystic force to move and began the process of breaking through the closed aperture.

    She¡¯d originally only had a trace of mystic force, but now that it had evolved into a stream, it allowed her to be able to break through the closed aperture.

    She¡¯d enter the Inner Breath Realm once she broke through it.

    This would also represent her officially stepping into the world of practitioners.

    The reason that practitioners were ced above ordinary people was due to the fact that they could utilize mystic force. The Body Tempering Realm, which required one to awaken their meridians and umte mystic force, would only cause someone to be a bit stronger than the average person. One would only be a true martial practitioner when they reached the Inner Breath Realm and were capable of utilizing more mystic force.

    Once the Seven Star Pill dissolved, the spiritual qi it contained¡ªwhich resembled mystic force¡ªwould quickly be absorbed into Lu Mingshu¡¯s meridians.

    As the mystic spirit ore in her hands was stimted, an unending stream of mystic force began to continuously enter her body.

    When the amount of mystic force from the Seven Star Pill and the mystic spirit ore met, they began to mutually stimte each other.

    Lu Mingshu guided her mystic force along the hidden creek and up to the middle of her spine. Her mystic force then attempted to rush towards her dantian, but was blocked by the closed aperture, as if by an invisible inner membrane, which caused the mystic force to rapidly umte. When it rose to a significant level, the inner membrane was finally pierced, followed by a loud rumble, which let her mystic force enter her dantian.

    Afterwards, her mystic force split into two streams: One went up the muddy pill, into the mingtang, while the other went down huachi, in the sea of energy. *

    Sweat poured off of her forehead in streams as the two locations simultaneously exerted pressure.

    After the pain, she felt an unhindered amount of tion.

    ...

    Liu Jizhen stared at the wooden sword he¡¯d just shaved dazedly.

    The number of wooden swords he¡¯d shaved these few years had been gradually decreasing; he¡¯d only shaved a single wooden sword this month.

    When he¡¯d initially begun shaving wooden swords, he¡¯d simply wanted to find something to do. He began to reminisce about how, when he¡¯d just entered the sect, his master had taught him to shave wooden swords in order to nurture his patience, as his temperament had been indeterminate. Ever since his meridians had been severed, he¡¯d been floating in a hollow space with no direction in life. Hence, he¡¯d picked up the hobby of shaving wooden swords again.

    Falling from the clouds into a quagmire and turning into a waste from genius weren¡¯t pains that everyone would experience.

    He could only remain tranquil when he was concentrating on shaving wooden swords.

    Yet, during these past two years, he¡¯d no longer been miserable, despite not shaving as many wooden swords. Just watching the sunset while drinking the tea that his disciple had brewed and reading a book were enough to relieve his boredom and let him achieve a tranquil state.

    Does this mean that I¡¯ve fully recovered?

    ¡°Master.¡±

    Liu Jizhen turned around when he heard the sound of Lu Mingshu¡¯s voice.

    What he saw stunned him.

    A small knife flew out of her hand with a gentle wave, a whoosh sounding as it flew through the air.

    The resisting matter with qi!

    Liu Jizhen¡¯s pupils shrunk. ¡°You¡¯ve open up the closed aperture?¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded.

    Liu Jizhen was suddenly at a loss for words. During these past couple years, even though he hadn¡¯t been unconcerned about Lu Mingshu, due to the hole in his heart that he still hadn¡¯t gotten over, he¡¯d never taught her how to practice martial arts nor how to cultivate.

    She was mostly self-taught with, at best, a few pointers from Zhuo Jiangui.

    Yet she¡¯d actually stepped into the Inner Breath Realm on her own!

    He¡¯d had both talent and full support from his master, as well as constant medicine baths, which had allowed him to enter the Inner Breath Realm in his former days. But Lu Mingshu? She¡¯d had a pitiful amount of resources, a master that hadn¡¯t imparted anything to her, and had only received a few pointers from Zhuo Jiangui. Despite this, she¡¯d entered the Inner Breath Realm? New Years had just passed, and she wasn¡¯t even eleven.

    ¡°Master?¡± Lu Mingshu asked when she didn¡¯t get a response.

    Liu Jizhen stood up abruptly. ¡°I¡¯m going out for a while.¡±

    ¡°Ah?¡± Lu Mingshu was stupefied; master¡¯s reaction was totally outside of my expectations!

    Once one precedent had been broken, it was easy to break another.

    Liu Jizhen left the Green Jade Valley and went straight to the Willow Woods.

    ¡°What do you want to talk about?¡± Zhuo Jiangui calmly gazed at Liu Jizhen and sipped his tea.

    ¡°Senior Uncle, I say, Mingshu has entered the Inner Breath Realm.¡±

    Zhuo Jiangui nodded. ¡°So?¡±

    His calm demeanour caused Liu Jizhen to be at a loss for words.

    Zhuo Jiangui lightly smiled. During these two years, I¡¯ve been the one to guide Lu Mingshu. Wouldn¡¯t I, of all people, be the clearest on her progress? Based on my calctions, she would¡¯ve entered the Inner Breath Realm in the next few months.

    ¡°My Willow Woods line has always only had one direct disciple. It¡¯s impossible for you to transfer her over here.¡±

    He¡¯d been rejected before he¡¯d even had the chance to plead his case. Liu Jizhen didn¡¯t know what to say.

    ¡°Jizhen, it¡¯s time for you to stop escaping.¡±

    Liu Jizhen murmured, ¡°But, I¡¯m already a cripple ...¡±

    ¡°Your meridians might have been severed and you might not be able to cultivate anymore, but don¡¯t tell me that you can¡¯t teach your disciple.¡± Zhuo Jiangui shook his head, leaned back in his chair, then waved his hand. ¡°You should leave.¡±

    Liu Jizhen stood up in a daze and walked out.

    ¡°Xiang er will also break through his closed aperture in a few days. Wait until he¡¯s entered the Inner Breath Realm, then he and Mingshu should go to the Jade West Mountain Forest together!¡± Zhuo Jiangui¡¯s voice sounded apathetic, yet it carried an underlying meaning. ¡°Let that group of trash know what exactly a true genius disciple is.¡±

 Chapter 30: Spring hunt

    <h4>Chapter 30: Spring hunt</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    The Jade West Mountain Forest referred to thatrge tract of mountain forest to the west of Nine Jade Mountains.

    In this world teeming with countless vicious and ferocious beasts, humans developed Martial Arts as well as a way to exploit everything under the heavens in order to defend themselves against these existential threats. For example, the spirit herbs and the very ferocious beasts that sought to devour them had be mere resources to enhance their strength.

    This was the ce where the Nine Jade Pce had been established, the Jade West Mountain Forest. A ce abundant with ferocious beasts lurking in its depths, but it was also the node from which the disciples of Nine Jade Pce acquired their cultivation resources through hunting.

    The Body Tempering Realmid the foundation. Once a disciple steps into the Inner Breath Realm, it was mandatory for them to test their endurance in the mountains to the west.

    Practitioners of the martial way progressed and grew throughbat, after all.

    Gao Xiang opened up his closed aperture not long after Lu Mingshu stepped into the Inner Breath Realm.

    Afterwards, his martial grandfather, Zhuo Jiangui, announced that the two of them were to participate in the hunt at the west of the mountains together.

    The hunt at the Jade West was an activity held twice a year in Nine Jade Pce where everyone ¨C from disciples in the Inner Breath Realm to sect elders in the Spirit Realm ¨C would participate. Once inte spring and once inte autumn. The harvest from the hunt also became thergest source of cultivation resources for the disciples. Although the scale of the hunt was smaller, it was mainly to let the younger disciples learn through experience.

    With the spring hunt being held inte March and early April, there were still two months to go. Lu Mingshu took advantage of this to do some step-by-step preparation before the spring huntmenced. That involved familiarizing herself with the terrain and understanding the traits of the local ferocious beasts.

    Close to the end of February, Hui Niang brought news to her. About how the entirety of the Nine Jade Pce had fallen into an uproar at the news of the sect leader¡¯s eldest son breaking through to Inner Breath Realm sessfully a few days ago.

    That¡¯s right, he was the one they referred to as Young Master. Fu Shangqing¡¯s son, Fu Mingtang.

    When Fu Shangqing remarried back then, the Elder Miss Zhou took less than two years to give birth to a pair of twins. By estimate, they were roughly a year younger than Lu Mingshu.

    Since Lu Mingshu was currently eleven, the twins should be ten years old. But having been born in the second half of the year, they were only counted to be nine and a half years old.

    When the Zhou family announced this news, the entire Nine Jade Pce broke out into a joyful mood.

    Reaching the Inner Breath Realm before ten years of age was an aplishment surpassing even Liu Jizhen¡¯s record.

    Lu Mingshu kept her calm as she listened to the news. These three years of hard work had taught her to be indifferent to such matters. Emotions like jealousy and indignation before she possessed true strength would only serve to obstruct the path to her advancement.

    Having said that, Fu Shangqing truly possessed excellent hereditary traits. Lu Mingshu¡¯s aptitude could be considered top grade, while Fu Mingtang could breakthrough into the Inner Breath Realm before the age of ten. Naturally, it would be considered a heaven-warping gift. In addition, it was said that his twin sister, Fu Mingxi, was also close to her breakthrough.

    Shortly after the announcement, the sect spread the word of something in the works. This time, all participating disciples would receive incentives, while the three Inner Breath Disciples with the best performance would receive additional prizes.

    Speaking of this matter, Gao Xiang began a tirade of ridicule, ¡°How shameless. Who wouldn¡¯t know they are deliberately cing the limelight on the sect leader¡¯s son?¡±

    ¡°Let them.¡± Lu Mingshu nced over. ¡°Wait, are you scared?¡±

    Gao Xiang raised his chin. ¡°Of course not!¡±

    The two broke out inughter.

    Gao Xiang possessed an air of chivalry. Even before they knew each other, he had willingly stood up against the sect¡¯s injustice towards her. In other words, he was someone who could not tolerate sand in his eyes*. The behaviour of the Zhou family had effectively caused him to feel disgusted.

    Because of this, the two of them treated their preparations even more seriously.

    How could they waste the opportunity to do some face-pping when the Zhou family enjoyed showing off?

    In the remaining time, Lu Mingshu spent her days either practising her techniques or soaking in the Heavenly Wheel. Searching for data on the ferocious beasts, skills for the expedition, as well as trading for some useful small gadgets ...

    For example, one of the items she had traded for was called apass. It could point out the cardinal directions even on rainy days.

    A lively youth was the one with whom she had traded to procure this item in the Heavenly Wheel. He was born in a strange world, a ce with a society that waspletely different from any Lu Mingshu had ever heard of previously. This society did not have Cultivation, but it had a civilization of science, technology, and art that was simply unimaginable to her. Perhaps, even the Magic worlds would fall short of that enormous yet precise system built upon knowledge. He referred to his world as a Magic-less World.

    Lu Mingshu also traded for plenty of books from this youth. It was also through him that she came to know of mathematics. Once she applies the mathematical system to the calctions she was already adept at, surely her calctions were bound to be even more precise.

    Time continued to tick away, and the day of the spring hunt was drawing near.

    Lu Mingshu put on her hunting outfit, tied her gaiters and handguards, took inventory of her belongings, andstly put on a curtained hat to shield her from the sun. Lu Mingshu picked up her luggage before turning around, only to discover Liu Jizhen standing in the doorway to her bedroom.

    ¡°Master?¡±

    Liu Jizhen walked in. ¡°Change your sword to this.¡±

    Lu Mingshu was stunned when she saw the sword he passed over.

    A ck scabbard and a smooth de; this was definitely a good sword, of a grade manifold superior to the one she was given initially. Moreover, tailored to fit her in height, the de of the sword had been reduced in length.

    Liu Jizhen shifted his gaze, feeling awkward under her stare. ¡°Focus on getting used to it for your first spring hunt, and don¡¯t be too eager to stand out. You still have a long road ahead of you, so there¡¯s no need to strive for a moment of glory.¡±

    Lu Mingshu received the sword with mixed feelings. ¡°Thank you, Master.¡±

    She could hear Gao Xiang as soon as she opened her mouth to speak, ¡°Lu Mingshu, Lu Mingshu, are you done yet?¡±

    She hastily stated, ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving then, Master!¡±

    Liu Jizhen nagged once more, ¡°Remember my words. Safety first.¡±

    ¡°Un, I understand.¡±

    She left Heavenly Ascension Pavilion and ran over to seat herself behind Gao Xiang on the wolf he was riding.

    ¡°We will be leaving now, Senior Uncle Liu!¡± Gao Xiang waved to Liu Jizhen before patting the wolf¡¯s head to signal it to go.

    Gao Xiang was extremely excited for today, as he had had few opportunities to leave Willow Woods in thest three years. It seemed like his martial grandfather had not let him leave since that time he went to the Great Dao Hall with Lu Mingshu. He had to either practice with his martial grandfather or make Lu Mingshue over to spar with him if he wanted a training partner. Thus, Gao Xiang was extremely excited about finally being allowed to participate in the spring hunt by his martial grandfather. He was itching to test his skills ¨C just where exactly did he stand among his peers?

    Speaking of it, he felt greatly depressed. Every time he thought he had made great progress, he would realize he was not as good as Lu Mingshu every time she came over ... On one hand, Gao Xiang thought he was impressive enough to have stepped into the Inner Breath Realm in a short three years. But on the other hand, he didn¡¯t seem to be even one whit impressive inparison to Lu Mingshu.

    He could finallypare himself to others now. For example, the sect¡¯s Young Master.

    Given the speed at which the wolf ran, they reached the Main Pce in less than half an hour.

    The two dismounted and found a spot to stand in the square.

    Around a hundred people were gathered in the square. This was a major event that was held only twice a year. For the autumn hunt, almost half of the Nine Jade Pce would be mobilized for the expedition. Whereas the spring hunt was of a smaller scale and at least two hundred people would be dispatched for it.

    A short momentter, the sect elders and teachers all arrived.

    The spring hunt was overall led by two Spirit Realm elders, with four hall heads responsible for four respective routes. The remaining people were to form small groups of ten to fifteen people led by the teachers.

    The hall heads and teachers were all of the Harmonization Realm, and of the smaller groups, a majority were in the Harmonization realm, while the minority was in the Inner Breath Realm.

    The elders split the two hundred people into four groups and then split them into smaller groups from a list of names that had been prepared a month before.

    Lu Mingshu and Gao Xiang were naturally in the same group. To Grand Elder Zhuo Jiangui, a single word was all it took to settle such a piddling matter.

    After the grouping concluded, the teachers began informing them of things to take note of in the spring hunt. Gao Xiang poked Lu Mingshu. ¡°Look over there.¡±

 Chapter 31: Travelling

    <h4>Chapter 31: Travelling</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s gaze sunk upon looking in the direction Gao Xiang pointed.

    A group of people led by that man in sect leader clothing was currently walking over from the inner pce. That man was precisely Fu Shangqing.

    He was currently walking over side-by-side with a pretty youngdy; the youngdy was holding onto a girl while a boy followed beside him. The four resembled each other greatly. The happy family was talking to each other, smiling from time to time, while heading towards Lu Mingshu.

    Lu Mingshu chuckled coldly, What a picture-perfect family!

    ¡°How shameless,¡± Gao Xiang whispered, ¡°they really take Nine Jade Pce as their personal estate huh?¡± He was still brooding over the matter of announcing Fu Mingtang¡¯s breakthrough and was unhappy with Fu Shangqing.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious.¡± Lu Mingshu said, ¡°It¡¯s still way too early if he thinks he can stand in the limelight whenever he wants to!¡±

    ¡°Right, just wait and see!¡±

    On the other side, the Fu family sent Fu Mingtang over to greet the Elders.

    The Elder ordered the disciples to show Fu Mingtang into the group.

    Zhou Miaoru looked at Fu Mingtang ¨C who looked like a small adult wearing a body of hunting wear ¨C with gratification. ¡°Mingtang had grown so much in a blink of an eye. I don¡¯t ask for him to bring any ranking home in this time¡¯s spring hunt. All I ask for is him returning safely.¡±

    Fu Shangqing nodded in agreement.

    Zhou Yinru walked over. Holding a hall head position within the sect, she specially requested to be allocated a group for the spring hunt.

    Hearing Zhou Miaoru¡¯s words, she huffed. ¡°Sister, aren¡¯t your words are toocking in ambition. As a dignified son of the sect leader, how could Mingtang not rank first?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, aunt is right,¡± Fu Mingxi added.

    Zhou Miaoru red at her daughter and spoke with displeasure, ¡°Don¡¯t learn from your aunt. Just do your own business well and the things that should be yours will be yours.¡±

    Zhou Yinru disliked these words the most. It made her seem impatient and behaving unbingly of her age. ¡°Where was I wrong? Don¡¯t forget that nasty girl will also be at the spring hunt this time, sis. Isn¡¯t it letting her mock us if Mingtang doesn¡¯t rank first?¡±

    Hearing this, Zhou Miaoru¡¯s face sank. ¡°Yinru!¡±

    Zhou Yinru wanted to add more but kept silent under Zhou Miaoru¡¯s re.

    Her elder sister had always refrained from speaking about that nasty girl in front of the two kids. Although Zhou Yinru snorted disdainfully about this matter, she did not dare to go against her elder sister. For no one was clearer than her, on just how ruthless this gentle and polite sister of hers could be.

    However, it was impossible for her to do nothing even if she was told to. She would do whatever it takes to give Mingtang the first rank ¨C Hmph! Even if sister said those words, doesn¡¯t she also look forward to Mingtang getting first in her heart? Otherwise, why would I be told to attend the spring hunt this time? I really don¡¯t understand the meaning behind sister¡¯s insincere words!

    The teacher of Lu Mingshu and Gao Xiang¡¯s group was called Wei Peng. He looked to be twenty-five to twenty-six years old, his temper did not seem to be bad and his nature seemed to be the earnest type.

    Besides that, she saw another familiar face ¨C Shao Zhengyang.

    Sixteen years old this year, this was Shao Zhengyang¡¯s fourth year in the Inner Breath Realm, so it was time to focus on experience training. He had a naturally tall frame before, but after not meeting for four years, he got even taller. He looked as tall as an adult, and it was only his slightly thin build that gave away the fact that he was still a youth.

    The moment he saw Lu Mingshu and Gao Xiang, he greeted them with a nod. Lu Mingshu pondered for a moment before she remembered him.

    ¡°... have you remembered everything?¡± Wei Peng asked the newbies after he finished speaking of the things to note.

    Lu Mingshu followed the group of newbies in replying, ¡°Remembered.¡±

    Wei Peng nodded. ¡°Those with mounts use your own mounts. Two people on one mount for those without.¡±

    Lu Mingshu remained there while Gao Xiang went to fetch his mount. Instead of sharing with a stranger, why not go with Gao Xiang? They were very familiar with each other, plus Gao Xiang¡¯s wolf was also used to her riding it.

    The mount Nine Jade Pce assigned, was a type of bird called Large Beak Crane. This type of bird had meaty wings and strong legs. It couldn¡¯t fly but it ran fast when onnd, especially in the Mountain Forest where it wouldn¡¯t be wedged by branches; unlike cows and sheep.

    It¡¯s about time. The respective hall heads led their own groups out under the orders of the sect elders.

    The little disciples that had not reached the Inner Breath Realm, looked at them with fiery eyes, making the Inner Breath Realm disciples stick their chest out proudly.

    The groups entered the depths of the Nine Jade Mountain, following the Mountain trail.

    The territory of the Nine Jade Mountain was sorge that the day was basically spent hastening on their journey. Just passing over the mountain ridges would take up a lot of

    time.

    In the afternoon, they rested in a shaded ce for a while. They drank water and ate some dried goods before rushing onwards.

    The walksted till the setting sun painted the sky and the clouds red.

    The group of two hundred stopped and set up the tents in a valley.

    Lu Mingshu slept like a baby the entire night while Gao Xiang awoke on the second day with tworge dark rings around his eyes.

    He asked while yawning, ¡°How were you able to fall asleep?¡±

    Lu Mingshu asked curiously, ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be able to fall asleep?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you feel excited and anxious?¡± The teacher had reminded them time and time again to stay vignt at night; The ferocious beasts could ambush them at any time, so they had to be ready forbat. Thus, Gao Xiang did not dare to sleep too deeply throughout the entire night.

    Lu Mingshu could not tell him that she had been in such a situation many times before.

    Ever since her first traverse three years ago, she had traversed a few more times. She had to either look for rare treasures or kill ferocious beasts if she wanted toe back to her own world; hence, her experience allowed her to remainposed.

    They had spent the first day continuously threading their way into the depth of the mountains, but today, they started to descend.

    In the evening, they passed through a valley and stopped on a cliff to set up camp.

    Teacher Wei Peng gathered the team members. ¡°This is Jade West. We will leave our mounts here tomorrow and divide into groups for hunting. Rest well tonight, for you won¡¯t be sleeping in a tent from tomorrow onwards.¡±

    The group nodded. Then a girl in the group asked, ¡°Team leader, would the elders go with us?¡±

    ¡°They won¡¯t.¡± Wei Peng shattered the girl¡¯s hopes with his answer, ¡°The elders will stay guard here and move out only when they are needed.¡±

    The girl was greatly disappointed. ¡°What do we do if we encounter danger?¡±

    Wei Peng¡¯s gaze sharpened. ¡°Do you think this spring hunt is an excursion? Of course, there would be danger! You have to think of ways to triumph over the enemy when you meet one, not ce your hopes on someone else!¡±

    The girl being reprimanded lowered her head in shame.

    Wei Peng continued to assign tasks. There were a total of four Inner Breath Realm disciples in their group; Lu Mingshu, Gao Xiang, Shao Zhengyang and that girl, Le Xiaoyi. He didn¡¯t have to worry about Shao Zhangyang, but as for the other three ¨C who were participating for the first time ¨C he needed to take care of them.

    Although casualties were unavoidable, the team leader would have to bear responsibility if there were too many of them.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care whose disciples you are. You are to listen to orders if you participate in the spring hunt! The first inmand is the group leader. If the group leader isn¡¯t around, listen to the team leader. But if neither are around, listen to the oldest person. No one is to act on their own initiative, understand?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Wei Peng nodded. ¡°Go and take a rest. You will have to depend on your own two legs from tomorrow onwards, so get your things ready.¡±

    The group left in all directions.

    That night, Lu Mingshu naturally had a good sleep while Gao Xiang awoke with two dark circles around his eyes yet again.

    Lu Mingshu helplessly asked, ¡°Do you have to be this excited? If you don¡¯t rest well, what are you to do if you don¡¯t have sufficient strength to hunt?¡±

    Gao Xiang bitterly replied, ¡°I didn¡¯t choose to not sleep well ...¡±

 Chapter 32: Newbie

    <h4>Chapter 32: Newbie</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    After breakfast, everyone packed their bags and left the heavy baggage behind. Besides their weapons, they all travelled lightly, carrying no more than ten pounds each.

    Under the elders¡¯ orders and the four Hall Headsmand, they lined up in their respective groups.

    Lu Mingshu saw Zhou Yinru as well as Fu Mingtang.

    One shouldn¡¯t judge Zhou Yinru by her spoiltdy image, as she was actually a Harmonization Realm Practitioner. Lu Mingshu had previously heard Gao Xiang gossip about Zhou Yinru having a pretty good aptitude. With her father being a sect leader and now even having a sect leader brother-inw, she had always been ced on a high pedestal by others and was even called the number one female disciple in the sect. This ¡®number one female disciple¡¯ title was often ridiculed by Gao Xiang as even though Zhou Yinru could be considered one of the top disciples in the fifteenth generation, she was still a far cry from disciples such as Liu Jizhen and Yu Wen shi. These female disciples ¨C who were considered as top talents ¨C were in no way inferior, just that they did not want to fight her.

    Fu Mingtang was brought under Zhou Yinru¡¯s care for the spring hunt. He resembles Fu Shangqing a lot. As he took medicine baths from a young age, he was taller than ordinary children and had also disyed a calm and collected demeanour throughout the whole journey.

    Lu Mingshu only took a brief nce at them before moving her gaze away.

    They wouldn¡¯t meet anyway since they had different routes.

    Once everyone was lined up, the hunting groups started to form small teams and moved out.

    The people in the front each grabbed one of the thick vines hanging down the cliff and directly jumped down.

    Le Xiaoyi let out a low shriek and grasped Lu Mingshu¡¯s sleeves. This mountain cliff looks to be at least a hundred metres high! She felt light-headed after a single stolen nce.

    Wei Peng turned around and looked at her before saying, ¡°The veterans go down first. The newbies can climb down slowly, don¡¯t be nervous.¡±

    Compared to other team leaders, Wei Peng¡¯s temperament was milder so it was considered one of the better ones.

    Once it was their turn, the veteran Harmonization Realm teammates went down the cliff first. Then it was Shao Zhengyang¡¯s turn. He tied a vine around his body and held onto another, before lowering himself down slowly.

    ¡°Do you see that? Follow his example. The three of you do not have enough strength so don¡¯t pursue speed and ce safety first,¡± Wei Peng exined to the three newbies on the left.

    Then, he let each of the three pick a sturdy vine, and checked that they are properly secured before letting them slide down.

    Lu Mingshu held onto the vine and slid down easily.

    As someone with acrophobia, Le Xiaoyi¡¯s face grew pale with fear just by standing on the edge of the cliff, so sliding down the cliff was out of the question. She froze in mid-air, trembling in fear and started weeping. She held onto the vine and refused to move no matter how Wei Peng tried to appease her. Wei Peng was unhappy about it yet he could do nothing about it.

    There would always be a few newbies every year. It was all good if they were older, however, if they were young, guiding them would turn into a chore. This time my luck is terrible, to think that I had three young newbies assigned to my team! Lu Mingshu and Gao Xiang were only eleven while Le Xiaoyi was only thirteen. For them to reach Inner Breath Realm at such a young age meant their birth status wasn¡¯t normal and they also had a good future. If they were to ever suffer any mishap, he as a team leader would have to assume responsibility. Even if I were to say that I don¡¯t care who their masters are, can I really ignore that? With how tangled andplicated the rtionships in the sect are, a teacher who doesn¡¯t have many connections like me would not benefit from offending anyone.

    Left with no choice, Wei Peng grabbed the vine and apanied Le Xiaoyi, guiding her throughout.

    Having someone beside her, Le Xiaoyi finally calmed down and slid down slowly, still sobbing.

    On the other side, Lu Mingshu and Gao Xiang have long since sessfully reached the bottom of the cliff. They helplessly nced at each other.

    Gao Xiang whispered, ¡°Why does she cry so much?¡±

    Lu Mingshu replied, ¡°Some people are just afraid of heights.¡±

    As a kind and honest boy, Gao Xiang refrained from saying anything else.

    Their teammates were probably already used to seeing such a scene as they did notin. Once they sessfully reached the bottom, someone even patted Gao Xiang¡¯s shoulder and gave him a thumbs-up. ¡°Not bad, you descended, unlike a newbie.¡±

    Gao Xiang¡¯s lips parted into a smile.

    The man continued, ¡°However, the challenge is still ahead! Don¡¯t pee your pants when you see a ferocious beastter.¡±

    Gao Xiang replied indignantly, ¡°Of course I won¡¯t! Who hasn¡¯t seen a ferocious beast before?!¡±

    The man continued teasing him, ¡°Do you think the ferocious beasts in Jade West are like those in the sect? The ferocious beasts in the sect have long since been tamed and even had their teeth plucked, but the wild ones are much fiercer!¡±

    They leisurely waited for half an hour before Wei Peng and Le Xiaoyi finally came down.

    The group of people gathered as Wei Pengmanded, ¡°Let¡¯s set off. Maintain a medium speed.¡±

    The team immediately set their casual attitude aside; two people went ahead to scout while another two took the rear end. The team started running arranged in a formation that looked messy but still faintly resembled a whole.

    The surrounding scenery was quickly flying past. The speed at which they were moving left Lu Mingshu speechless. This is considered medium speed?! She had to put in her all just to keep up.

    ¡°Take note of your rhythm, newbie!¡± Wei Peng¡¯s voice suddenly travelled over in her ear. ¡°Don¡¯t you know how to circte your mystic force?

    Lu Mingshu shivered, quickly focusing on her mystic force. urately circting one¡¯s mystic force would provide unlimited strength. However, if the mystic force was not used, running would consume massive amounts of physical strength. In that case, let alone hunting, not ending up as beast food would already be considered a miracle in itself.

    She chanted the Light Body Technique. Circting the technique allowed her to easily keep up with the team.

    Wei Peng mainly focused on the three newbies. After running for a while, he turned only to discover the two eleven-year-olds persistently keeping up. One seemedpletely unaffected by the run while the other ran stably regardless of therge dark rings around his eyes. It was, in fact, the thirteen-year-old who was sweating all over and had trouble with maintaining the pace.

    The extraordinary Light Body Technique manual Lu Mingshu acquired from the Xianxia world left any movement technique from the world of Martial Arts in the dust when it came to mystic force usage. Since Gao Xiang had interacted with her for some time, he had more or less learned to use his mystic force from her. The one who was truly miserable was Le Xiaoyi; it was not because her strength was inferior, but because the team¡¯s so-called ¡®medium speed¡¯ was practically at the newbies¡¯ limit. She had lost too much energy on her acrophobia and was even told to keep up immediately after reaching the bottom without being allowed any rest, so she couldn¡¯t cope with the speed.

    We have no other choice! There is no way the whole team would slow down for one person, right? Wei Peng thought It isn¡¯t too bad this time. We only have one newbie that needs to be taken care of. We can take turns carrying her if she really cannot continue. But the other two newbies are really incredible to be able to adapt so well despite their young age. One can clearly see the Willow Woods lineage in that boy. As for that girl ... As a teacher, Wei Peng naturally knew of her situation. Such a performance was the best of all the newbies he had ever seen. Unfortunately, she had an awkward birth status that made her future uncertain.

    After persevering for an hour, Le Xiaoyi could no longer keep up. Wei Peng gathered the stronger team members and ordered them to take turns in carrying her.

    They madly travelled all the way until the afternoon, when they finally stopped for a rest.

    Having already left the forest, Wei Peng took the team to arge cave to the station there.

    They rested and reorganised while listening to the teacher¡¯s instructions. ¡°We will stop here for three days to hunt separately. However, you must be in a group of more than three people to hunt. We will continue our journey in three days.¡±

    Le Xiaoyi let out a breath of relief at his words. She was afraid she would umte animosity if she were to continue being carried.

    Her gaze involuntarily stopped on Lu Mingshu. We are both newbies, plus she is even younger, yet why does she look so rxed?

    It wasn¡¯t just her; others nced at Lu Mingshu as well. She was not exhausted from all the running and was even tending to the fire now ... All of them had been newbies at some point so they have all personally experienced that even though a Harmonization Realm cultivator could easily run for half a day, it sure wasn¡¯t an easy feat for an Inner Breath Realm cultivator to do so!

 Chapter 33: Hunting

    <h4>Chapter 33: Hunting</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    In the evening, Wei Peng gathered the team to discuss and divide them into groups.

    The spring hunt was a collective activity, but there were few ferocious beasts at their location, which was the outer ring of Jade West. The creatures in this area belonged to the three lower cultivation realms. This meant they could keep the spoils of the game they personally hunted down.

    To a newbie, this was the appetizer before the main course. They would first familiarize themselves with the hunt through the guidance of their senior teammates in order to avoid making mistakes down the line.

    Including Teacher Wei Peng, this small team of theirs had eleven people in total, with four being of the Inner Breath Realm. Of the four, Shao Zhengyang was less of an issue considering his sturdy, athletic frame. On the contrary, the other three newbies required more attention relevant to the grouping arrangements.

    Since Lu Mingshu and Gao Xiang did not want to be in separate teams, Wei Peng pointed out three people to join them in forming a group. He called someone he was close to and took Le Xiaoyi under his wing. Nobody would want to drag themselves down with a newbie like Le Xiaoyi. In that case, he could only guide her personally. Once they were all grouped up, the remaining three formed their own group.

    ¡°Let¡¯s move out now and have a head start while the sun is still up.¡± A woman with a round face and a neat ponytail, and who looked to be around twenty-some years old, spoke up.

    This woman with a round face was named Yi Jiao. Her name was Jiao, and she had the appearance of a typical Xichuan woman; long legs, a slender waist, and a healthy and beautiful figure.

    Besides her, there were two other Harmonization Realm teammates. One was named Zhu Jingliang, who was an older, experienced veteran. The other was named Lin Chen, who appeared to be close with Yi Jiao who was about the same age.

    Frankly, a small group like theirs could only be considered an outer ring team. The real core teamprised members that were experienced and strong. Unlike their small group that consisted of either too old or too young members. One could tell at a single nce that Yi Jiao and Lin Chen had only recently entered the Harmonization Realm, while Zhu Jingliang was about to retire.

    Zhu Jingliang led the team as the group entered the mountain forest. They walked at a steady pace, keeping their guard up as they surveyed their surroundings.

    As Lu Mingshu¡¯s footsteps was too loud, Yi Jiao held up a finger to her mouth to gesture for her to keep it down.

    In the midst of walking, Zhu Jingliang stopped abruptly to size up a tree root by the side.

    ¡°There¡¯s a bunch of Silver-Shelled Rats.¡± Zhu Jingliang spoke softly.

    Yi Jiao and Lin Chen gave each other a look as they each caught a newbie. Yi Jiao told Lu Mingshu softly, ¡°Follow me and don¡¯t make a noise or try to stand out ¨C just y the role of support.¡±

    Once Lu Mingshu nodded, she loosened her grip.

    When Zhu Jingliang made two hand gestures, Yi Jiao and Lin Chen both nodded. One took Lu Mingshu while the other took Gao Xiang. Then they parted ways.

    Yi Jiao was observant as she navigated through the forest. She circled around arge tree, pulled some grass from the foot of the trunk, and proceeded to tie it up into a grass hoop before throwing it into a hole in the tree.

    She walked onwards after that, stopping asionally to throw a grass hoop into another tree hole.

    Lu Mingshu had a strong urge to ask just what it was that Yi Jiao was observing. But since she was told to stay silent, she could only refrain from speaking.

    They walked in this manner all the way until Yi Jiao and Lu Mingshu reached a small hillside.

    Zhu Jingliang was already waiting there by a huge rock, with half a hole exposed under the rock.

    Once Yi Jiao came back, she immediately joined him on the lookout without exchanging any words with him.

    After a while, a bird¡¯s chirping travelled over, and the two immediately made their move.

    One moved the huge rock, while the other picked up the grass hoops at each tree and lit them up in mes before throwing them back into the holes ...

    Zhu Jingliang finally spoke, ¡°Stand guard here. I¡¯ll go help Lin Chen.¡±

    Yi Jiao nodded. ¡°Rest assured.¡±

    With the ban on noise lifted, Lu Mingshu took the opportunity to ask, ¡°Senior Sister, why did we do that?¡±

    ¡°The Silver-Shelled Rats like to tunnel their way through the earth, causing them to have numerous exits. That¡¯s why we have to block up the holes in order to catch them.¡±

    ¡°How do you make sure you haven¡¯t missed any?¡±

    ¡°Well said.¡± Yi Jiao gave her a thumbs up. ¡°This is why you have to pray for good luck that you won¡¯t miss out any!¡±

    Lu Mingshu blinked, somewhat unconvinced. ¡°It relies on luck?¡±

    Seeing her unconvinced expression, Yi Jiaoughed out loud and revealed the actual answer. ¡°Of course not, there are typically nine holes with two being the main entrance and exit for the Silver-Shelled Rats. Old Zhu and Lin Chen each bet on one, so we only have to find seven holes.¡±

    ¡°That grass ...¡±

    ¡°Oh, this is the type of grass Silver-Shelled Rats hate the most. They won¡¯t walk by those holes once this is thrown in.¡± As Yi Jiao spoke, she lit up another bunch of grass hoops and threw them into a hole.

    Lu Mingshu understood now. Since the Silver-Shelled Rats hated this grass, they could only escape through the hole guarded by Lin Chen if they wanted to leave the moment the smoke forces its way through into the tunnels.

    However¡ª

    ¡°Does that mean we won¡¯t encounter it?¡± Lu Mingshu was very disappointed. ¡°Do we just stand guard here and be idle?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it good to be able to stand guard and be idle?¡± Yi Jiao teased her. ¡°You get an equal share without even having to put in any effort.¡±

    ¡°But we won¡¯t be able to learn anything this way!¡±

    Yi Jiaoughed. ¡°You are pretty serious! No wonder you are already at the Inner Breath Realm despite being this young.¡± Then she casually answered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we won¡¯t lose out. With how sturdy the tunnels made by the Silver-Shelled Rats are, it isn¡¯t rare for other ferocious beasts to also stay in these tunnels ...¡±

    Right as she said that, a rustling sound emerged from the hole, followed by a blur of a shadow jumping out.

    ¡°Whoosh¡± ¡ªYi Jiao pulled her sword out of its sheath, leapt up, and struck down.

    A ferocious beast fell from midair.

    Yi Jiao pouted once she took a look. ¡°What bad luck. it¡¯s only in the Body Tempering Realm.¡±

    Lu Mingshu hastily ran over. This was only a wild pig that seemed to have just be a demonic beast. It had retained its body fat despite the winter that had just passed.

    Toozy to clean up the wild pig¡¯s body, Yi Jiao let Lu Mingshu take over in dragging it over to the side.

    ¡°Senior Sister.¡± She continued her previous question. ¡°Aren¡¯t there nine holes? Won¡¯t the other ferocious beasts leave from the other exits as they aren¡¯t afraid of this grass?¡±

    ¡°Stupid.¡± Yi Jiao jokingly flicked her forehead. ¡°How big would the other exits be? They won¡¯t be able to leave! Those that are able to leave through the other exits are all small beasts that we have to let go.¡±

    ¡°Oh ...¡± That¡¯s right, how would we have prey to hunt next year if we even kill the small beasts?

    Yi Jiao was immediately alerted upon spotting movement in the hole.

    A shadow jumped out abruptly.

    With a wave of her sword, Yi Jiao struck the ferocious beast down.

    ¡°Oh god, we caught arge one!¡±

    Lu Mingshu heard her nervous yet excited voice.

    The two immediately calmed down their nerves once the ck shadow was struck down.

    Lu Mingshu looked over,ying eyes on a ferocious beast with a strange appearance. It both did and did not resemble something in between a horse and a cow. It had a body of hard armour and a horn growing out of its head.

    Yi Jiao fixed her gaze on this ferocious beast whilemanding Lu Mingshu, ¡°Don¡¯te up and protect yourself well. This is a White Hoof Rhinoceros at the Harmonization Realm.¡±

    Yi Jiao could not protect her, given their encounter with such an unusual beast that was in the Harmonization Realm to boot.

    Its rear hooves brushed against the ground. And with a shriek, it rushed towards Yi Jiao.

    Lu Mingshu did not try to jump into the fray as told, but she was also not willing to be a mere spectator. Hence, after some thought, she decided to set up some traps in the surroundings.

    The damage these traps could do to the ferocious beast was limited due to the simplicity in their make. On the other hand, the goal of the spring hunt was to temper the disciples¡¯ skills, which she aplished through individual action while providing support as requested.

    However, it would be dangerous if a second ferocious beast came along while Yi Jiao fought alone. By setting these traps, Lu Mingshu could be considered to be adapting to the situation.

    But unexpectedly, a bunch of ck shadows flew out of the hole in quick session right when she had just finished setting up her trap.

    ¡°Tsk! What¡¯s with this bad luck?!¡± Yi Jiao cussed. ¡°Blood Scorpions! It¡¯s actually a group of Blood Scorpions!¡±

 Chapter 34: Barbequed scorpions

    <h4>Chapter 34: Barbequed scorpions</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    Blood Scorpions were a type of demonic bug that lived inrge groups.

    Since a scorpion is poisonous, a Blood Scorpion would be too. Other scorpions only had poisonous stingers on their tails, but for a Blood Scorpion, even its blood was poisonous.

    ¡°Girl, move aside!¡± Yi Jiao shouted loudly, ¡°Don¡¯t let them touch you!¡±

    Luckily, Lu Mingshu avoided it. She swiftly dodged to the side and dived behind the huge rock as soon as she had spotted the Blood Scorpions.

    Yi Jiao cursed as sheunched her mystic force. ¡°Shing!¡± , she lit up in radiance simr to that of having hard armour on her whole body.

    The nest of scorpions flocked out and collided with her body head-on, and yet it was the scorpions that were knocked back.

    Mystic force in the Harmonization Realm could be used as solid mystic armour. The hardness of such armour was in no way inferior to a bulletproof vest.

    With a strike, Yi Jiao forced the Blood Scorpions into retreat, before tumbling to the side.

    They weren¡¯t too strong as each of them would at most only be at the Inner Breath Realm. However, they were toorge in numbers; there were at least over a hundred in this nest of scorpions.

    After some observation, Lu Mingshu rushed to the other side of the rock at lightning speed.

    A nest of scorpions turned in her direction and started rushing towards her after her appearance.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to dodge?!¡± Yi Jiao shouted in her anxiousness and anger. This girl listened to mymand earlier, yet now she acted on her own at a key moment. How could the Blood Scorpions be dealt with by an Inner Breath Realm? There are so many of them and so small in size! Once it gets you, there is no way for you to get it off!

    Lu Mingshu started running in circles. She was practically announcing herself as a piece of fragrant fat meat to all the Blood Scorpions with such a running style, calling on them toe and bite her. More and more Blood Scorpions began to tail her.

    Yi Jiao was panic-stricken with anxiety. However, she was busy dealing with the White Hoof Rhinoceros. Was she going to fail the very first time she brought someone new along?

    What she failed to notice was that Lu Mingshu was not just running, but sprinkling something as well.

    After running around four or five times, almost all the Blood Scorpions had been lured over to her. Lu Mingshu finally stopped.

    The Blood Scorpions rushed towards her at lightning speed, creating a blood-red scene that flowed like blood.

    ¡°You¡¯ve even stopped running?¡± Yi Jiao was in a stare at her in utter disbelief. Does this girl resent the short life humans have that she wish that her life would end right here?

    Lu Mingshu remained silent, counting down in her heart.

    Three.

    Two.

    One.

    It¡¯s time!

    She took out something and threw it onto the ground.

    ¡°Boom!¡±

    The tremendous sound caused Yi Jiao to jump in fright.

    A streak of fire began to burn from the ce she had tossed the thing to; it spread out quickly and engulfed the nest of Blood Scorpions.

    The Blood Scorpions scattered off all directions.

    But before they could disperse, Lu Mingshu rolled backwards and triggered the trap she had set up earlier.

    ¡°Szzz, zzz!¡±

    Densely-packed needles flew into the fire.

    The Blood Scorpions that surged like a sea of blood were first engulfed by mes prior to beingpletely pierced by the flying needles. Unable to make their escape, they could only be barbequed by the fire which produced a sizzling sound as they squirmed and struggled, before finally bing burnt ck.

    Towards the scorpions that had avoided the mass ughter, Lu Mingshu drew her sword and flicked them effortlessly and cheerfully into the fire, one by one.

    No more than three seconds passed between the moment when Lu Mingshu had lit the fire and the mass ughter. There was aplete one-eighty reversal to the situation.

    Yi Jiao was stupefied by this. Only when she was knocked into by the White Hoof Rhinoceros did shee back to her senses.

    Her brain processes slowed. What happened?! That was a huge nest of Blood Scorpions, at least a hundred in number! Even I myself would not have been able to kill them all in one shot ...

    A fragrant smell from the barbequed Blood Scorpions wafted over, making Lu Mingshu salivate at the thought of eating them. What a shame as the barbeque was poisonous ...

    Once the fire died down, she took out a bag and tossed the barbequed Blood Scorpions into it.

    Lu Mingshu then continued to the entrance to capture the ones that had escaped. Here, she picked up a few more preys below the Inner Breath Realm.

    Seeing the smoke became thicker and thicker, it was virtually impossible for her to collect anything more. Even if the ferocious beasts were not afraid of this kind of grass, they would not be able to stand so much smoke.

    Yi Jiao beheaded that Harmonization Realm White Hoof Rhinoceros and immediately questioned Lu Mingshu before she could even catch her breath. ¡°Hey, what did you do just now? How were those Blood Scorpions burned so easily?¡±

    Lu Mingshu blinked and raised up a small sk. ¡°I ... poured wine on them ...¡±

    Yi Jiao was stunned.

    This wine was for expelling the cold. They each would bring a sk in order to counter the night-time coldness in the depths of the mountain.

    ¡°And then?¡±

    ¡°And then they all burned up!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Yi Jiao realised that she had just asked a stupid question. She knew that wine was mmable, so there was nothing wrong with the Blood Scorpions being set on fire so easily after the wine was poured on them. However, to have gathered so many Blood Scorpions together, and to even lure them all to the trap where they were shot ... it really was not an easy task no matter how she thought about it.

    Especially with how overtly calm she was while performing the ughter; even Yi Jiao had goosebumps at the thought of facing so many Blood Scorpions. Yet, Lu Mingshu was actually able to stand there and wait for the right moment before throwing out the fire tinder.

    Yi Jiao could not help but feel that the newbie she had brought along was a queer fish.

    With her three views* refreshed, Yi Jiao rested quietly for a while as she bundled up a few prey before tossing it onto her shoulders.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go and help out.¡±

    ¡°Mhmm.¡± Lu Mingshu helped carry a few of the small bundles as she followed behind her.

    Before long, they had spotted the three who were surrounded by the prey.

    The Silver-shelled Rats were not big; an adult Silver-shelled Rat was about the size of a kitten. However, they lived together in groups. There would usually be at least several hundred living together, with numbers that could reach into the thousands.

    The battle here was drawing to a close.

    They hads set up all around which the three continuously drove the Silver-shelled Rats towards.

    Seeing both of them approaching, Lin Chen swept his gaze over. ¡°Yo, good harvest huh!¡± It was indeed a good harvest with a Harmonization Realm ferocious beast.

    Still in a trance, Yi Jiao helped to drive the beasts into thes silently.

    Lu Mingshu squatted with Gao Xiang to collect thes.

    The battle ended after not much longer.

    They set the pregnant and young Silver-shelled Rats free before tying the remaining Silver-shelled Rats into bundles.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, our harvest for today is enough.¡±

    With such a good catch, it could be considered that they were off to a good start.

    The five of them found a small creek and began skinning and washing them.

    Even though they had let a portion of the Silver-shelled Rats go, there were still hundreds left to be skinned. There was quite a lot to go along with the White Hoof Rhinoceros.

    Lu Mingshu took out the bag of Blood Scorpions and asked, ¡°How should we handle this?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Lin Chen¡¯s mouth fell wide open after he peeped into the bag. ¡°This ...¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Lin Chen¡¯s reaction aroused Zhu Jingliang¡¯s curiosity. He peeped into the bag as well, which stupefied him too.

    ¡°Blood Scorpions?¡± Zhu Jingliang asked in shock, ¡°They are barbequed?¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded. ¡°I heard there¡¯s a use for the Blood Scorpion¡¯s shell? Is it still useful after it¡¯s burned?¡±

    This isn¡¯t the main point! Zhu Jingliang hurriedly asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on? How did the two of you barbeque so many Blood Scorpions?¡±

    ¡°We barbequed them by pouring wine ...¡± Lu Mingshu gave a rough exnation and stared at them oddly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Why were they looking at her so strangely?

    After a while, Zhu Jingliang gave her a big thumbs-up. ¡°Not bad, you show promise!¡±

    It would have been fine if it was a veteran, but it was truly incredible for a newbie to think of such an idea under such a tight situation and execute the idea calmly. Thinking back to when they were still newbies, where would they get such guts to execute such an idea on their first hunt? Gao Xiang¡¯s performance earlier was verymendable, while Lu Mingshu¡¯s ability to analyse and execute an idea calmly was magnificent. This year¡¯s batch of newbies was awesome.

 Chapter 35: Sending back

    <h4>Chapter 35: Sending back</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    ¡°The Blood Scorpion¡¯s poison is pretty valuable. There aren¡¯t many uses for its shell, so you might as well keep it.¡± Lin Chen nodded after hearing what Zhu Jingliang said.

    Blood Scorpions were difficult to catch, making their poison valuable. However, with all the poison gone after they were burnt up, the bodies were virtually of no value to them.

    ¡°Good or bad this is still your first hunting trophy. You might as well keep it as a memento.¡±

    Gao Xiang, who was standing by the side, took the opportunity to chime in, ¡°Senior Brother, Senior Sister, I want a memento too. Can I have a rat? I want a living one!¡±

    Zhu Jingliang chuckled, ¡°You really are a little kid. What do you n to do with it when you go hunting? Tie it to your body?¡±

    Zhu Jingliang¡¯s words left him feeling embarrassed.

    ¡°Take it!¡± Zhu Jingliang¡¯s heart could not help but soften, as he had a grandson of Gao Xiang¡¯s age. ¡°I¡¯ll weave a cage for youter, so you can just keep it there.¡±

    Gao Xiang was overjoyed. ¡°Thank you, Senior Brother!¡±

    Nine Jade Pce only allowed those in the direct line of descent to enter the rankings, while the average disciples would be the lowest in the Martial Practitioner hierarchy. Hence, it was not wrong for Gao Xiang to call Zhu Jingliang Senior Brother, even if Zhu Jingliang was old enough to be his grandfather.

    Zhu Jingliang immediately picked some rattans from nearby. He weaved a cage in a matter of seconds and even asked if Lu Mingshu wanted one too.

    ¡°Yes, weave one for her too, so we can raise them together!¡± Gao Xiang was extremely excited.

    Once the cages were ready, they ced the two young rats in them.

    ¡°Okay, look at themter. Work!¡± Zhu Jingliang patted Gao Xiang¡¯s head.

    ¡°Coming!¡± The two hid their cages well before returning to their chores.

    The five distributed the workload; Zhu Jingliang and Lin Chen were in charge of peeling the skin, Yi Jiao had to then cut the rats into sections and pass them over to Lu Mingshu and Gao Xiang, who were in charge of washing and packaging.

    The sun had already set by the time they were all done. The others had also already returned by the time the five had reached the camp. However, the atmosphere seemed to be a little weird.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Yi Jiao whispered.

    Shao Zhengyang peeked at the corner of the camp, before whispering, ¡°Junior Sister Le has gotten injured.¡±

    The few looked over, only to see Le Xiaoyi sitting there with bandaged shoulders, while another female teammate looked after her.

    Wei Peng¡¯s face went dark. This spring hunt was really not running smoothly. He specially guided Le Xiaoyi personally when he discovered herck of courage, yet an ident that caused Le Xiaoyi to be heavily injured still happened.

    He knew of Le Xiaoyi¡¯s background. It was not as sturdy as Gao Xiang¡¯s, but he was still not in a position to be able to offend anyone. He would undoubtedly be punished for letting Le Xiaoyi get injured.

    But, putting that aside, the even more important question was her injuries. They could hardly be considered light, and at just Inner Breath Realm, the best way to deal with the situation would be sending her back to the cliff for recuperation. However, Le Xiaoyi probably felt so ashamed of getting an injury, that she refused to go and cried uncontrobly whenever leaving was mentioned.

    Wei Peng was extremely troubled. If he were to bring her along, not only would she be unable to help, she would also be a distraction. But if he did not bring her along, she would throw a tantrum again.

    Once Yi Jiao came back after inquiring about the situation, she whispered to Lin Chen, ¡°That girl is way too timid. She got scared shitless the moment she met the ferocious beast.¡±

    The two exchanged nces thinking about the same thing: Thankfully the newbies we are guiding aren¡¯t as timid!

    Speaking of newbies like Le Xiaoyi, there would be a few every year. These newbies were truly fierce when in the sect, but once they were face-to-face with a real ferocious beast, they could not help but cower in fear. It was not a sin to be timid. However, her presence there would be troubling the others.

    Hence, after much consideration, Wei Peng still decided on sending her back. As a team leader, he had to be responsible for the team. How would the others not oppose her staying, when keeping her would only drag everyone down? Anyway, he had already offended her backers when he allowed her to get injured.

    Hearing his decision, the others heaved a sigh of relief.

    After this interruption, no one was in the mood to discuss their haul anymore.

    They allowed Wei Peng to record down each person¡¯s harvest, before storing it away into the mustard seed pouch.

    Lu Mingshu looked at the storage tool with a zing gaze.

    ¡°Such an item would only be useful at this stage.¡± Gao Xiang said when he saw Lu Mingshu¡¯s reaction, ¡°We will be able to use the universal sleeve once we reach the Spirit Realm. Then, we can just store our items away there.¡±

    ¡°Universal sleeve? What is that?¡±

    Gao Xiang looked at her in shock. ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡±

    Lu Mingshu shook her head. Due to her special circumstances, she either spent her time in the Heavenly Ascension Pavilion, surrounded by books or in the Heavenly Wheel, that gave her very rich experience. Liu Jizhen was still immersed in his unsolved bitterness so he had never taught her. Thus, shecked in the general knowledge department.

    ¡°The universal sleeve can open up a portable space. Its storage space isn¡¯t asrge as the mustard seed pouch though.¡±

    Lu Mingshu quickly asked, ¡°Can I learn it in advance?¡±

    ¡°Of course not. You won¡¯t be able to break open space without your strength being at the Spirit Realm.¡±

    How disappointing. However, Gao Xiang¡¯s words reminded Lu Mingshu to ask around the Heavenly Wheel for a simr spell. Having a storage space would make traversing much more convenient.

    At nightfall, everyone rested in their respective spots.

    The whole night passed by silently.

    On the second day, Wei Peng got Yi Jiao and another female disciple to send Le Xiaoyi back to the cliff (despite Le Xiaoyi¡¯s protests), while the others had free time.

    With such an atmosphere, Zhu Jingliang no longer had any mood to hunt. Hence, he brought Gao Xiang and Lu Mingshu around to look for somemonly used spirit herbs.

    By evening, they had gathered a pretty good harvest.

    To a Martial Cultivator, spirit herbs were a must-have. Without spirit herbs that help heal internal wounds, their cultivation speed would never increase. The total worth of these spirit herbs was much higher than the entirety of yesterday¡¯s harvest.

    Lu Mingshu was so impressed that she did not want to hunt anymore. In the Heavenly Wheel, the value of demonic beast corpses was was low and they were not as popr in general,pared to spirit herbs.

    She had only let out a tiny remark when she was scolded by Zhu Jingliang.

    ¡°Why do we have the spring hunt? Do you think we have the spring hunt just for that little harvest? The harvest is important, but the hunting process is even more important. What use is there for us martial practitioners to practice behind closed doors! Think back to the girl yesterday, how is her ability any inferior to the two of you? Yet why is she so useless? It¡¯s all because shecks in practical training! Don¡¯t look down on her, because courage can be trained! Many people had done so to get this far. If the two of you want to cut corners, others will sooner orter catch up to you!¡±

    He berated Lu Mingshu harshly.

    Zhu Jingliang softened his voice. ¡°Not that I enjoy scolding the two of you, but I just think it would be a pity if talents like yours were wasted.¡±

    Ever since she arrived at Nine Jade Pce, Lu Mingshu had never been scolded by anyone. Zhu Jingliang¡¯s scolding might not have been polite, but it was full of his earnest feelings. As someone who was able to recognise other good intentions, Lu Mingshu admitted her mistake immediately. ¡°I was wrong, thank you for your guiding words, Senior Brother Zhu.¡±

    Seeing her understand his intentions, Zhu Jingliang was brimming with joy. ¡°I have guided a lot of newbies in these years, and the two of you have the best aptitude among them all. Work hard and use your gift wisely!¡±

    The two nodded in agreement.

    Gao Xiang, who got scolded together with Lu Mingshu, asked, ¡°Senior Brother, will Le Xiaoyi be punished when she is sent back?¡±

    ¡°What punishment?¡± Zhu Jingliang said, ¡°It is already considered a punishment for Le Xiaoyi to not be able to attend the spring hunt.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s okay then ...¡±

    Zhu Jingliang flicked his forehead. ¡°It¡¯s not a big matter, all newbies go through such experiences in order to improve.¡±

    When night came, Yi Jiao came back.

    The atmosphere in the temporary camp had lightened a lot. There, fragrant aroma of the half step to Harmonise Realm Thorn Hog soup wafted around the camp. The hog had been caught by Wei Peng earlier that day.

    Yi Jiao gave Lu Mingshu and Gao Xiang a small bowl each. ¡°Don¡¯t resent the small amount. The two of you can only drink this much, and don¡¯t forget to absorb everything you can.¡±

    The two obediently nodded, before starting to meditate to absorb the mystic force.

    Three dayster, the small team moved out toward their next hunting grounds.

 Chapter 36: Watching while squatting

    <h4>Chapter 36: Watching while squatting</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    Starting off once more, their travelling speed had vastly slowed down, and the atmosphere in the small team had turned more anxious.

    Yi Jiao told Lu Mingshu, ¡°The deeper we go, the more dangerous it¡¯ll be. We might not have met a lot of Harmonization Realm ferocious beasts before, but from this area onwards, we will frequently spot some Harmonization Realm ferocious beasts. The two of you must be careful and look out for each other.¡±

    For Lu Mingshu and Gao Xiang who were out for hunting for the first time, their main task was to learn. Hence, no one expected them to be able toe in handy. It would be sufficient if they did not drag the team down, like Le Xiaoyi for example.

    With a whistle sounding in front and a lift of Wei Peng¡¯s hand, the team ceased their movements.

    Bird chirping sounded with a rhythm, making feelings of excitement and nervousness arise in the team members that could understand the meaning of the chirping.

    This chirping was a signal from the whistle upfront that they had discovered tworge Harmonization Realm ferocious beasts.

    Though Yi Jiao had caught a Harmonization Realm White Hoof Rhinoceros previously, it could only be counted as a small fry.

    ¡°Continue!¡± With amand from Wei Peng, the team proceeded deeper in.

    As the battle upfront had started, the beastly roar gradually got louder.

    With a wave of Wei Peng¡¯s hand, the team dispersed into a fan-shaped formation and started their advancement; Lu Mingshu, Gao Xiang, and Shao Zhengyang were ced in thest squadron.

    ¡°It¡¯s two Flying Tusk Elephants!¡± A squadron member called out excitedly.

    The Flying Tusk Elephant was a type of giant demonic beast that was as light as foam and had tusks as hard as mystic steel that was exceptionally suitable for manufacturing weapons or grinding into pieces to make armor. Just a single piece ofplete ivory from the Harmonization Realm could fetch a market price of over ten thousand gold.

    If they were to capture these two flying elephants sessfully, their trip wouldn¡¯t be a fruitless one even if they did not have any other harvest.

    Three dayster, the team had familiarised themselves with the initial formation, so much so that they could remain in position even without Wei Peng¡¯s instructions.

    ¡°A bull and a cow.¡± Zhu Jingliang furrowed his brows. ¡°Is there herd of elephants nearby?¡±

    The frontline team member replied, ¡°None. These two should be rogues.¡±

    A heaven-sent opportunity! One of the reasons why elephant tusks were valuable was because they traveled in herds and thus, were hard to hunt.

    ¡°That¡¯s feasible.¡± Wei Peng said, ¡°Form groups of three with one in reserve, advance!¡±

    Originally consisting of eleven people, after sending Le Xiaoyi back, the team only had ten members left. Minus the three in the Inner Breath Realm, there would be seven left. Wei Peng wanted them to form two groups of three in order to pull the two elephants apart.

    The six rushed up.

    ¡°Come over.¡± Shao Zhengyang called the two young ones over to hide behind a tree.

    Gao Xiang could not help but ask, ¡°Senior Brother Shao, do we have to merely dodge? Won¡¯t we be freeloaders this way?¡± Nine Jade Pce¡¯s small hunting team had always distributed their hunting harvest. They would even take care of the newbies and give some to them for good luck.

    ¡°Who said so?¡± Shao Zhengyang finished speaking unhurriedly, then took out a slingshot and aimed it towards an Elephant. With a sou, a steel pellet shot out.

    Gao Xiang was dumbstruck upon seeing this disy. ¡°Senior Brother, why do you bring this with you while hunting?¡± Shao Zhengyang could not be judged by his age, for he was actually someone who cared a lot about how he presented himself; his performance in the team was also steadier than that of an adult¡¯s. Hence, Gao Xiang did not have the slightest thought that he would actually carry a slingshot around.

    ¡°Can¡¯t I?¡±

    Gao Xiang thought for a moment. ¡°You can.¡±

    Lu Mingshu observed the surroundings for a while before asking, ¡°Senior Brother Shao, why don¡¯t we dig a trap? Since we are idling around.¡±

    Shao Zhengyang shot her a strange nce. ¡°What kind of trap do you think we can dig for such arge Flying Tusk Elephant when we only have this much time?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t know whether it will work or not if we don¡¯t try! Since we are just standing by anyway.¡±

    Shao Zhengyang waved his arm. ¡°Try it out then.¡± At any rate, they were situated far from the site of action.

    Upfront, the pace of battle sped up. Both of Wei Peng¡¯s fists lit up with twinkling rays of light and punched out the strength in huge waves that fell onto the elephant¡¯s body firmly.

    Yi Jiao threw her whole weight into exerting all her strength; the dots of sword light fell like star des.

    Standing in position at the back of the formation, Zhu Jingliang cracked out his Nine Section Whip. Each time the whip was cracked, the afterimages of the whip dazzled as one.

    ¡°What kind of trap are we digging?¡± With how much Gao Xiang was itching for some action himself, he was only treating the matter of digging a trap half-heartedly.

    After some thought, Lu Mingshu said, ¡°Since it¡¯s toote to dig a hole now, and a simple trap would certainly be useless... why don¡¯t we make a small spell?¡±

    ¡°Spell? You sure it would work?¡± Gao Xiang was sceptical. He knew about spell formation, but those were generally dismissed as deceit.

    ¡°Since we are just idling around ...¡±

    Flying Tusk Elephants have terrifyingbat strength; hence, Wei Peng did not dare to allow the Inner Breath Realm cultivators intervene, and had even excluded Shao Zhengyang. Lu Mingshu knew that the trap they set would most likely note into y, but since they weren¡¯t doing anything anyway, she did not mind wasting effort into setting up a trap.

    ¡°Alright then.¡± With such high-levelledbat, Gao Xiang did not dare to defy the teacher¡¯smand; hence, he chose the option of doing something instead of standing around uselessly.

    Lu Mingshu decided to set up an illusion formation.

    In recent years, she had picked up a lot of cheap deals in Heavenly Wheel, and this illusion formation was written in a certain ancient book. It did not possess much damage ability nor did it possess many uses. Thus, it would not be able toe into y when used against an enemy. However, with the current situation, this illusion formation had the best chance of being usefulpared to any other formation.

    Any other traps would basically be void in front of these two Flying Tusk Elephants with valiantbat abilities. Their outer skin was exceptionally hard; ordinary weapons would not be able to even scratch the surface. If they were to dig a hole, Gao Xiang herself would be there digging for days and nights to be able to dig a hole big enough for theirrge stature. Thus, they settled on the illusion formation so they could trap the prey if an ident ever happened.

    With how easy it was to set up this formation, it was no surprise that it would be sold as rubbish. Under Lu Mingshu¡¯s orders, the two set up the illusion formation fairly quickly.

    ¡°You sure it will be useful?¡± Gao Xiang was sceptical as there did not seem to be anything unusual about moving stones here and there.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know either! I am just testing it out.¡±

    ¡°Why must the rocks be distributed this way?¡± As a childhood ymate of Lu Mingshu¡¯s for years, Gao Xiang knew she was extraordinary. She had always brought along some strange things that she said she learned from the Heavenly Ascension Pavilion whenever he asked her. Gao Xiang once went to check out the Heavenly Ascension Pavilion out of curiosity to find out if the books there were all of such strangeness, but he gave up after a few days; he wasn¡¯t someone who loved reading books.

    Reading had always been ipatible with him. Hence, he shoved his curiosity away as ¡°a thousand whys¡±, and would ask Lu Mingshu every time a new strange thing came up.

    ¡°ording to the book, this is called the Eight Divinatory Trigrams formation.¡±

    ¡°Eight Divinatory Trigrams?¡± Gao Xiang scratched his head, ¡°To think we can use the Eight Trigrams to set up a formation too.¡±

    The current world had the Eight Trigrams as well, though the average person was unable to make sense of this thing.

    The source of this illusion formation was from some lower-tier martial world, and the Eight Trigrams was normally used by the experts there, ording to Lu Mingshu¡¯s knowledge. It was said that it had once trapped a total of nine thousand nine hundred and eighty-one experts, which was how it earned its widespread fame.

    Of course, the energy in that world was much weaker and could not even form cultivation energy, only the top-notch experts could control the energy, which was far from what the other worlds could do. Thus, this widely famed Bagua* illusion formation was only termed as rubbish in the Heavenly Wheel.

    ¡°Be careful!¡± A shout rang out from the other side, ¡°Dodge quickly!¡±

    When the two turned over, their breaths were knocked out of their lungs.

    The heavily injured bull and provoked cow were maniacally waving their trunks towards Wei Peng. Under their rampage, they ran everywhere and the direction they were rampaging towards was unluckily towards them!

 Chapter 37: What have you done?

    <h4>Chapter 37: What have you done?</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    The Flying Tusk Elephant had a huge body that weighed more than a thousand kilograms. One could only imagine how it could even tear a ferocious beast like a Lion Tiger into shreds while on a rampage.

    Cold sweat started forming on Gao Xiang¡¯s forehead when he looked at the steadily approaching cow.

    Watching a small hill rush towards oneself was no joke. The visual stimtion made it seem as if one would be squashed in the next moment.

    His throat tightened and he only managed to get a word out after a two second pause. ¡°Run!¡± His nervousness even made his voice crack.

    He had just lifted his feet when his sleeve was pulled and he heard Lu Mingshu say, ¡°This way.¡±

    Gao Xiang¡¯s palms were sweating excessively while his mind wentpletely nk. Without a thought, he blindly followed Lu Mingshu¡¯s lead.

    However, he felt something amiss after a few steps. The direction they were running in was exactly the same direction that the cow was rampaging towards. But how would their speed ever match up to the cow in her deranged state?

    ¡°Wrong way! Wrong way!¡± Gao Xiang hastily shouted. They should have been heading in the horizontal direction. After all, wouldn¡¯t they be free food if they continued running straight?

    ¡°It¡¯s not wrong, just follow me.¡± Lu Mingshu replied resolutely.

    ¡°Hey ...¡± Looking at her continue on forward confidently, Gao Xiang could only submit to his fate. ¡°I¡¯ll take it as my bad luck for knowing you ...¡±

    Since it¡¯s toote to turn back now, and Lu Mingshu has never left me in harm¡¯s way, I¡¯ll just take the gamble and thinkter ...

    ¡°Where are the two of you running off to?!¡± Looking at the direction they were running towards, Yi Jiao grew anxious.

    On the other side, as the oldest among the three, Shao Zhengyang held the most responsibility when the others were busy; now that the two were courting death due to his words of approval at Lu Mingshu¡¯s request to bury a trap, he had a part in taking responsibility. But since he was forced to think on the spot, he could only follow after them ining out of hiding: ¡°Hey, run in my direction!¡± It¡¯s an empty space over there. Do they seriously intend to rely on a few broken rocks to hinder the flying elephant? Stop dreaming! At least there are trees here and we can buy some time for help to arrive if we go around the trees.

    The flying elephant ran over with booming steps; the ground trembled with each step it took. On the other hand, Wei Peng was currently struggling with his utmost effort from being coiled up by the elephant¡¯s trunk.

    ¡°Come.¡± Seeing him catch up with them, Lu Mingshu reminded, ¡°Only step wherever I step, understand?¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡± Gao Xiang turned his head around anxiously to take a look. The original target of the cow was not them, but they had agitated the cow to run after them due to their running.

    ¡°What is this for?¡± Gao Xiang felt as if he had turned into a manipted puppet by treading after Lu Mingshu¡¯s footsteps with lightning speed; he took a step when she took a step.

    He was extremely anxious as the cow was hot on their tails.

    ¡°Quick! It¡¯s only thirty feet away now.¡± From the current speed of the cow, wouldn¡¯t it catch up in the blink of an eye? Why are we going at such a slow pace ...

    ¡°Don¡¯t look back if you trust me!¡± Lu Mingshu¡¯s tone was calm as usual.

    Will we die more beautifully if we don¡¯t turn back? Gao Xiang wore a wrinkled and sour expression on his face. Now that they had run into the scope of the formation they had set up in this short amount of time, he roughly knew what Lu Mingshu wanted to do now. But to use a moment of life and death to test out a formation ... He really was literally giving his all to follow the other party ...

    ¡°Don¡¯t get distracted!¡± Gao Xiang was currently revelling in his own awesomeness when a p on the back of his head from Lu Mingshu brought him back to Earth. Yet all he heard was her speaking rapidly, ¡°From now on, do not tread on any wrong steps. If you ever take the wrong step, we will most likely be trampled into mush by the flying elephant. I assume you don¡¯t want to die, right?¡±

    Gao Xiang thought, Why are we running in this direction if you know we will die horribly? It¡¯s not that he looked down on this formation, but how useful would a few broken rocks be? He had never heard of anyone trapping their enemies with a few broken rocks.

    ¡°What do these two intend to do?¡± As a hot-tempered person, Lin Chen wasted no time in ring up. ¡°To think that they aren¡¯t listening to us at this dire moment. Don¡¯t drag us down too even if you¡¯re looking to die!¡±

    Zhu Jingliang had a tight frown on his face. ¡°Stop talking nonsense, talk after we¡¯ve blocked the flying elephant! ¡± He was boiling up with anger deep down too. Hemented on how these two saved the trouble by helping them out a lot, yet, he was proven wrong in just a day. Three newbies were brought along in one go: one was sent back to the cliff due to heavy injuries, while the other two were trampled to death by a flying elephant. Did their team even want to save face anymore? Especially when Gao Xiang was the only disciple from the Willow Woods line ... With how hot-tempered Elder An was, just the thought of implicating him to choose a new disciple sent shivers down Zhu Jingliang¡¯s spine.

    ¡°Seven steps to the left.¡± Lu Mingshu began moving her feet.

    Gao Xiang could only mindlessly follow.

    ¡°Take two steps around the eye of the formation, then turn left again.¡±

    Fine, I¡¯ll turn since you told me to.

    ¡°Take eight steps forward, turn right ...¡±

    The two walked at a rapid pace, causing the flying elephant to run even faster. In the blink of an eye, they had taken the thirty feet and the cow was in the range of rocks.

    Taking a brief look, Lu Mingshu continued to guide Gao Xiang through. Although the ground was shaking immensely because of the flying elephant, her pace never wavered.

    Then, a miraculous event happened.

    The cow had just entered the area of the rocks and took two running steps when it abruptly changed direction towards an opposite and irrelevant direction. Without taking even four steps, it changed direction again ¡ª and again ...

    ¡°Hold up!¡± Zhu Jingliang managed to cease his footsteps in the nick of time, and stopped hisrade that had caught up. ¡°Look over there!¡±

    The group fixed their gazes over in the direction where the cow who was currently running around in circles between the rocks, turning the opposite direction after two to three steps each time. It looked extremely impatient as if it were drunk.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Yi Jiao looked at this scene in shock. Had something happened just now?

 Chapter 38: Source

    <h4>Chapter 38: Source</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    What have I done? The formation I have just set up is only an illusion formation ...

    Such a formation, that totally blocks the five senses, could be said to possess both advantages and disadvantages in this world of martial arts where experts stood at the top of the food chain.

    Its advantage was that it did not need a lot of force¡ª did not need any precious stones, crystal, jade or the like¡ª it could be activated just by being ced there. The disadvantage was that it couldn¡¯t easily affect someone truly strong. Once it lost its effectiveness, it was no different from a piece of rubbish.

    Under normal circumstances, it would be unlikely to trap a demonic beast in the Harmonization Realm within it. However, with the cow currently in a deranged state and its spirit interfered with; its five senses were deceived as easily as counting to three.

    The confusion coupled with the crucialst mystic force strike by Wei Peng¡ª which killed the male flying elephant on the spot¡ª momentarily reversed the situation aplete one-eighty.

    Although the contrast between the before and after the situation was huge and mind-blowing to everyone, Lu Mingshu had not done much in between. All she did was bring all kinds of circumstances together. However, if it wasn¡¯t for her, Wei Peng¡¯s ¡®one strike kill¡¯ would not have happened.

    After everyone calmed down, they started to clean up the battlefield.

    Gao Xiang drowsily followed Lu Mingshu to help deal with the aftermath ¨C the disassembling of the rock pile that formed the illusion formation.

    Gao Xiang had been acquainted with her for a few years now and had long since known Lu Mingshu to be extraordinary. However, he never expected her to stand her ground even among a group of senior brothers and sisters. Is the Heavenly Ascension Pavillion really this invincible? In that case, shouldn¡¯t I ovee my aversion to reading for a bit and camp there for a few months?

    With the strange atmosphere currently looming over the team, nobody brought up the incident. Everyone worked together silently to end the other heavily injured flying elephant, before cutting and distributing it.

    Despite the silence, everyone kept questioning the events that had just passed in their hearts; to think that a newbie, who had just entered the Inner Breath Realm, would be able to triumph over a flying elephant so easily. What if that wasn¡¯t the flying elephant but me?

    When their thoughts reached that point, they would shiver uncontrobly. Just recalling that sent a chill down their spine!

    This is too scary! What¡¯s the point of being Martial Practitioners when we can lose so easily in the hands of a newbie in the Inner Breath Realm?

    Strength was everything in the world of Martial Practitioners, and the different realms were an obvious difference in status. Why were they still pursuing realms for, if an Inner Breath Realm could defeat a Harmonization Realm so easily?

    The insecurity brought from their three views being shattered left the team inplete silence.

    The silence enveloped their camp untilte at night.

    After drinking liquor in order to resist the cold, Yi Jiao pushed her intoxicated thoughts onto Lu Mingshu, ¡°Young girl, what exactly did you do to trap that flying elephant? Did you use a curse spell?¡±

    During those days, there was a myth still going around about a curse that existed in some Ancient Sealed Boundaries. However, martial practitioners would normally not take these myths to heart, for these curses were actually one of the ways mystic force was utilised. Moreover, those ancient curses possessed huge ws, which made it easy to break them if one was an average martial practitioner equipped with the right technique.

    That whatever formation used by Lu Mingshu today contained no mystic force at all. Yet, how could it be even more effective than curses? If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that it was a taboo to ask for someone else¡¯s secret technique, they would really take her to one side and ask about the mysterious incident that happened today to their heart¡¯s content.

    Lu Mingshu felt utterlyfortable after drinking a tiny amount of elephant blood¡ªher whole body rxed and warmed up, as the mystic force pervaded every part of her. She casually answered, ¡°It¡¯s an illusion formation, not a curse spell.¡±

    ¡°Illusion formation? What¡¯s that? Can it trap a Harmonization Realm demonic beast, with just a few rocks?¡± Yi Jiao was confused upon hearing her exnation.

    Wei Peng lifted his head to nce at her. ¡°Howe I have not been trapped even though I stood in the formation?¡±

    ¡°Un ... It only confuses the five senses and won¡¯t work on someone with a strong spirit.¡±

    ¡°Spirit?¡± Shao Zhengyang hung on the word. ¡°Does it refer to thought?¡±

    ¡°Right ...¡± Lu Mingshu had learnt a lot of words from misceneous worlds by browsing around the Heavenly Wheel. Spirit was an interpretation of the inteary world. Many in the Heavenly Wheel used this interpretation due to its precise description.

    ¡°It really isn¡¯t a curse spell?¡± Yi Jiao still could not bring himself to believe it.

    ¡°It really isn¡¯t ...¡± Lu Mingshu yawned as she spoke. The elephant blood that contained an abundant amount of mystic force, made her sleepy. ¡°Senior brothers and sisters, I¡¯ll go to bed now.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sleeping too.¡± Gao Xiang said.

    It was natural for children to get sleepy easily. The two moved to a corner that was sheltered from the wind. They leaned against the wall and soon fell asleep wrapped in a thin nket each.

    The camp was still awake and the fire illuminated everyone¡¯s faces.

    Yi Jiao looked towards Wei Peng, blinking with a bewildered expression. ¡°Senior Brother Wei, was it truly so?¡±

    ¡°It should be.¡± Wei Peng poked the ignited firewood, and spoke unhurriedly, ¡°I had indeed not felt any abnormalities when I stood amidst the formation.¡±

    Zhu Jingliang inhaled two breaths from the water pipe and spit out a mouthful of smoke. ¡°This child is incredible! The theory may be simple, but it isn¡¯t easy to make use of it at the appropriate time.¡±

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s strongest point was definitely her cool-headedness; it was obviously her first hunting expedition, yet she was not nervous at all when faced with ferocious beasts. Her second strength was her ability to n ahead for any unforeseen circumstances¡ª even when she couldn¡¯t directly be useful in battles, she would not stand aside and do nothing, but instead try her best to offer any help at all. Her third strongest point was her quick-witted mind that could think up a strategy to cope with the unforeseen circumstances like a second instinct.

    The thoughts of the team members unknowingly drifted to her awkward birth status. There was no doubt that an eleven-year-old who had achieved the Inner Breath Realm in the circumstances of having nearly no supervision from anyone, would have a good future ahead of her.

    Even a fool could guess that the Zhou family made a deliberate public promation about Fu Mingtang¡¯s breaking of Liu Jizhen¡¯s record¡ª reaching the Inner Breath Realm before turning ten years of age¡ª and even intentionally made a ranking for this spring hunt just to show off their influence and intention to let Fu Mingtang seed Fu Shangqing¡¯s position of sect leader.

    For Lu Mingshu to possess such an ability is akin to the saying: ¡®Like an owl in the bag, real talent would be discovered¡¯ She will certainly distinguish herself when the timees for the two sides to face each other ...

    ¡°That will be a good show to watch,¡± Shao Zhengyang, who sat silently by the side, suddenly spoke.

    Everyone looked towards him.

    However, Shao Zhengyang did not have any intention to continue speaking. He stood up, dusted off the lint on his clothes and nodded to the crowd. ¡°I will be going to bed now.¡±

    In the following days, the team continued heading into the depths of the mountain forest while hunting. Every few days, they stopped to consolidate their loot.

    After the incident of capturing the elephants, the team had a tacit approval on giving the two newbies more chances to gain physical experiences.

    Lu Mingshu and Gao Xiang were equally matched in terms of talent, or better said; Gao Xiang won by a small margin.

    With the number one expert of the Nine Jade Pce belonging to the line of the Willow Woods, there was no way any ordinary person could match up to the sole sessor of the said line. ¡®No wonder he was selected by the high expectation ¨C the line of Willow Woods.¡¯ Only this one line was enough to describe how good Gao Xiang¡¯s innate sword-wielding skill was.

    However, if the two of them were to battle each other, the winner would undoubtedly be Lu Mingshu.

    Lu Mingshu used her analytical skills ¨C controlling the present conditions and having a grasp on the minor details ¨C to fight. These abilities, that others needed a decade or two to master, came to her instinctively.

    After observing Lu Mingshu for the entire journey, Shao Zhengyang was filled with extremelyplicated emotions.

    Thest time he saw Lu Mingshu was when she had just arrived at Green Jade Valley, and he sent things over on his master¡¯smand. Afterwards, Yu-Wen Shi expressed his regret when Lu Mingshu did not go to the Lower House. Then, they had a series of conflicts with the Zhou family. How could they still have time on their hands to care about a single idle and convenient chess piece!?

    To think, that this solitary and impoverished child grew to this extent in a mere three and a half years time!

    We originally thought she could only be used to cause Fu Shangqing some uneasiness. However, from the looks of this situation, it seems like we can look forward to more?

 Chapter 39: Encirclement hunting

    <h4>Chapter 39: Encirclement hunting</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    Stopping then continuing; this cycle happened the whole way. After half a month, they entered the Jade West Mountain Forest basin.

    The first half month of the hunt at Jade West was spent on hastening in their journey while clearing up the ferocious beasts in their surroundings. Any harvest during this period would be distributed equally in the small team¡ª the sect would not meddle with this matter.

    Once they reached the Jade West basin, they had to listen and obey themands of the overall dispatcher to carry out a round of encirclement hunting. All harvest from this encirclement hunt would belong wholly to the sect ¡ª of course, there were prizes to be won if one disyed an exceptional performance.

    Regardless of a prize, there were numerous that were intending to try their hands at it and perhaps even disy an exceptional performance. This is the best opportunity to be famous in one shot!

    Before they left the scope of the jungle, an informative bird calling used by the Nine Jade Pce travelled over from up front.

    After half a month of the spring hunt, Lu Mingshu could now more or less distinguish the message in the bird calling. This time, it was an interrogative call sent by certain fellow disciples of the Nine Jade Pce. They had discovered their team¡¯s presence. If they did not respond in the nick of time, the other party would take them as enemies to guard against.

    Wei Peng stopped in his tracks, and blowed his wooden whistle once.

    Very quickly, footsteps sounded in the mountain forest. Two men in hunting attire appeared before them.

    ¡°Which small team?¡±

    Wei Peng went up to report the small team¡¯s number. They confirmed each other¡¯s identities with an examination of the other¡¯s tablet seal.

    ¡°So you¡¯re Junior Brother Wei.¡± One of the men returned the tablet seal to Wei Peng, then said, ¡°Your Hall head is already there.¡±

    Wei Peng inquired about the current situation from the other party.

    The other party disappeared into the mountain forest once again after giving a brief reply.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Wei Peng walked back to the team. ¡°We¡¯ll report for duty.¡±

    Once they left the jungle, the sight of the hill¡ª whichpletely contrasted the t mountain and fields ¡ª and whose edges could not be seen with a nce, greeted them.

    Tents had already been set up in the surrounding area within the mountain and fields as numerous people in hunting attire were entering and leaving. Apparently, the heavy supply wagon team that had set off after they had already transported all the heavy supplies over.

    Wei Peng left the team and walked towards a huge tent with a raised eagle g above it by himself.

    Since it was his first time attending the spring hunt, Gao Xiang looked left and right curiously and even tugged on Zhu Jingliang¡¯s sleeve to ask, ¡°Senior brother Zhu, we would have a tent to stay inter too, right?¡± It is so inconvenient to sleep in the wild these past few days.

    ¡°We would.¡± Zhu Jingliang exined, beaming happily, ¡°The encirclement hunting will begin once everyone has gathered. Looking at how many we¡¯ve killed throughout the whole journey here, the ferocious beasts in the forest will have been rmed. It will be a perfect encirclement, as the rmed beasts will all run in this direction.¡±

    ¡°No wonder we were intentionally rming the ferocious beasts these few days! I even thought we chased them in this direction because our small numbers were no match for them!¡± Gao Xiang suddenly realised.

    ¡°It¡¯s true that we are no match for them.¡± Zhu Jingliang said, ¡°With barely more than ten people in the team, it would be easy for an ident to happen if we were to meet a flock of beasts.¡±

    ¡°Then what should we do next?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious, There¡¯ll be an elder to lead us personally when the timees. The dispatch arrangement is the elders and hall heads¡¯ job, all we have to do is listen to theirmands.¡±

    While he spoke, Wei Peng had returned. ¡°Go and collect the tent.¡±

    Once they had fully set up the tent, Yi Jiao caught Lu Mingshu. ¡°Let¡¯s go and bath!¡±

    Lu Mingshu stunned for a moment. ¡°Senior Sister, where do we take a bath?¡±

    Yi Jiao beamed. ¡°Just follow me.¡±

    Although they were able to wash up in the streamlet for the past half a month, it was all done in a hurry and on alert. Lu Mingshu felt an itch all over her body the moment Yi Jiao brought it up.

    Following Yi Jiao out of the tent, they heard sounds of running water and femaleughter after thirty minutes of left and right turns.

    Bypassing a huge boulder, they were greeted with the sight of a zigzag stream whose depth was visible. The female disciples in the stream were like white flowers ¡ª dazzling together with their brilliance.

    Yi Jiao wasted no time at all; she removed her hunting clothes in seconds and entered the stream with her underwear.

    ¡°Come in! Don¡¯t tell me you are shy when you are like a board?¡± Yi Jiao grasped her arm and helped her undo her buttons with nimble hands.

    ¡°Se-senior Sister...¡± Lu Mingshu said in a fluster.

    Yi Jiaoughed out loud, teasing while she worked on Lu Mingshu¡¯s hunting attire. ¡°You finally bear a bit of resemnce to a child now. Don¡¯t you find it stuffy to be like an olddy when you are only so young?¡±

    Before continuing she said, ¡°What are you afraid of when even this senior sister isn¡¯t afraid of being watched by others?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Pulled in by Yi Jiao, Lu Mingshu shivered upon contact with the icy-cold stream water that chilled her to the bones. It¡¯s cold, yet so rxing.

    ¡°Woah! How refreshing!¡± Yi Jiao shouted in exaggeration before submerging into the water to swim a few rounds. They only saw water and long legs at a nce, but a vast majority of the Xichuan females had healthy, beautiful figures, buxom chests, and slender waists!

    The two had a delightful bath and returned with ubed hair.

    Lu Mingshu saw an unexpected person when they passed by the hall head¡¯s tent. This person was Le Xiaoyi who had been sent back to the cliff previously.

    ¡°Senior sister.¡± Lu Mingshu tugged on Yi Jiao¡¯s sleeve.

    Yi Jiao took a nce before speaking with an apathetic tone. ¡°She probably came with the heavy supply wagon team, don¡¯t bother too much about it.¡±

    When Le Xiaoyi spotted them, she gave them a re before twisting her head around and walking off.

    Unable to make head or tails of her re, Lu Mingshu could not help but ask, ¡°Why did she re at us?¡±

    Yi Jiao raised a corner of her lip to show contempt. ¡°She definitely red at me because I sent her back. She red at you to take her anger out on you.¡±

    ¡°Ah?¡±

    Yi Jiao patted her head. ¡°You be more careful. Without support, it¡¯s not a good thing to be in the limelight too much.¡±

    They cooked in porridge and noodle soup for breakfast and all sorts of barbecued meat and fresh soup for lunch and dinner. Ever since they reached the encampment, the days were much morefortable than those in Green Jade Valley. Lu Mingshu truly believed that this spring hunt was no different from a spring holiday.

    The team arrived pretty early as the other scattered and small teams reached the camp sessively after three days.

    On the morning of the fourth day, once the bugle horn sounded, everyone was d entirely in hunting attire, equipped with a bow and sword as they assembled outside the tent.

    The Elder had already rushed here and was currently sitting on the temporarily set up high seat. The four Hall Heads stood below.

    Lu Mingshu saw Zhou Yinru.

    d in a body of hunting equipment, Zhou Yinru had a heroic aura that lookedpletely different from their first meeting.

    Lu Mingshu restrained herself from taking another nce at her.

    After the elder inspected and encouraged them, they were assigned tasks.

    The Hall Heads that assigned the leaders of the four teams came down to arrange them after receiving amand.

    Their main force obviously consisted of those small teams formed from those in higher realms. This left the group with the task of patrolling the outer encirclement.

    Once Wei Peng received themand, the team set off.

    Lin Chen could not resist expressing his discontent. ¡°I knew we wouldn¡¯t be included. We can¡¯t fish up anything if we were to patrol in the surrounding areas of the encirclement.¡±

    Yi Jiao rolled her eyes. ¡°I guarantee you to be able to hunt for therge ones if you were in the main force. But do you have the ability to do so?¡±

    Lin Chen felt indignant. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to fish arge one too?¡±

    ¡°Of course I do. But without the ability, there¡¯s no use even if Iin. Why don¡¯t I spend my time performing well, so I might be lucky enough to catch the eye of the Hall Head, and even be in the main force for the next hunt?¡±

    The depressed Lin Chen replied, ¡°Pfft, saying that is as good as not speaking at all.¡±

    ¡°What do you want then?¡± Yi Jiaoughed bitterly, ¡°Know your ce, we have a teacher here!¡±

    Having been seen through with a nce, Lin Chen was embarrassed. ¡°I didn¡¯t even say anything much ...¡±

    ¡°Haha.¡± Yi Jiao sent two looks of disdain his way.

    Sweeping a nce over them, Wei Peng spoke with a heavy voice. ¡°I won¡¯t be against it if you guys want to establish an achievement of your own. However, to be absent without a valid reason is out of the question. As long as the big picture isn¡¯t disrupted, you guys will naturally be dispatched whenever an opportunity arises.¡±

 Chapter 40: Striking the Tiger

    <h4>Chapter 40: Striking the Tiger</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    Encirclement hunting was really exciting, although the patrolling of the surroundings was theplete opposite.

    While thousands of beast ran amok inside, those in the surroundings could only kill the asional few that had escaped the encirclement and spent most of their time just counting ants out of boredom.

    The team dispersed; Yi Jiao went the same way as Lu Mingshu.

    After one round of patrolling, seeing that nothing was out of order, Yi Jiao fished out a paper bag. ¡°Look!¡± It was actually a bag of melon seeds!

    As the two squatted down to munch on melon seeds, Lu Mingshu asked, ¡°Senior Sister, do we just keep watch like this?¡±

    ¡°Since we got this task assigned to us, what choice do we have?¡± The bored to death Yi Jiao spit out the melon seed shell.

    Lu Mingshu hung her head down listlessly. She did not attend the hunt in order to idle her time away. As Liu Jizhen could not cultivate, there were no offerings for Green Jade Valley. Thus, the resources she could use for cultivation were limited. This hunt was not only a chance for her to temper her skill but also a convenient opportunity to acquire more resources. For the small-scale hunt in the Heavenly Wheel was ultimate, a secret to be kept.

    Yi Jiao stole a nce at her, and said, ¡°Given your identity, you should be pretty clear that it would be strange if nobody tried to suppress you, don¡¯t you? Even if they don¡¯t suppress you out in the open, such a small trick requires no effort at all to pull. Plus, their identity won¡¯t be revealed either. Convenient, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Lu Mingshu was stunned for a moment. ¡°This was intentional?¡±

    ¡°Not sure.¡± Yi Jiao continued to crack the melon seeds. ¡°Someone naturally had to patrol the surroundings, so it isn¡¯t strange for a small team like us to be assigned such a task.¡±

    Thus, it would be an upright action, even if someone were to raise their doubts?

    ¡°But, there is still Gao Xiang and Senior Brother Shao!¡± Lu Mingshu turned her head over and spotted Shao Zhengyang¡¯s faintly discernible silhouette patrolling alongside Wei Peng in the mountain forest, quite a distance away.

    Yi Jiao scoffed, ¡°Seems like you don¡¯t know the current situation. Elder Yu Wen¡¯s faction has been so greatly suppressed these few years, that they had to tuck their tails in and lower their heads! As for Junior Brother Gao, why do you think the Grand Elder made such an arrangement?¡±

    Lu Mingshu wasn¡¯t dumb but she just didn¡¯t have any sources of information. Hence, with a little hint from Yi Jiao, she understood right away. ¡°Martial Grandfather Zhuo had the intention of protecting me, by letting Gao Xiang stay with me? Or is it an intention to protect Senior Brother Shao?¡±

    As long as Zhuo Jiangui was around, nobody would attempt anything in fear of offending the line of Willow Woods. Although Zhuo Jiangui did not meddle in the sect¡¯s power struggle, with his position in the sect, every faction had to show him respect. By letting Gao Xiang enter this small team, he was dering his stand ¨C the little ones had to be protected even if their masters were given up on.

    ¡°Though I don¡¯t know who he intends to protect, the meaning of his action should be so.¡± Yi Jiao continued, ¡°Don¡¯t judge by how nice I am to you now. I won¡¯t be having any dealings with you anymore once we return to the sect. I don¡¯t have any Grand Elder backing me up, so who would be responsible if I were to be a target because I got too close to you?¡±

    Lu Mingshu silently lowered her head. What Yi Jiao said were all facts.

    Living together for so many days, they naturally cared for each other. Looking at her current state, Yi Jiao sighed, ¡°You really should not have stayed in the Nine Jade Pce. Given your talent, even the top 3 sects would dly ept you. Why bother suffering here ...¡±

    Foreknowledge can¡¯t be bought even with a lot of money, furthermore, Lu Mingshu knew nothing at all four years ago. As a pampered miss, Lu Qingyi ¨C who had never left the small town before ¨C did not have enough knowledge and experience. She still believed in the saying ¡®Blood is thicker than water¡¯. All she thought was that, since she was on her deathbed, her daughter had to ultimately be entrusted to her ex-husband ¨C her daughter¡¯s only blood rtive.

    As she spoke, a light shed in Yi Jiao¡¯s eye, and she abruptly jumped up.

    Lu Mingshu mimicked her actions, standing up swiftly and nimbly turning her body to the side.

    A beast roar apanied by the wind hit them head-on.

    Lu Mingshu unsheathed her sword and went into a fighting stance.

    Yet, the only thing she heard was a loud shout, ¡°Don¡¯t touch it!¡±

    The shout startled her for a moment. When she looked around again, the ferocious beast was already next to her. Thankfully, she avoided the onught by taking a quick step back.

    A youth suddenly appeared from the forest; he resolutely rushed forward, leapt8 up and shed at the ferocious beast.

    With its path being obstructed, the ferocious beast could only turn around and pounce in the opposite direction.

    The youth¡¯s two attendants trailed closely behind him.

    The expression in Lu Mingshu¡¯s eyes changed the minute she saw the youth. Her grip on the sword tightened.

    This White Lined Tiger stuck in between the Inner Breath Realm and the Harmonization Realm, did not possess a lot of strength. It merely had a fierce nature, born with the disposition of a mighty tiger.

    The youth hurriedly lept back, barely escaping the lightning fast White lined tiger by a hair¡¯s breadth.

    The human and the beast were fully engrossed in the fight.

    Suddenly, the sh of the youth¡¯s sword coincidentallynded on a giant stone and split it into two halves!

    Yi Jiao¡¯s face went pale, and she whispered, ¡°What strong force!¡±

    The Inner Breath Realm had two stages; one was tempering one¡¯s physique, while the other involved cultivating one¡¯s mystic force. Only when a Martial Practitioner gathered enough mystic force to cleanse their corporeal body and entered the Harmonization Realm, would he be different from a mortal. Otherwise, he would just be a slightly stronger martial arts user.

    The youth might still be in the Inner Breath Realm, but his force could rival a mediocre Harmonization Realm practitioner.

    To have such strength in the Inner Breath Realm required not only an extremely fine body constitution, but it required one to temper one¡¯s body in herb baths from a young age. Even so, less than one in ten thousand people could achieve such aplexion¡ª Lu Mingshu and Gao Xiang were not able to do so.

    Yi Jiao looked at Lu Mingshu with aplex expression.

    The two attendants caught up soon after. However, they did not join the fight, only guarding by the side with weapons in hand.

    The smart White Lined Tiger feinted a movement and sent the youth, who attacked him flying, before turning on his heels and escaping.

    Coincidentally, the direction it was escaping towards, was exactly where Lu Mingshu stood¡ª Perhaps this wasn¡¯t a coincidence, as she was the weak link among the people present. Hence, her direction was naturally the best escape route.

    ¡°Dodge!¡± The youth shouted.

    As the fishy breath hit her in the face, Lu Mingshu instinctively unsheathed her sword. She did not strike out, but instead, dodged and rolled out from underneath the tiger¡¯s belly.

    The youth heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing Lu Mingshu roll out from underneath the tiger¡¯s belly. He lifted his sword and was about to walk over, when the White Lined Tiger let out an anguished howl and fell to the ground, motionless.

    The youth was stunned. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    Fresh blood gushed out from the White Lined Tiger¡¯s belly, quickly spilling onto the ground, and forming a small puddle.

    By the other side, Lu Mingshu leapt up with fresh blood dripping from the sword in her hands.

    Theplexion of the youth, as well as his two attendants, flipped one-eighty degrees.

    One of the attendants went up and turned the White Lined Tiger over with a raise of his palm, only to see a long wound on the tiger¡¯s belly running from its throat to its tail drenching it with blood.

    The entire scene was caught up in a weird silence.

    Holding onto her chin, Yi Jiao¡¯s eyeballs almost popped out from shock.

    I had long since known this girl was different from ordinary kids, but isn¡¯t she a little too awesome? To think that she can take a half-step Harmonization Realm ferocious beast down in one blow! Will the young master be angered to death?

    That¡¯s right, the youth was the sect leader¡¯s son, Fu Mingtang.

    His expression clearly showed his current helplessness. He previously asked her not to meddle, and if Lu Mingshu had struck out, he could still berate her. However, all she did was unsheathe her sword and roll once, and it was also under the circumstance of her being attacked by the White Lined Tiger. He was unsure whether that could be counted as striking out, but if it was not counted as striking out, what exactly was going on for the White Lined Tiger to be cut open with just a casual slide of her sword?

    Furthermore, he stillgged behind after striking out for so long. Yet, the other party who was about the same age and realm as him, could kill with just a roll. If he were to berate her, wouldn¡¯t he appear ipetent ...

    ¡°You ...¡± Fu Mingtang opened his mouth, but no words came out.

    He did not recognize Lu Mingshu, but his two attendants did. The two nced at each other; one lifted up the White Lined Tiger, while the other told Fu Mingtang, ¡°Young Master, let¡¯s go back first, now that the White Lined Tiger had died.¡±

    ¡°But ...¡±

    Fu Mingtang still wanted to say something, when that person continued, ¡°Second Miss instructed us to protect you well.¡±

    At the thought of his Aunt¡¯s temper, Fu Mingtang fell silent. Before he left, he turned around to look at Lu Mingshu, with a slight intention of asking for her name. Yet, he felt that he would be unable to find a way out of this embarrassing situation if he were to do so. Hence, he decided to bring his depressing mood as well as his refreshed three views, away with him, and he walked away.

 Chapter 41: Liven It Up!

    <h4>Chapter 41: Liven It Up!</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    Logically speaking, the prey belonged to the one who killed it. However, at this moment, no one brought this up.

    Once the three had left, Yi Jiao jabbed Lu Mingshu¡¯s side. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid they¡¯ll wait for an opportunity to retaliate, given how you don¡¯t give them any face at all?¡±

    Lu Mingshu replied, ¡°It¡¯s not as if they won¡¯t retaliate even if I give them face, right?¡±

    Yi Jiao was stunned for a moment, and after thinking about Second Zhou Miss¡¯s temper, she murmured, ¡°That seems ... to be quite justified.¡±

    Some people would never know what mercy was. Facing someone stronger, they would not rest until they killed their arrogance; facing someone weaker, they would demean them till they reached rock bottom. Provided that the Second Zhou Miss still possessed a tiny bit of leniency, she wouldn¡¯t have allowed her servant to anger Elder Lu to death.

    In front of her, no matter how much of a low-profile Lu Mingshu kept, she would still find a reason for retaliation¡ª Although the biggest reason, was that she found Lu Mingshu extremely unpleasant to the eye.

    Moreover, to lower your head towards her, was the most nauseating feeling ever.

    ¡°That move you executed earlier was not bad.¡± Yi Jiao said.

    With a brief thought, she was able to guess how Lu Mingshu killed that White Lined Tiger in one strike. When Lu Mingshu unsheathed her sword, she nned to use the force of the White Lined Tiger¡¯s jump to her advantage and kill it in one strike.

    However, the White Lined tiger was no pushover and was in fact, very vignt. The angle of unsheathing her sword had to be very precise. A little higher and the White Lined Tiger would have mistaken it for a sword move and dodged. A little lower, and there would not be sufficient force to do enough damage.

    In order to conceal the killing intent and kill in one strike, the angle and force used had to be controlled perfectly. Even the pouncing force of the White Lined Tiger had to be ounted for. Had Yi Jiao been in Lu Mingshu¡¯s shoes, the result would not have been the same; she would not have instantly thought of such a countermeasure in such a tense situation.

    However, the more awesome Lu Mingshu¡¯s performance was, the more Yi Jiao pitied her. There¡¯s no doubt that such a good bud, would not becking in resources if she were to be ced in the hands of one of the Top three sects. Unlike now, when she is dispatched to do some useless tasks for ¡®Spring Hunting¡¯.

    While they spoke, Wei Peng arrived along with Shao Zhengyang.

    ¡°What happened?¡± They had heard sounds of activity right after they were done with patrolling. It seemed as if they had beente to arrive at the scene.

    ¡°Small matter ...¡± Yi Jiao exined the whole situation to them.

    Wei Peng didn¡¯t react in any visible way and only nodded. ¡°Right, the two of you should continue with your task.¡±

    Before they left, Shao Zhengyang shot a deep nce towards Lu Mingshu.

    On the other side, an ear-splitting cheer that tested the limits of Yi Jiao¡¯s patience rang out from the camp. Unfortunately, she could not leave her squatting post out of duty.

    Shemented in anguish, ¡°Why do I have to squat outside when this event only happens twice a year?¡±

    But no matter how much shemented, no one paid attention to her.

    Only in the evening, when both of them went back to change-over with the next shift, did they find out that the hunt today was pretty sessful¡ª numerous big fishes had been caught.

    Excited, Yi Jiao ran into the tent the minute she had acquired the information. ¡°I heard that they found a beast cave today.¡±

    ¡®Beast cave¡¯ referred to thend where the ferocious beasts lived in a flock. The ces that were generally termed as a beast cave, had at least a dozen different species of ferocious beasts living together.

    As for such a beast cave; finding one was akin to finding a whole nest. The harvest would undoubtedly be extremely abundant. Hence, the atmosphere in the camp was full of joy.

    ¡°The beast cave we found this time is really high-ranked. I heard there were quite a few Spirit Realm beasts inside, so the elder had already ryed a message to the sect asking for reinforcements.¡±

    There were very few ferocious beasts in the Spirit Realm. Hence, the Spirit Realm experts in the sect would not participate in encirclement hunting. At most, two Spirit Realm experts would be dispatched. Apparently, they had found a huge beast cave this time.

    ¡°I heard there are even Snow Winged Cloud-Treading Horses there. How awesome would it be if we could catch even just one!¡± Yi Jiao¡¯s eyes shone dazzlingly.

    ¡°Snow Winged Cloud-Treading Horse?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right!¡± As Yi Jiao knew Lu Mingshucked general knowledge and could be a cute nk at times; she exined to her warm-heartedly, ¡°You do know the name of our Nine Jade Pce¡¯s fundamental cultivation method, right?¡±

    ¡°Cloud-treading Sword Technique?¡±

    ¡°Right! We use Could-treading Sword Technique now, followed by the Deity Cloud-treading Swordsmanship in future. This Snow Winged Cloud-treading Horse is snow-white from head to toe¡ª simr to a pegasus, and is even called ¡®Cloud-treading¡¯; it couldn¡¯t be any more suitable for us! Snow Winged Cloud-treading Horse as a mount; while using the Deity Cloud-treading Swordsmanship. Doesn¡¯t it sound like having a particrly mystical immortal-aura?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Ya!¡± excited, Yi Jiao said, ¡°I say, not only is this Snow Winged Cloud-treading Horse beautiful in appearance, it is super formidable too. It¡¯s fluttering immortal-aura, is so unlike the other ferocious beasts that are fierce and stinky!¡±

    Even though demonic beasts were rtively superior to others, a vast majority of the ones in Jade West Mountain Forest were exactly as Yi Jiao described them ¨C fierce and stinky. However, those like Snow Winged Cloud-treading Horse were generally termed as precious beasts.

    From beginning to end, Lu Mingshu remained unmoved, making Yi Jiao feel like she was preaching to deaf ears. There were a lot of ferocious beasts in Jade West Mountain Forest, yet few precious beasts. Especially precious beasts that were suitable to be mounted; the Snow Winged Cloud-treading Horse had the overall highest-valued appearance. Which Nine Jade Pce disciple doesn¡¯t want to have a Snow Winged Cloud-treading Horse? However, in thest few hundred years, the ones to sessfully obtain one could be counted on just one hand.

    ¡°But, senior sister, no matter how awesome you make it sound, does it concern us?¡±

    The excited Yi Jiao became as if drenched by a bucket of cold water¡ª cold from head to toe.

    She sighed gloomily, ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Snow Winged Cloud-treading Horse is an umon species, with at most two or three in a nest. With the Spirit Realm eldersing out, there¡¯s no way it would fall into someone else¡¯s hands. Even if they found a cub, they would naturally give it to their own juniors. This had no connection with her at all.

    In arge tent in the camping grounds¡ª at that moment, Zhou Yinru furrowed her brows and was ring at her attendant.

    ¡°What did you say?¡±

    Under her re, the attendant meekly repeated her words.

    Zhou Yinru¡¯s face became like a canvas of dark clouds. When Rui Xiang, who was standing by the side saw her expression, she knew right away that the miss was furious. Hence, she walked over with a cup of tea and spoke in a softened voice, ¡°Miss, it¡¯s but a small matter, why bother wasting your effort ...¡±

    ¡°Whoosh!¡± Zhou Yinru pped the teacup away.

    The hot tea sshed out, scalding Rui Xiang¡¯s hands a bright pink.

    However, she did not utter even a single sound. To be able to attend to such a temperamental person for ten years, meant Rui Xiang¡¯s patience and eye of discernment was top-notch. She was well-aware of her miss¡¯s temper. She could be impudent when her miss was in a good mood, but when miss was in a bad mood, she had to swallow whatever mistreatment she is given.

    ¡°Hmph! she is truly bold to dare make Mingtang lose face!¡± Zhou Yinru raged. ¡°She truly thinks she is the sect¡¯s Young Miss, doesn¡¯t she?!¡±

    ¡°Miss ...¡±

    Rui Xiang just opened her mouth, when ... ¡°Piak!¡± ... she was pped in the face.

    After Zhou Yinru pped her, she sat back down as if nothing happened. ¡°Fine, let her show off if she likes to show off! I¡¯ll see if she has enough lives to do so!¡±

    Finished speaking, shemanded Rui Xiang, ¡°Go and call Zuo Yiming here.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Rui Xiang went off with a red p print still visible on her face.

    She had obviously been pped ¨C that was both painful and embarrassing. Yet once she left the tent, she breathed out a sigh of relief.

    It¡¯s good that the miss¡¯s anger was let out, otherwise, something big would¡¯ve happened. When that happened, it wouldn¡¯t just be something as simple as pping my face.

    Fu Mingtang coincidentally walked over and was stunned at the sight of Rui Xiang. ¡°Sister Rui Xiang ...¡±

    Rui Xiang smiled and spoke in a soft voice, ¡°Eldest young master, don¡¯t go in for the moment.¡±

    Fu Mingtang understood right away, and asked in a lowered voice, ¡°Sister Rui Xiang, is this because of what happened yesterday?¡±

    Rui Xiang nodded.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t even anything big, why must aunt be so angry?¡±

    Rui Xiang thought in her heart, This eldest young master is a strange one. His temper doesn¡¯t resemble the sect leader nor does it resemble the Elder miss or miss. He has good qualities, though unfortunately, hecks that tiny bit of decisiveness.

    She took a nce at the tent, before whispering to Fu Mingtang, ¡°Young master must not be aware of that person¡¯s identity, right? She lives in Green Jade Valley.¡± Once she spoke, she bent her knees in a bow, ¡°This servant will leave to handle the task given now.¡±

    Fu Mingtang was stunned for a long while beforeing back to his senses.

    He had heard of Green Jade Valley before, and the person staying there seemed to be ...

 Chapter 42: The Encirclement Annihilation Begins!

    <h4>Chapter 42: The Encirclement Annihtion Begins!</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    As a result of discovering the beast cave, the tactics of the current encirclement hunt had to be changed.

    The elder who was the overall-in-charge of the spring hunt gave an order to kill and behead the ferocious beastsing in from the surroundings as soon as possible then go full-force to besiege the beast cave.

    If this encirclement hunt could bepleted perfectly, the Nine Jade Pce could gain several Spirit Realm ferocious beast together with their cubs and grand cubs. These beasts would definitely be a huge helping hand to them!

    As the saying goes; the mountain dweller lives off the mountain, while the shore dweller lives off the sea. Not only does this apply tomon people, but martial sects are also no exception either. *

    The Heavenly Sea Pavilion was situated in Dongyue, hence the vast Eastern Sea was the source of their resources. The Ancient Jade Summit, which was situated in Beiming, would depend on the endless amounts of mystic ore found there. On the other hand, Seven Truths tform, which was situated back to back with the Zhongzhou king, had the numerous and affluentmon people of Zhongzhou to support them. As for Nine Jade Pce, the Jade West Mountain Forest was their herb garden as well as beast hunting grounds.

    In the several hundred years since the founding of Nine Jade Pce, the gathered herbs and hunted beasts, especially the precious ones, had all be their cultivation resources. Thergest and most formidable ferocious beasts among them would be domesticated by them and turned intobat partners.

    This might seem simple in theory, but to find arge and formidable ferocious beast was no easy task. If one was able to domesticate it and bring it into the sect, their generations toe would all be ahead of their peers.

    Days passed, and as the surroundings ferocious beasts were all cut down, their reinforcements had arrived too.

    When the small teams on site stopped whatever tasks they had on hand to participate in the new assignment of encircling and annihting the beast cave, Lu Mingshu realized Fu Shangqing was there too.

    The atmosphere in the camp became tense and filled with excitement. Everyone knew that this was the best chance for them to render their meritorious deeds, for there would definitely be a great reward in order to encourage the disciples. However, with danger and opportunity existing hand in hand with each other in such arge-scale battle; it was impossible for everyone to return unscathed.

    Yi Jiao was happily cleaning her sword while murmuring to herself. Gao Xiang would pull Lu Mingshu aside to practice his sword whenever he got the chance to do so. Even Shao Zhengyang had a visibly better mood than before.

    After countless days of preparation, the encirclement finally began.

    However, the firstmand left Lu Mingshu bbergasted.

    ¡°Break the team up?¡±

    Wei Peng nodded. ¡°The three of you will be led by someone else, while the rest are to follow me.¡±

    ¡®The three of you¡¯ referred to Lu Mingshu, Gao Xiang, and Shao Zhengyang.

    Yi Jiao was excited, yet worried. ¡°Where are they going?¡±

    ¡°Probably to do some auxiliary tasks.¡± Wei Peng said, ¡°It won¡¯t be convenient to bring them into the beast cave.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, the danger level for the encirclement attack on the beast cave is too high. It¡¯s not suitable to bring newbies in.¡± Zhu Jingliang repeatedly nagged at them, ¡°Although you guys who are at Inner Breath Realm won¡¯t be told to do tasks of great danger, you still must be careful. Don¡¯t be too greedy to get merits.¡±

    With time ticking away, the group of people packed up and set off.

    Before they left, Yi Jiao specifically told Lu Mingshu, ¡°You have to be very careful. That person isn¡¯t the best person to provoke. She must have been holding back for a huge move, which is why she hasn¡¯t been looking for trouble with you recently!¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded her head. ¡°I understand. Thank you Senior Sister.¡±

    Yi Jiao patted her head. ¡°Don¡¯t separate from Gao Xiang if you can. With him around, it would be akin to having a protective talisman.¡±

    She only left after Lu Mingshu assured her again and again that she would be fine.

    As Lu Mingshu looked at her disappearing silhouette, she thought; This Senior Sister Yi is really a kind soul. She might have told me honestly that she wouldn¡¯t have any more dealings with me after we return as she doesn¡¯t want to be implicated, yet she has not avoided me and has even looked after me in all respects while we were here.

    Not long after, the three were called to gather.

    The Inner Breath Realm disciples left were not many. They were only 30 in numbers. Lu Mingshu saw Fu Mingtang and Le Xiaoyi.

    Gao Xiang jabbed her in her sides and looked towards Le Xiaoyi, before leaning down to whisper in her ears, ¡°Didn¡¯t they say she was heavily injured? Why did shee here?¡±

    Lu Mingshu found it strange too. After some thought, she said, ¡°Perhaps the task isn¡¯t dangerous?¡±

    The backing Le Xiaoyi had would definitely not let her go into battle given she was still injured. Hence, the task was perhaps not dangerous. After thinking it through, Le Xiaoyi could be here to obtain a reward.

    Gao Xiang could not help but feel disheartened at this thought. ¡°Which is to say, we won¡¯t have any decent task.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not for certain.¡± Lu Mingshu was once again reminded of what Yi Jiao told her before they parted. By the looks of the Second Zhou Miss¡¯s nature, it would be abnormal if I wasn¡¯t given a dangerous task.

    As they spoke, a young man walked over and stood in front of the group.

    Judging by his appearance, he looked to be of about the same age as Wei Peng and possessed a simr amount of strength. He had a serious expression on and appeared to be a teacher.

    As expected, he spoke after sweeping his nce across the disciples, ¡°I am the teacher in charge of you this time. My surname¡¯s Zuo. From this moment on, all of you are to listen and obey mymands. If you are to disobey mymands, your life will not be guaranteed!¡±

    His cold tone stunned the disciples. It felt as if being hit by a bucket of cold water; their excitement vanished straightaway. The words ¡®your life will not be guaranteed¡¯ made them finally realize that they could lose their lives in this encirclement annihtion of the beast cave.

    ¡°I will call out your names to divide you into groups now.¡±

    The thirty people were rapidly divided into 5 teams. Not surprisingly, Lu Mingshu, Shao Zhengyang, and Gao Xiang were all in different teams.

    ¡°Teacher!¡± He just finished dividing the teams, when Gao Xiang stood forward and shouted.

    Teacher Zuo furrowed his eyebrows, looking somewhat displeased. ¡°What is it?¡±

    Gao Xiang pulled Lu Mingshu¡¯s arm. ¡°Teacher, we want to be on the same team.¡±

    Teacher Zuo¡¯s gaze was even stricter now. ¡°Why? You aren¡¯t happy with how I divided you into groups?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that,¡± Gao Xiang spoke in a loud voice, ¡°We have a tacit understanding in cooperating with each other, and I presume teacher does not know about this.¡±

    He was not in the least afraid of standing up face-to-face with Teacher Zuo.

    A whileter, Teacher Zuo finally gave up. ¡°Fine, since that¡¯s your request, we¡¯ll do a swap in team members.¡±

    As per his wish, Gao Xiang was now on the same team as Lu Mingshu.

    Lu Mingshu jabbed him in the ribs and spoke in a low voice, ¡°Thanks.¡± If she were the one requesting, Teacher Zuo would have most likely rejected her. As for Gao Xiang; no matter how harsh and unreasonable the Second Zhou Miss was, with Zhuo Jiangui as his backing, she would not dare to not give the grand elder some face.

    ¡°What¡¯s there to thank for.¡± Gao Xiang spoke happily, ¡°I have more confidence when I am around you too.¡±

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s set off.¡± Under Teacher Zuo¡¯smand, they set off.

    Unlike the main force, they took therge roundabout route.

    The beast cave they discovered this time was on the other side of the mountain basin. The mountain topography there wasplex ¨C a river stream was flowing through the area. Their destination was at the lower reaches of the river.

    The river water surged past in a never-ending torrent. At the lower reaches, the water momentum gradually died down, and the river expanded into a vast stretch of open water. The river bank was full of round pebbles reflecting the green hills and crystal-clear water; it was a picturesque scene that looked like it was out of a fairytale.

    Most of the Inner Breath disciples were young men and women under the age of twenty. Hence, at the sight of this scene, they cheered and wanted to rush over to have fun, as if they had forgotten the task at hand.

    It was Teacher Zuo¡¯smanding shout that stabilized the situation.

    He started to distribute the tasks. ¡°Small team one is to patrol the surroundings. Small team two is toy out a defence on the river. Small team three is to tidy up the birds on the cliff. Team four ¨C follow this route and clear up the beast nest on the way. Finally, team five is to stay here, stand guard and pay attention to the situation in the upper reaches of the river. If anything is amiss, team five is to enterbat immediately.¡±

    The disciples shouted out in unison as a response, before moving out separately.

    Out of the five small teams, the teams with the most important task were team three and four. At the same time, the tasks they held were also the most dangerous.

    Lu Mingshu and Gao Xiang were in team four, while Shao Zhengyang was in team three.

 Chapter 43: A slap

    <h4>Chapter 43: A p</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    An ordinary beast cave was as if a small human town; the further one ventured, the stronger the demonic beasts would be.

    Thus, Inner Breath Realm disciples like them, who were responsible for the outermost surroundings of the beast cave, already were at the lowest danger level possible.

    Lu Mingshu believed that, no matter what tricks the Second Zhou Miss might pull, with the general outline of the tactics formted, she could not just mess around as she pleased. After all, Fu Mingtang was also part of the thirty Inner Breath disciples!

    She had previously noted that Fu Mingtang was in team two; the team responsible for setting up the defence on the river. This was a rtively easy yet not too dangerous task.

    As expected, Le Xiaoyi was dispatched to team five which stayed behind to stand guard, right beside the teacher. Her backing seemed to be unexpectedly strong; otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to pick such an easy task to obtain a reward.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Now that the members of their team had gathered, the temporary team leader greeted them, and they prepared to set off.

    Yeam four had a total of six people, with their temporary team leader being a youth that appeared calm and unflustered by anything.

    The other three members sneaked nces at each other but made no movements.

    ¡°I have a suggestion,¡± one of the youths spoke.

    The team leader furrowed his brows; he had just made the firstmand, and it was already disregarded by his team members. ¡°What suggestion?¡±

    The young man said, ¡°The scope of our search isn¡¯t small, we might not be able to finish our search if we were to go together.¡±

    Once he realized what his team member was hinting at, his frown deepened. ¡°And so?¡±

    ¡°So we should separate,¡± the other youngdy continued, ¡°Senior Brother, the six of us can divide into two groups of three. This fulfils the requirement of hunting ¨C where one must be in a group of at least three people.¡±

    Yang Zhou did not reply but stared at them with an icy-cold gaze.

    The three felt the embarrassment from being stared at creeping up their cheeks, yet they did not cower back.

    Gao Xiang immediately harrumphed coldly, ¡°Just be honest if you dislike us. Hmph, to indulge in histrionics, only makes me feel disgusted by you!¡± Did they think we are so blind as to not notice the nces they sneak towards us from time to time?

    As a group of hot-blooded youngsters in the prime of their youth, which one of them would not be rash? Since Gao Xiang had already spoken so clearly, the young man had no reason to conceal his real intentions. He pointed at Lu Mingshu. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t care if she was just a newbie, but aren¡¯t you guys clear of her origins?¡±

    Enraged, Gao Xiang pped the youth¡¯s hand away. ¡°What are you pointing at?! Why don¡¯t you tell us what her origin is!¡±

    The young manughed sarcastically. ¡°Power-hungry and snobbish slut that married...¡±

    ¡°Piak!¡± A p fell crisply on the young man¡¯s face.

    The young man red at Lu Mingshu with disbelieving eyes. ¡°You ... you hit me?¡±

    ¡°So what if I hit you?¡± Lu Mingshu took out her handkerchief and wiped her hands unhurriedly. Although she spoke in a rxed tone, it made one feel the chill of deep killing intent. ¡°How weak; to not even be able to avoid a p.¡±

    ¡°You ...¡± The young man blew his top and was about to pull out his sword. ¡°I am going to kill...¡±

    ¡°Senior Brother! Senior Brother!¡± The other two hurried to stop him. The youngdy said anxiously, ¡°The teacher is still around!¡±

    The young man calmed down slightly. Teacher Zuo stood not far from the river bank, in the direction of their previous gathering ce. He seemed to have discovered what was happening there, as he swept his gaze over.

    Besides Gao Xiang, who hade over by himself, the others in small team four did not have much of a backing. Hence, no one wanted to cause trouble.

    The young man ceased his movements and red at Lu Mingshu; his face was flushed red with anger.

    ¡°Senior Brother Yang, you are a witness of this too. She pped me the moment I made a brief remark! I am not able to execute my task with such a teammate!¡±

    Yang Zhou had not expected for a strife to ur in the team from just a few spoken words. He was dissatisfied with the young man, but also had resentment towards Lu Mingshu. Our team four¡¯s task is originally not light, yet each and every one of them is so hard to tame! Can¡¯t they focus on the big picture here?

    Moreover, with thingsing to this stage now, he couldn¡¯t choose to separate the team anymore. They forged enmity the moment they met, so how are they to still work together?

    ¡°Fine, let¡¯s separate if you want to separate.¡± Yang Zhou said, ¡°However, I¡¯ll speak the ugly words upfront. Our task has a high level of difficulty. In theory, there shouldn¡¯t be any ferocious beasts that are too strong. But, if there was just one or more Harmonization Realm ferocious beast ...¡±

    ¡°We understand the meaning of senior brother is trying to convey.¡± The young man quickly took over. ¡°Since we were the ones that suggested going our separate ways, we will bear the consequences of our decision.¡±

    Yang Zhou nodded. ¡°All of you are to remember these words. If Teacher Zuo were to ever ask me about this arrangement, that is how I¡¯ll answer.¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡±

    Both parties took out the map; a party went south, while the other party went north. They each had a designated area to clear.

    After they separated, the three left without even a word.

    This left Yang Zhou, Gao Xiang and Lu Mingshu in a party.

    ¡°Let us set off too.¡±Yang Zhou nced at them once, before furrowing his brows once more. Compared to him who was almost seventeen, the other two were still children. The task was originally dangerous, and now I even have to bring two kids along with me, how troublesome. As he thought so, he reminded them once more, ¡°Forgetting about what has happened just now, you are not to act arbitrarily anymore from now on. If you aren¡¯t careful, we might even lose our lives! Understand?¡±

    Lu Mingshu knew he was talking about her, hence she nodded and said, ¡°Rest assured, Senior Brother.¡±

    Yang Zhou could really not rest assured. He was well aware of Lu Mingshu¡¯s origin. That young man might have been too excessive in his reaction, but her bad temperament of pping people over a brief remark was not exactly proper too.

    The three entered the mountain forest. Searching while keeping a lookout all the way, they quickly found a Tiger King Spider.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take charge of the frontal attack; the two of you seal off its escape route. Be careful of its spider web!¡± saying this in a hurry, Yang Zhou unsheathed his sword and rushed forward to fight the beast.

    The huge Tiger King Spider¡¯s body wasparable to Reeve¡¯s Pheasant¡ª A whole body of poisoned green hair and quick and violent movements, it could even spit out a spider web to entrap its enemy.

    The moment Yang Zhou rushed up, a green light shed in the Tiger King Spider¡¯s eyes, and it started moving forward at lightning speed.

    In a blink of an eye, the man and the spider brushed past each other.

    Yang Zhou struck out with his sword, and as expected, he all he got was air. The Tiger King Spider scuttled and dodged by passing between his legs.

    The Tiger King Spider blocked the iing attack. It turned its body and suddenly spit a white gossamer out of its mouth.

    Bending his body sideways, Yang Zhou struck out with his sword once more, in an attempt to behead it.

    His attack sent out a beam of mystic force. Changing into a wind sword, the beam cut off the core of the spider web.

    Gao Xiang, who had by now moved to the rear of the Tiger King Spider, rushed up closely behind Yang Zhou.

    The two¡ª one in front and one at the back¡ª managed to keep up with the fast speed of the Tiger King Spider while inbat.

    A momentter, Yang Zhou felt something was amiss. When he turned back, he spotted Lu Mingshu standing by the side without fighting. Instead, she used the sharp end of her sword to pick up a little spider thread, doing who knows what.

    ¡°What are you stoning there for?¡± Yang Zhou¡¯s repressed anger simmered up in seconds, Wasn¡¯t you full of might when you pped that person earlier? Yet, you are so terrified now that you¡¯re face-to-face with a ferocious beast?

    Lu Mingshu turned a deaf ear to his words and held a hand out to rub the spider thread between her fingers.

    Yang Zhou was so mad he did not want to bother with her. Forget it, forget it. I have Gao Xiang¡¯s help anyway; as a direct disciple, Gao Xiang might be young but his strength isn¡¯t any bit inferior to mine.

    Hence, the two encircled the Tiger King Spider and attacked this side; while Lu Mingshu gathered spider thread incessantly on the other side.

    Once she had picked a handful of it, she shouted towards Gao Xiang, ¡°Come here!¡±

    Without even a shred of hesitation, Gao Xiang lured the Tiger King Spider to follow him and ran towards Lu Mingshu.

    Yang Zhou grew even more furious. ¡°What are the two of you doing?!¡±

    Before he got a reply, he saw Lu Mingshu throwing that handful of spider thread towards the Tiger King Spider¡¯s nest, then igniting it up in the fire.

    The Tiger King Spider immediately let out a shrill sound and hurried back to its nest.

    However, it was still toote. By the time it reached, the nest had already burnt up in mes.

    Meanwhile, Lu Mingshu was already long since waiting by the nest¡¯s side. She overturned the nest and thrust her sword in.

 Chapter 44: Specter

    <h4>Chapter 44: Specter</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    ¡°Ssh!¡± Green coloured blood stted everywhere.

    Yang Zhou saw the spider¡¯s wriggling legs under the nest.

    Gao Xiang hurried over and thrust his sword down.

    The spider¡¯s leg gradually ceased its wriggling.

    Once the two pulled up their swords and lifted the nest open, all they saw was a dead spider.

    Yang Zhou felt unreal. ¡°You guys ...¡±

    What just happened? Why does it feel like a dream? We were in a hard battle earlier, so how did the battle end so quickly?

    Lu Mingshu said, ¡°This is a mother spider.¡±

    Yang Zhou blinked. ¡°So?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the season forying eggs now.¡±

    ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°The Tiger King Spider is protective of its eggs. Hence, if the spider eggs were toe to any harm, it would definitely be provoked to rush back.¡±

    ¡°But what did you gather the spider thread for?¡±

    ¡°ording to the habits and properties of a Tiger King Spider, it would definitely defend its nest well. In fact, it¡¯s best defensive measure would be its spider thread.¡±

    Yang Zhou slowly found her train of reasoning. ¡°You gathered the spider thread in order to find its weak point?¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded. ¡°After I observed it, I discovered that this spider thread was tough to break. Hence, I tried to burn it.¡±

    As a result, her reasoning had born fruit and the nest was marked by mes. The Tiger King Spider immediately rushed back to protect its eggs; she had taken its nest as a tool to trap it ¡ª for a nest built by the Tiger King Spider itself, it would naturally think its nest would be sturdy.

    ¡°What if it could not be burned?¡±

    Lu Mingshu answered indifferently. ¡°We could chop it if it didn¡¯t burn. We would justck a shortcut in that case.¡±

    Cleverness in trivial matters was cleverness in trivial matters after all. Under most circumstances, strength was still needed. Cleverness in trivial matters could be utilized, but the sharpest one would still be the sword in your hands.

    Yang Zhou was stunned by her words. He suddenly felt a sense of marvel, as if he were conversing with a teacher. But the one before his eyes was clearly a junior sister that had just reached the Inner Breath Realm, and was attending the spring hunt for the first time as a newbie.

    While cleaning up the bloody scene, they took the useful parts of the Tiger King Spider away and buried the metallic smell of blood ... Once they were done, the team of three continued forward.

    Afterwards, as Yang Zhou discovered, themanding right of their team gradually and unconsciously changed.

    Between the three, the one with the most experience was undoubtedly him, yet Lu Mingshu would always find the simplestbat style. Moreover, ording to his observations, Lu Mingshu was really strong too ¡ª strong in a very odd way.

    For example, Gao Xiang¡¯s strength could be easily described. He could draw his sword swiftly and urately, was adept with the sword manoeuvres, had a fast reaction speed, and had an astonishing sense of physical energy about him.

    As for Lu Mingshu? Her swordsmanship was indeed not bad, and it could be said that it was excellent in every way. Yet when she made a move, there would always be some subtle and ineffable shift of movement; he absolutely did not understand why she would make such a change at that time, but he discovered along the way that her every move would be optimized. Angle, force, and mystic force were not even a tiny bit wasted.

    Even for a teacher, only a superficial trace of such a feeling could be found!

    Once he became aware of this point, his thoughts and feelings towards Lu Mingshu did aplete one-eighty. He had previously disliked this young maiden that refused to listen tomands and had a bad temper. However, he realized now that it was because her ability was too overpowering.

    As his feelings inclined, his viewpoint would change as well.

    Yang Zhou was only an ordinary disciple in Nine Jade Pce, and the information he received would also be the same information that the masses would get. Obviously he would partially believe the sect leader more if he had to choose between the sect leader and the mother-daughter pair of unknown origins. Plus, with Lu Mingshu pping the other party during their first meeting, he immediately had a negative impression of her.

    However, he discovered now that she was not that maiden of irritable temperament that he had first thought she was. In fact, she was a capable maiden who was cool-headed in handling affairs; his previous impression of her henceforth started to waver. If he viewed that p from another viewpoint, that p was because the other party was humiliating her biological mother, right? If she did not strike back when her own mother was ridiculed as a slut, then she would truly be inhumane!

    There was no doubt that every individual was subjective.

    Since the three had solved their prejudices, with a tacit understanding in cooperation, their search speed subsequently increased.

    ¡°Have you guys discovered anything?¡± In the midst of their search, Lu Mingshu suddenly spoke.

    Gao Xiang responded without thinking. ¡°About what?¡±

    Yang Zhou who now regarded her opinion highly looked towards her.

    ¡°On the way here, the ferocious beasts we met were not really ferocious.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Gao Xiang said, ¡°Which is to say, this mission is such a breeze to get through.¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Lu Mingshu furrowed her eyebrows, ¡°No matter what, this is still the depths of Jade West Mountain Forest. Even if there aren¡¯t a lot of ferocious beasts in the higher realm because of the existence of the beast cave, how could we not have even met a single Harmonization Realm Beast? Based on probability, isn¡¯t it very unlikely to happen?¡±

    With her reminder, Yang Zhou became serious. ¡°It is indeed strange ...¡±

    ¡°Perhaps they¡¯re on the other side?¡± Gao Xiang pointed towards the opposite direction, which was the direction that the other three were in charge of.

    Yang Zhou was about to say something when a high-pitched shriek rang out in the distance, startling the birds before they all flew off in different directions.

    ¡°What was that sound?¡± Gao Xiang jumped in shock.

    ¡°Ah¡ª¡± There was another blood-curdling scream.

    Yang Zhou¡¯splexion paled. ¡°They are in trouble! Let¡¯s go!¡±

    Regardless of their disagreement before, they still had to save them if they were in trouble.

    The three quickly dashed towards the direction of the scream.

    As they gradually approached the direction of the yelling, they suddenly spotted a person covered in blood from head to toe stumbling out.

    Yang Zhou hurried up to receive the person only to discover the youngdy from their team.

    ¡°Ah!¡± A shrill scream escaped the youngdy¡¯s lips as she wildly swung her sword with no regard for ally or foe.

    ¡°Junior Sister!¡± Yang Zhou cried out, ¡°It¡¯s us!¡±

    The youngdy was brought back to her senses from his cry. Her muddled eyes slowly focused, and as she saw them clearly, she let out a loud cry.

    ¡°Don¡¯t cry first!¡± Yang Zhou was as anxious as ants on a hot pan. ¡°What exactly happened? What about the others?¡±

    ¡°Boo-hoo hoo... the-they¡¯re dead ...¡±

    ¡°Dead?¡± Yang Zhou inhaled sharply. ¡°What did you run into?¡±

    ¡°We ...¡±

    ¡°Senior Brother, it¡¯s toote.¡± Gao Xiang interrupted their exchange. ¡°Don¡¯t chat around here anymore! That thing is here!¡±

    Yang Zhou could feel the rapidly approaching pressure and he now confirmed that it was a ferocious beast in the Harmonization Realm. To be able to kill two and heavily wound another in a single breath, this was nomon ferocious beast. He carried the youngdy on his back and made his decision promptly. He turned on his heels and ran. ¡°Go!¡±

    The four of them gathered together, but with the thick blood stench from the heavily injured youngdy, the ferocious beast was quickly catching up to them.

    The ferocious beast was hot on their heels.

    A trembling wave coursed over the leaves upfront, and a ck shadow flew out.

    Gao Xiang shouted out loud, and with a flick of his wrist, the sword energy solidified into a beam that darted out.

    Although his reaction could not be said to be slow ¡ª under the impact of the collision between his sword energy and the Specter¡ª the Specter was pushed back, while Gao Xiang nearly flew off from the impact; thankfully, Lu Mingshu was there to pull him back in the nick of time.

    Since their path was blocked, they did not have any choice but to stop.

    The three directed their gazes over to take a look, only to discover a human-shaped ck shadow blocking their way. It stood at a height of seven feet with a broad chest and droopy arms that practically extended to the ground. It had a pointed head and pupils as thin as slits, which would make one¡¯s hair stand with one nce. Its whole body was so ck, it was as if it had draped ck skin on itself.

    Gao Xiang took a sharply inhaled his breath and shouted with a breaking voice. ¡°S-Specter, it¡¯s a Specter!¡±

    The Specter was a special type of demonic beast. It only arose in areas where there was a congregation of demonic beasts. It had a simr external form to humans and lived on devouring demonic beasts.

    No wonder there weren¡¯t any stronger ferocious beasts in the vicinity! They had all been devoured by this Specter!

 Chapter 45: Let me draw it away

    <h4>Chapter 45: Let me draw it away</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    We¡¯re done for.

    Yang Zhong stood rooted to the ground.

    Specter! This is a Specter! A demonic beast of the same realm was nothing but an ant before it. Moreover, with this Specter already in the Harmonization Realm, I presume the stronger ferocious beasts were all eaten by it.

    Even if such rare and scary ferocious beasts existed, I thought they would only be born in beast caves. To think we havee across one in the surroundings of the beast cave... How can we be so unlucky?! This is a ferocious beast that even teams from the Harmonization Realm would have trouble fighting against, and we are only a group of little disciples in the Inner Breath Realm ... This is practically the heavens digging a hole and telling us to jump to our deaths!

    ¡°What do we do?¡± Yang Zhou¡¯s voice trembled.

    The youngdy that thought she was done for, had already begun bawling her eyes out.

    Gao Xiang gathered his spirits, trying to remain calm, and told Lu Mingshu, ¡°I¡¯ll stay behind to distract it! You guys run first and look for the teacher!¡±

    ¡°No way.¡± Lu Mingshu said resolutely, ¡°We are too far away from the exit, and with your strength, you would at best, only be able to exchange a few moves with it before it catches up to us. What¡¯s more, the teacher might not necessarily be able to subdue it either.¡±

    A being such as this Specter¡ª extremely strong and iparably savage¡ª had always been fought against with the tactic of swarming it with numbers. The teacher was but a Harmonization Realm practitioner and would not be a match for the Specter by fighting it alone.

    ¡°But ...¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to do meaningless sacrifices. On the contrary, I¡¯m afraid we will cause a disaster if we were to lead it back.¡± There are over twenty Inner Breath Realm disciples at the river bank; if we are to lead the Specter there, wouldn¡¯t we just give it extra snacks?

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be eaten, I don¡¯t want to be eaten ...¡± the youngdy cried out. Her mental state hadpletely copsed.

    ¡°Shut it!¡± Gao Xiang felt irritated at her crying. Furthermore, he also feared that her bawling would provoke the Specter.

    ¡°Then what do you suggest we do?¡± Gao Xiang stared fixedly at the Specter, getting ready to attack at its slightest movement.

    Lu Mingshu mped her lips tightly, rapidly calcting in her mind. This was the most challenging plight she had ever been in since her birth. Even when she had been sent to another world by the Heavenly Wheel previously, she had never met such a difficult opponent.

    ¡°Let me draw it away,¡± she said resolutely.

    ¡°No way!¡± Gao Xiang shouted anxiously.

    ¡°You should know that, if there is anyone capable of drawing it away, that person would be me.¡± Lu Mingshu remained unperturbed, ¡°I have already remembered the topography here when I looked at the map earlier. There¡¯s a slope full of rocks to the west¡ª a veryplicated terrain. I will still have an opportunity to live if I flee towards that slope.¡±

    Gao Xiang still wanted to add a piece of his mind, but the Specter could wait no more; its shadow shed, pouncing towards them.

    Keng! Lu Mingshu lifted her sword to block the attack before Gao Xiang could have the opportunity to do so. ¡°Leave now!¡±

    ¡°I ...¡±

    ¡°Go! Let¡¯s go!¡± The youngdy yelled out in the midst of crying.

    Yang Zhou steeled his heart. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± he shouted and dashed towards the exit with the youngdy on his back.

    On the other side, Lu Mingshu had already exchanged two moves with the Specter and had dodged by a hair¡¯s breadth each time.

    ¡°Leave quickly!¡± she shouted out.

    The corners of Gao Xiang¡¯s mouth twitched, but he finally made himself turn around. He said just one line before leaving, ¡°Just wait, I will definitely find people to rescue you!¡±

    Lu Mingshu blocked a few more moves, and when their silhouettes disappeared, she swung her sword at the Specter. When she saw itnd on its long arm, she turned tails and ran for her life.

    The Specter was very fast, and Lu Mingshu had calcted that even if she were to use the Light Body Technique, it would barely allow her to not be caught up to. She also had to control her mystic force; if mystic force were to be consumed too quickly, and she was caught before making it to the rugged slope, she would no longer be able to find a way to survive.

    Such life and death moments were no stranger to her. Just like the first time she traversed and was pursued by the demonic wolf; she hade across such a crisis not just once in the past few years. She had often been sent to other worlds via the Heavenly Wheel. However, none of her opponents had been as dangerous as the Specter.

    When speaking purely in terms of speed, Lu Mingshu would not be able to outrun the Specter even if she used the Light Body Technique.

    Hence, she had to think of another way to increase her chances of survival.

    Lu Mingshu went round an ancient tree, quickly turned, and fled in the opposite direction.

    The Specter was fast, so due to the strong inertia, it couldn¡¯t stop easily. Thus, once Lu Mingshu changed direction, she could put some distance between her and the Specter ¨C it would never be able to react in time.

    She fled, changed direction, then fled and changed direction once more.

    The Specter gradually got used to her escaping pattern and was no longer as easy to throw off.

    The Specter was still following her closely when they made a detour around an ancient tree yet again. However, this time, Lu Mingshu turned around abruptly and pierced its flesh with her sword.

    Chi¡ª The sharp tip of her sword pierced the Specter¡¯s joint.

    The Specter had just lifted its arm¡ª when Lu Mingshu started running as fast as she could once more.

    As one would expect, by striking the joint of the Specter¡¯s leg, she was finally able to affect its speed.

    By the time the Specter had its guard up once again, Lu Mingshu changed her tactics.

    By changing her tactics several times, she finally rushed into the rugged slope unscathed.

    Her mystic force was nearlypletely depleted.

    She ran while kicking the rough rocks by her feet.

    She knew that with how strong the spirit of the Specter was, this illusion formation would be practically ineffective. However, at this moment, her survival rate would increase if she were to slow it down by even a tiny bit more.

    Large beads of perspiration dripped off Lu Mingshu¡¯s forehead, as she propped herself up on a giant stone gasping for breath.

    I feel a little dizzy; did I used up too much energy?

    She took out a very small round object from her sleeve, and with a light press, she sprung the cover of the metal shell open, revealing a refined surface.

    It had an hour hand, minute hand, second hand and in addition, a maic needle.

    It is now three twenty p.m. in the afternoon, pointing towards ...

    Lu Mingshu suddenly discovered something was amiss. She lifted her head to look at the sun.

    Determining the points of thepass ording to the Sun was one of the fundamental skills when it came to surviving in the wild. However, the direction indicated by the maic needle presently was not identical to the direction of the sun. Moreover, the maic needle was still trembling incessantly ...

    There is a maic field nearby!

    As the thought shed through her mind, she quickly act ording to it.

    Beasts were generally more susceptible to maic fieldspared to humans ¡ª this was one of their innate skills. Simrly, they were easily susceptible to interference from the maic field as well ...

    The maic field, maic field ...

    Lu Mingshu kept repeating these words in her mind, staring hard at thepass in her hand, all the while not stopping in her footsteps. She walked towards the part of the maic field where the maic needle showed more interference.

    Found it!

    The maic needle jumped incessantly. The field was fluctuating so much, that the needle moved by a wide margin each time, consuming arge amount of her mental strength.

    Watching the Specter rapidly approaching, Lu Mingshu quickly kicked onest rock from underneath her feet.

    The Specter ran in head-first, but yet, its speed slowed down and it suddenly began running around in circles.

    The illusion formation made by her had never achieved such an astounding effect before. It was indeed as the saying goes: ¡®The bigger the pressure one faces, the more of one¡¯s potential would be uncovered.¡¯

    Sweat droplets slid down from her forehead continuously, as she quickly set up the formation. She spared no effort in setting up a big enough formation, so she would have enough leeway to save the situation.

    However, the Specter was not a being that could be easily controlled. It possessed a spirit that far surpassed ordinary ferocious beasts.

    At that moment, by the riverbank, Gao Xiang was currently raging. ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡±

    Teacher Zuo shot a nce of indifference towards him. ¡°I have already sent out the message, the sect will naturally send reinforcements over soon.¡±

    Gao Xiang almost couldn¡¯t hold himself back from pointing his finger at Teacher Zuo. ¡°Exactly how much time would have already passed by the time the reinforcements arrive? With human life at stake, how can we take no action when we are closed? This is a failure to fulfil one¡¯s duty!¡±

    Teacher Zuo stated coldly, ¡°Do not think that you can speak rudely to a teacher just because you are a disciple of Elder An! Don¡¯t you even know to call a first-rate disciple of the sect senior brother?¡±

    Although Gao Xiang was a direct disciple, he could only be considered a third-rate disciple before he finishes his apprenticeship. The disciples of Nine Jade Pce could be ssified from first to third-rate, as well as ¡®genuine sessor¡¯. A direct disciple was only showing their origin and did not signify a rank.

    Hence, Teacher Zuo was not wrong. No matter how high his origin status was, Gao Xiang still had to call him senior brother before he finishes his apprenticeship.

    However, Gao Xiang had always been someone that was stubborn in insisting on his own thinking, so why would he bother about what Teacher Zuo said? Gao Xiang immediately clenched his teeth into an angry smile. ¡°What pretty words, do you think others have no idea?! Who in the sect does not know you are Zhou Yinru¡¯s dog? You listen to Zhou Yinru¡¯s order to avenge your private enmity through the public task, aren¡¯t you?!¡±

 Chapter 46: A cry for help

    <h4>Chapter 46: A cry for help</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    As the saying goes: ¡®If you are going to hit someone, don¡¯t hit his face.¡¯ Yet, Gao Xiang¡¯s words, were hitting Teacher Zuo¡¯s face head-on.

    Not to mention if Teacher Zuo had really done so, for even if he had not, he would still be infuriated.

    When Teacher Zuo heard Gao Xiang¡¯s criticism, his face sank. ¡°You¡¯re in no position to judge whether it¡¯s avenging private enmity with a public task or not. If you want to lecture me, wait till you have seeded Elder An¡¯s position. Right now, I am the teacher! I have taken ¨C in my opinion ¨C the most appropriate countermeasure I could take in this situation. If you continue offending your superior, don¡¯t me me for being rude.¡±

    Teacher Zuo ignored him once he was done speaking. He turned around to gather all the disciples, including the team on patrol.

    ¡°All of you are to listen well.¡± Teacher Zuomanded, ¡°A Specter have been discovered in the West Mountain Forest. For safety measures, no one is to leave the group from now on. If you are to disobey mymand, you shall bear all responsibility on the consequences.¡±

    A burst of uproar sounded among the disciples. Specter? Was it that kind of scary ferocious beast? There actually is such a ferocious beast, and they were unlucky enough to run into it?

    Afterwards, Teacher Zuomanded the disciples to put up some simple defensive countermeasures.

    Gao Xiang looked at this scene in rage. The moment that the injured youngdy came back, she hid to the teacher¡¯s side and did not mention a word about Lu Mingshu. Yang Zhou was about to speak but obeyed Teacher Zuo¡¯smands in the end. He lowered his head and did not dare to look at Gao Xiang.

    These people, stood tall and mighty in discrimination against others when things did not concern them; Yet, when in the face of danger, they epted her sacrifice as if it was a matter of course. They were so stingy, that they didn¡¯t even show the tiniest bit of concern, and did not even utter a single word for her.

    Gao Xiang felt an agonising pain in his chest when he thought of Lu Mingshu. He was very clear on the fact that, if it was not for her desire to save everyone, Lu Mingshu could have very well escaped from the Specter, given her intelligence. If she was a little more heartless, she could have used Yang Zhou and that injured youngdy as a scapegoat and the two of them could have very well escaped unscathed. But right now, she had ced herself in a dangerous ce in order for everyone to escape, yet nobody wanted to help her. These people might very well be just rejoicing in their hearts that they were not the unlucky one.

    He sincerely wished for reality not to disappoint him, but the reality was just a big disappointment.

    However, what exactly could he do? There were only two ways to find a helper: one ¨C use the golden sword messenger, two ¨C use the flying pigeon domesticated by the sect to pass on a letter. He could only use the golden sword messenger once he had reached the Spirit Realm, and he did not have a flying pigeon on hand right now to send the letter.

    He held not even a tiny bit of hope for Teacher Zuo¡¯s reinforcement. Teacher Zuo was Zhou Yinru¡¯sckey, hence he would only ask the Zhou family for help. Would those people even care about Lu Mingshu¡¯s life?

    Well then, there is only one way left: run back!

    But, even without bringing up the time, will Teacher Zuo even let me leave? From the looks of Zhou Yinru¡¯s character, Gao Xiang felt that the likelihood of that happening was really slim.

    ¡°Oi, Gao Dama.¡± A soft yell sounded behind him.

    Gao Xiang turned around to discover Zhang Qiang. Although thisd was only twelve years old, he is as tall and strong as an adult.

    ¡°Don¡¯te and pick a quarrel with me, I have no time to bother with you.¡± Thinking back to how they fought each time they met, they were pretty familiar with each other, although they could not be considered friends.

    Zhang Qiang looked left and right, before whispering, ¡°Did you say the one that lured the Specter away was that girl you always y with?¡±

    Gao Xiang had only brought Lu Mingshu to the Great Dao Hall once, and his Martial Grandfather had not allowed him to do so afterwards. Although Gao Xiang did not know why his Martial Grandfather got him to do so, he was certain that there must be a reason. Hence, Zhang Qiang was not familiar with Lu Mingshu and only recognized her because they would run into each other on the way asionally.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± Gao Xiang replied with an annoyed tone.

    However, Zhang Qiang did not pit himself against Gao Xiang, and instead, spoke in a low voice quite uncharacteristically, ¡°Are you trying to find someone to save her? I can help you dy the teacher.¡±

    Once he heard those words, Gao Xiang¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.

    Zhang Qiang felt awkward under his stare. ¡°From what you said, I thought she was as brave as a man! No ... she is a figure worth respecting!¡±

    Gao Xiang stared hard at him for a few seconds and decided to believe him since he did not have any other ideas left. ¡°What do you intend to do?¡±

    Zhang Qiang started whispering something in his ear.

    Suddenly, Gao Xiang¡¯s face twisted into an expression of fury. Pushing him away, Gao Xiang shouted, ¡°Zhang Xiaoqiang! What is the meaning of this? Spout such nonsense again, and believe me, I¡¯ll hit you till you have to crawl around to search for your teeth!¡±

    Zhang Qiang shouted out loudly, ¡°What are you so diffident for when I was just speaking casually? Are you secretly guilty?¡±

    ¡°You ...¡± Gao Xiang grabbed him by his shirt cor and lifted his clenched fist; itching to strike out.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think I wouldn¡¯t dare to retaliate!¡± Zhang Qiang shouted even louder.

    Everyone¡¯s attention was now on the two of them.

    ¡°What are you both doing?¡± Teacher Zuo spoke coldly, ¡°How dare you act willfully and make a scene at this moment!¡±

    Zhang Qiang rushed toin. ¡°Teacher! He wants to hit me!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because of your dirty mouth!¡±

    ¡°What did I say? Say it!¡±

    Gao Xiang¡¯s face flushed red, but did not speak.

    Everyoneprehended the situation at this point. They were all youngds anddies, hence they were a little more sensitive to some issues.

    Looking at everyone¡¯s expression, Gao Xiang grew even more furious and swung his fist towards Zhang Qiang¡¯s face.

    ¡°How dare you spout nonsense! If it wasn¡¯t for her luring the Specter away, will you still be standing here all well?! Coward! You dare to even criticize when you let a girl sacrifice herself for you!¡±

    Zhang Qiang who wasn¡¯t prepared for it and got hit head-on. This blew Zhang Qiang¡¯s top. In mere seconds, punches were thrown, fists were sent flying and a fight had erupted.

    ¡°Stop right now!¡± Teacher Zuo quickly walked inrge strides towards the two and threw them apart. ¡°Can¡¯t you figure out this is not the time and the ce to pick a fight?! Go andyout the defence since the both of you have so much strength!¡±

    ¡°Teacher!¡± Zhang Qiang rushed to answer, ¡°Since he is so worried, why not let him keep a lookout? We can also avoid him causing trouble again!¡±

    Teacher Zuo paused for a moment, before he said, ¡°That¡¯s good as well.¡± Sending Gao Xiang away to keep a lookout is such a good idea. This is a dangerous task that no one wants to do, and Gao Xiang will be an unstable element if he stays. With the trouble he made, such a punishment can be considered lenient, so I will be able to maintain my confidence even if Grand Elder Zhuo asks about this matter.

    He looked towards Zhang Qiang once again. ¡°As for you ...¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious if I go as well.¡± Zhang Qiang looked at Gao Xiang indignantly, ¡°I¡¯ll show you what a ¡®coward¡¯ I am, hmph.¡±

    As he spoke, Zhang Qiang took the initiative to walk towards the entrance of the mountain forest.

    Teacher Zuo agreed tacitly. Both parties to having the same punishment would show how unbiased he was.

    Gao Xiangughed coldly, before turning around and following Zhang Qiang.

    The two entered the forest.

    Once they were out of Teacher Zuo¡¯s sight, Zhang Qiang pushed Gao Xiang. ¡°Go quickly! Be careful on the way!¡±

    Gao Xiang nodded. ¡°Thanks a lot.¡± Without further ado, he turned around and dashed off, before making a detour out of the mountain forest and towards the base camp to get reinforcements!

    At the same time, Lu Mingshu was dashing somewhere as well.

    With the help of the ma, she made illusion formations one after the other, and she was finally seeing some results. She took advantage of the time gained to restore some mystic force.

    However, the Specter was after all an abnormal ferocious beast. The illusion formation might be able to slow it down, but it could not trap it.

    She made the formation while going deeper into the maic field, having the Specter hard on her heels throughout. Later on, the Specter got slowly used to the interference from the maic force, and the illusion formation gradually lost its effect.

    As she ran, Lu Mingshu sensed something was amiss.

    ¡°Mystic force ...¡± In the depths of the rugged cliff, there appeared to be an area with dense mystic force.

    There could only be two reasons for such sudden concentrated amounts of mystic force. One was the presence of some abnormal treasure; the other was the existence of some powerful organism. If it is thetter, does it mean ...

 Chapter 47: Canyon floor

    <h4>Chapter 47: Canyon floor</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    Go!

    Without much hesitation, Lu Mingshu made her decision.

    If it was an abnormal treasure, its dense mystic force would definitely be attractive to this Specter. If it was a powerful organism, she could take the opportunity to impede the Specter.

    Of course, there existed a possibility where she could be caught in the middle and be smashed into smithereens.

    But with the current outlook of the situation, reinforcements would not be arriving anytime soon. Hence, she could only try her luck no matter how slim the chances of winning were.

    The Specter behind her sped up in a swoop to get her, creating an afterimage of a ck line as it neared her rapidly.

    Lu Mingshu suddenly leapt up and swung her sword in a bid to strike the Specter!

    This one strike, which practically condensed her mystic force into threads,sered towards the Specter¡¯s pupil.

    The ck line stopped and the Specter lifted one arm to block the iing strike while striking out its other arm.

    ¡°Whoosh!¡± With one wave of its arm, gravel was sent flying in all directions.

    At the same moment, an odd screech erupted from the Specter¡¯s mouth.

    Lu Mingshu swiftly blocked the attack and saw a drip of ck-coloured blood dribble down its palm, corroding the stones on the floor which instantly turned into ck smoke.

    The thinner the mystic force, the more prative power it had. However, few could condense their mystic force into such a concentrated and thin form.

    Lu Mingshu wascking in resources. So for her, mystic force was exceptionally precious. Lu Mingshu valued every tiny bit of mystic force tremendously. Over time, she trained to have exceptionally good control over her mystic force.

    Of course, this tiny injury meant nothing to the Specter. What kind of ferocious beast didn¡¯t fight in close quarters on a daily basis while living in Jade West Mountain Forest? Injuries were nothing out of the ordinary, and the injury inflicted by Lu Mingshu was onlyparable to a mosquito bite.

    However, this Specter who had already deemed Lu Mingshu as its prey was not happy about being hurt by its prey. It was immediately enraged.

    Lu Mingshu steadied her body and kept her breathing tranquil.

    Her remaining mystic force was not sufficient for her to run to that ce now. Hence, in order to give herself an opportunity, she had to face this Specter head-on and beat it off.

    Calm, I have to keep calm.

    Lu Mingshu circted her internal mystic force and lowered her centre of gravity. Then she tightly held on to the sword in her hands.

    The Specter lifted its thick, solid right arm slowly and unhurriedly; then, it abruptly swung its arm!

    Faced with the strong winds of the attack, Lu Mingshu believed that this one punch could even smash a rock into particles.

    Her gaze remained fixated on that ck shadow, and right before itnded on her body, she leapt up andnded on arge rock.

    As its first attack was unsessful, the Specter threw out a second punch.

    The impact of the Specter¡¯s strike ruptured therge rock.

    When Lu Mingshu was in mid-air from her leap, she brought down her sword.

    The mystic force contained in the sword energy was extremely weak, and therefore it was no different from being hit by crushed rocks to the Specter; it did not care one bit.

    However, threads of faint mystic force prated through the sword energy and hit the Specter in between its joint and meridians.

    She only had one chance. Considering how much mystic force she had left, one chance was all she had.

    When the Specter lifted its arm once more, anotherrge rock was smashed to bits.

    Each punch it waved resulted in arge rock getting crushed into pieces. Very quickly, not a single intact rock could be seen within a circumference of ten feet from Lu Mingshu.

    The Specter¡¯s palm force broke eachrge rock into pieces, and with each consecutive strike, the rocks were broken into even tinier pieces. As the rocks became increasingly tiny in size, the wind brought about gravel from each wave of the Specter¡¯s arm, causing a storm of crushed rocks to surround Lu Mingshu.

    Pushing her way through the storm of crushed rocks, Lu Mingshu persevered unremittingly in hitting the Specter¡¯s body with her sword energy.

    The Specter had gotten used to her tickling attacks and didn¡¯t even bother to evade them anymore.

    Under the incessant ¡®tickling¡¯, the Specter screeched out in a violent rage as its mystic force formed mystic rays in its entire body.

    As the mystic force circted, the internal injury left behind by the faint sword energy was stimted.

    Now¡¯s the time!

    Lu Mingshu leapt up. With her remaining mystic force, she condensed a thin de edge and struck downwards!

    The Specter originally wanted to stretch out its hand to grasp it, but its joint went rigid, which dyed the movements of its arm and leg for an instant.

    ¡°Szzz¨C¡± The slight sound was barely perceptible within the storm of crushed rocks.

    The sword energy condensed from mystic force pierced in from the tiny wound from before.

    The sharp de prated the Specter¡¯s arm.

    ¡°Eeeek ¨C¡± The shrill was so loud that it sounded like it would puncture one¡¯s eardrum to shreds.

    Lu Mingshu exerted strength to push the de even deeper in. Pu! ck blood spurted everywhere.

    Afterwards, without even sheathing her sword, she turned her tail and ran.

    Her small silhouette quickly disappeared in the midst of the dust.

    When the storm of crushed rocks finally quietened down, the Specter had already lost track of its prey.

    The Specter screeched repeatedly, pursuing its prey by sniffing the scent that was left behind.

    Almost, almost there.

    When the Specter had caught up once again, Lu Mingshu leapt up and tumbled down the valley.

    A stretch of deep canyon extended all the way across after she tumbled down.

    Lu Mingshu curled up her body into a ball and tightly hugged her head.

    As she rolled, the gravel, grass, and stems scraped her back and limbs. Her tumbling speed grew faster and faster.

    ¡°Whoosh!¡±

    ¡°Plop!¡±

    ...

    In the depths of the canyon, under a rocky precipice, a young man was meditating with his eyes closed.

    Suddenly, a body fell from the sky through the ¡®roof¡¯ that had carelessly been made out of twigs and fell right before him.

    He abruptly opened his eyes and grabbed ahold of his weapon.

    However, the sharp de was only drawn out by an inch before it was stopped.

    He looked at the body on the floor, his brows knitted together puzzledly.

    A person? The sky stopped raining droplets and is instead, raining people now?

    From the looks of the body, this was a child.

    This child¡¯s arms were hugging their head and was curled up into a ball ¡ª a defensive posture. From the looks of things, there didn¡¯t seem to be any distinct bloodstains or heavy injuries, but he had no idea if the child had any internal injuries.

    Did this child just fall to their death? He walked towards the body and poked it with his scabbard.

    When he saw the body shift in difort, he let out a breath of relief. Thank god, it hasn¡¯t died.

    Eh? Wait, from the current view of things, it would be better if this child had died ...

    What a pity. His thoughts were just that ¡ª thoughts; Lu Mingshu was slowlying to her consciousness and slowly sat up.

    Lu Mingshu felt wrecked from the fall. When she sat up carelessly and suddenly saw a person standing there without any mental preparation on her part, she was stunned into stillness.

    ¡°What is it? You¡¯ve been stunned speechless from a look at my handsome face?¡± The other party gave a sinister smile which was further intensified by the knife scar on his face.

    Lu Mingshu looked at the man before her cautiously.

    This was a young man d in a body of ck and held a ck scabbard weapon. He looked to be about seventeen to eighteen years old, and his face ... had pretty well-sculpted facial features. However, he had a knife scar that was about three inches that extended down one half of his face.

    Such a face, matched with the words he had just uttered would make one feel extremely constipated.

    ¡°Aiyo, it¡¯s a little maiden.¡± The young man stroked his chin. ¡°Could it be that God thinks I might be bored being here all alone and sent a little maiden to apany me?¡±

    Lu Mingshu went on high alert, but it was only when she stretched out her hand and touched air did she remember that she had left her sword behind on the Specter¡¯s body.

    However, the situation was a little better from what she had anticipated. It wasn¡¯t a powerful ferocious beast but a man. Since it was a man, they¡¯d be able tomunicate, right?

    ¡°Big brother, may I ask ...¡±

    Jade West Mountain Forest was basically Nine Jade Pce¡¯s backyard. Hence, there would not be any outsiders around. However, judging from the young man¡¯s get-up, he did not seem to be a disciple of the Nine Jade Pce. His clothes and ornaments carried a distinct Zhongzhou characteristic.

    That¡¯s right! A few years ago, in order to stabilize his position as sect leader, Fu Shangqing once went into an alliance with Seven Truths tform. Nine Jade Pce dispatched disciples over to Seven Truths tform as an exchange, and their forfeit was to open up Jade West Mountain Forest to let Seven Truths tform disciplese over regrly for training experience. So could this young man be a Seven Truths tform disciple?

    But thest time Seven Truths tform dispatched disciples over should have been afterst year¡¯s autumn hunt. It couldn¡¯t possibly be that this young man stayed more than half a year in the Jade West Mountain Forest and had not gone back at all?

    The young man opened his mouth and was about to answer when his imposing manner suddenly changed. ¡°ng!¡±, he unsheathed his weapon.

    A ck shadow tumbled down from the sky, and with a sh of the young man¡¯s silhouette, he rushed forward.

    ¡°Little maiden, I don¡¯t mind your arrival, but it isn¡¯t sincere to bring such a dangerous gift along with you!¡±

 Chapter 48: Young Man

    <h4>Chapter 48: Young Man</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    Lu Mingshu realized that this young man was a Harmonization Realm practitioner, and the weapon in his hands was not a sword like she thought it was, but a saber. The body of a saber was long and narrow like a sword, but it was sharpened only on one side and enabled one to strike with more ease.

    ¡°Tsk, to go as far as to attract a Specter, you¡¯re really unlucky! However, meeting me also means that you¡¯re still lucky.¡±

    When she saw the Specter catch up, Lu Mingshu was initially already really nervous. Unexpectedly, this young man took the initiative to rush up and fight the Specter without the slightest hesitation.

    With the flying afterimage of the sword, it was hard to distinguish between the Specter¡¯s image and the young man¡¯s image. The criss-cross of mystic forces resembled lightning ¨C rising instantaneously, then falling instantaneously.

    Lu Mingshu looked on at the scene in shock. This young man ... is really strong!

    While she was in shock, the young man was in shock too.

    He found something was amiss as he exchanged blows with the Specter. Not only did this Specter move sluggishly, but it also carried injuries as well. A Specter was hard to deal with because of its extraordinary strength and lightning speed. Moreover, it was d in a body of ck skin that had extraordinary defences that rendered it to be practically untouchable.

    If his eyes were not ying tricks on him, this little maiden had just reached the Inner Breath Realm and would have had arge strength disparity with the Specter. It was no easy matter for her to even flee from the Specter, but she even injured the other party? Moreover, the wound was even in an interesting ce ... tsk, it might be difficult to manage a Specter in perfectly good condition, but if I can¡¯t even handle a Specter with a crippled arm, won¡¯t I be inferior to this little maiden and have wasted my time spent in reclusive training here?

    His knife light that was akin to snow soared into the sky, analogous with the sound of thunder.

    The moment Lu Mingshu¡¯s eyes registered the knife¡¯s light, the knife had already been swung down andnded on the Specter¡¯s other arm.

    ¡°Sploosh.¡± The ck skin ripped open and ck blood spurted everywhere.

    ¡°Man, this is smelly!¡± The young man scrunched his nose in disgust but did not cease his hand movement as he brought his knife down once more. In the blink of an eye, countless mystic rays assaulted the Specter, with each raynding on the same point as the previous.

    The Specter¡¯s long arm was disconnected and flew off from its body.

    A loud screech sounded out once again. The Specter sank into a deranged state after having both of its arms torn away.

    The young man took the opportunity to chase after it and attacked. Positioning his knife towards the Specter¡¯s thin and narrow neck, he swung down.

    In the quiet of the deep valley, Lu Mingshu could distinctly hear her own breathing.

    From the moment when the Specter caught up to her, to this moment where it was beheaded by the young man, not even fifteen minutes had passed.

    Is it safe now? Why does everything feel so surreal?

    Is the strength disparity between someone in the Harmonization Realm and the Inner Breath Realm this huge? Or is this young man too formidable?

    The young man sheathed his knife and walked to her. ¡°Little maiden, how are you going to thank me now that I¡¯ve solved your huge problem?¡±

    Lu Mingshu only discovered now that the stature of the other party was not lower than her own master¡¯s; it was the standard figure of an adult. His age might¡¯ve been a bit older than her estimate, but his youthful energy made him feel more like a teenager to Lu Mingshu.

    She pondered slightly and asked a question in return. ¡°Big brother, you¡¯re not a disciple of Nine Jade Pce, right?¡±

    The man was startled into a pause. Afterwards, heughed at her meaningfully. ¡°You¡¯re young but pretty observant. Why, do you want to threaten me?¡±

    ¡°Of course not.¡± Lu Mingshu thanked him earnestly. ¡°Many thanks to big brother for saving me. May I know the name of my benefactor? Just so I can return the favour in future.¡±

    ¡°No need!¡± The young man waved his hand. ¡°I was just bored out of my wits when you appeared. Why don¡¯t you stay behind to apany me, and we¡¯ll take it as you repay the favour?¡±

    The moment Lu Mingshu heard these words, her hairs all stood up on one end. Does he mean to keep me as a prisoner? What does he want to do?

    ¡°What¡¯s going through your mind now, hm?¡± The young man crossed his arms over his chest, looking at her engrossingly. ¡°Look at your board of a chest before your thoughts run wild. What exactly can a gentleman like me do to you?¡±

    You may say that, but what if you¡¯re a pervert?

    The young man read her expression andughed out loud, ¡°Even if I let you leave, you have to be able to leave on your own two feet too!¡±

    With this reminder from him, Lu Mingshu realized that she couldn¡¯t even stand up! It was as if her whole body had given up on her from total exhaustion. There were numerous wounds that burned like scorching heat on her back and her four limbs from the tumble.

    The man squatted down, grabbed her leg and pressed on them to examine for broken bones.

    His press made Lu Mingshu sharply inhale a breath of cold air from the piercing pain; she almost couldn¡¯t withhold her shout. It¡¯s so painful! I must have fractured it from the impact of tumbling down the valley.

    ¡°From the looks of things, it is a bone fracture. You¡¯ll be immobile for at least three to five days.¡± The young man tore open her pant legs. As he applied pressure on her wound, threads of mystic rays passed through his palm to permeate her bruised purple wound.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing grave,¡± he said, ¡°I can heal it for you.¡±

    Lu Mingshu stared at him, still wary as she was, waiting for him to raise his conditions for healing her.

    The young man¡¯s expression was filled with helplessness at that point. ¡°I say, you¡¯re so young, but why do you read so much into a pure intention? Can¡¯t I be a good man?¡±

    Lu Mingshu said, ¡°Thank you then, big brother.¡± Those might have been her words, but her expression remained the same ¨C suspicious.

    He pointed at her angrily, as if he wanted to say something but could not find the right words to say. In the end, he said resentfully, ¡°Forget it, forget it. I¡¯ll just take it as my bad luck for meeting you!¡±

    He got up and walked out of the small cavity under the rock precipice to squat by the Specter¡¯s corpse. After flipping the corpse over a few times, he grabbed the long arm that still remained on the Specter and pulled out her sword.

    ¡°Medium grade mystic weapon with fine quality material. If not for the mistake made when smelting the metal, it could be rated as high-grade.¡± The young man flicked the sword de that was dull of any brilliance, ¡°However, it has turned into the trash from corrosion. What a pity.¡±

    The weaponry of this world was divided into low ss ordinary steel, then mystic weapon, then treasure tool, and then finally, spirit weapon. Each type of ss would be further divided into three grades: high, medium, and low. Ordinary steel could only be used in practice, and a mystic weapon would be able to sustain the mystic force of a practitioner.

    A spirit weapon was hard toe by, and each spirit weapon would have their own world-famous legendary tale. A majority of the Spirit and Assimtion Realm experts would only own a treasure tool. Practitioners in the Harmonization Realm couldn¡¯t use ordinary steel anymore, and therefore they would carry a mystic weapon. However, it was not easy for an Inner Breath Realm to obtain a mystic weapon. Hence, if Lu Mingshu was seen carrying the ordinary steel weapon distributed by the sect after returning from the spring hunt since this sword was given to her by her master before she had left, she would have to apply for reimbursement.

    Presently, this mystic weapon was from Lu Mingshu¡¯s master. Hence, she would have to apply for reimbursement once she returned.

    The young man threw the sword back to her. ¡°Keep it as a memento.¡±

    Then, he left while carrying the Specter¡¯s corpse.

    When he came back a whileter, he had changed his top, and all traces of a corpse was gone. He carried a porcin bowl with green content inside, that looked like mashed grass stalks.

    The young man squatted down once again and applied the sticky green content in the bowl to Lu Mingshu¡¯s wound. Once done, he bandaged and fixated two twigs to the sides of her fractured leg.

    ¡°This is my own secret recipe. I guarantee you you¡¯ll recover in three days.¡±

    Lu Mingshu finally thanked him sincerely. ¡°Thank you very much, big brother, for your timely help. I apologize for offending you before.¡±

    The young man waved his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it! As the bigger person, I won¡¯t be calctive with a little maiden like you.¡± Then he continued, ¡°You are a disciple of Nine Jade Pce? Why aren¡¯t you apanied by a teacher or senior when you¡¯re only in the Inner Breath Realm?¡±

    ¡°My seniors have been dispatched to attend to another task. I was together with my fellow apprentices when we ran into some bad luck ...¡± Lu Mingshu did not borate further as discovering the beast cave was a big matter. It wouldn¡¯t be convenient to tell an outsider about it.

    ¡°Your strength isn¡¯t bad at all to be able to run so far, even under the pursuit of a Specter! How rare for Nine Jade Pce to have such a disciple.¡± This young man¡¯s tone was one of age and wisdom as if Nine Jade Pce was of not much of a significance in his eyes.

    Lu Mingshuughed dryly. ¡°May I know how to address big brother?¡±

    ¡°Haven¡¯t you just been calling me big brother like we are old friends?¡± When he was done with bandaging her wound, the young man took a wet handkerchief and started wiping his hands clean multiple times. Speaking of it, this was obviously the wilderness, yet he was clean and tidy from head to toe. Not even a speck of dust could be seen from his hair to his clothing ¡ª it was as if this man had mysophobia.*

    What a strange man, running to the wilderness even when he has mysophobia.

    Once he was done wiping his hands, the young man threw the handkerchief behind him with a flick of his wrist and said, ¡°Just call me Yan Wugui. What about you?¡±

    ¡°... So it¡¯s Brother Yan. My surname is Lu, Lu Mingshu.¡± She stared at his knife for a few seconds. ¡°Brother Yan does not seem to be from Xichuan, are you from Zhongzhou?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t need to sound me out!¡± Yan Wugui said, ¡°I am from Seven Truths tform.¡±

    He¡¯s indeed from Seven Truths tform. Lu Mingshu secretly sighed in her heart: As long as he¡¯s not someone from an unknown origin.

    But, didn¡¯t the Seven Truths tform disciples leave long ago? He really stayed in the Jade West Mountain Forest for a good half of a year? Why?

    Yan Wugui, who had seen through her scepticism, said, ¡°I¡¯ve entered a bottleneck in my knife technique. That¡¯s why I stayed back for seclusion training.¡± He nced over at her and continued, ¡°You¡¯re only so young, don¡¯t read too much into things! Be careful to not grow old too fast!¡±

 Chapter 49: Youéˆ¥æª™e Still Young

    <h4>Chapter 49: You¡¯re Still Young</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    Lu Mingshu pursed her lips, but did not reply to Yan Wugui.

    Yan Wugui took no more notice of her and jumped onto therge rock above him to build a roof once again. He then cleaned up the scene, leveling out all the bloodstains and whatnots.

    While he busied himself away with cleaning, Lu Mingshu started to feel drowsy. She did not know whether this round of drowsiness was due to side effects of the herb, or her excessive blood loss, but she knew that her body was telling her it needed rest right now.

    With Jian Wugui around, Lu Mingshu did not struggle with the drowsiness and immediately fell asleep. However, this was after all the wilderness, and she was not very familiar with Yan Wugui. Hence, she did not enter deep sleep and dreamt all the way. She dreamt of her childhood days, she dreamt about her time in Jiulu Province, she dreamt of her adventures in another world, and a momentter, she dreamt that she was fighting the Specter.

    During this moment of drowsiness, she felt herself being lifted up. She fought her heavy eyelids for a long while, and when she barely managed to open her eyes into a slit, she discovered herself resting on someone¡¯s back.

    This wide back and the sturdy hold of her arms, almost made Lu Mingshu tear up. She carelessly called out, ¡°Father!¡±

    The person that carried her stiffened.

    Once she called out, Lu Mingshu remembered how her father could not possibly be carrying her like this, and her master was the only one that cared for her so. Hence, she called out once more, ¡°Master ...¡±

    Yan Wugui terribly wanted to smash his head into the wall. Am I that old? No matter what, it¡¯s still impossible for me to have a daughter this big!

    He wanted to lecture her, but the moment he turned his head back and saw Lu Mingshu fast asleep on his back, he only sighed helplessly and continued hastening on his way.

    It seemed as if a long while had passed when Lu Mingshu finally awoke. She discovered herself lying in a foreign ce, numb from head to toe.

    Her surroundings were dim and looked to be a simple and crude stone room. Besides the bed she was lying on, there was only a rough stone table present in the room. The only light source in the room was the fire torch on the wall.

    The ce was void of any noise.

    She tried to move her frail body off the bed, however the moment her feet touched the ground, her injuries made themselves felt, and she almost kneeled to the floor.

    The condition of my body ... Have I fallen sick? Lu Mingshu touched her forehead; it was covered in cold sweat and her whole body felt ufortably sticky. There was also a strange odor in her mouth ...

    Lu Mingshu sat herself up on the bed, and after some time, she heard footsteps outside of the room. When she looked over in the direction of the sound, Yan Wugui appeared by the entrance of the stone room, holding onto a bowl with both hands.

    ¡°You¡¯re finally awake.¡± he seemed to have breathed a sigh of relief, and he passed the bowl over to her. ¡°Drink your medicine first.¡±

    When Lu Mingshu looked at the bowl of ck substance, which emitted a pungent medicinal smell, she could not help but scrunch her eyebrows up. So the strange taste in my mouth, was due to this soup¡¯s vour?

    Yan Wugui felt happy when he saw her expression. This is more like a kid!

    ¡°You were burning up for a whole day and night. You had no idea, right? As the blood of the Specter is poisonous and you were even injured, you feel sick right away. Be a good girl! Drink up your medicine so that you can recover.¡±

    Ever since her grandfather and mother passed away, this was the first time someone said ¡®good¡¯ to her. A bout of mixed emotions raised up in her heart, yet she could not speak of a single one of them.

    She took the bowl of medicine and gulped it down in one shot.

    ¡°Brother Yan, where is this ce ...¡±

    Lu Mingshu had not finished speaking when Yan Wugui retreated in his steps; holding onto the bowl with one hand while the other pinched his nose. ¡°How long have you not bathed for? Your whole body is soured!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Lu Mingshu blushed red. Firstly, I had a battle with the Specter and tumbling down the valley left me in dust and grass from head to toe. Then, I went through a fever which made me sweat for a day and night, so how could my body not go sour! But no matter how smelly I am, to be told about it so directly ...

    ¡°Do you still have any strength left? I¡¯ll bring you to take a shower.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded silently.

    Yan Wugui turned around to piggyback her. ¡°Come up.¡±

    Lu Mingshu lifted her arms and ced them on his back; he obviously despised her smell, yet he still endured it and carried her. Lu Mingshu did not know what to think of him. ording to their previous interaction, there was a possibility that Yan Wugui had mysophobia ...

    The two left the stone room, passed through a long stone passageway, and finally emerged from a mountain cave.

    Lu Mingshu squinted her eyes, trying to get used to the sudden brightness outside the cave. Luckily, it was evening then, hence it was not as irritating to the eyes.

    After passing through a bamboo forest, they turned towards a mountain cavity and finally stopped beside a small creek.

    Yan Wugui ced her on arge rock by the small creek and asked, ¡°You don¡¯t have any extra clothes on you, right?¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded her head. Her spare clothes have been all left behind at the base camp, and she only carried a small pocket with her.

    Yan Wugui dug through the pocket by his waist; after digging for a while, he pulled out some clothes. ¡°Make do with this. You have to change out of those clothes no matter what!¡±

    When Lu Mingshu saw him took out the porcin bowl previously, she guessed that he carried a mustard seed pouch on him¡ª now she had gotten her confirmation.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be over in that corner; give me a shout if you need me.¡± Yan Wugui said, pointing at the extreme end of the huge rock. Lu Mingshu guessed that he was going to wash up too. How could a mysophobic survive without washing up, after carrying a human-sized piece of rubbish?

    The moment the two met up after they were done washing, Yan Wugui whistled.

    ¡°Haish, you¡¯re a little beauty.¡±

    Only after Lu Mingshu had pushed the long sleeves up and cut off a good half of the skirt¡¯s hem, did the clothes somewhat fit her. She then asked, ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡±

    Yan Wugui raised his hand. ¡°What¡¯s the point of asking me when you have already torn it up?¡± This little maiden has a really tough temperament, shouldn¡¯t girls of this age be as soft as a bud? She¡¯s much cuter when she calls me father while dreaming ...

    ¡°Where are we?¡± After Lu Mingshu was done packing up, she finally had the mood to be concerned about her whereabouts.

    They stood by a simple kitchen, built with stones piled up on each other by the creek. Yan Wugui busied himself with obtaining water and igniting the fire.

    ¡°The depths of the beast cave.¡±

    Lu Mingshu was stunned. ¡°You know there¡¯s a beast cave here?¡±

    Yan Wugui paused whatever he was doing and looked at her; a shadow of a smile appeared on his face. ¡°Why do you think I would¡¯ve chosen this spot for seclusion training?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Lu Mingshu thought for a while, ¡°Has anyone gone to look for me?¡±

    Lu Mingshu had her suspicions when no reinforcement arrived back then. However, even if Teacher Zuo disregarded her safety, Gao Xiang would still do his best to get reinforcements ¨C it had already been a day and night, so it was abundantly clear to her as to the reason why Yan Wugui brought her away from the valley.

    He did not want anyone to know he was in Jade West Mountain Forest.

    Yan Wugui paused his task and looked at her with a profound expression. ¡°Had anyone told you that being too smart would get you killed faster?¡±

    Lu Mingshu answered him casually, ¡°If you wanted to kill me, you should have killed me on the spot back then. It isn¡¯t profitable to kill me anymore now.¡±

    Yan Wugui was startled at the answer but regained hisposure with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re so smart and so cute, so how could I ever bear to kill you?¡±

    ¡°Thank you, but it would be more suitable to tell me these words in a few years.¡±

    Yan Wugui grinned even wider. ¡°What a pity you¡¯re too young, otherwise I might¡¯ve just started liking you a little.¡±

    The aroma of cooked food quickly filled the area by the creek.

    One could tell that Yan Wugui was an expert in wilderness survival. It was unknown where he hunted this beast meat, nor was it known where he picked the many fresh, wild herbs and mushrooms. However, when he stewed them all together in a pot, the food that came out was a true mountain delicacy.

    When he added the freshly chopped and roasted bamboo tube rice, the aroma rising up in the air was enough to make even Lu Mingshu almost swallow her tongue.

    While she ate this delicious food, she reflected upon her own culinary skills. Even after years of learning, her culinary skills could only be counted as so-so. It is fortunate that master does not despise the food I cook ...

    Once they were done with their meal, Yan Wugui started cleaning ... Is it okay for someone that looks like a ruffian to be this virtuous?

    After washing the dishes, he brought her the clothes she had worn on the day they met. ¡°There are not many parts with holes, it¡¯s still wearable after we wash and mend up the holes.¡±

    ¡°Bro, Brother Yan ...¡± Lu Mingshu looked at him distractedly, when she saw him holding onto her clothes. It can¡¯t be that he wants to wash them for me?

    Yan Wugui patted her head. ¡°You¡¯re still young! Don¡¯t read too much into this.¡±

    That may be true, but to let a guy who¡¯s a stranger wash my own clothes, still feels a little weird ...

    Yan Wugui shook her clothes and was about to soak them in the water when a small item fell out from the bundle.

 Chapter 50: The One Who Sent Her the Jade

    <h4>Chapter 50: The One Who Sent Her the Jade</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    It was a jade pendant that was only about the size of a finger, however, the appearance and colour of the jade showed that it was no ordinary item. The Big Dipper was carved on it, with the star on the handle being slightlyrger than the rest.

    Yan Wugui stared at the Big Dipper carving, and no trace of a smile could be seen on his face. ¡°Why do you have this?¡±

    Lu Mingshu could not help but to be stunned, when she felt killing intenting from him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Yan Wugui turned his head to look at her. ¡°Where did you get this jade pendant?¡±

    His expression scared Lu Mingshu, so she could not help but take a few steps backwards. ¡°It was given to me.¡±

    This jade pendant was given to her by Gentleman Lian Zhen when she had just arrived at Nine Jade Pce. Lu Mingshu had mixed feeling towards this GentlemanLianzhen every time she recalled this matter. At that time, when her mother had just passed away, and she faced the public¡¯s condemnation, he was the only person that believed in the innocence of the Lu family beside Hui Niang and Ah Sheng. However, he did not stand up for them.

    Lu Mingshu knew that it was not realistic to have any expectations in this matter. GentlemanLianzhen wasn¡¯t from Nine Jade Pce and was someone that had no connection to this matter whatsoever. Furthermore, he was there to represent the Seven Truths tform in the discussion about possible cooperation with Nine Jade Pce. So why would he p Nine Jade Pce¡¯s face for someone he had no rtionship with?

    She knew that all too well, however, he was a hope she could not help but long for in such a desperate situation. A hope that someone would stand on her side no matter what others said.

    But no matter what, she was still grateful to Gentleman Lian Zhen. For the trust he had given her in such a moment was very precious.

    ¡°Xie Lianzhen?¡±

    Lu Mingshu did not know the surname of Gentleman Lianzhen, but since Yan Wugui was from the Seven Truths tform, he wouldn¡¯t be wrong, right?

    Once he got Lu Mingshu¡¯s confirmation, Yan Wugui threw the jade pendant back to her and spoke in a tone that carried some odd teasing, ¡°To think you¡¯re someone chosen by Xie Lianzhen.¡±

    Lu Mingshu had wondered for many years why GentlemanLianzhen would send her a jade pendant, but it was all to no avail. Now, she could finally get the answer she had been waiting for. Disregarding Yan Wugui¡¯s poor tone, she hurriedly asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know the reason why Xie Lianzhen gifts jade pendants?¡±

    Lu Mingshu shook her head. Why would she remember to ask for the reason when she had been drowning in the sorrow of losing her mother.

    Yan Wugui replied in a warmer tone, ¡°Then, you know what type of a person Xie Lianzhen is, right?¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded her head. The organizational structure of Seven Truths tform differed greatly from Nine Jade Pce; the seven truths in its name referred to the Big Dipper Seven Star Lords. Yangming Dubhe Star-Lord, Yinjing Merak Star-Lord, Zhenren Phecda Star-Lord, Xuanming Megrez Star-Lord, Danyuan Alioth Star-Lord, Beiji Mizar Star-Lord and Tianguan Alkaid Star-Lord. As the name of Seven Truths tform stated, it was a sect divided into seven ns, and the title of star lord was passed on from generation to generation to each n leader.

    GentlemanLianzhen was precisely the Alioth Star-Lord of Seven Truths tform¨C the n leader of the fifth n.

    ¡°It¡¯s good that you know.¡± Yan Wugui¡¯s tone went cold again, ¡°Xie Lianzhen may appear dignified, but in fact ...¡±

    When he saw that Lu Mingshu did not react to his words, his tone went warm. ¡°Anyway, he isn¡¯t a good guy. He is someone that thinks too highly of himself and thinks he is really good at judging someone. The moment he sees a good sprout, he likes to send them a jade pendant to mark them as someone he had chosen. You have to be careful of him in the future. You need to be wary of him every time you meet!¡±

    Lu Mingshu furrowed her eyebrows. ¡°What are the consequences of being someone he has chosen?¡±

    ¡°The consequence will be him sending someone to follow you closely. Who knows, they might even help you out at times.¡±

    This ... doesn¡¯t seem bad?

    Yan Wugui who had seen through her thoughts, immediately continued on, ¡°But think about it, does such a good situation as receiving and not having to give anything in return ever happen? What he is doing is akin to investing in advance, so that he can collect his interest once you have grown up.¡±

    This ... doesn¡¯t seem to be anything bad either? Isn¡¯t it still me who decides on how I want to repay the kindness shown to me?

    Yan Wugui was racking his brains. ¡°As the saying goes ¨C it is hard to owe a debt of kindness. So, just keep this saying in mind, and you¡¯ll be on the right path.¡± after a pause, he continued resentfully, ¡°but, having this thing is pretty convenient. For example, say you meet difficulties while you¡¯re away to travel. You can take this thing out to ask for favours from nearby Seven Truths tform disciples.¡±

    At the end of his statement, even Yan Wugui felt how unmeaningful his exnation was. Hence, he hurriedly slipped away to wash the clothes.

    Later at night, as Lu Mingshuid in bed to recuperate, looking at the young man, who looked like a fierce ruffian, mending clothes for her under the light of the mes.

    ¡°Done.¡± Yan Wugui put his needle and thread pouch away, shook the mended clothes, and then threw them back to her. ¡°You will have to put up with these two sets of clothes for the moment.¡±

    Lu Mingshu diverted her gaze away and took her clothes from him. Unexpectedly, she discovered that they were very well mended. Mysophobia, excellent cooking skills, knows needlework... What should I do now that I suddenly feel like snatching him home and marrying him?

    ¡°What are you thinking of?¡± Yan Wugui took out a woven mat andid it out on the floor.

    Lu Mingshu casually replied, ¡°I am thinking about whether they will discover the tracks left behind by you.¡±

    ¡°So what if they discover them? It¡¯s impossible for them to find us.¡± There was indescribable ridicule in Yan Wugui¡¯s manner of speaking.

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t felt anything unusual about this ce?¡±

    Lu Mingshu thought for awhile. ¡°Is Brother Yan talking about the unusually dense mystic force?¡±

    ¡°I guess there¡¯s no harm in telling you. The mystic force here originates from a chunk of irregr rock, that is the rock precipice we were at previously. If they were to discover it, then I guess a fight for its ownership would break out ...¡±

    Lu Mingshu went silent. Nine Jade Pce¡¯s internal conflict is infamous after all ...

    ¡°But I have a friend that will attempt to track me down.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about that after you¡¯ve been tracked down.¡± Yan Wugui lied down and shut his eyes, ¡°rest now.¡±

    It was so silent that you could hear a pin drop. The shadow of the mes from the fire torches danced across the walls. It was clearly a foreign ce to Lu Mingshu, yet she slept blissfully well that night.

    ...

    The interior of the Heavenly Wheel was still serene, and the usual fluttering six-coloured streamers were still there.

    Lu Mingshu ced her palm on the tree; searching the huge volume of information for what she wanted.

    ¡°Brother Zhang, are you around?¡± She started a private chat.

    Her luck today did not seem to be too good, as the other party did not reply even after a long time. Hence, Lu Mingshu decided to just exchange a few vulnerary to treat her injuries.

    The six-coloured streamers revolved around her, as they restored her damaged body bit by bit.

    Time in the Heavenly Wheel flowed slower and its healing effect was even better. Once she had absorbed the vulnerary and her body had restored to its initial condition, a reply came in through her message box.

    ¡°Youngdy Lu, is there something you wanted to ask me?¡± a young voice rang across her head.

    This Brother Zhang was a young man from a Xianxia world that Lu Mingshu met during her second transaction. These years, the person she was the most familiar with besides Brother Six, was this Brother Zhang. She had exchanged many elixirs from him. If it wasn¡¯t for the support of these elixirs, given the little resources she was given, she would not have been able to improve at her current pace.

    ¡°Un, I wanted to exchange for some talismans with you.¡±

    ¡°Sure, what kind of talisman do you want? I don¡¯t have many in reserve though ...¡±

    ¡°I want a bit of each kind.¡±

    Talismans were considered one of the specialities of Xianxia worlds. They were simr to the scrolls from the Magic worlds but were cheaper and handier. Any newbie could use talismans, while the deadly expensive scrolls neededrge spells to activate.

    Lu Mingshu liked to get some self-protection talismans for which could save her life in critical situations.

    ¡°I have some herbs and hunt harvest here; you can choose whatever you need.¡± As she took out the spoils from the beast hunt, she felt a little guilty. Anything truly good was kept with the Team Leader and were to be distributed after the hunt. Hence, she only carried a limited amount which the other party might not fancy.

    Unexpectedly, an item managed to attract the attention of this Brother Zhang.

    ¡°Is this a scorpion shell?¡±

    The thing he was attracted to was the shell of the Blood Scorpion. This left Lu Mingshu greatly surprised. ¡°Yes, it had poison originally, but I had burnt it away ...¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, I¡¯ll pick this one. I can use it for elixirs.¡±

 Chapter 51: The Sword Technique from the Stone Wall

    <h4>Chapter 51: The Sword Technique from the Stone Wall</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    Yan Wugui woke up the moment sounds of movement was heard in the stone room.

    When he saw the bandage on Lu Mingshu¡¯s leg, he hurriedly call out, ¡°You should¡¯ve waited for me if you wanted to change the herbal medicine!¡±

    Lu Mingshu shot a nce towards him, and threw away the tree stick fastened to her fracture. ¡°No need, I¡¯m healed now.¡±

    ¡°How can you possibly be healed? Don¡¯t throw a tantrum ...¡± Halfway through the sentence, Yan Wugui fellpletely silent, as he saw Lu Mingshu stand up, walk a few steps, and even jump up and down a few times.

    How could it have healed so fast?! He had personally treated her injuries yesterday with his own medicine. Given his experience, an injury of this degree would require at least three days to recover, and the injured would only be able to move unhindered after another two days. Only one day has passed since yesterday?

    ¡°Impossible, impossible.¡± Yan Wugui shook his head repeatedly. ¡°Let me take a look.¡±

    Just a day ago, Lu Mingshu could not move a muscle, yet today, not even a trace of an injury remained. After probing a few times, Yan Wugui¡¯s conclusion on her leg condition was that it had fully recovered.

    When Lu Mingshu saw that he was about to go bonkers, she hurriedly said, ¡°My physique had been special since young, giving me an exceptionally strong recovery capability.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s such a physique?!¡± Yan Wugui was extremely sceptical.

    ¡°It¡¯s true! Just look at my leg.¡±

    With the facts shoved in front of his face, Yan Wugui had no choice but to believe. Given how vast this world was, nothing was too bizarre. Many special physiques indeed exist in this world; some people possessed opened apertures since birth, while others were born with terminated meridians. Thus, it was not strange that a special physique which had exceptionally good recovery capability existed.

    Yan Wugui was extremely envious. ¡°What an awesome physique.¡±

    What does a practitioner fear the most? Injury! Just look at me ...Holed up in the Jade West Mountain Forest for seclusion training, I had to rest the moment I got injured. Not only did this waste his time, but it was also dangerous.

    ¡°Since you have fully recovered, it shall be self-service today!¡± He was here for seclusion training and not an excursion.

    Yan Wugui got up and gathered the leftover ingredients from yesterday to cook noodles. Afterwards, reassured by Lu Mingshu¡¯s liveliness, he left.

    He informed her before he left, ¡°I have cleared the immediate surroundings of anyrge ferocious beasts, but I can¡¯t be sure if there won¡¯t be any little ones further away. Thus, it¡¯s best you don¡¯t wander off.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded.

    Once Yan Wugui left, she took one of the fire torches on the wall and began walking towards the depths of the cave.

    The cave they currently lived in had various traces of previous human inhabitants. For example, the stone bed and stone table were definitely intentionally made. But, with how old they looked, they should not have been made by Yan Wugui.

    Although the cave was natural, it seemed like someone had gone into seclusion training here a very long time ago, and coincidentally, Yan Wugui fortuitously chanced upon this ceter on.

    Lu Mingshu was curious. From the looks of it, Yan Wugui seemed very familiar with this ce, and it doesn¡¯t seem like he had unintentionally found this beast cave and decided to stay back to cultivate. Where had he gotten hold of this information? Shouldn¡¯t the secret of Jade West Mountain Forest be known only to the Nine Jade Pce disciples? If a senior had indeed gone into seclusion training here, that senior should have been from Nine Jade Pce. Or, did some Seven Truths tform seniors that had infiltrated the Jade West Mountain Forest a long time ago? If this is the case, then the cooperation between Seven Truths tform and Nine Jade Pce ...

    The tunnel was rugged with lots of forks. As Lu Mingshu walked, she recalled the topographic map in her mind.

    Once the fire torches burnt halfway, she reached the end of the cave.

    The river enshrouded in darkness stood in Lu Mingshu¡¯s way. She could not see the opposite bank, and only the gloomy sound of the waves raised by the cold wind reverberated in the cave.

    Lu Mingshu stood there for a moment, before turning back.

    She now believed what Yan Wugui said ¨C no one would be able to track them.

    As she could not perceive what was on the other side of the river, no one would think of her being on this side either.

    Forget it, Yan Wugui not only saved my life but even treated me so well! It shouldn¡¯t be too much for me to apany him here for a while. I have no choice but to let Gao Xiang worry about me ...

    When she ced the fire torch back on the wall in the stone room, she suddenly paused in her movement. The dim-lighted stone wall was thoroughly covered in engravings buried under traces of dust. She had previously thought it was just corrosion that happened over the years, but looking at it at close proximity, something seemed to be amiss.

    She took out her broken sword and scraped off the dust, gradually exposing the genuine appearance of the engravement underneath.

    Once all the dust traces had been scraped off, Lu Mingshu¡¯s breath was taken away. The wall was covered in sword scars!

    This is a ... sword technique!

    It had the same sequence of movements as Cloud-treading Sword Technique Manual, although it was multiple times more brilliant. She quickly made aparison in her heart; she had seen Yi Jiao use the Goddess Cloud-treading Sword Technique. Hence, she could distinguish some differences between the two. From the looks of it, it seems to be a sword technique derived from the Goddess Cloud-treading Sword Technique.

    ¡°Could it be ...¡±

    Nine Jade Pce wasn¡¯t divided into ns but into lines. The technique manuals used in each line came from the heritage left behind by Founder Song, but each line had their own variation of the techniques. Take the Line of Willow Woods as an example, their techniques deviates closer to the cold yin. Hence why a single look from Martial Granduncle Zhuo would make one feel a chill all over their body, which was personally experienced by Lu Mingshu.

    As for Lu Mingshu herself, as a disciple of Liu Jizhen, she could be considered from the Line of Shengyang. However, with Liu Jizhen¡¯s current troubled heart, he had practically never taught her. For now, since she was still in a lower realm, she studied the foundation Cloud Treading Technique Manual and had not learnt the expanded technique of the Line of Shengyang.

    Although Lu Mingshu had no idea which line this set of technique manuals belonged to, she could confirm that this definitely came from a Nine Jade Pce line!

    So the person who had stayed here for seclusion training a long time ago should be a senior from Nine Jade Pce? As for Yan Wugui, it is very likely that he got to know of this ce through somewhere. He might have no idea of the sword technique here, or it goes against his own technique, which is why he hadn¡¯t learned it.

    Speaking of techniques, Yan Wugui¡¯s technique was in itself strange. Seven Truths tform was simr to Nine Jade Pce ¨C the weapon it mainly used was the sword. However, Yan Wugui used a knife.

    In the evening, Yan Wugui came back.

    His harvest today was considerably better; he had hunted a Purple-horned Deer.

    As he was skinning the hide, Yan Wugui said, ¡°This hide is not bad, I¡¯ll keep it to make you a pair of shoes.¡±

    ¡°You know how to?¡± Lu Mingshu¡¯s three views were refreshed yet again. It was one thing to do some needlework, but it was definitely not easy to make a shoe.

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen others do it; it¡¯s not hard.¡± he then continued, ¡°we can simmer the antler into an ointment, as for the deer meat ... How about roast venison for dinner?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t eat too much of it, right?¡± The Purple-horned Deer was a Harmonization Realm beast.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter! I have a secret recipe!¡± Yan Wugui fished out a handful of grass while beaming, ¡°Once you have my teater, I guarantee your meridians will unclog and your body will never burst open from clogged meridians.¡±

    The fat-filled, tender deer meat, sizzled as it was roasted. It was unknown how Yan Wugui did it, but the meat was roasted oh-so-perfectly; it was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The moment Lu Mingshu bit into it, the fragrant oil spurted out into delicious goodness. Lu Mingshu could not resist and ended up eating a lot.

    The tea brewed by him was also very effective¨C slightly bitter-sweet; it went really well with the roast venison. After drinking it, it felt like the grease had never been there in the first ce.

    Once they had eaten their fill and drank enough to quench their thirst, they went back to the stone room. When Yan Wugui saw her standing before the stone wall with her head lifted in silence, he curiously asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Lu Mingshu pointed. ¡°There is a set of sword techniques here.¡±

    Yan Wugui brushed his gaze over the stone wall disinterestedly. ¡°Oh, it should be from your senior from Nine Jade Pce. You can learn if you¡¯re interested.¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked at him. ¡°You¡¯re not interested?¡±

    Yan Wugui said, ¡°The route taken by your Nine Jade Pce ispletely different from my martial path, so what¡¯s the point of me learning this?¡±

    A light shed through Lu Mingshu¡¯s eyes but she remained silent.

    The room was enveloped in absolute silence as the two did their own business.

    Lu Mingshu looked at the sword technique attentively, racking her brain. One could clearly tell from the scars that this sword technique was created by that senior while in seclusion training. There were repeated strokes from the beginning to end, the idea was in a jumble in the beginning, while by the end it gradually perfected itself.

    She looked at the sword technique countless times and remembered it by heart. Suddenly, she asked, ¡°Brother Yan, can I go out tomorrow?¡±

 Chapter 52: Snatch It First

    <h4>Chapter 52: Snatch It First</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    She hade to Jade West Mountain Forest for training experience, not hide in a cave to eat and drink.

    Without hesitation, Yan Wugui replied, ¡°That¡¯s fine if you aren¡¯t afraid of danger.¡±

    ¡°How about pointing out a route for me? Which way would it be safer to go?¡±

    ¡°No need.¡± Yan Wugui said straightforwardly, ¡°Just follow me.¡±

    Lu Mingshu was stunned. She initially thought that Yan Wugui would not like it if she followed him. First, he naturally would not want his own techniques to be seen by someone else as he was here for seclusion training. Second, she was only in the Inner Breath Realm, and she would definitely hold him back if she were to follow him.

    ¡°Erm ... I don¡¯t want to trouble you ...¡±

    ¡°Without my protection, you will be in a difficult situation.¡±

    Yan Wugui told her to be careful of Gentleman Lianzhen, saying how it would beplicated to owe him a favour debt. In Lu Mingshu¡¯s opinion, however, she owed Yan Wugui a huge truckload of favours. From the day she tumbled down the valley and was saved by him, she had received lots of favours from him. He might look fierce appearance-wise, but he held a kind-hearted natural disposition. Not only had he not abandoned her, but he also looked after her in all respects.

    ¡°Brother Yan, will this burden you?¡±

    Yan Wugui replied indifferently. ¡°If I can¡¯t protect you, then it¡¯ll be because my strength is insufficient. I¡¯ll just take it as learning through experience!¡± After a pause, he continued, ¡°However, you must agree to one condition.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°During this period of time, you have to temporarily forget that you¡¯re a Nine Jade Pce disciple.¡±

    ...

    The next day, Lu Mingshu followed Yan Wugui out of their temporary residence and embarked on a journey full of hardships.

    The beast cave was indeed deserving of its name as they met a lot of ferocious beasts along the way.

    Yan Wugui furrowed his brows and said, ¡°Nine Jade Pce is getting deeper and deeper into the beast cave, so we can at most only stay for another month.¡±

    The encirclement annihtion from Nine Jade Pce to the beast cave would more or less end in a month. If they were still here then, they had the chance of being discovered by the people that would be cleaning up the battlefield.

    Lu Mingshu followed after him silently, but suddenly she asked, ¡°Brother Yan, aren¡¯t you too trusting of people?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Yan Wugui, who was trying to distinguish the footprint by the water source, answered distractedly.

    ¡°I am also a Nine Jade Pce disciple, so aren¡¯t you afraid of me secretly passing on a letter if you bring me along so closely?¡±

    Yan Wugui said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you agree to my condition of forgetting that you¡¯re a disciple of the Nine Jade Pce?¡±

    ¡°I can go back on my word even after I agree!¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t.¡±

    The way he spoke ¡ª resolutely and decisively ¡ª made Lu Mingshu unable to help herself from feeling curious. ¡°Why is that so?¡±

    ¡°Because you hate Nine Jade Pce.¡±

    Lu Mingshu halted.

    Yan Wugui looked at her with a gaze full of profound meaning. ¡°Xie Lianzhen would not casually give anyone a token. There was an incident that coincided with his visit to Xichuan four years ago.¡±

    No wonder he didn¡¯t ask her why she had a token from Gentleman Lianzhen and had even trusted her so willingly.

    ¡°Eh, don¡¯t doubt life okay?¡± With her line of sight blocked by a shadow, Lu Mingshu looked up. When she did, she came face-to-face with Yan Wugui¡¯s face.

    They had a pretty huge height difference. Hence, he needed to stoop down in order to look at her in the eye.

    This face exhibited a somewhat ruffian and fierce demeanour because of the scar on his face, yet his eyes disyed a very clean expression.

    ¡°One shouldn¡¯t be too naive, but one shouldn¡¯t be too dark either.¡± Yan Wugui continued, ¡°I admit I had various kinds of reasons for saving and trusting you, but in essence, it is still because of you as a person. If it were someone else, I might not have saved or trusted them.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Not knowing what he suddenly thought of, Yan Wuguiughed out loud, causing his scar to look somewhat crafty.

    ¡°Since you hate Nine Jade Pce, as do I, why don¡¯t we do something risky?¡±

    Traces of bewilderment could be seen in Lu Mingshu¡¯s eyes.

    Yan Wugui straightened his body and pointed towards the distance. ¡°Why don¡¯t we snatch up the things they want?¡±

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s gaze gradually cleared up from its cloudiness. She calmly shook her head. ¡°Brother Yan, Nine Jade Pce dispatched a few Spirit Realm experts, so it would already be considered fine if we don¡¯t reveal our whereabouts.¡±

    ¡°Rest assured!¡± Yan Wugui patted her head. ¡°I know my limits.¡±

    Lu Mingshu was rushed through the journey with Yan Wugui the whole day.

    Once they confirmed their n, they no longer focused on hunting beasts.

    Yan Wugui avoided every ferocious beast in the surroundings. He would avoid even the ones that were a good catch, only bringing Lu Mingshu along to immerse themselves on rushing through the journey.

    At nightfall, they settled themselves down to rest in a stone crack.

    The stone crack was small and it was cold at night, so the two leaned against each other back to back while they draped a nket over themselves in order to keep warm. Either way, Lu Mingshu was still not at the age where it would be awkward to do so.

    Yan Wugui nagged, ¡°Look at the amount of dust you have on you, don¡¯t you feel even the tiniest bit of difort? If it wasn¡¯t for the current situation, I¡¯d definitely throw you out.¡±

    This mysophobic! Lu Mingshu really wanted to kick him. We walked the same road, ate the same food and even simrly washed-up casually, so who exactly is dirtier than who?! It is totally your own psychological effect!

    After a moment of silence, Yan Wugui asked again, ¡°How old are you?¡±

    Lu Mingshu kept silent for a while before replying, ¡°Eleven.¡±

    ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk. You¡¯re still so t despite being eleven already. I am worried about your future.¡±

    Lu Mingshu gritted her teeth, biting back the urge to bark out at him. It is totally normal for an eleven-year-old to be t, okay?! I¡¯ve just started developing!

    ¡°Then how old are you?¡±

    ¡°Neen.¡±

    ¡°... old.¡± Lu Mingshu was slightly shocked. Yan Wugui might be tall, but he carried the disposition of a teenager. Hence, she thought that he was still a minor.

    ¡°What does a little girl like you know? Would you be any different from me in another ten years?¡±

    Lu Mingshu could not be bothered to deal with him. There¡¯s nothing fun about chatting on such a meaningless topic.

    A whileter, Yan Wugui tapped her arm again. ¡°Hey, how are you doing in Nine Jade Pce?¡±

    How am I doing? In the darkness, Lu Mingshu¡¯s eyes were wide open, but she did not reply even after some time.

    After a long time, she lightly said, ¡°Brother Yan.¡±

    ¡°Mhmm?¡±

    ¡°I heard someone say that a child should never bear grudges for their parents and should always forgive them, is that true?¡±

    Yan Wugui went silent and only replied after a while. ¡°Of course not.¡±

    ¡°Then it isn¡¯t wrong to carry out a vendetta against one¡¯s parents?¡±

    Yan Wugui, who had his back against hers, did not reply for a long time. From his side profile, Lu Mingshu could see his eyes wavering.

    Right when Lu Mingshu was convinced he would not reply, he said, ¡°Perhaps to some people, you¡¯re in the wrong. Perhaps even to everyone beneath the heavens, you¡¯re in the wrong. But as long as you think you¡¯re right, then you¡¯re right.¡±

    Lu Mingshu had not expected him to say such words. His deep and low warm voice differed greatly from the Yan Wugui in her memories.

    With bellowing wind, the night passed silently.

    The two quickly continued on their journey.

    Just like this, they had travelled for a consecutive three days before Yan Wugui finally stopped on a mountain top.

    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± He pointed towards the summit. ¡°I¡¯ve scouted this ce out long ago, and the location of the Snow Winged Cloud-treading Horse¡¯s nest is right there. They¡¯re a mare and stallion. Nice, we have a pair.¡±

    Lu Mingshu asked, ¡°They¡¯re not weak, right?¡±

    ¡°Mhmm, they are both from the Spirit Realm.¡± If they were from the Harmonization Realm, he would have struck out long ago.

    ¡°We won¡¯t be able to defeat them!¡± In the Spirit Realm, there would be a disparity in strength that Lu Mingshu did not think her trivial cleverness could prove to be of any use against.

    Yan Wugui sneered, ¡°We are here to wreak havoc. So even if we can¡¯t get them, we must make sure they can¡¯t get the horses too.¡±

    Lu Mingshu understood right away. Wrecking havoc would be so much easier than a proper hunt ...

 Chapter 53: Reprimanding the Disciple

    <h4>Chapter 53: Reprimanding the Disciple</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    Gao Xiang walked round and round the tent anxiously.

    After a while, the curtains were pulled apart and a man dressed in the clothing and adornment of a Nine Jade Pce elder walked in.

    He appeared to be in his thirties and seemed to be a little arrogant.

    The moment Gao Xiang saw him, he was overjoyed. ¡°Master!¡±

    This man was exactly Gao Xiang¡¯s Master ¡ª An Tongchen, Zhuo Jiangui¡¯s sole direct disciple.

    An Tongchen nodded in response to his greeting, brushed off his sleeves and sat down.

    ¡°Master!¡± Gao Xiang nearly jumped into his embrace. ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re here now! Mingshu had disappeared!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard.¡± An Tongchen¡¯s calm and unwavering tone seemed awfully cold, just like the feeling he gave off to others. This feeling was very simr to Zhuo Jiangui¡¯s, yet it was different in some sense. Zhuo Jiangui¡¯s coldness lied in his appearance, and if one truly knew him he would not find him to be a cold person. Whereas for An Tongchen, one would find everything about him ¡ª from his temperament to his manner ¡ª as cold as icy frost.

    ¡°Martial Granduncle Zhang has tried searching, but could not find her. Master, you ...¡±

    Straightaway, Gao Xiang¡¯s words were cut off by An Tongchen, ¡°I¡¯ve to attend the encirclement hunting. I have no time to go.¡±

    Gao Xiang was stunned. ¡°Master ...¡±

    That day, with Zhang Qiang¡¯s help, he had rushed back to the camp. The line of Willow Woods had always only had a sole sessor, hence he did not have any senior uncle he could ask for help. Fortunately, his master and martial grandfather still had some good acquaintances in the sect. Under the directions of a senior uncle, he found the courtyard leader of Jiulu Province¡¯s Lower House ¨C Martial Granduncle Zhang Kunzhang.

    Martial Granduncle Zhang was from a line of Grandmasters, which meant he was a proper elder for Lu Mingshu who came from the same line. Once he got the information from Gao Xiang, Martial Granduncle Zhang dispatched disciples right away, as expected.

    However, the oue made Gao Xiang very disappointed.

    The reinforcements pursued the Specter all the way and discovered an irregr rock in the mountain canyon. Once this discovery was disclosed, everyone immediately fell into conflict, unable to decide who the irregr rock should belong to. The senior uncle dispatched to search for Lu Mingshu under themand of Martial Granduncle Zhang, got involved in the conflict too. However, he had ultimately still searched ¡ª although carelessly ¡ª for traces, but could not find anything. Lu Mingshu had disappeared into thin air.

    The encirclement hunt was an important matter, hence there were experts from the sect arriving one after the other. Gao Xiang waited patiently for days and finally managed to wait until his own master arrived.

    He had originally thought Lu Mingshu would be saved now that his master is there. However, he never thought that his master would reject his request.

    ¡°Master, it is martial grandfather that wants to protect her.¡±

    An Tongchen¡¯s expression went even colder when he heard Gao Xiang¡¯s words. ¡°Are you implying that I am wrong, so now you¡¯re trying to pressurize me with your martial grandfather?¡±

    As this was considered a heavy crime in the sect, Gao Xiang bit his lips and lowered his head. ¡°This disciple doesn¡¯t dare.¡±

    An Tongchen coldly replied, ¡°Your martial grandfather indeed had the intention of protecting her when he wanted both of you to journey together. But, he didn¡¯t have the intention of telling you to ce her before your own interest, he even more so didn¡¯t have the intention for her to surpass you ¡ª a proper disciple grandson.¡±

    Gao Xiang did not dare to utter a word.

    ¡°To not know what is more important and make no distinction between major and minor matters, who do you make yourself out to be?¡± An Tongchen lectured him even more severely, ¡°Are you the sole sessor of the line of Willow Woods, or her servant?¡±

    Gao Xiang who was startled, hastily said, ¡°Master, that is not my intention.¡± Master is being way too serious, when I am only worried about the safety of a friend.

    An Tongchen did not listen to him. ¡°That is not your intention? The moment I came, you neither greeted me, nor asked about the current situation, but just got me to save that girl instead. In your heart, is she more important than me, your master?¡±

    Gao Xiang jumped in shock, and hastily kneeled down. ¡°This disciple does not dare.¡±

    ¡°Good that you don¡¯t dare, remember who you are!¡± An Tongchen¡¯s tone could be said to be very strict.

    He had been dissatisfied with this matter for a long time. He chose Gao Xiang as a disciple not only because of his extremely good aptitude but also because of his exceptional perception. It was precise because he saw how sincere Gao Xiang was, as well as how he knew how to differentiate between a major and minor matter, that An Tongchen took him as his disciple. An Tongchen did not teach his disciple to be somebody without an opinion.

    He knew that Gao Xiang was not to be med for this matter; that girl is a fast thinker, so when one was together with her, they would not need to turn on their thinking caps. Over time, one would get used to letting her take the lead.

    However, such a habit was definitely not a good thing for Gao Xiang! Nor would the line of Willow Woods want a sole sessor who did not have his own defined opinions.

    An Tongchen¡¯s tone was milder now that he had taken the opportunity to knock some sense into Gao Xiang. ¡°I am not trying to refuse to lend a helping hand, but you have to think of the essence of this matter. There can only be two possibilities for Senior Uncle Zhang to dispatch disciples and not find traces of her. One ¡ª that child had been intercepted on the way and had already met harm¡¯s way. Two ¡ª her luck wasn¡¯t bad, and she had narrowly escaped. Regardless of what had happened, I can not change much about her fate. What¡¯s more, a conflict is currently happening on that side, so if I were to go, it would be hard to convince others that I have no intention to fight, even if I truly do not have any. Our line of Willow Woods always stays away from internal conflicts within the sect; just think of the trouble our involvement would cause.¡±

    Gao Xiang was just anxious and wasn¡¯t dumb. The moment he was reminded, he immediately understood the hidden meaning behind his master¡¯s words and felt guilty. ¡°This disciple was wrong ...¡±

    ¡°Good that you know your mistake, I won¡¯t mind changing a disciple if you can¡¯t change.¡± An Tongchen continued, ¡°You should pack up and follow along to hunt. In order to give their own family¡¯s youngster more influence, the Zhou family spent a lot of their hard-earned savings. No matter how much our line of Willow Woods stays out of conflicts, our disciple should never back down!¡±

    Gao Xiang was rather hesitative on this, and spoke very carefully, ¡°Then, Mingshu ...¡±

    An Tongchen shot a look at him. ¡°What¡¯s with that look? I just want you to use your brains more; I¡¯m not telling you to abandon your friend. You have known her since a young age, so it¡¯s only natural to show concern.¡±

    Gao Xiang let out a breath of relief and revealed a silly grin. ¡°Master ...¡±

    ¡°I have already dispatched people to search for her, so there will naturally be a report if there is news of her. Don¡¯t be too worried.¡±

    ¡°Yes ...¡± Gao Xiang may have said so, but he was still very worried. His trust in Lu Mingshu was iparably deep, so much so that he would believe her to be alive as long as her corpse had not been found yet.

    ...

    On a nameless mountain top, Yan Wugui sat on arge rock, whilst holding onto his knife.

    The chilly wind attacked them head-on.

    ¡°The battle array of Nine Jade Pce is reallyrge this time,¡± he said.

    Lu Mingshu looked left and right but did not figure out any profound theory. ¡°How do you make that out?¡±

    Yan Wugui pointed. ¡°Don¡¯t you find it too quiet?¡±

    ¡°So?¡±

    ¡°This is a beast cave.¡± Yan Wugui exined patiently, ¡°You can think of a beast cave as a town of demonic beasts. Think about how frequently we met ferocious beasts on the way here ... You don¡¯t need me to tell you more, right?¡±

    Lu Mingshu understood the hint. ¡°I understand now, it shouldn¡¯t be this quiet since it¡¯s a beast cave. The more silent it is, the more unusual the situation is.¡±

    ¡°Not bad.¡± The more time he spent around her, the more satisfied he was with her. This little maiden onlycks some knowledge and experience, but she has exceptional perception ¡ª she only needed some advice to deduce the right answer. Adding in her birth status, it really makes one full of expectations. Who knows what kind of situation Nine Jade Pce will be in another eight to ten years from now? He had personally experienced the temper of this little maiden these few days. She appeared neither warm nor hot-headed on the surface, and she was as hard as a rock on the inside. There¡¯s no doubt that Fu Shangqing will sooner orter be overthrown. Tsk, Nine Jade Pce is indeedmentable.

    That being said, Seven Truths tform is no holynd either! It¡¯s getting more and more troublesome in recent years ...

 Chapter 54: The Underground Undercurrent

    <h4>Chapter 54: The Underground Undercurrent</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    ¡°It¡¯s about time. Let¡¯s go.¡± Yan Wugui got up.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Lu Mingshu hastily asked.

    ¡°To the Snow Winged Cloud-treading Horse¡¯s nest.¡±

    Lu Mingshu was greatly rmed when she heard this. ¡°We are going there just like this?¡± He had said previously that the pair of Snow Winged Cloud-treading Horses was in the Spirit Realm. These horses may be Spirit Realm beasts, but different breeds disy extreme disparities inbat capabilities. The Snow Winged Cloud-treading Horse breed belonged to the rare, precious beast variety, and was ranked at the very top in terms of value out of the various ferocious beasts in Jade West Mountain Forest. If one wanted to capture this Snow Winged Cloud-treading Horse, at least a few Spirit Realm experts would have to be present to besiege it. As for the two of them? Weren¡¯t they just looking to die if they were to run to their nest like this, given their current cultivation?

    However, Yan Wugui did not waste any time in exining. ¡°Just follow me.¡±

    Once they left the mountain top, the two went into the deep forest. It was unknown how Yan Wugui found the route, but after some twists and turns, they reached a cliff that resided in a concealed area. A dark cave entrance came into view after they pushed away a giant stone.

    He ignited some tree branches with fire and threw them into the cave. The fire died out a whileter.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± They had sufficient air inside, and hence they proceeded through unhindered.

    Currently, Lu Mingshu¡¯s mind was filled with whys as she followed him into the cave.

    There were no regrities in this cave; it was wide then narrow at times, with some areas blocked by broken rocks. This caused the two to proceed at a slow pace.

    After walking for a while, Lu Mingshu could not resist from asking a question. ¡°Brother Yan, how did you know that there was a tunnel here?¡± She had observed this along the way, and this tunnel did not seem to have been dug by humans. In fact, it appeared to be a nest that belonged to the ferocious beasts that lived here. However, the Snow Winged Cloud-treading Horses did not know how to dig tunnels and enjoyed open-spaces more. The direction that Yan Wugui previously pointed out was a t ground on a summit that was very suitable for them to ess through a flight.

    Is this way a shortcut to the summit? If it is, then isn¡¯t Yan Wugui a little too familiar with this beast cave? It¡¯s literally as if he had lived here since he was young. How exactly did a Seven Truths tform disciple like him gain knowledge of such shortcuts?

    ¡°Don¡¯t you already have guesses in your heart?¡± Yan Wugui answered her question casually.

    Lu Mingshu went silent before she decided to answer him straightforwardly. ¡°It¡¯s because of that senior that left behind the sword technique?¡±

    Yan Wugui let out a briefugh. ¡°Do you feel like I have taken advantage of Nine Jade Pce?¡±

    Lu Mingshu shook her head. ¡°I am just perplexed.¡± There must be a reason why the sessor of that senior did not search for the ce. Instead, Yan Wugui had found it.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Yan Wugui said, ¡°I¡¯d received a personal letter from that senior by chance. There are a few decades of his experiences recorded inside. Once I learned about this secret ce, which I thought would be very suitable for seclusion training, I searched for it and found the ce.¡±

    ¡°Then you must have superb luck. If it wasn¡¯t for the cooperation between Nine Jade Pce and Seven Truths tform, then it definitely would not have been easy to enter Jade West Mountain Forest.¡± Jade West Mountain Forest was surrounded by mountains, and Nine Jade Pce was like its door. With Nine Jade Pce standing guard here, outsiders could not even dream of entering.

    Yan Wugui turned around to look at her. ¡°I say, sister, how old are you even now? Can you not imitate those old fellows? It¡¯s irritating when you start speaking then stop half-way through!¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Yan Wugui turned back around to continue leading the way. ¡°Speak your mind, I won¡¯t bite.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll really say it?¡±

    ¡°Say it.¡±

    Lu Mingshu said, ¡°You had an abhorrent attitude when you brought up Gentleman Lianzhen that day. But in my opinion, he hadid out the road for you in regards to this matter.¡± Without Gentleman Lianzhen¡¯s discussion of the cooperation with Nine Jade Pce, disciples of Seven Truths tform would not be able to enter Jade West Mountain Forest.

    ¡°So?¡± Yan Wugui chuckled coldly, ¡°I should be grateful to him?¡±

    Lu Mingshu found it strange. ¡°Why are you so hostile to him? By right, as he is the n leader of the fifth n, he shouldn¡¯t have had any conflict with you, right? Oh right, which n are you from Brother Yan? Is it because the two ns don¡¯t get along?¡±

    Only after a while did Yan Wugui answer, ¡°The fifth n.¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡± Lu Mingshu felt that was even more strange. If he is also from the fifth n, then doesn¡¯t it mean that Gentleman Lianzhen is his superior? But from the looks of Yan Wugui¡¯s attitude, he doesn¡¯t seem to carry even a trace of respect for him ... Is Gentleman Lianzhen so much of a failure that he can¡¯t even subdue a disciple from his own n?

    She couldn¡¯t help but speak her mind. ¡°Aren¡¯t the two of you are simr in age? Could it be that you were on bad terms since childhood? Speaking of it, he was very young when he became the n leader. I heard someone bring up that he had a power that backed him up. Is this why you aren¡¯t happy? Oh right, I think he had problems with his legs? Can he still cultivate? Brother Yan, your strength should be counted as top-level among your peers right? Could it be ...¡±

    Seeing that she was about toe up with thousands of grudges and resentments, Yan Wugui was at hisst straw. ¡°Alright! Aright! It isn¡¯t thisplicated alright? Can¡¯t I just dislike how hypocritical he is? He loves scheming way too much.¡±

    Suddenly, he felt something was amiss and nced into her eyes. ¡°You were probing for information? Can¡¯t you learn something well? What¡¯s the point of reading so much into things?¡±

    He had almost been caught like a fish out of the water. Is she trying to scrutinize my situation in Seven Truths tform by saying so much? To think I¡¯ve been so good to her these few days.

    Having been exposed by him, Lu Mingshu whispered in a low voice, ¡°Who told you to be this mysterious? I only wanted to know more ...¡±

    Yan Wugui gave her a fake smile. ¡°Haha , you speak as if you aren¡¯t mysterious too. Let¡¯s just say how you have ¡®no secrets¡¯ with all those strange toys you carry around with you?¡± Does she think I am blind?

    Lu Mingshu went silent. Seems like I have to be vignt in future. I was too careless to expose a trail ...

    As their path was blocked once again, Yan Wugui sighed. ¡°Forget it, you¡¯re not to me. Given your current predicament in Nine Jade Pce, your life will be difficult if you aren¡¯t as conscious as you are now.¡±

    He waved his knife and split open a path. Yan Wugui continued, ¡°Speaking of it, we are both fellow sufferers that empathize with each other.¡±

    Lu Mingshu quickly asked, ¡°Do you have a hard time getting by in Seven Truths tform?¡±

    However, Yan Wugui stopped answering.

    The space in front of them gradually widened. It appeared as if they had broken through to the middle of the mountain. There was wind blowing at them upfront which brought along water vapour. Not long after, a long undercurrent appeared before their eyes.

    When Lu Mingshu thought of the undercurrent at the cave they had lived in temporarily, she asked, ¡°Brother Yan, is this undercurrent linked to the ley lines?¡±

    ¡°Un.¡± Yan Wugui said, ¡°That senior had once explored this undercurrent and discovered that it links up to the north and south of Jade West Mountain Forest. It is a rarely seen river that moves towards the north and south. Moreover, if you were to wind around the middle, you could travel half the length of the entire Jade West Mountain Forest.¡±

    Lu Mingshu said, ¡°This is actually a pretty good ce to hide. If I were to be chased by someone that wanted to kill me one day, they will find it difficult to find me if I hide here.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Yan Wugui expressed his approval. ¡°That¡¯s why I intentionally came here to familiarize myself ...¡±

    ¡°Hey, Brother Yan, are you secretly concerned about being chased down? You¡¯re a disciple of Seven Truths tform, even if you are chased down, you should return and hide in your sect!¡±

    ¡°That might not be the case. Let¡¯s say you are hunted down one day, would you hide back in Nine Jade Pce?¡±

    Lu Mingshu thought for awhile. ¡°Probably not. But I am a special case! It can¡¯t be that you also have an awkward status in Seven Truths tform?¡±

    Yan Wugui only replied with, ¡°Ha ha.¡±

    Since she already knew Yan Wugui would not give her a straight answer, she did not insist further. ¡°How are we going to pass the river?¡±

    Yan Wugui took a piece of board and threw it onto the river surface before jumping onto it.

    Lu Mingshu speechlessly looked at this scene. ¡°Will this work?¡± Two people could barely stand on this board.

    ¡°Won¡¯t you know after you try?¡±

    Alright. Lu Mingshu jumped onto the board and stood close to him.

    ¡°Hold on tight.¡± The minute he spoke, Yan Wugui stepped down on the water and they suddenly sped off. *

    Lu Mingshu, who almost had flung out, quickly held on tight to his clothes.

    In the darkness, the two proceeded on as they went against the water current. When they were midway through the journey, Yan Wugui¡¯s aura suddenly changed. ¡°There¡¯s something up ahead, be careful!¡±

 Chapter 55: Do You Believe in Me?

    <h4>Chapter 55: Do You Believe in Me?</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    As the air surged with the undercurrent, something began to stir and was flying towards them at lightning speed.

    Lu Mingshu brandished her sword and shed out a sword wind; ¡°Whoosh!¡± this one sh evoked the water to ssh up into a waterline. At the same time, there was also the sensation of flesh being cut open.

    ¡°Plop!¡± That something that had taken her strike fell into the water.

    Yan Wugui pulled out his knife and knife energy went evoking the water to ssh out in what appeared to be a water curtain from the impact. Once the water curtain fell, every obstruction in their path had beenpletely wiped out.

    ¡°The bloody smell will attract more water-type ferocious beasts, so we have to go ashore quickly.¡±

    ¡°Un.¡± Lu Mingshu tightly held onto the broken sword. Her sword had been corroded into an extremely blunt one from the Specter¡¯s blood; she could barely use it now as it was not exactly that much better than ordinary steel. It would be unfavourable for her to enter a lengthy battle.

    ¡°Hold on tight.¡± With Yan Wugui¡¯s reminder, they suddenly sped up. The cold wind above the undercurrent attacked them as they ran away at a high speed.

    This was an extremely wide undercurrent. They had not traveled for long when Lu Mingshu felt the hairs on her back stand up on end.

    I sensed danger!

    ¡°Whoosh!¡± Something broke through the water.

    Since her cultivation was insufficient, her eyesight was a littlecking ¡ª she could only barely make out a huge fish.

    Yan Wugui stepped down on the water, and they suddenly changed directions by taking a quick detour before continuing on forward.

    ¡°Listen up, I can¡¯t look after you right now so you have to hold on tight to me. If anything catches up to us from behind, settle them yourself.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡± Lu Mingshu nodded. They didn¡¯t even have a boat so it would be unwise for them to fight with the water-type ferocious beasts on water. Their best option now was to go ashore as soon as possible. Only after they were ashore, would these water-type ferocious beasts pose no threats to them.

    Once he had gotten her response, Yan Wugui, who had nothing more to worry about, exerted force on his leg. This made the board akin to an arrow leaving a bow, rushing forward swiftly. He cut down any obstacles that stood in their way with one strike.

    Lu Mingshu initially started with clutching onto his shirt. However, she now did not have a choice but to hug his waist tightly so as not to fall into the river. Although she believed Yan Wugui would turn back to save her if she ever felt, she did not want to hold him back.

    The hairs on her back now stood on end with the wind howling and attacking them. Suddenly, a wave of strong wind leapt out of the water, sprinkling them with water droplets.

    Lu Mingshu hugged Yan Wugui tightly with one arm while executing a strike with her sword with the other arm. Only her sword de turned, her head did not turn when she struck out behind her.

    Putong! This sound was the result of a water beast falling into the water.

    Soon after, another beast leapt out of the water.

    She had killed ten plus water beasts before she had to halt her ughter. Her sword had gone blunt and the strength of the water beasts had increased too. Hence, she could only slightly restrict the enemy¡¯s advances and dodge them.

    This won¡¯t do, it takes too much effort.

    Lu Mingshu silently calcted the speed they are travelling at and angle in her heart.

    Since this ce was too dark, Lu Mingshu was unable to judge them with her vision. She figured that she might as well shut her eyes to visualize them in her mind.

    The scene slowly came together in her mind, and she filled it up with the water beasts. Following the onught by the water beasts and Yan Wugui¡¯s retaliation, the number of water beasts gradually became distinct.

    Those should roughly be a number of water beasts in the area. The scene slowly stabilized, and no new water beasts appeared.

    ¡°Brother Yan, how far away are we from the shore?¡±

    Yan Wugui retaliated the onught while replying to her, ¡°We still need to travel some distance before we can go ashore. I estimate it to be roughly ten kilometres.¡±

    Lu Mingshu pondered for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s not exactly far. But I am worried that we might not make it if we continue ughtering our way through. Even if we safely reach the shore, we would also have consumed too much mystic force. Brother Yan, do you believe me?¡±

    Yan Wugui shed his knife down, sending another water beast back. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I believe in you? Tell me whatever ideas you have.¡±

    ¡°From now on, you must not strike out and I¡¯ll point out a path for you.¡±

    Yan Wugui kept silent for three seconds before asking, ¡°How are you going to point out a path?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s try it out first. Turn left when I say left, turn right when I say right, and I¡¯ll tell you the required speed in advance. If there a new formidable water beast appears, strike it once so I can determine its strength.¡±

    ¡°Alright ...¡± Yan Wugui slightly hesitated before agreeing. By right, he should not be taking her suggestion seriously, as she was after all still in the Inner Breath Realm. However, now that he had gotten to know her these few days, he knew that this maiden may be young in age but she was not someone that would speak without thinking. She carried a type of confidence that exceeded her current age, so he was willing to believe her once.

    ¡°Left.¡± Once he heard her voice, he immediately went left.

    ¡°Right.¡± he went right.

    They repeated this for a few times before Yan Wugui could not bear it anymore. ¡°There obviously wasn¡¯t any water beast just now!¡±

    ¡°I am just testing your reaction speed and angle.¡± She spoke innocently.

    Yan Wugui grinded his teeth. ¡°Then?¡±

    Lu Mingshu tapped her finger on his waist. ¡°Do you feel my hand?¡±

    ¡°... You¡¯ll have to grow up a bit more if you want to sessfully incite me.¡±

    Lu Mingshu spat out at him in her heart; she did not have time to spout nonsense with him. She quickly instructed. ¡°One tap of my finger will mean one second. If I call out left one, you must travel left for one second at the current speed. Right one, and you travel right for one second, do you understand?¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll begin.¡± Lu Mingshu shut her eyes and relied entirely on her perception as her brain turned at full speed. ¡°Left one, right two, front three, right one, front two, left three ...¡±

    She reported rapidly. Initially, Yan Wugui still nervously verified it one by one. In the end, he found out that by following hermand when she said front, the two would practically have room to maneuver their way through the group of water beasts ... He was secretly shocked: this girl has some ability! I might as well believe in her wholeheartedly while I focus on percepting danger.

    Every time a new water beast appeared, he would strike out with his Knife.

    Lu Mingshu paused for a less than half a second before continuing her instructions. ¡°Right three, front one, right two ...¡±

    As the wind hit an empty cavity up front, Yan Wugui called out lightly, ¡°We¡¯re here!¡±

    He brought his foot down and he grabbed Lu Mingshu in an attempt to reach the shore.

    As water beasts pounced towards them, Yan Wugui angled his body sideways and struck out with an unconstrained saber light. This one strike caused blood to stter onto their bodies. Then he stepped on the water surface and in a flying leap, fell onto the ground.

    Yan Wugui immediately jumped up, rolled twice, and pulled a little dizzy Lu Mingshu up.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    Lu Mingshu managed to let out a word. ¡°Un.¡±

    The two were covered with water and blood from head to toe. Basically, they were in a very sorry state. Fortunately, they had not used much mystic force and were nearly in excellent shape and uninjured.

    Yan Wugui wiped the blood while he patted her shoulder and praised her. ¡°I¡¯ve truly belittled you! You have some ability!¡±

    As she had to concentrate her attention fully earlier, Lu Mingshu felt her brain go empty at this moment. She wiped the water off her face. ¡°Luckily we did not make any mistakes.¡± It was still a pretty rough n as she could not tell him the speed and angle in detail, which meant that they couldn¡¯t be as meticulous. Thinking of it, the elementary education of the Magic-less world was still the most ideal. They had a generalized system and did not have many branches either. Ever since she traded for those books, she changed her calction of time and length to the units of that world, which made it much more convenient for her.

    The two rested for a while. Because of his mysophobia, Yan Wugui washed up countless times before reluctantly continuing the journey ...

    At this moment, the beast cave was filled with sounds of activity as the annihtion continued. Each and every one of the Nine Jade Pce¡¯s Practitioners rode majestic mounts as they appeared on the mountain top.

    Gao Xiang sat on a Snow Lion with his master, overlooking the beast cave that was far from its normal quietness.

    Going through countless days of hunting around, the ordinary ferocious beasts in the beast cave had been more or less practically annihted, every beast left had been encircled here.

    ¡°Disciples!¡± A Jade Crowned Eagle flew up high, and it was precisely Fu Shangqing who stood atop it. He pointed at the beast cave below him while carrying a myriad heroic spirit. ¡°After countless years of hard work, it is now time for you to show off your true abilities!¡±

    Gao Xiang felt the icy cold hand of his master ced on the top of his head, then heard a light tone that contained no emotions. ¡°If you lose to Fu Mingtang, you need not return to Willow Woods.¡±

 Chapter 56: Mutual Strife

    <h4>Chapter 56: Mutual Strife</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    Yan Wugui ced his hand on the wall and felt the slight quaking.

    ¡°The encirclement hunting has begun,¡± he said.

    Lu Mingshu nodded. ¡°Then we ...¡±

    ¡°Have to hurry.¡± Yan Wugui said, ¡°We can¡¯t let them run into us.¡±

    Nine Jade Pce probably dispatched more than half of their Spirit Realm experts for this time¡¯s encirclement hunting; if they were to be so unfortunate as to run into them, they wouldn¡¯t have the chance to even think of stirring up trouble. It may still be okay for Lu Mingshu, but Yan Wugui might be deported back to Seven Truths tform, as Nine Jade Pce opened up Jade West Mountain Forest for a limited time only.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    The two engrossed themselves in hastening on the journey. Now that they had crossed the river, they were basically only left with the uphill journey. The Snow Winged Cloud-treading Horse¡¯s nest was close to the mountain top, as they were a type of flying precious beast that possessed an inborn cloud-treading gallop ability.

    They might have called it ¡®stirring up trouble¡¯, but the two of them were well aware that with just the two of them, the things they could do under the nose of Spirit Realm experts were limited.

    What¡¯s more, they did not want to harm anyone. Disliking Nine Jade Pce was one thing, but disliking innocent disciples from Nine Jade Pce was something totally different.

    As the mountain shook, Yan Wugui suddenly stopped in his tracks. ¡°Be careful.¡±

    Just as he spoke, a ferocious beast rolled down from the tunnel.

    Yan Wugui pulled out his knife and shed down; ¡°Sploosh!¡±, fresh blood sttered in all directions.

    However, many more beasts rushed downhill closely after. When the beasts saw living people, they panicked and paused for a moment, but quickly recovered and started rushing towards them. The rumbling went on as more and more ferocious beasts rushed out of the tunnel.

    Lu Mingshu was quite rxed as Yan Wugui was blocking the herd in front. One shouldn¡¯t judge Yan Wugui solely on his personality, for his knife way was sharp and tyrannical. It was, perhaps, because of this knife way that he would use a knife in ce of a sword.

    They killed their way through the tunnel, having almost no time for rest.

    For so many ferocious beasts to have fled for their lives through the tunnel, the encirclement hunting outside must have entered its climax.

    As Lu Mingshu thrust out her sword ... ¡°ng!¡± The weight in her arm lessen and the body of the sword snapped off.

    Yan Wugui nced at her and took out an item from his waist pouch. ¡°Make do with this.¡±

    Lu Mingshu took it over to take a look only to discover it to be a long dagger. With her height, it was just long enough for her to use it as a short sword.

    When a Silver-Shelled Rat pounced towards them, Lu Mingshu broke its shell with ease by just slightly raising the dagger in her hands. She was taken aback. ¡°It¡¯s so sharp?!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a top grade mystic weapon, what did you think?¡± Yan Wugui then nagged, ¡°remember to return it to me after you¡¯re done using it!¡±

    Lu Mingshu murmured, ¡°Petty!¡±

    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s easy to get a top grade mystic weapon?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you still have a knife?¡±

    ¡°Tsk, I can tell you have no experience at one nce. How can one not have a weapon in reserve if they¡¯re away from home? Aren¡¯t you a very good example?¡±

    They continued killing. The chattering enlivened the otherwise dull ughter.

    Outside, the sounds of battle reverberated through the entire Jade West. Nine Jade Pce was just finishing up the encirclement killing; only a few ferocious beasts remained by this point.

    Gao Xiang chased a small Wind Rift Beast into the mountain forest.

    When the encirclement hunt had just begun, his master told him that he need not return to Willow Woods anymore if he lost to Fu Mingtang. He did not dare to disregard those words.

    Gao Xiang knew his master¡¯s temper very clearly ¡ª his master would always hold true to his words. It was, perhaps, because his recent performance had left his master greatly unsatisfied with him. If he were to really lose to Fu Mingtang, his master might really kick him out ... The Willow Woods line could only have a sole sessor every generation, but it wasn¡¯t as if the sessor had never been changed before. It would truly be very embarrassing if he was kicked out.

    The Wind Rift Beast was a type of ferocious beast that specializes in controlling the wind; it could exhale wind with a might that could cut into a mountain and even split rocks. Although this was a small Wind Rift Beast, it was still much stronger thanmon ferocious beasts. If I can catch this beast, master might be pleased.

    He leapt up, and with the sword energy condensed into threads, he attempted to strike the Wind Rift Beast before his eyes.

 Chapter 57: Treasure Locator

    <h4>Chapter 57: Treasure Locator</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived!¡± The blood-soaked duo finally saw the dawn of light.

    Now that they were out, they were able to clearly hear the beastly roars and sounds ofbat. This reminded them that the Spirit Realm experts had already begun the annihtion. Lu Mingshu even saw the sword rays from the sky battles.

    Yan Wugui furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°They¡¯ve already found the ce? Seems like we¡¯ve belittled them.¡±

    The Snow Winged Cloud-treading Horses were now having a fight with Nine Jade Pce, hence it was practically impossible for them to cause any more trouble.

    ¡°Brother Yan, what do we do?¡±

    Yan Wugui contemted for a moment before continuing, ¡°Since we can¡¯t intervene with the Snow Winged Cloud-treading Horses, let¡¯s change our target.¡±

    ¡°To what?¡±

    ¡°There are many ferocious beasts from the higher realms inhabiting the beast cave, and they need to consumerge amounts of resources on a daily basis. Thus, there will definitely be a spiritualnd in the beast cave.¡±

    ¡°But if it were me, I would definitely divide my forces. The stronger force would pursue the ferocious beasts, while the weaker force would search for the spiritualnd. I doubt that they wouldn¡¯t send people to the spiritualnd when they¡¯ve already started fighting with the Snow Winged Cloud-treading Horses, right?¡±

    Yan Wugui looked at her, pleased. This little maiden understands the hint, so it¡¯s unbelievably easy tomunicate with her.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, but they would need time to search for the spiritualnd, and the richer the spiritualnd, the harder it is to find. It would be advantageous for us to take a shortcut here. I say it will take them at least one or two hours to arrive. If we are lucky enough, we will be able to find thend before theye.¡±

    Lu Mingshu immediately answered, ¡°Then what are we waiting for? Let¡¯s go now.¡±

    ¡°Mhmm.¡± Yan Wugui nced outside a few times and heaved a disappointed sigh. We can only let these two Snow Winged Cloud-treading Horses go to Nine Jade Pce.

    ...

    Gao Xiang grabbed ahold of a vine and climbed up.

    Since the Snow Winged Cloud-treading Horses had the ability to fly, they loved living in the rugged mountains that did not have any t ground whatsoever. Thus, the path to the summit where the Snow Winged Cloud-treading Horses resided was filled with steep cliffs that Gao Xiang could only slowly climb up.

    Under his suggestion, practically every Inner Breath disciple present was participating in this bet.

    All Gao Xiang cared about was Fu Mingtang¡¯s participation.

    Hmph! So what if you have the Zhou family behind you? Let¡¯s see your true abilities!

    It¡¯s a pity Mingshu isn¡¯t around, otherwise, it¡¯d be so much more delightful to oppress them together. She always has those exceptionally useful odd ideas in that brain of hers, and it would definitely be much easier if she were around, right?

    As soon as this thought came about, Gao Xiang recalled his master¡¯s words and his blood went cold. I can¡¯t just keep relying on Mingshu. Mingshu won¡¯t always constantly be by my side. Just like right now, I can only rely on myself.

    Gao Xiang lightly swung himself on the vine and grabbed another in the nick of time before continuing to climb up.

    ...

    ¡°What is this?¡± Lu Mingshu saw Yan Wugui take out an item and wave it around.

    ¡°Treasure locator.¡±

    ¡°What does that mean?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s something that can point out the position of heaven-and-earth treasures.¡±

    Lu Mingshu stared at the item in Yan Wugui¡¯s hands. It resembled an ancientpass and the maicpass a bit. There was a needle in the middle that slightly trembled.

    ¡°What does it do?¡±

    ¡°Oh, this needle can sense treasure energy.¡±

    ¡°What is treasure energy?¡±

    ¡°Treasure energy is ...¡± Yan Wugui was defeated by her trying to get to the bottom of the matter. ¡°Can you not ask so much?¡±

    Lu Mingshu answered confidently, ¡°You should always ask when you don¡¯t know!¡±

    ¡°There are more important things we need to be doing right now so be a good girl and askter.¡± Yan Wugui patted her head and chose a direction ording to the treasure locator¡¯s needle.

    Lu Mingshu looked at the treasure locator in his hands and took out her ownpass. Oh? The direction seems to be rather identical?

    Lu Mingshu did not use herpass since they entered the beast cave. Thepass may have been quite urate in the mountain forest, but there seemed to be arge-scale maic body in the beast cave. It had never pointed to the right direction ever since they entered the beast cave.

    As the two navigated their way, Yan Wugui looked at the treasure locator, while she looked at thepass. They gradually entered the depths of the mountain body. The direction pointed by thepass was slightly different from the treasure locator, but it was more or less the same. Does this indicate that the so-called treasure energy contains maic properties?

    Loud rumblings could be heard throughout the beast cave, and the mountain would crumble at times.

    While they continued walking, Lu Mingshu suddenly said, ¡°Brother Yan, look at the tree there.¡±

    ¡°Tree? What¡¯s wrong with the tree?¡± asked Yan Wugui without thinking.

    ¡°We have already passed by it three times.¡±

    Yan Wugui stopped in his tracks and looked at it attentively.

    It was a group of three trees arranged in the form of the (Æ·) word. It looks very familiar, as if ... we¡¯ve really passed by it many times.

    As he stared nkly at the tree, Lu Mingshu was also deep in contemtion. Are we going around in circles? It looks like we are caught in an illusion, but I paid attention earlier and there weren¡¯t traces of any formations. Is it because I am not high-levelled enough to identify it?

    While Lu Mingshu was deep in thought, Yan Wugui pulled out his knife from its scabbard and immediately struck out.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Lu Mingshu was greatly rmed. Isn¡¯t this a little too casual?!

    The knife light went up then down, striking down on the tree.

    Hu! Fresh blood spurted out, leaving the two drenched in blood once again.

    This tree can actually spurt blood?! Lu Mingshu was rmed. ¡°Demonic tree?¡±

    ¡°Demonic tree your head!¡± Yan Wugui tilted his head to look at her. ¡°Look carefully, look at just what it actually is.¡±

    When she looked over once more, all she saw wererge green pythons on each tree. On one of the trees that was half-chopped off by Yan Wugui, a sliced python was currently twisting and struggling in the bloodbath. The other two extended their tongues and were ring at them like a tiger watching its prey.

    ¡°This is a guardian ferocious beast. Seems like we¡¯ve found it.¡± Yan Wugui fixedly stared at the two pythons while holding on tightly to the sharp knife in his hand. ¡°It¡¯s at the peak of the Harmonization Realm and is about to reach the Spirit Realm. You, move back.¡±

    The tworge pythons were thicker than the circumferences of bowls and were a dozen or so meters long. Their bodies had scales that shed like rays of light, simr to mystic armor.

    The pythons straightened their bodies and stared at the two with their icy cold eyes.

    Lu Mingshu retreated with careful steps.

    Although thebination of threerge pythons at the peak of the Harmonization Realm couldn¡¯tpare with one from the Spirit Realm, it did not differ by much. Luckily, Yan Wugui had beheaded one when he struck out.

    The tworge pythons moved simultaneously. They were as fast as lightning. It was as if two green des had leapt up.

    Yan Wugui¡¯s figure shed, and interweaved them into the Knife¡¯s light.

    The green des and knife light converged.

    The mystic knife light was interweaved into a lump with the green shadow, making it hard to differentiate between them.

    With how fast the tworge pythons were, Yan Wugui could not afford to be the slightest bit distracted. He raised his five senses to their limits, till he practically did not need to use his eyes at the end, as his eyes could not keep up with the speed of the two pythons.

    ¡°Sploosh¡ª¡ª¡± Fresh blood spurted everywhere, and finally, therge python was chopped down.

    Now that there was less pressure, he brought up his spirits and ended thest one.

    ¡°How disgusting!¡± Yan Wugui shook his clothing. To a mysophobic, having bloodstains was literally the most annoying thing ever. What¡¯s more, he had already gotten who knows how much blood sttered on him today. His clothes were wet then dry, and when they were dry, they became wet again, leaving him reeking in blood from head to toe.

    ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s go in!¡± When there wasn¡¯t any movement after he spoke, Yan Wugui turned around to check and felt happy. ¡°Aiyo, I was wondering why you were so quiet. Are you frightened?¡±

    Lu Mingshu stood to the side with a pale face.

    She was considered to be courageous, for Yan Wugui had never seen her get scared once in these few days that he had known her.

    Lu Mingshu gradually came back to her senses. She felt disgusted at such icy cold reptiles. She was able to endure the small snakes she encountered previously; however, these tworge serpents gave her goosebumps with just one nce.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, don¡¯t be afraid.¡± Yan Wugui said with an uplifted mood when he saw Lu Mingshu¡¯s reaction. ¡°What are you afraid of? Snake soup is very delicious.¡±

    Lu Mingshu regained a healthy flush in her cheeks and red at him. ¡°Who would want to eat that!¡±

 Chapter 58: Parting Ways

    <h4>Chapter 58: Parting Ways</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    Once the three python corpses have been stored in the pouch, the two squeezed their way in through the gap between the three trees.

    Without personally seeing it with their own eyes, it would be hard to imagine that these trees were actually the entrance. Separated by just three trees, there was apletely different world inside.

    After they had passed the entrance of dense fog, a picturesque scene that looked as if it was a painting of a fairytale opened up in front of them.

    Therge meadow was flourishing with blooming, beautiful flowers. An odd tree, with emerald green vine roots hanging down, stood in the middle of it. Birds were jumping around the branches, while the insects crawled leisurely.

    ¡°It really deserves being called a beast cave, we¡¯ve struck it rich!¡± Yan Wugui took out a small shovel from who-knows-where, squatted down before a purple nt growing on a trunk, and started to dig.

    Lu Mingshu looked left and right. ¡°Brother Yan, what can I do?¡±

    Yan Wugui pointed to the other side. ¡°Bring some of those rocks, the ones that you feel are of better quality, with you. Don¡¯t carry all of them, they will sooner orter find this ce, so it will be troublesome if you bring too many.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    In the corner, there was a quarry consisting of a pile of pebbles. These grey stones looked unremarkable but felt warm andfortable to the touch. Lu Mingshu held a stone in her hands, feeling traces of mystic force passing through the stone and permeating into her palm.

    This is indeed some good stuff! It was not her first time seeing ores that contained mystic force, but she had never seen such gentle mystic force. She carefully picked it up.

    As she continued picking stones, she suddenly felt something was amiss when she touched something soft and warm.

    Startled, Lu Mingshu pushed the pile of stones aside.

    ¡°Brother Yan!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Yan Wugui stuffed the items into his mustard seed pouch and looked over.

    Lu Mingshu waved her hands towards him with all her might. ¡°Come over and take a look at what this is!¡±

    Yan Wugui walked over to take a look and was instantly stupefied.

    The ferocious beasts that were currently upying this ce, had dug a hole in the corner and filled it with ores that contained mystic force. Whenever they needed to heal, it was exceptionally effective to just stay inside.

    This small beast was akin to a newborn kitten; it resembled a Roe Deer and had sparse hair throughout, but did not have horns growing on its head. Buried in the ores, it was slightly trembling.

    As Lu Mingshu took it in her arms very carefully, the small beast called out softly and licked her finger.

    ¡°It looks to be a cub that has just been born. Why is it here?¡±

    Yan Wugui pondered for a moment. ¡°Perhaps it was ced here by its parents. The stone hole has enough mystic force to keep it warm and to help the cub get through its nascent period.¡±

    ¡°What type of beast is this? Can we raise it?¡±

    Yan Wugui stretched out his hands. ¡°I don¡¯t recognize it, just bring it along if you want to raise it.¡±

    ¡°Mhmm.¡± That spiritualnd would sooner orter be found. Hence, this cub would either be brought back by Nine Jade Pce or die here without any parents to care for it.

    She fed the small beast some water, and when she saw it lightly closing its eyes to sleep, she carefully wrapped the small beast up in a long handkerchief and tied it to her chest.

    Yan Wugui nced at the sky. ¡°It¡¯s about time, let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°So soon? Lu Mingshu was a little surprised; they had only been here for a short while.

    ¡°The battle is about to end. If we don¡¯t go now, it will be troublesometer.¡± What¡¯s more, I¡¯ve already taken the most valuable thing in this spiritualnd.

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Once they had left the spiritualnd, Yan Wugui said, ¡°Alright, our fate ends here, let¡¯s part ways.¡±

    As he said it too abruptly, Lu Mingshu was a little stunned. ¡°Brother Yan ...¡±

    Yan Wugui pointed to the front, towards the few children hanging on the precipice. ¡°They should be Nine Jade Pce disciples, right? I have to leave before they arrive.¡±

    ¡°Then I ...¡±

    ¡°You find an opportunity to appear.¡±

    ¡°But how should I exin?¡± Lu Mingshu felt her head starting to ache. I have to provide a reason for my mysterious disappearance and sudden appearance, right?

    Yan Wuguiughed, ¡°Just say, you tumbled down the cliff, and when you awoke, you found yourself here.¡±

    ¡°This ...¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s impossible for my traces to have beenpletely wiped off.¡± Yan Wugui continued, ¡°It¡¯s not easy to fool a Spirit Realm expert, and how would they not be able to tell when the guardian ferocious beast here was killed? But, I had not gone overboard and they can¡¯t find evidence; they will most likely let the matter slide. Once the autumn hunt begins, I¡¯ll return to Seven Truths tform, and by then nobody will be able to do anything about this.¡±

    Lu Mingshu carried the small beast and kept silent.

    Yan Wugui patted her head. ¡°I am d to have met you, hopefully, we will have the opportunity to meet again.¡±

    Once he had finished, he turned around to leave.

    ¡°Brother Yan!¡±

    Yan Wugui turned around to give her a smile. ¡°Remember, to never let anyone know the route I¡¯ve brought you through toe here.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Take good care of yourself, don¡¯t give yourself too much pressure.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°... Take care.¡±

    ¡°You too.¡±

    Looking at Yan Wugui¡¯s silhouette disappear between the cliffs, Lu Mingshu¡¯s nose began to twitch and an urge to cry overwhelmed her.

    They might have been strangers who had met by chance, but Yan Wugui¡¯s care towards her had far exceeded the care shown by her so-called rtives. However, It was unknown whether a day when they could meet again woulde.

    The small beast in her embrace rubbed its head left and right, as it was restless in its sleep. Lu Mingshu suddenly remembered the dagger that was still in her possession. But, Yan Wugui¡¯s silhouette had long since disappeared.

    Her whole mind was swarming with thoughts. After standing there for a while, a voice suddenly sounded by her ear.

    ¡°Mingshu?¡±

    When she turned her head around, she discovered the person who had just climbed up the cliff was Gao Xiang!

    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Gao Xiang rushed over with a pleasantly surprised expression. ¡°Didn¡¯t you disappear at the canyon?¡±

    ¡°Gao Xiang?¡± Lu Mingshu blinked innocently.

    ¡°It¡¯s me! What¡¯s going on? When I heard you¡¯ve disappeared, I went to seek help from Martial Granduncle Zhang Kunzhang in the Lower House, but there was still no trace of you to be found. How did you end up here?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡± Lu Mingshu messaged her head. ¡°I found myself here when I woke up.¡±

    ¡°Ah?¡±

    ¡°I fainted the moment I tumbled down the canyon. Afterwards, I was in a daze. I seem to recall being carried away by someone. When I awoke, I was already here.¡± Lu Mingshu felt a little guilty from telling Gao Xiang a lie, but she knew she could not bepletely honest, otherwise, she would bring trouble to Yan Wugui.

    Her words alerted Gao Xiang. ¡°Someone had infiltrated into Jade West Mountain Forest? Are you alright?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m alright.¡± Lu Mingshu said. ¡°I am a Nine Jade Pce disciple, he probably wouldn¡¯t want to offend Nine Jade Pce, right?¡±

    Once he confirmed she was alright, Gao Xiang hurriedly told her everything that happened during those few days.

    ¡°I¡¯m really d I met you, I have made a bet with Fu Shangqing. Whoever finds the Snow Winged Cloud-treading Horse¡¯s nest first and gets a token, would be considered the winner of the bet. The loser will have to withdraw from the rankings. I even thought it was a pity that you wouldn¡¯t be able toe!¡±

    ¡°The nest of the Snow Winged Cloud-treading Horse?¡± Lu Mingshu thought aloud, slightly nting her head.

    ¡°You know?¡±

    Lu Mingshu shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but, it should be in the vicinity. Let¡¯s go, and look for it.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Gao Xiang was overflowing with happiness. He had met Lu Mingshu and even confirmed her well-being, hence he could rest assured. Furthermore, with her around, he was more confident in winning the bet.

    ¡°What is this?¡± he saw the small beast in Lu Mingshu¡¯s embrace.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I¡¯ve picked it up on earlier on the way. It seemed to have been abandoned at birth.¡± Lu Mingshu patted the small beast¡¯s head and kept the ores she had picked up on its stomach to keep it warm with mystic force.

    ¡°How cute! It¡¯s a Roe Deer right?¡±

    ¡°Not sure, it does resemble a Roe Deer a lot...¡±

 Chapter 59: Climbing the Precipice

    <h4>Chapter 59: Climbing the Precipice</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    Since Yan Wugui had shown the way before, Lu Mingshu knew the location of the Snow Winged Cloud-treading Horse¡¯s nest.

    From where they had exited the underground tunnel, there was an extremely steep precipice. The nest of the Snow Winged Cloud-treading Horse was right at its apex.

    The only problem was that precipice was arduous to climb. Not only did it have lots of thorny vines hanging off it, but there were also lots of ferocious birds resting on it. If one wanted to climb up, they had to be careful of both the thorny vines as well as the ferocious birds.

    Lu Mingshu observed the surroundings. The majority of those ferocious birds are not too strong ¡ª most of them are either at the Body Tempering or the Inner Breath Realm; only a minority are in the Harmonization Realm. Strong demonic beasts would stake ims to their territory. As the saying goes: ¡°if two men ride on a horse, one must ride behind¡±. Hence, there weren¡¯t any Spirit Realm ferocious bird on the precipice ¡ª even if there were, it would have been watched carefully by the sect¡¯s experts.

    ¡°Look over there.¡± Lu Mingshu pointed towards the mouth of the cave at the peak of the precipice.

    Gao Xiang was overjoyed. ¡°It must be there! Master and the others were heading there earlier!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    The two climbed over the rugged hill and arrived at the base of the precipice.

    Lu Mingshu hesitated for a moment, thinking of whether she should leave the cub at the base, just in case it could identally get hurt while she climbed the precipice. But when she thought of it, If I ce it here with no one to watch over it, what if it gets taken away by other ferocious beasts? It¡¯s still better to bring it along, it isn¡¯t too big anyway, so it¡¯s not tiring to bring it along. I¡¯ll just have to be more careful.

    ¡°Lend me your leather pocket.¡±

    Gao Xiang was curious. ¡°What do you want the leather pocket for?¡± Contrary to his words, he still took the leather pocket off his back and passed it over to her.

    Lu Mingshu returned the items inside the pocket to him, before cing the cub inside. Leaving only its head exposed, she tied it to her chest. She did not carry it on her back because she was worried it might be injured by the ferocious birds.

    She was not apassionate person, but she just felt that she could sympathize with this cub. The beast cave had been practically swept clean by the encirclement hunting. Its parents were most likely dead.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Gao Xiang shouted out lowly.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s poison on these thorns!¡± He pointed at the thorny vines.

    The vines were densely packed with thorns. They could easily prick one¡¯s skin.

    They were each wearing open finger leather gloves, which was why Gao Xiang¡¯s finger became red and swollen with just one careless touch of the thorns.

    Lu Mingshu took a look at his wound. ¡°Does it hurt?¡±

    ¡°It does not, but it has gone numb; My finger now could not feel anything.¡± Gao Xiang fished out his reserve injury medicine. ¡°Help me find one that detoxifies poison.¡±

    Lu Mingshu took out the medicine powder, while Gao Xiang had already tightly tied the tip of his injured finger, forcing the poisoned blood out. Once they applied the medicine and bandaged it well, Gao Xiang wiggled his fingers. ¡°It¡¯s okay now.¡±

    Relieved, Lu Mingshu took a look at the precipice once again. Although the thorny vines were not deadly, it¡¯s paralysis effect was very strong. It would be very troublesome if one got injured by them, so they had to be careful while climbing up. However, these thorny vines were practically covering the whole precipice, leaving them with little space to manoeuvre. Adding the need to evade the ferocious birds, the difficulty level of climbing up was not low.

    Gao Xiang suddenly became alert. ¡°They are also here.¡±

    Lu Mingshu followed his gaze, and her expression turned icy cold immediately.

    There was a total of three people approaching, yet she only recognized Fu Mingtang.

    Forget it if it had been someone else, but Fu Mingtang was not someone she would admit defeat to.

    Fu Mingtang was also stunned for a moment when he saw her.

    A single reminder from Rui Xiang that day, made him realize who Lu Mingshu was. These few years, he had on and off heard some whisperings and knew that his father had had a wife and child before he married his mother. Everyone said that family relied on force to bully others and was snobbish. They had chased his father out of the house themselves, yet came over to nder him. In the end, they had even forced him to let Lu Mingshu stay at Nine Jade Pce with their death.

    From his personal standpoint, Fu Mingtang would naturally dislike his so-called ¡®sister¡¯. Although he did not get as fiery with anger as to want to kill her like his twin sister did, he simrly loathed her existence. With his father having an ex-wife, his mother would be a second wife. Then wouldn¡¯t he and his sister be of lower status than Lu Mingshu?

    Fu Mingtang furrowed his brows, he could lose to someone else, but he definitely was not keen on losing to this so-called ¡®elder sister¡¯!

    ¡°We can¡¯t climb this precipice filled with all these thorny vines just like that!¡± Gao Xiang mumbled, ¡°It¡¯s a little dangerous ...¡±

    He had not finished speaking when he saw Lu Mingshu already trying her hand at climbing. She pulled herself up on a rock and started going up.

    Gao Xiang was greatly rmed. ¡°You¡¯re climbing just like that?¡±

    ¡°Any other ideas?¡± Lu Mingshu asked.

    Gao Xiang often saw here up with odd ideas, so he thought she would find a solution this time as well. However, his master had told him that he needed to rely on himself more, hence he was giving his all, trying to find a way out. But to think that Lu Mingshu immediately tried her hand out at climbing.

    ¡°This precipice is so steep, and it¡¯s hard to climb because of the thorny vines, so we can only force our way through.¡± Lu Mingshu pulled out the dagger and pried arger hole in the rocks before cing her foot there.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡± Gao Xiang tightened his leather boots and followed her.

    On the other side, Fu Mingtang¡¯s group, who had seen them starting to climb, also began their ascent.

    The dagger left behind by Yan Wugui was so sharp, that it could easily cut through iron as if it was mud. Lu Mingshu quickly dug out a small hole that was sufficient for her to step on, and while holding onto her dagger with her mouth, she began climbing up.

    When she saw Gao Xiang following her, she said, ¡°Don¡¯t be in a hurry to dig a hole too. When those ferocious birds fly overter, I might not have enough hands to handle them. Let¡¯s divide up the work; I¡¯ll dig the holes, while you deal with the birds.¡±

    After a slight hesitation, Gao Xiang agreed. ¡°Okay.¡±

    They had grown up together, so they were both very clear of the other¡¯s strength. Speaking purely about swordsmanship, he was a little hesitant with dividing the work this way.

    Once they had climbed roughly ten meters, they rested on a small tree that had taken root in the rock strata.

    ¡°Look over there.¡± Gao Xiang pointed at a rock that was protruding out. ¡°We can throw a rope up. This would make it much easier to climb.¡±

    Lu Mingshu made a rough estimate of the distance. ¡°There¡¯s a ferocious bird up there; we will be attacked.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, let me handle it.¡± Gao Xiang volunteered. He took a rope out and made a knot.

    On the other side, Fu Mingtang and another two youths were also adjusting their climbing steps. As they continued climbing up, they were finally discovered by someone.

    The Spirit Realm elders were currently encircling a few precious beasts and birds ¡ª the four hall heads eachmandedrge hunting troops trying progressively to close the encirclement hunt. Some were wiping out whatever remained in the beast cave, some looked for the spiritualnd, and some cleaning up the battlefield.

    Suddenly, someone shouted out in astonishment when they saw the youths hanging on the precipice. ¡°Look over there, that is ...¡±

    ¡°Has someone already gone to the Snow Winged Cloud-treading Horse¡¯s nest?¡±

    ¡°Not yet, we are still cleaning up here and don¡¯t have the time to go there.¡±

    ¡°Then what¡¯s with those people?¡±

    Someone who had good eyesight and could clearly see the people climbing, turned pale with fright. ¡°It¡¯s a few kids! young master, I see young master!¡±

    When the news reached Zhou Yinru¡¯s ears, herplexion turned pale immediately. ¡°What¡¯s happening? Where are the people following the eldest young master?!¡± She had long since found and secured a few nests for Fu Mingtang to grandly establish great merit in the spring hunt. Why is he there?

    ¡°This servant will go and call them right away.¡± Rui Xiang also went pale with fright and hastily went off to find them.

    After a short while, she came back with a few people.

    When the few attendants saw Zhou Yinru, they immediately kneeled down to beg for forgiveness. ¡°This wretched subordinate deserves death for not watching over eldest young master well.¡±

    Zhou Yinru was already extremely angry. ¡°You did not watch over well?! Are you all trash?!¡±

    The attendants were silently drowning in regrets. They had originally forbidden Fu Mingtang from joining, but no matter how good of a temperament Fu Mingtang had, he was after all still a young master that been held highly since childhood. Thus, he had high ambitions. With how Gao Xiang continuously incited him, how could Fu Mingtang back down from the challenge? In the end, Fu Mintang and his fewpanions pretended to be chased by ferocious beasts to send them away. By the time the subordinates found out they had been lured into a trap, Fu Mingtang had already disappeared.

 Chapter 60: Discovered

    <h4>Chapter 60: Discovered</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    ¡°It¡¯sing!¡± Gao Xiang shouted as he unsheathed his sword and fixated his stare on the ferocious bird that was currently flying towards them.

    Lu Mingshu pulled on the knot to make sure the rope was fastened tight enough to support their body weight before throwing the rope over to Gao Xiang. ¡°Let¡¯s go on together.¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡± Gao Xiang solemnly nodded.

    The two tacitly cooperated as they pulled the rope and swiftly stepped onto the cliff with their feet. Even though there was obviously only one rope, the two worked so well together they didn¡¯t have any problems.

    At the same time, Lu Mingshu also used the Light Body Technique.

    They could not go up the precipice as fast as the Harmonization Realm senior brothers and sisters who could move so quickly it seemed as if they were flying, but with the rope, they were still able to ascend swiftly.

    Gao Xiang first stepped onto the rock, and with continuous strikes of his sword, he forced the ferocious bird to retreat. Afterwards, he pulled the rope, hauling Lu Mingshu up onto the rock as well.

    Lu Mingshu looked towards the other side. Fu Mingtang¡¯s group was copying them as they also found a rock and was currently casting their rope.

    She lifted her head to look at her side. The thorny vines were so densely packed that there was limited space for them to tread on. She hurriedly said, ¡°I¡¯ll leave these birds to you while I dig out more footholds.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    While the two groups were mutuallypetitive on this side, Zhou Yinru, who was on the other side, was already flying into a rage.

    ¡°Gao Xiang? Why would he encourage Mingtang?¡± She was well aware of Fu Mingtang¡¯s personality. The child had always been obedient so there was no reason why he would act this rash unless he was prompted to. What does the Willow Woods line want?

    People started discussing, ¡°Who is on the other side?¡±

    ¡°He seems to be Elder An¡¯s disciple.¡±

    ¡°Then who is the one with him? It seems to be a little girl.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that one. I recognize her!¡±

    ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°She was previously in the same team as Yi Jiao. Uh, you know, the one from Green Jade Valley ...¡±

    ¡°So it¡¯s her. She is really brave ...¡±

    The moment she heard the three words ¡®Green Jade Valley¡¯, Zhou Yinru¡¯s face darkened to the point where it seemed like ck clouds were looming over her head. She red at the other side. Isn¡¯t that Mingshu? It is! She must have provoked Mingtang, which is why he ran off! Once this hunt is over, see how I¡¯ll settle this bastard!

    Zhou Yinru had already forgotten her attendant¡¯s words from earlier by selective memory.

    ¡°Quick! Send someone over to provide support! If any harmes to the eldest young master, all of you are to watch your backs!¡±

    Rui Xiang¡¯s back dripped with cold sweat. ¡°Second miss, we¡¯ve just drawn the ferocious beasts out and the elders are currently encircling them. It won¡¯t be easy to pass through.¡±

    The precipice was far from the frontline. Not long after the few kids had gone over, the ferocious beasts were lured out. In order to get to the precipice, they would have to rush through the middle of the warzone. Even though the Spirit Realm was just a realm after Harmonization Realm, their fighting ability was vastly different. It was extremely difficult to cross the warzone.

    ¡°Piak!¡± Rui Xiang once again received another p and her face began to swell up again.

    Zhou Yinru stated clearly, ¡°Are you not going just because it¡¯s hard? If any harm befalls the eldest young master, which one of you will take responsibility?¡±

    Rui Xiang bit her lips tightly in order to endure the pain. ¡°Yes, this servant will get people to be set off right away.¡±

    On the other side, Lu Mingshu and Gao Xiang were caught up in an arduous and difficult battle.

    The ferocious birds ignored them when they were at lower ground. Once they climbed onto a rock that protruded out, the resting ferocious birds at the precipice became alerted.

    What was even more annoying was that they could not touch the thorny vines. Considering that they had nothing else to support them except the rope and the fact that the precipice was absolutely vertical, it was impressive that they could even use half of their full strength.

    Right now, they could only pray that they did not alert the countless Harmonization Realm ferocious birds, otherwise all the odds would be against them. Furthermore, if the rope snapped at the height they were at, it would be a miracle if they lived.

    This was an extremely dangerous bet. If they took one wrong step, their lives would be at risk. Fortunately, these few kids were still young and fearless, meaning they didn¡¯t really understand the weight of the consequences of their actions. If they were adults, they would definitely be breaking out in a cold sweat by now.

    ¡°There¡¯s too many!¡± Gao Xiang called out. ¡°We can¡¯t go on like this!¡±

    Lu Mingshu briefly observed the situation before saying, ¡°Save up some mystic force to lure them all over.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not fighting?¡±

    ¡°No, we¡¯re not fighting.¡±

    Gao Xiang let out a breath of relief. This is simple, we only have to utilize a sword technique to protect us from being attacked.

    Under Gao Xiang¡¯s intentional luring, they were quickly drowned by the ferocious birds which surrounded them. In the beginning, Gao Xiang was able to effortlessly deal with them, but as time passed by, he inevitably found it taxing.

    ¡°Is it done yet? There¡¯s too many!¡±

    ¡°Hang in there a little more.¡± Lu Mingshu fished out an item and threw it where the ferocious birds were gathered at.

    Hong! With a loud booming sound, it burst open with power, blowing all the surrounding birds into pieces. The ferocious birds were practically wiped out with this one bomb. There were only a few left, which Gao Xiang quickly disposed off with a few strikes with his sword.

    Once they were out of their predicament, Gao Xiang loosened up and asked, ¡°What is that bomb thing? How is it so powerful?¡±

    The item was the spirit talisman Lu Mingshu had exchanged for in the Heavenly Wheel. There was not many of them and she kept them on hand for emergency situations where she needed to protect herself.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you in future.¡± Lu Mingshu looked to the other side and saw Fu Mingtang¡¯s group also caught up in a tough battle. However, they had one extra person so they were not in such dire straits like they were in previously. Also, how could Fu Mingtang not have special items when he was considered the treasure of the Zhou family? Lu Mingshu saw him take out an object and shoot it continuously at the ferocious birds, leaving them to fall one after another.

    Is that a crossbow? But ordinary crossbows are only really useful in controlled situations and it¡¯s really difficult to have an urate aim. Even if it was a crossbow, it has to be a revamped one. It would be great if I could just take a look at it.

    After a slight break, the two continued to climb upwards.

    At the same time, the people dispatched by Zhou Yinru were currently crossing through the warzone.

    Headed by Teacher Zuo, they tumbled and madly rushed towards the precipice.

    ¡°Young master! Eldest young master!¡± They shouted out anxiously when they saw Fu Mingtang surrounded by ferocious birds in all directions.

    Gao Xiang¡¯splexion slightly paled when he heard the shout: ¡°Someone¡¯s here!¡± He wasn¡¯t a fool; he knew that his actions would be seen as undisciplined and out of control by the elders. Although it wasn¡¯t him who proposed the bet, it was him that urged Fu Mingtang to join. If those people came, they would definitely not allow the bet to continue.

    Lu Mingshu turned her head back to take a look and estimated the distance. ¡°We¡¯ll make it in time.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Gao Xiang sceptically asked. They had spent half an hour just to climb to where they were at now. It didn¡¯t matter how slow a Harmonization Realm practitioner was, there was more than enough time for them to fight their way here.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Lu Mingshu forcefully stabbed the dagger into a gap in the precipice to gain a strong holding. She fished out another spirit talisman from her chest and threw it upwards.

    The divine light shed and a long green rattan quickly climbed upwards along the cliff until it reached a small crack.

    Lu Mingshu used force to pull on it in order to confirm that it was sturdy enough.

    This whole scene left Gao Xiang¡¯s mouth hanging wide open as he was speechless. ¡°This ... where did thise from?¡± He knew that a unique mystic force could control botanical nts, but they were only in the Inner Breath Realm and could not even condense to make a protective armour. How was it able to condense into a rattan this thick?!

    ¡°We¡¯ll talk once we¡¯re back.¡± Lu Mingshu sighed in her heart. She knew that she could not hide it from Gao Xiang when they were together every day. She did not want to use this tactic because she didn¡¯t want to expose all of her strengths, but she couldn¡¯t think of any other way.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Pulling on the rattan, she climbed up the cliff.

 Chapter 61: Ferocious Birds

    <h4>Chapter 61: Ferocious Birds</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    On the other side, the three also hastened their pace.

    Their battle tactic changed a little. Lu Mingshu saw Fu Mingtang hold the crossbow in his hands and shoot it upwards. A long rope with an arrowhead shot out from the crossbow and embedded itself into a small crack in the precipice.

    Lu Mingshu was very rmed when she saw this. She had seen such a tool in the Heavenly Wheel before and once thought of making one. However, making a crossbow was no easy matter, and she could not find someone to exchange for a crossbow. Hence, the matter dragged on. So this world has such an ingenious tool too? Well, this isn¡¯t that surprising. A Martial Arts world may be rtively ancient, but with development and innovation, it wouldn¡¯t be inferior to other worlds.

    If Fu Mingtang is only using it now, is it because there is a defect in the tool?

    Lu Mingshu predicted correctly; Fu Mingtang had not used it previously because the crossbow needed mystic force tounch. However, it was not enough to use his own mystic force if he wanted to break through and lodge the arrowhead into the precipice. He needed to utilize a mystic crystal ¡ª a pure crystal that was refined from a mystic ore. Such a crystal form was so extremely precious that the sect only supplied it to elders of the Spirit Realm. He only had this one crystal so he would only use it as ast resort.

    He had no choice but to use it now. As he looked at the dulling radiance of the crystal, even a sect leader¡¯s son would feel a pang of heartache.

    ¡°Go quickly!¡± Fu Mingtang could not help but get anxious when he saw Zhou Yinru¡¯s men getting closer. The moment those people arrived, thepetition would definitely be nullified. There was no way he was going to be mocked by Gao Xiang as a coward that could only rely on the title of a sect leader¡¯s son to frighten others.

    On Lu Mingshu¡¯s side, they were moving quickly up the rattan.

    With the help of the rattan, the vertical precipice was no longer a problem for Inner Breath Realm disciples like them.

    Lu Mingshunded on a rock and once Gao Xiang arrived, she hauled him up.

    They were only a short distance away from the peak of the precipice.

    When she looked at the peak, she found it a little nerve-racking.

    The cave entrance was filled with numerous dense thorny vines, and it would not be easy to get through.

    However, when she turned her head around to check, Teacher Zuo¡¯s group was even closer.

    On the other side, the three climbed while fighting off the ferocious birds and were a tiny bit slower than the other two. Although they were slower than Lu Mingshu, she only had one wood element spirit talisman which she had just used, while Fu Mingtang could continue shooting with his crossbow. Once the three caught up to Lu Mingshu and Gao Xiang, the two would undoubtedly lose.

    Eeek ¡ª¡ª

    A bird¡¯s sharp cry cut off Lu Mingshu¡¯s train of thought.

    Gao Xiang turned his head around to take a look and waspletely shocked. ¡°Harmonization Realm! That is a Harmonization Realm ferocious bird!¡±

    In the end, the bloody battle on the precipice alerted the countless Harmonization Realm ferocious birds.

    Teacher Zuo and the rest went pale with shock before madly dashing. Given the Second Zhou Miss¡¯s temper, if anything were to happen to the eldest young master, we can forget about living.

    Everyone who saw the scene at a distance sucked in a breath of cold air. Even those who were inbat reverted their attention to the scene.

    Having to deal with a dangerous precipice where it was impossible to hold onto anything, along with attacking Harmonization Realm ferocious beasts, was something those in our realm would be stressed about if they were in the same situation, including the few Inner Breath Realm disciples!

    Someone rambled on, ¡°We¡¯re done for. We¡¯re done for eldest young master ...¡±

    When he turned around, Zhou Yinru pped him. ¡°Shut up!¡±

    Zhou Yinru was breathing heavily as she stared anxiously at the cliff.

    Nothing must happen. Nothing must happen to Fu Mingtang. The Zhou family¡¯s future is resting all on his shoulders.

    Father only has us two daughters, but none of our aplishments or those meticulously picked disciples¡¯ aplishments are considered reputable. If this was so, why would a high and mighty eldest miss of the Zhou family ¨C the sect leader¡¯s daughter ¨C marry ad of no background and in dire straits? Luckily the Zhou family bet on the right person; Fu Shangqing entered the Spirit Realm in a short span of seven years, thus we were able to keep the position of sect leader.

    However, Fu Shangqing is still considered an outsider. No matter what, he cannotpete with Fu Mingtang who has the blood of the Zhou family running through his veins. Furthermore, Fu Mingtang¡¯s aptitude vastly surpassed the Zhou family¡¯s expectations. It wouldn¡¯t be easy to give birth to a child as gifted as Fu Mingtang if he died.

    With her thoughts stopping there, Zhou Yinru¡¯s hatred towards Lu Mingshu grew more intense, to the point where smoke could practically be seen from her fiery eyes.

    I can only hope Zuo Yiming will get there just in time. See how I teach this bastard a lesson after this!

    On the precipice, Fu Mingtang felt like he wasn¡¯t breathing. He lifted his head to look at the huge bird that was extremely long and had its pair of wings unfolded. Like dark clouds enshrouding him, he felt the bird¡¯s looming shadow as it focused at him with its savage cold eyes.

    The huge bird pped its wings and abruptly rushed down.

    Teacher Zuo shouted out, ¡°Young master!¡± His heart was about to jump out of his chest, and he regretted injuring himself previously because it was slowing him down.

    When Fu Mingtang heard the shout, he instinctively pressed the crossbow in his hands.

    The arrowhead on the rope shot upwards. It did hit the huge bird, but it lodged into the bird¡¯s neck as it descended.

    This one strike might not have hit the target smack in the middle, but it temporarily forced the ferocious bird to retreat.

    Teacher Zuo let out a breath of relief andmanded the men to speed up.

    On the other side, Lu Mingshu¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°I have an idea!¡±

    ¡°What idea?¡± Gao Xiang hurriedly asked.

    ¡°Wait up!¡± Lu Mingshu looked at the huge bird and blew a whistle.

    The sharp and ear-piercing whistle seeded in attracting the huge bird¡¯s attention.

    Gao Xiang was incredibly rmed. ¡°What are you doing?¡± He was happy that the huge bird was fixated on Fu Mingtang, yet now Lu Mingshu was intentionally attracting its attention ... Is she trying to help Fu Mingtang?

    ¡°Be careful yourself.¡± Lu Mingshu stared attentively at the huge bird that was rushing over as she counted down in her heart.

    Three, two, one.

    Fully prepared, she abruptly leapt into mid-air.

    Gao Xiang shouted out loudly, ¡°Mingshu!!¡±

    They were almost at the apex of the precipice. Is she trying to kill herself by jumping down from this height?

    Fu Mingtang¡¯s group also cried out in rm. The youth that provoked Gao Xiang shouted outpletely shocked, ¡°What is she doing?!¡±

    Fu Mingtang was also stupefied. While he was worried about how he had shot his crossbow earlier and what he was going to do if the huge bird rushed over, he suddenly heard Lu Mingshu¡¯s whistle that drew the bird away.

    Is ... is she saving me? Fu Mingtang could not believe his intuition, but he could also notprehend the meaning behind her actions. His heart was in a state of turmoil.

    Lu Mingshu weed the wind with outstretched arms as she dropped from the high altitude. She discovered that she wasn¡¯t nervous at all. Obviously she would die horribly if she made a single mistake, yet her breathing and heart rate was steady as per usual. It wasn¡¯t that she was naturally a risk-taker, but rather it was because she was confident in herself.

    Lu Mingshu went slightly forward to grab onto the rope right in front of her. Once she firmly had it in her grasp, she quickly twisted it around her hands a few times before moving on to grab the other rope.

    The rope drooped down as it bore her weight and deeply sunk into the huge bird¡¯s neck.

    Startled, the huge bird screeched and started pping its wings desperately to fly higher.

    Just like this, Lu Mingshu was suspended on the huge bird¡¯s body.

    Everyone had a stupefied expression on their face: Gao Xiang, Fu Mingtang, Teacher Zuo who was not far away, Zhou Yinru, and the rest who were even further away.

    She ... even dared to do this?

    ¡°Be careful!¡± Gao Xiang called out.

    Not used to being restricted, the huge bird pped its wings with all its might. It rushed to bash itself against the precipice.

    If it seeded in bashing itself, Lu Mingshu would undoubtedly be smashed into a meat patty.

 Chapter 62: You Agreed to the Bet, You Must Accept Your Loss

    <h4>Chapter 62: You Agreed to the Bet, You Must ept Your Loss</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    Zhou Yinru stared at the scene on the precipice and sneered, Little bastard, who said you can be in the limelight. I hope you get smashed dead!Z

    To Zhou Yinru¡¯s disappointment, Lu Mingshu did not give the huge bird this chance.

    Right before she leapt out, she had visualized all the possible ways in which this situation could y out. She took into ount the strength, the speed, the direction, etc. of the huge bird. Although her estimates were not exactly precise, they were a good approximate.

    The moment the huge bird smashed into the precipice, she had exerted all her strength to swing and let go at the highest point.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Fu Mingtang cried out.

    The others watching the scene from a distance also let out a yelp.

    The precipice is hundreds of feet tall, and the wind is very powerful; adding in therge smashing force of that huge Harmonization Realm bird, she actually dared to let go?!

    This ... Just the thought of it turned many pale with fright. If they were in her shoes, they would have never dared to just let go. Besides, she was still a child!

    The precipice was quickly getting closer ¡ª it was as if it was not her who was throwing herself towards the precipice, but instead, the precipice was pressing down on her. With the huge mountain closing down on her, it felt as if she would be crashed into smithereens in the blink of an eye.

    Lu Mingshu listened to her heartbeat ... thump, thump... the rhythm was fast and steady. Her eyes did not blink even once, as she fixed her stare on the precipice.

    Now.

    She grabbed the dagger tightly and stabbed the rock.

    ng¡ª¡ª The high-grade mystic weapon¡¯s sharp de touched the rock surface, causing sparks to fly in all directions. It easily pierced the rock as if Lu Mingshu was slicing tofu ¡ª one stab was all it needed.

    It might have cut through the rock easily, but the huge momentum had not been entirely dispelled. Thus, half of Lu Mingshu¡¯s body smashed heavily into the precipice and immediately went numb from the collision.

    At the same time, Lu Mingshu moved her hand from the dagger onto the precipice.

    Seeing the situation, Gao Xiang¡¯s almost stopped breathing. He hurriedly shouted out loud, ¡°Mingshu? Mingshu?¡±

    Half of Lu Mingshu¡¯s body had already gone numb, and buzzing sounds rung out in her head. She only managed to slowlye back to her senses when she heard Gao Xiang shout and the cub in her embrace call out. She knew deep in her heart that, given how she had used her arm to try to cushion the collision, her arm had been practically half-crippled. If it was not for the Heavenly Wheel, she would not have dared to pull such a dangerous stunt.

    The huge bird had desperately pped off to higher ground, hence the cliff where she was now hanging was the upper part of the Snow Winged Cloud-treading Horse¡¯s nest. She was barely ten feet away from the cave entrance.

    Fu Mingtang was breathing heavily, and his forehead was dripping with cold sweat. Although it was not him that had experienced all these, with how close he was to the happenings, he had watched the situation unfold before his eyes in clear detail. It was as if he had personally experienced it. Lu Mingshu had avoided being smashed into bits and dying a horrible death by a hair¡¯s breadth.

    ¡°S-she¡¯s ... still alive, right? This is inconceivable!¡± a youth by his side murmured in a daze ¡ª his tone filled with awe. She had managed to survive all that?

    That¡¯s right, this is unbelievable. Fu Mingtang thought in his heart. He would have never even imagined that this could be done.

    Lu Mingshu lowered her head to look at the cave entrance and slightly loosened her grip on the dagger.

    Her body dropped down slightly. She lowered herself onto a protruding rock at the cave entrance and rolled in. She was finally safe.

    Only at that moment did she discover that her whole body was soaked in sweat.

    Giving herself some time to rest from the previous stunts, she gathered all the snow-white feathers that had fallen near the cave entrance and stored them away. Then, she stood up and waved at Gao Xiang.

    ¡°Alive! That child is still alive!¡±

    Shouts of astonishment broke out from the distant crowd of onlookers, when they saw Lu Mingshu wave.

    They were far away, hence they could not see the whole situation unfold in any detail. All they saw was Lu Mingshu jumping out then grabbing onto something, before hanging in midair underneath the huge bird, and being smashed by the bird into the precipice.

    They had previously felt that this child was excessively brave and admired her in their hearts, while secretly pitying her circumstances. With how bad the situation had been earlier, who would¡¯ve believed she could live? It would have already been considered pretty good for her corpse to remain intact.

    Unexpectedly, she actually lived.

    When they recalled what she had done previously, she was truly prudent in all aspects, daring yet careful. Moreover, she had sharp senses. All in all, she had handled the situation directly and efficiently. Courage, willpower, decisiveness, not a single one was dispensable.

    ¡°Truly incredible! Kids these days are really remarkable!¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it? Back in our days, who would¡¯ve dared to do that?¡±

    ¡°Tsk tsk, daring to do this at just the Inner Breath Realm. How daring will she be in future?¡±

    ¡°Speaking of it, the sixteenth generation is truly filled with talents. The young master, that disciple of Willow Wood¡¯s Elder An, and now this person ...¡±

    Zhou Yinru¡¯s face was getting darker and darker as she listened to their conversation. Finally, she could not hold it in any more. ¡°Shut up! Do all of you have nothing better to do?!¡± she stared at the precipice, and her voice went even colder. ¡°Disobeyingmands, acting on her own initiative, and even provoked her fellow disciple. She must be punished ording to the sect¡¯s rules!¡±

    Everyone immediately went silent, regretting they had not kept their mouth shut. Who here does not know of Second Zhou Miss¡¯s bad temper? It¡¯s one matter if she always stayed in Green Jade Valley and remained invisible, but to vite the rules in front of the Second Zhou Miss, the result won¡¯t be good. Plus, the master she had paid respects to is in such a state ... How pitiful ...

    It was unknown whether it was due to the influence of the Snow Winged Cloud-treading Horse, but the huge bird indignantly flew back and forth the moment Lu Mingshu entered the nest. In the end, it still flew away.

    Lu Mingshu threw a rope down to Gao Xiang and pulled him up.

    Soon after, Teacher Zuo¡¯s group also arrived and saved Fu Mingtang¡¯s group from the precipice.

    Following that, they also got Gao Xiang and Lu Mingshu down.

    Fu Mingtang hung his head down dejectedly. If Teacher Zuo had arrived earlier and interrupted thepetition, he would have felt indignant. However, Lu Mingshu had taken the first step in the nest and even in such a shy way ... What else could he say for himself?

    He was at a loss from the bottom of his heart. Since young, everyone had praised him to be extremely talented, saying that he was the future of Nine Jade Pce. His parents regarded him importantly, his grandfather loved him, and even his aunt with her bad temper had never spoken harsh words in front of him. He also strongly believed that he was the most outstanding; entering the Inner Breath Realm before turning ten years old was something that even Liu Jizhen had not aplished back then. But now ...

    He shifted his gaze to Lu Mingshu.

    He had never taken this ¡®sister¡¯ of his seriously, nor did he recognize her as an elder sister. He, Fu Mingtang, only had one sister ¡ª Fu Mingxi. Why would he care about who Lu Mingshu was? Although at times he felt a lump in his throat when he recalled her name, he still had contempt for her and did not think this ¡®sister¡¯ was worthy of a second nce.

    However, he had no choice but to take another nce at her now. How did this happen? This defeat did not leave them any space for an excuse, nor could it be dismissed as a ¡®fluke¡¯.

    Honestly, if Fu Mingtang were in her shoes, he might have neither had her courage nor her precision.

    So, is this my loss? I lost to the ¡®sister¡¯ I looked down on?

    ¡°How is it? Can you move it?¡± On the other side, Gao Xiang carefully supported Lu Mingshu by her shoulder.

    Lu Mingshu shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t, it must be fractured.¡±

    ¡°You went way overboard.¡± Gao Xiang furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°What if it left you with internal injuries? This is your right hand, it will affect your strength.¡±

    Lu Mingshu only smiled. She couldn¡¯t possibly tell Gao Xiang that, because of the Heavenly Wheel, she did not have to fear getting heavily injured, right?

    ¡°Forget it, forget it. I¡¯ll let Martial Grandfather know, so he can find some good herbs for you.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°What are you thanking me for?¡± Gao Xiang nagged. ¡°Really! I am even turning into an old grandma now from hanging around you too much.¡±

    He lifted up his head and pompously spoke to Fu Mingtang and the rest. ¡°Eh, do you concede defeat?¡±

    The youth that had provoked Gao Xiang had a face full of indignance, yet could not find words to refute.

    ¡°Why? Have you be a mute now that you¡¯ve lost? Eldest young master, you won¡¯t turn into a mute too, right?¡±

    Fu Mingtang lifted his head and nkly stated, ¡°If you agree to the bet, you must ept your loss. I¡¯ll withdraw from the rankings this time.¡±

    ¡°Good!¡± Gao Xiang pped and spoke while grinning, ¡°Remember to keep your promise. If you are still in the rankings after this, don¡¯t me me for making this public!¡±

 Chapter 63: Seizing the Opportunity to Create Trouble

    <h4>Chapter 63: Seizing the Opportunity to Create Trouble</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    The battle of the Spirit Realm experts was graduallying to an end.

    Nine Jade Pce had seized an overwhelming victory by capturing countless ferocious and precious beasts. The only regret they had was being unable to capture the two Snow Winged Cloud-treading Horses that had escaped the encirclement in the end.

    This left the disciples in deep regret. If they had caught these two, they would have been able to leave their names down in the record of achievements and be respected by the Nine Jade Pce¡¯s descendants.

    Lu Mingshu, who was heavily injured, passed the cub over to Gao Xiang. Gao Xiang looked at it and continuously sighed. ¡°Instead of getting the Snow Winged Cloud-treading Horses, we got a silly Roe Deer. It¡¯s cute now because it¡¯s still young, but if it still looks like this when it¡¯s older, it will be extremely ugly.¡±

    The cub growled weakly, as if it was protesting.

    Lu Mingshuughed. ¡°Why don¡¯t I give you my Silver-Shelled Rat too so you can have a pair.¡±

    ¡°Fine, since you have this silly Roe Deer.¡±

    As the battle quieted down, teacher Zuo brought them to a ce where they could temporarily rest. They were greeted with starstrucked gazes, particrly Lu Mingshu. Many even pointed at her.

    Lu Mingshu turned a blind eye to the attention she was garnering and followed Gao Xiang to look for his master.

    An Tongchen looked at them in surprise. ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯ve returned. Let¡¯s talk once we¡¯re back.¡±

    They mounted the Snow Lion to get back to the camp before An Tongchen called his attendants over to help the two wash up and treat their injuries.

    A whileter, Gao Xiang returned.

    An Tongchen had changed into white clothing and had his hair scattered while he sat behind the table.

    Gao Xiang looked at his master who had dispelled most of his coldness, and felt a little closer to him. He slowly walked over. ¡°Master ...¡±

    An Tongchen pointed at the the seat opposite his while maintaining an expressionless face. ¡°Don¡¯t think you can escape from your punishment. Sit down.¡±

    Gao Xiang rubbed his nose and sat down obediently with his head lowered.

    ¡°What exactly happened?¡±

    Gao Xiang did not dare to speak hurriedly; he told his master everything he had experienced that day one event after the other, including how he had intentionally provoked Fu Mingtang to join in on the bet.

    What was surprising was the fact that An Tongchen was not at all interested in how Gao Xiang made a bet with Fu Mingtang. Instead, he repeatedly asked about how Lu Mingshu appeared.

    Confused, Gao Xiang repeated himself a few times. ¡°Master, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    An Tongchen did not reply, he just silently tapped the table.

    The bet wasn¡¯t really that important. Although it was a rtivelyrge matter, it was still just a few juniors fighting out of boredom.

    However, Lu Mingshu disappearing from outside the canyon and then reappearing in the depths of the beast cave was more perplexing. From her words, it seemed like she had met a very adept person in Jade West Mountain Forest ... And there¡¯s many instances where one can make a story inside!

    But he did not suspect Lu Mingshu to lie. She was just a disciple and this was also her first time attending the spring hunt. She also had a limited amount of strength and was not familiar with Jade West Mountain Forest. Furthermore, she was only a third-rate disciple. Even if she colluded with an outsider, there was nothing the outsider could gain from her.

    He was not surprised there were outsiders going in and out of Jade West Mountain Forest. Jade West Mountain Forest may be called the Nine Jade Pce¡¯s backyard, but it wasn¡¯t as if Nine Jade Pce actually surrounded it like walls. They could cross the high mountains from other locations to ess Jade West Mountain Forest. It just wouldn¡¯t be as convenient and or as fast as entering on the side of Nine Jade Pce.

    However, this person had sneaked in during the encirclement hunting, unnoticed by any of them. The troublesome part was that they did not know what this person had done under their noses. If a backyard was essed by others as they wished, would it still be called a backyard?

    As An Tongchen pondered over the matter, his facial expression changed and he abruptly stood up. ¡°Not good!¡±

    Shocked by him, Gao Xiang also stood up. ¡°Master, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    An Tongchen did not answer and walked out after he draped his robe over his shoulders. Gao Xiang hurriedly followed after him.

    He made a beeline towards the attendant area in the base of the camp, but when he lifted up the curtain, he only saw the servant girl he had brought along alone.

    ¡°Where is Lu Mingshu?¡±

    The servant girl hurriedly bowed down. ¡°This servant was just about to report to elder but someone came over earlier and took Young Lady Lu away.¡±

    ¡°Who was it?¡±

    ¡°They said they were from the Quintessence Courtyard ...¡±

    Without listening to the rest, An Tongchen flung the curtain apart and walked off.

    ¡°Master!¡± Gao Xiang chased after him with a frightened expression. ¡°Why would the Quintessence Courtyard take Mingshu away?¡±

    Quintessence Courtyard, the Nine Jade Pce monastic discipline courtyard, captured and punished disciples.

    An Tongchen coldlyughed. ¡°What else could this be? Naturally, it¡¯s because of thepetition today.¡±

    Gao Xiang felt at a loss for a second, before he hurriedly said, ¡°It was me that made Fu Mingtang join. I¡¯ll go clear up the matter!¡±

    An Tongchen shot a nce at him. ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s toote. Fu Mingtang had a part in the bet, but even if there¡¯s a punishment, it wouldn¡¯t be severe. But if they dig out the matter of her disappearing and then reappearing, it won¡¯t be as simple.¡±

    Gao Xiang was not stupid. With a hint from An Tongchen, he was able to piece together the puzzle pieces and he immediately understood. He called out, ¡°They want to make a story from Mingshu¡¯s disappearance?! Are they nning to frame her? That person ... they want to use her of colluding with an outsider?¡±

    In his heart, An Tongchen thought, this disciple of mine is not that dumb, he still hashopes.

    He just had this thought when Gao Xiang immediately went up and grabbed his hand anxiously saying, ¡°Master, help her clear up this matter. Why would she collude with an outsider? She stays in Green Jade Valley every day and hasn¡¯t left the mountain for a few years. How could she be acquainted with any outsider?¡±

    An Tongchen had not even taken a single breath after that thought. He truly felt like strangling this disciple whom he thought that has hopes earlier. He should just change his disciple and be done with it!

    He admonished him in a low tone, ¡°Have you gone crazy? Is it important whether she colluded with an outsider or not?!¡± The important part was that someone wanted to seize this opportunity to teach her a lesson.

    ¡°Master please help her! Martial Grandfather said he had received a favour from Mingshu¡¯s Martial Grandmother, so we have to look after her. Master ...¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± An Tongchen rubbed his midbrows. ¡°You, go back.¡±

    ¡°Master!¡±

    An Tongchen replied helplessly, ¡°I¡¯ll give it a try.¡±

    Gao Xiang was overjoyed. ¡°Thank you Master.¡±

    An Tongchen snapped, ¡°Go back obediently and you must not create any more trouble!¡±

    ¡°I know. This disciple promises he will not create any more trouble.¡±

    Watching Gao Xiang head back, An Tongchen sighed as took steps towards the huge tent at the heart of the camp.

    At this moment, Lu Mingshu was currently being pushed into therge tent.

    The wound on her shoulders had just been bandaged, but this one push made it feel excruciating. She bore the pain and before it faded away, she heard a familiar voice ring from the tent, ¡°Lu Mingshu?¡±

    Ever since four years ago, this female¡¯s voice had always echoed through her dreams. It sounded gentle and soft, but there was actually slight arrogance and belittlement in her voice as it seemed like she viewed others as ants while she was high and mighty.

    Lu Mingshu shut her eyes not just to repress the pain, but more so to quell the hatred in her heart. When she lifted up her head once again, her stormy gaze had already returned how it was normally ¡ª calm.

    There were in total of four people in the huge tent: Fu Shangqing, Zhou Yinru, and two elders that had taken part in the encirclement hunting this time.

    ¡°Yes, this disciple is Lu Mingshu.¡±

    Zhou Yinru slightly tilted her chin up and spoke in a cold voice. ¡°Speak. Why did you collude with an outsider?¡±

    While she had already mentally prepared herself, her eyes still shed with astonishment. Yan Wugui said his traces could not be erased entirely so someone would definitely ask her. However, the current situation was worse than she had anticipated. She originally thought that since there was no evidence and she was still weak, they would at most make things difficult for her. But looking at Zhou Yinru¡¯s current attitude, they were not only going to make things only difficult for her.

    ¡°This disciple does not understand Hall Head Zhou¡¯s words.¡±

    Zhou Yinru¡¯s mouth slightly lifted up in a cynical smile. Keng. She threw a dagger before Lu Mingshu. ¡°The evidence is right here. Do you still dare to deny it?!¡±

 Chapter 64: Ley Lines Spiritual Roots

    <h4>Chapter 64: Ley Lines Spiritual Roots</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    Lu Mingshu was shocked. On the precipice today, she had used the dagger left behind by Yan Wugui to stab the cliff in order to stop her fall. However, because she had stabbed it too deep at a high altitude, she was unable to retrieve it. Hence, she abandoned it on top of the nest.

    She knew this item might get her into trouble, so she did not even give it a second nce after Zuo Yiming took it down from the precipice. In order to draw attention away from it, she acted as if it was an ordinary dagger. Unexpectedly however, the other party was more attentive than she had thought ¡ª they actually noticed this small detail.

    Her mind was spinning, but she responded, ¡°This disciple does not understand Hall Head Zhou¡¯s words.¡±

    Zhou Yinru¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Don¡¯t think you can fool us by acting dumb. Don¡¯t tell me you want to say that this dagger is yours?¡±

    Lu Mingshu had a confused expression. ¡°This disciple does not understand how this dagger rtes to conspiring with outsiders?¡±

    Looking at her face full of confusion, Zhou Yinru sniggered and said, ¡°Fine! Since you want to act dumb, we¡¯ll go through the events from the beginning. Lu Mingshu, you were obviously dispatched to the outer encirclement so why did you disappear at the canyon?¡±

    Lu Mingshu stared nkly. ¡°Did Teacher Zuo not report this matter? This disciple fell down a canyon after being chased by a Specter.¡±

    Zhou Yinru furrowed her brows. ¡°What I am asking is why you disappeared at the canyon, not why you fell down the canyon!¡±

    ¡°But they are the same thing!¡± Lu Mingshu looked at the two elders. ¡°This disciple had fallen unconscious after tumbling down the canyon and had no idea what happened afterwards. After waking up, this disciple was already at the depths of the beast cave!¡±

    ¡°Oh? So you¡¯re saying you were unconscious for a few days and have absolutely no idea how you appeared in the midst of the encirclement?¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±

    She even dares to admit it! Zhou Yinru kicked the dagger beneath her feet. ¡°Then how will you exin this dagger? A high-grade mystic weapon that even has the imprint of the Zhongzhou mold, this can¡¯t possibly belong to you, right?¡±

    ¡°Indeed, this is not mine. I picked it up after I woke up,¡± Lu Mingshu said.

    Zhou Yinru smiled dubiously. ¡°So it¡¯s possible to casually pick up a high-grade mystic weapon on a stroll.¡± She looked at the rest. ¡°Sect Leader, Elders, what do you say?¡±

    Fu Shangqing emotionlessly sat there with a teacup in his hands. From beginning to the end, he did not seem to have any intention to speak.

    The two elders looked at each other and one said, ¡°It sounds unreasonable.¡±

    The other one asked, ¡°Lu Mingshu, this is an important matter and we will not tolerate any lies. It¡¯s best if you tell us what happened in full detail. After the encirclement hunt, we found traces of an outsider in the beast cave. Coincidentally, you had also disappeared at the canyon before mysteriously appearing in the depths of the beast cave, which was close to where we found traces of the outsider. If you do not have a reasonable exnation, it will be hard for us to believe that you were not involved in this matter.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nced towards the elder.

    From the moment she entered, Zhou Yinru questioned her incessantly, wholeheartedly wanting to find a loophole in her words. She had no intention of telling her what exactly happened. Although this elder was also holding her ountable, he had clearly told her about the problem from beginning to end, giving her a chance to defend herself.

    ¡°So that¡¯s what happened.¡± She revealed an expression of recognition. ¡°The moment this disciple entered, Hall Head Zhou said I colluded with outsiders without rhyme or reason so this disciple was very confused ...¡±

    Zhou Yinru interrupted, ¡°Stop rambling on incoherently. Admit it if you can¡¯t exin!¡±

    ¡°But I already said what happened!¡± Lu Mingshu looked towards the elder. ¡°When this disciple had been dispatched to the outer encirclement, this disciple unluckily met a Harmonization Realm Specter, which Teacher Zuo can attest to. In order to lure this Specter away, this disciple misfortunately tumbled down the canyon and fell unconscious. This disciple was already in the depths of the beast cave after waking up. As for what happened in between, this disciple is not too sure either.¡±

    That elder questioned in detail, ¡°You¡¯d disappeared for a good few days, but you have no idea what happened in between at all?¡±

    Lu Mingshu thought for awhile. ¡°I vaguely remember someone that carried this disciple and travelled for a long time. There were a few times this disciple was about to wake up, but always fell back asleep.¡±

    The two elders somewhat believed her when she put it that way.

    What could a small disciple of the Inner Breath Realm do? She had no ess to the sect¡¯s ns, nor did she have ess to the topographic map. She would only be a burden in the Jade West Mountain Forest which was filled with ferocious beasts. In other words, even if she wanted to sell out the sect, she did not have the ability to.

    The outsider only left a small trace, thus he was at least of the Harmonization Realm and might even be in the Spirit Realm. Just bymon sense, it would be impossible for the intruder to collude with an Inner Breath Realm disciple because it was useless to do so. From her words, it was possible that the other party saw her when she tumbled down the canyon and took her away in order to prevent them from being discovered. One reason why they may have sent her back was because the other party wasn¡¯t utterly evil or maybe it was because they did not want to offend Nine Jade Pce.

    Both the elders found it meaningless to investigate the issue. If the other party had the ability to infiltrate into the beast cave silently and even find the spiritualnd before them, an Inner Breath Realm disciple would be incapable of affecting the overall situation.

    However, if Second Zhou Miss wanted to make a fuss over a minor issue, they could not object either.

    ¡°Hall Head Zhou, why don¡¯t we just let the matter pass?¡± The elder said, ¡°It¡¯s more important to track down the identity of that person.¡±

    ¡°Courtyard Leader Zhang.¡± Zhou Yinru did not want to let the issue pass even a tiny bit. ¡°I am pursuing this incident because I want to track down that person¡¯s identity. You must know that she could very well be the only one that had seen that person.¡±

    ¡°This ...¡± Courtyard Leader Zhang thought for a while before keeping quiet.

    ¡°Since Elders have no objections, we¡¯ll detain her for further investigation!¡±

    Right after Zhou Yinru spoke, there was a voice that came from outside, ¡°Elder An, the sect leader is currently discussing official business. You ...¡±

    The tent door was lifted up and the disciple¡¯s words were cut off.

    An Tongchen stepped in and took a nce around the tent before staring at Zhou Yinru and revealing a smile. ¡°Second Junior Sister Zhou, I didn¡¯t hear that you received a position in the Quintessence Courtyard!¡± His tone was full of sarcasm.

    Under his stare, Zhou Yinru shivered. She disliked An Tongchen ever since she was young. If Zhou Jiangui was a pile of ice and snow, lofty and unsullied such that one cannot get too close to, then An Tongchen was the chilly wind. He was chilling to the bone that made one ufortable all over. His usual cold demeanour was still alright, although it kept people a thousand miles away. However, his smile which made people feel like they were being eyed by a snake was truly scary.

    Without waiting for her to speak, An Tongchen carelessly bowed to the others. ¡°Sect Leader, Elders, may I know what mistake this small disciple made to need to arrange such a big parade just to investigate?¡±

    Now that An Tongchen had arrived, Fu Shangqing could not continue to act mute any longer. He returned a bow and smiled. ¡°Senior Brother An may not know that when we found the spiritualnd of this beast cave, we discovered that someone had been there before us. Thus, we are now investigating.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± An Tongchen arched his eyebrows. ¡°Since you¡¯re tracking down an outsider, what business do you have with this disciple? You don¡¯t believe that she brought them to the spiritualnd, right?¡±

    ¡°Because it¡¯s highly likely she has seen that person, we need to question her in detail.¡±

    ¡°Is it just questioning? Then why did I hear Second Junior Sister Zhou say that she is to be detained for further investigation? I had no idea that a disciple had to be detained when they are questioned.¡± An Tongchen looked towards Fu Shangqing as he smiled elusively. ¡°Those who are not in the know would even think this disciple is a traitor.¡±

    The entire tent was filled with silence.

    Zhou Yinru cursed internally, Is this An Tongchen specially here to embarrassed me The Willow Woods line is known to stay out of sect matters, but aren¡¯t they meddling in too many things recently?

    That may be what she thought in her heart, but she could not ignore An Tongchen¡¯s words. Zhou Yinru said, ¡°Her actions are suspicious. She mysteriously disappeared then coincidentally reappeared at the scene of the incident. Maybe she colluded with the outsider! If we do not severely punish her for this matter, then how do we keep the sect¡¯s prestige?¡±

    ¡°Where is your evidence? From what I know, this disciple disappeared because she encountered a Harmonization Realm Specter. An Inner Breath Realm disciple volunteered to lure the Harmonization Realm Specter away in order to save her fellow disciples, causing her to fall down the canyon. Yet you im she¡¯d colluded with the outsider just because it¡¯s suspicious. This cannot be justified, no?¡±

    ¡°This dagger is the evidence!¡± Zhou Yinru stated coldly, ¡°It is a high-grade mystic weapon with the Zhongzhou mold. This must belong to that intruder. How is she unrted to the case when she possesses the intruder¡¯s weapon?¡±

    ¡°Ha!¡± An Tongchen glimpsed at the dagger on the floor. ¡°On the mere basis of a single dagger, you dare to say it is the evidence? Couldn¡¯t she have picked it up casually?¡±

    ¡°You ...¡± Zhou Yinru gritted her teeth. ¡°Then, ording to what Senior Brother An said, we¡¯re not going to pursue this matter?¡±

    An Tongchen was about to speak when a voice sounded from the outside. ¡°Sect Leader, there¡¯s a change in the spiritualnd.¡±

    After encircling and annihting the beast cave, the next most important thing would be to search for the spiritualnd. Fu Shangqing hastily said, ¡°Come in.¡±

    A disciple from the Harmonization Realm came in. He was one of the trusted aides of Fu Shangqing. He hesitated for a moment and kept silent when he saw the situation in the tent.

    ¡°What is wrong with spiritualnd?¡±

    He paused before answering. ¡°Replying to Sect Leader. ording to the detailed investigation by the two elders, it¡¯s possible that the ley lines spiritual roots of the beast cave have been dug away!¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Zhou Yinru cried out, ¡°The ley lines spiritual roots have been dug?!¡±

    The disciple nodded. ¡°Yes, based on the terrain, the two elders determined that there¡¯s an eighty per cent chance that the spiritualnd might sprout a ley lines spiritual root. But despite searching through the entire spiritualnd, we were unable to find it. Moreover, there are traces of the spiritualnd having been dug up.¡±

    Ley lines spiritual root was also the essence of the spiritualnd. It takes at least a hundred years for a ley lines spiritual root to take shape, and at most, a thousand years. Spiritualnd can only be formed rapidly by the ley lines spiritual root, which would nurture heaven-and-earth treasures.

    In other words, one could nurture a spiritualnd with a ley lines spiritual root! If a ley lines spiritual root existed, at minimum, it would take up half of the beast cave¡¯s value.

    Zhou Yinru sneered at An Tongchen. ¡°Senior Brother An, we¡¯re qualified enough to detain her now, right?¡±

 Chapter 65: Interrogation

    <h4>Chapter 65: Interrogation</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    Nine Jade Pce¡¯s spring hunt troops majestically made their way back.

    The spring hunt this time brought an extremely abundant harvest from the discovery of the beast cave. The troops should have been overjoyed, but there was a misty shadow looming over them.

    Yi Jiao listened to Lin Chen and Wei Peng¡¯s conversation as she walked.

    ¡°Senior Brother Wei, what exactly happened? Why are none of the elders in a cheerful mood?¡±

    Wei Peng looked at his surroundings before whispering, ¡°I heard someone else entered the spiritualnd before us.¡±

    Lin Chen was bbergasted.¡±What?! Do they belong to this sect?¡±

    Wei Peng shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±

    Lin Chen was even more shocked. ¡°There are outsiders in Jade West Mountain Forest?!¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Did we lose something?¡±

    Wei Peng answered vaguely, ¡°They say we lost an important treasure and we are currently investigating.¡± He paused for a while before lowering his voice. ¡°The child that was with us has been detained. They say she is rted to that intruder.¡±

    Yi Jiao turned around. ¡°Which child?¡± She had a feeling of foreboding when she saw Gao Xiang and Le Xiaoyi in the troops earlier.

    ¡°Who else can it be?¡± Wei Peng sighed. ¡°It¡¯s Lu Mingshu! The other two have strong backing!¡±

    Stunned, Yi Jiao blurted out, ¡°How is this possible?¡±

    Wei Peng roughly told them what he heard. ¡°... This is what happened.¡±

    Once Yi Jiao heard the story, she angrilyughed out loud. ¡°How ridiculous! So what if she really met that intruder? It¡¯s already very fortunate that a small disciple in the Inner Breath Realm cane back alive even after disappearing in the Jade West Mountain Forest. Don¡¯t tell me they want her to catch the intruder?!¡±

    Wei Peng and Lin Chen kept silent. Although it was all just spection, what could they do when the Second Zhou Miss wanted to make a big fuss about it?

    ¡°Second Zhou Miss is truly getting more and more unreasonable. Does she think Nine Jade Pce belongs to her just because her father was the sect leader and now her brother-inw is the sect leader?!¡±

    ¡°Lower your volume!¡± Lin Chen pulled her back. ¡°Do you want to be a target?¡±

    With how intense the internal sect strife has been these few years if the Zhou family faction were to rule them out as an outsider, a Harmonization Realm disciple without any foundation in the sect like them would only bring about their own destruction.

    Yi Jiao zipped her mouth, yet her expression still carried traces of a bitter smile.

    Zhu Jingliang spat out his tobo before whispering, ¡°Don¡¯t be too worried. From what I see, that girl is a blessed one. Harm might not necessarilye to her.¡±

    ...

    A few dayster, the spring hunt troops returned to Nine Jade Pce.

    Cheers rang out along the sides of the road as the harvest was distributed. However, all of these things had nothing to do with Lu Mingshu. She was immediately detained at the Quintessence Courtyard the moment she was brought back.

    She was left there unattended the entire day.

    Only until the next day did someonee over to interrogate her.

    After following the icy Quintessence Courtyard guard into the hall, Lu Mingshu expressionlessly scanned the room.

    Three people sat on the high seat in the hall, with the middle seat upied by that dignified father of hers. A middle-aged male, who seemed to be the Quintessence Courtyard Leader based on his get-up, sat on his left while Zhou Yinru sat to his right. In addition, there were also two elders sitting on the side that looked like they would be listening in.

    Sheughed coldly in her heart. I am but an Inner Breath Realm disciple. Is there a need for such a grand audience? I really have underestimated Second Zhou Miss¡¯ shamelessness.

    ¡°Lu Mingshu, do you admit that you are guilty?¡± Expectedly, the one questioning was the Second Zhou Miss.

    Lu Mingshu hung her head down, masking the hatred in her eyes. ¡°This disciple does not.¡±

    Zhou Yinru sneered, ¡°You are still reluctant to admit your mistake?! You colluded with an outsider and snatched away the ley lines spiritual root, leaving the sect with a significant loss, yet you still refuse to admit that you are guilty?!¡±

    ¡°This disciple has already exined clearly.¡± She lifted up her head and looked calmly at the people before her. ¡°I did not conspire with the outsider and I do not know what a ley lines spiritual root is.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s irrefutable evidence, but you¡¯re still trying to deny it?!¡±

    ¡°Is Hall Head Zhou talking about that dagger?¡±

    ¡°Good that you know!¡±

    However, Lu Mingshu smiled. ¡°Alright, since Hall Head Zhou says I¡¯ve colluded with the outsider, then may this disciple ask Hall Head Zhou what I can possibly do for them? How do we enter the beast cave? I don¡¯t know. Where is the spiritualnd? I don¡¯t know either. I can¡¯t even defeat a ferocious beast with my cultivation only at Inner Breath Realm, so what¡¯s the point of colluding with me?¡±

    From start to the finish, it was Yan Wugui who saved and helped her. Meeting Yan Wugui was an ident, but, Zhou Yinru wanted to make the situation into something premeditated. Although Lu Mingshu might harbour hatred for Nine Jade Pce, she was not guilty of this usation!

    ¡°Well said! So ording to what you said, you have no rtion to this matter at all?¡± Zhou Yinru ridiculed, ¡°Why would an outsider appear at the Jade West Mountain Forest? Why did you run into them by chance? How did the other party know we were encircling the beast cave? Wasn¡¯t it you who disclosed the information?!¡±

    Lu Mingshu gave a sarcastic repartee, ¡°How am I rted to an outsider appearing in Jade West Mountain Forest? Then can I also say that it¡¯s Hall Head Zhou that had leaked the information? After all, as the sect leader¡¯s daughter, Hall Head Zhou was born with unlimited ess to anything the sect has to offer, including information. You know much more than this small disciple.¡±

    ¡°Insolence!¡± Zhou Yinru called out, ¡°How dare you talk back to your superior?!¡±

    ¡°Oh ...¡± Lu Mingshuughed, ¡°So in Nine Jade Pce, only status matters? There¡¯s no need to rify the truth?¡±

    ¡°Audacious!¡±

    Lu Mingshu lifted up her head. ¡°Hall Head Zhou keeps on saying I¡¯ve colluded with the outsider, yet there is no substantial evidence, so how am I to be convinced? Yes, my status is low, but does that mean that others can nder a person of lower status as they please in Nine Jade Pce? Does the truth not matter?¡± Her gaze calmly swept over the two elders and stopped at Fu Shangqing sitting in the middle. Right when Fu Shangqing thought that she was about to say something to him, her gaze moved to the Quintessence Courtyard Leader who was on his left.

    ¡°This disciple dares to ask Courtyard Leader if is this the monastic discipline of the sect¡¯s rules? If that is the case, this disciple has nothing else to say!¡±

    ...

    In Green Jade Valley, Liu Jizhen stared nkly at the road people used to leave the valley.

    His disciple had already left for over a month since participating in the spring hunt. If it wasn¡¯t for the person who had delivered the rice and noodles over this morning, he wouldn¡¯t have known that the spring hunt troops had returned. However, if the troops had returned, why did he not see her back in the valley? If something happened to her, someone should have been sent over to report the matter ...

    As he looked, there seemed to be a silhouette of someone in white. When Liu Jizhen focused on this figure, he discovered it was an arrogant, cold white-clothed male striding over.

    He was startled. He thought that his eyes were ying tricks on him until he saw the person standing right before him. ¡°Junior Brother An?¡±

    An Tongchen lifted up his clothing hem and sat opposite him. ¡°Senior Brother Liu, long time no see.¡±

    It had indeed been a long time. The two had never met since Liu Jizhen had exiled himself to Green Jade Valley. As a reserved person, An Tongchen kept to himself. Also, since the Willow Woods line had always kept out of the sect¡¯s dispute, the two had no connections at all.

    This was why An Tongchen¡¯s abrupt visit severely shocked Liu Jizhen. What happened for him toe over personally? Could it be ...

    ¡°Don¡¯t look anymore.¡± An Tongchen said, ¡°Your disciple won¡¯te back.¡±

    Liu Jizhen¡¯s facial expression suddenly changed.

    An Tongchen smiled. ¡°I thought you¡¯d turned into a cripple along with your meridians. So you actually still possess feelings.¡±

    Liu Jizhen only stared at him, staying silent.

    ¡°I¡¯m here to tell you that your disciple is in huge trouble ...¡± After exining the situation in a few words, An Tongchen got up. ¡°That is the gist of things. I am already powerless to do anything about it. Our Willow Woods line will not be deeply involved in the quarrel of others. As for what¡¯s to be done, it will all depend on you.¡±

    He took two steps before turning back again. ¡°Right, before I came, Zhou Yinru had already started interrogating her. You should know how intolerant this woman is. You can¡¯t count on that father of hers either, he is but a puppet of the Zhou family. If you want to save her, the sooner the better.¡±

 Chapter 66: Regarded as a Betrayer

    <h4>Chapter 66: Regarded as a Betrayer</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    ¡°Lu Mingshu, do you still insist this matter is unrted to you?¡± The one interrogating her was the Quintessence Courtyard Leader ¡ª Wen Shijie.

    Zhou Yinru interrogated her by relying on her status, but he was the actual Quintessence Courtyard Leader. It was only right for him to be the one to pass judgement.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Lu Mingshu lifted up her head. ¡°I did not collude with the outsider, nor did I reveal any sect information. Of all the crimes Hall Head Zhou has testified against me, this disciple does not admit guilty to any of them!¡±

    ¡°Then how would you exin why it is you, of all the disciples, to have met that person?¡±

    Lu Mingshu found it strange. ¡°Courtyard Leader, those words are truly unreasonable. Suppose I met a beggar on the way, would Courtyard Leader then ask me why it was me out of so many people that met the beggar?¡±

    Wen Shijie was not angered even though he was being questioned by a disciple. Instead, he remained calm. ¡°From the surface, it looks like a coincidence, but when I think carefully, every single step appears to be corrted. Let me ask, why did you, a small Inner Breath disciple, tumble down the canyon?¡±

    ¡°This disciple has already exined that a Harmonization Realm Specter had appeared. In order to lure the Specter away, this disciple unintentionally tumbled down the canyon.¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡± Wen Shijie stroked his ck beard in a dignified manner. ¡°Then do you know just how strong a single Specter is in the Harmonization Realm? Even a small elite team formed from Harmonization Realms would have trouble killing it. How could you, a single Inner Breath Realm disciple, have the stamina and confidence to lure the Specter away? What reason did you have to lure that Specter away?¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked at him angrily as she had not expected for the Quintessence Courtyard Leader to say such words. ¡°It was because my fellow disciple was injured. If this disciple didn¡¯t lure the Specter away, the group would¡¯ve been eaten one by one!¡±

    ¡°So you sacrificed yourself for the others?¡± Wen Shijie smiled, but the tone he used indescribably made one angry. ¡°This is strange. From my understanding, your rtionship with your fellow disciples is not very good. Before this incident, I inquired two disciples that traveled together with you and found that your rtionship with them is extremely bad! It was so bad that you and three of your teammates got into a conflict when the task was distributed. You even went ahead and used violence. Lu Mingshu, are you trying to say you are so noble that you¡¯re willing to risk your life to save them even after you¡¯ve fallen out and even used violence against them?¡±

    Lu Mingshu literally could not believe her ears! Is this an interrogation?! Presetting a standpoint for me, then questioning my character before inferring that it¡¯s unreasonable for me to save someone. You¡¯re truly worthy of being called the Quintessence Courtyard Leader for having such a reprehensible way of interrogating! Zhou Yinru might¡¯ve tried to pin abel on me, but this Courtyard Leader Wen is even more terrifying. He ndered my character the moment he entered, and if I refute, he says ¡°Your character is so outstanding to requite evil with good.¡± No matter who it is, no one would find this admissible.

    It took some time for her to calm down. ¡°Does Courtyard Leader mean this disciple shouldn¡¯t have lured the Specter away and should¡¯ve let my fellow sect members be swallowed alive?¡±

    Wen Shijie ignored her tone and remained smiling. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s not talk about whether it was rational or not for you to have lured the Specter away for now. I would like to ask you on what basis did you think that you, a mere Inner Breath Realm disciple, had the ability to lure the Specter away? I¡¯ve already looked for the people involved for an investigation. Also you tumbled down ten or more miles from the mountain forest to the canyon. For an Inner Breath Realm disciple to drag a Harmonization Realm Specter and even run this far ... Even your master back then couldn¡¯t do so, right?¡±

    He doesn¡¯t discuss facts with you, leaving you unable to defend yourself. Lu Mingshu finally knew why there was such a saying among themon people.

    Your rtionship with them is extremely bad and you even fought against them. Would a normal person even try to save them? What? You say it¡¯s because you are honourable? Haha.

    How could amon Inner Breath Realm disciple drag a Specter on for so long? Oh, are you saying you are more amazing than others? Haha.

    ¡°You have nothing to say for yourself? From what I see, you appearing in that canyon is a chance in itself and is immensely suspicious. Perhaps, it was the location you agreed to meet at with that person?¡±

    Zhou Yinru who saw Lu Mingshu turn pale as a sheet and unable to defend herself revealed a trace of a smile. Trying to fight with me?! Hmpf, you have a death wish!

    ¡°Courtyard Leader Wen, how should we punish someone that conspired with an outsider and even caused the treasure to fall into their hands?¡±

    Wen Shijie grinned. ¡°Someone that colluded with an outsider and even caused grave consequences shall be regarded as a betrayer to the sect.¡±

    ¡°Well said! Since this is so, please pass judgement Courtyard Leader Wen.¡±

    Wen Shijie nced over at Fu Shangqing. When he saw his slightly closed eyes as if he had not heard anything, Wen Shijie reassuringly and boldly pronounced the sentence, ¡°Lu Mingshu, you disclosed sect information to the enemy, causing the sect to lose the ley lines spiritual roots. Formally, you should be beheaded, but considering the fact that you¡¯re young and ignorant, I shall be lenient in your punishment. Because of your betrayal against your sect, Nine Jade Pce will no longer house you. From today on, you¡¯re no longer a disciple of Nine Jade Pce!¡±

    Lu Mingshu had not said a word from the start of Wen Shijie¡¯s facious argument, because she clearly knew in her heart that this was not an interrogation, but instead, a decision was already made. No matter what she said to dispute, the other party would not let her off.

    Now that her fury was at its extreme, on the contrary, she suddenly stopped feeling furious. It¡¯s good that Nine Jade Pce doesn¡¯t want to keep me. As things stand now, what¡¯s the point of me staying here? Mother thought that man would at least take care of her a little because of their blood ties, but what¡¯s the result? He looks emotionless as he nders and bullies his daughter just like the others. Ha, he¡¯s even an aplice himself. Hah, there¡¯s nothing else more important in this person¡¯s heart other than power and strength, huh?

    If this is the case, it¡¯s also good that I leave Nine Jade Pce. The sky andnd is so vast, where can¡¯t I go? With confidence and determination, there¡¯s no need for me to worry about being unable to be an expert.

    She turned around and started walking towards the exit.

    ¡°Hold up!¡± Zhou Yinru¡¯s voice rang across the courtyard.

    Lu Mingshu halted in her steps. ¡°Since you¡¯ve already chased me out of the sect, then I¡¯m no longer a disciple of the Nine Jade Pce. What otherments does Second Zhou Miss have?¡±

    Zhou Yinru¡¯s voice carried traces of a haughty smile. ¡°Nine Jade Pce has nurtured you for four years, don¡¯t tell me you want to leave just like this?¡±

    ¡°Then what do you want from me?¡± Lu Mingshu angrily stopped in her tracks.

    ¡°Of course you should leave behind whatever you¡¯ve taken.¡± Zhou Yinru sneered, ¡°Dispose of your martial achievement and have nothing to do with Nine Jade Pce from now on!¡±

    Lu Mingshu abruptly turned around and looked at her with disbelief in her eyes. How can this woman be this evil?! I am but an Inner Breath Realm disciple and have never even had the time to cultivate the core technique manuals of Nine Jade Pce. Bit by bit, I earned my cultivation through many hardships. I¡¯ve eagerly learned a lot in the Heavenly Wheel these past four years by risking my life and limbs in other worlds ... Does she actually want to cripple my martial achievement? On what basis?!

    Lu Mingshu inhaled deeply. ¡°What if I¡¯m not willing?¡±

    Zhou Yinru grinned even more. ¡°Do you think your opinion matters?¡±

    So, even if I am not willing, my martial achievement will still be forcefully broken?

    Lu Mingshu slowly shifted her line of sight, stopping on the man she was supposed to call ¡®father¡¯. Does he think so too?

    Fu Shangqing felt uneasy under her stare and lightly coughed. ¡°Little sister ...¡±

    ¡°Does Sect Leader think I¡¯m wrong?¡± Zhou Yinru aggressively inquired.

    Under her intent re, Fu Shangqing paused. ¡°What you said ... is not wrong.¡±

    ¡°Since the Sect Leader approves ¡ªe in!¡±

    With a singlemand from Zhou Yinru, two Harmonization Realm disciples outside came in. ¡°Here.¡±

    ¡°Grab her!¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Both Lu Mingshu¡¯s arms were grabbed, forcing her to stay immobile. ¡°Zhou Yinru, you¡¯re so evil!¡±

    Zhou Yinru got up and slowly strolled over to her. ¡°On behalf of how engrossed you were in scolding, thisdy shall volunteer to do the deed. How lucky of you!¡±

    She lifted up her well-maintained, tender and white palm and was about to strike down on her crown chakra point.

    Lu Mingshu who was filled with surging hatred, yet unable to budge even an inch, could only shut her eyes.

    Right at this moment, there was a deep shout from outside, ¡°Hold up!¡±

 Chapter 67: Convince Me First

    <h4>Chapter 67: Convince Me First</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    That voice, was familiar yet unfamiliar.

    The elder that had been invited over to bear witness abruptly stood up in shock and looked towards the door.

    Zhou Yinru also fell into a daze.

    This is ... how is this possible? Why did hee?

    Lu Mingshu who had been unexpectedly rescued from danger opened her eyes in disbelief and looked towards the door.

    She saw a tall figure in shabby clothes and with a slovenly outward appearance. Although his get-up was unusual, the face was undoubtedly extremely familiar to everyone.

    ¡°Se-senior Brother Liu!¡± A young elder pointed towards the door and let out a gasp of astonishment.

    Liu Jizhen stepped over the threshold of the door and entered the hall, his gaze slowly sweeping over the people present.

    His gaze went over the two elders, Courtyard Leader Wen, Fu Shangqing, Zhou Yinru, before finallynding on Lu Mingshu.

    ¡°Let go of her,¡± he said.

    The two Harmonization Realm disciple was startled and unconsciously loosened their grip.

    This was a strange feeling; Liu Jizhen did not speak in a loud voice, nor pressurized them with his aura. However, before him, they could not help but involuntarilyply with his words.

    Even Zhou Yinru¡¯s aura weakened.

    But, she very quickly raised up her head and faced the man before her with an arrogant attitude. ¡°Senior Brother Liu, what are you doing here instead of guarding Heavenly Ascension Pavilion in Green Jade Valley?¡±

    Liu Jizhen stated, ¡°You want to cripple my disciple, and even want to chase her out of her sect. Don¡¯t tell me I can¡¯t appear?¡±

    Zhou Yinru harrumphed coldly, ¡°We had already reached an agreement on this matter. Her crime of colluding with an outsider, and even causing the sect to lose a treasure such as the ley lines spiritual root is unforgivable. On behalf of how young she is, we were lenient in sentencing her, and let her off with merely chasing her out of the sect. Senior Brother Liu, don¡¯t tell me you have an objection?¡±

    ¡°I naturally do.¡± Liu Jizhen took two steps forward and bowed once towards Fu Shangqing. ¡°Courtyard Leader Liu Jizhen of Heavenly Ascension Pavilion greets Sect Leader.¡±

    Liu Jizhen was already crippled when Fu Shangqing entered the sect, thus the two had not had a formal meeting. However, although Fu Shangqing was now the sect leader, he got up to return a bow as he did not dare to be careless in the face of this used-to-be eldest senior brother of the fifteenth generation, who was known as a martial genius that could only be seen once in a hundred years.

    Once he had greeted Fu Shangqing, Liu Jizhen shifted his gaze to Wen Shijie.

    ¡°Senior Uncle Wen, it¡¯s been years since ourst meeting, your bearing is as graceful as ever.¡±

    Wen Shijieughed, ¡°Aha,¡± paused for a while, before sighing, ¡°Junior Nephew Liu, everything that happens is destiny; it¡¯s best to get over any unpleasantness. Look at you, is it worth it to do this to yourself?¡±

    Liu Jizhenughed indifferently, ¡°Senior Uncle Wen is right, when I reflect on the past twelve years, I was indeed too muddle-headed and had thought too much into things.¡±

    Wen Shijie, who had not expected Liu Jizhen to respond to his line, was stunned.

    Liu Jizhen did not harp on it and immediately changed the topic. ¡°Speaking of it, this junior nephew had also been allocated the Courtyard Leader of this Quintessence Courtyard for a few days. I can clearly remember, a certain rule included.¡±

    He looked at the few people and smiled. ¡°As long as the disciple has a master, it must be the teacher who decides whether to expel the disciple out of the sect. If the disciple is without a master, the sect leader may decide in ce of the master.¡± He stopped smiling as his eyes were now filled with chilliness. ¡°Why was I not informed when it had been decided to have my disciple expelled?¡±

    The hall was so silent that even a pin drop could be heard.

    Liu Jizhen, in his ragged outfit, could only be described as being in dire straits. However, his straightened back, hands held together behind his back, and his calm gaze, made him seem imposing and tall.

    All of a sudden, Lu Mingshu¡¯s tears overflowed.

    When Zhou Yinru regained her senses, she was immediately enraged when she discovered her aura had weakened. Forget it if it was back then, but the Liu Jizhen now is a mere cripple, how could I have been intimidated by him?!

    ¡°Senior Brother Liu,¡± she spoke coldly, ¡°Since you¡¯ve once been given the position of Courtyard Leader of Quintessence Courtyard, you should know the reason of sect rules over a master¡¯s will? Your disciple colluded with an outsider and even caused the sect to suffer the loss of a treasure. Our decision should already be considered lenient, as she can keep her life. This sentencees from the Quintessence Courtyard and has the sect leader as well as the two elders to bear witness. Don¡¯t tell me you want to overthrow the sentence?¡±

    Liu Jizhen smiled. ¡°Of course you have to convince, me, this master of hers, if you want to expel my disciple out of the sect. Second Junior Sister Zhou, where is your evidence of her colluding with an outsider?¡±

    Zhou Yinru could overbearingly toss out the dagger as ¡®evidence¡¯ in Lu Mingshu¡¯s face, but against Liu Jizhen, she felt ack of confidence.

    Even if his meridians were now crippled, and he had lost his mystic force, it was embedded in Zhou Yinru since birth that Liu Jizhen was the eldest senior brother of the fifteenth generation. That he was a genius only seen once every hundred years, and the undisputed number one expert in their generation. With his many years of prestige, even if she knew he was now a cripple, a trace of fear still remained in her heart.

    Moreover, Liu Jizhen not only achieved great heights in martial arts but was also meticulous in his thoughts. During the time he oversaw the Quintessence Courtyard, he had never had a slip-up, leaving the upper and lower echelons of Nine Jade Pce satisfied.

    However, Zhou Yinru could not just stay put either. She clenched her teeth and shamelessly took out the dagger. ¡°This dagger is a high-grade mystic weapon that even has the imprint of the Zhongzhou¡¯s mould. Thus, it naturally does not belong to Lu Mingshu. She fell down the canyon, mysteriously disappeared, before suddenly appearing in the vicinity of the spiritualnd. What¡¯s more, she even possesses someone else¡¯s belonging. With all these happenings, who would believe it to be a mere coincidence?¡±

    Liu Jizhen took over the dagger before flicking it lightly. When he heard the crisp qin sound produced by the dagger, he asked while smiling, ¡°So?¡±

    ¡°So, it must be her that drew the outsider into the beast cave and stole the ley lines spiritual root!¡±

    Liu Jizhen sighed. ¡°Second Junior Sister Zhou, a so-called inference, needs an absolute and definite cause and effect. Solely relying on the concept of ¡®too much of a coincidence¡¯ is not enough to convince the masses.¡±

    Zhou Yinru sneered, ¡°Senior Brother Liu, your words are trying too much to shield a shoring. Don¡¯t tell me you want to dere that the fact that Lu mingshu had once contacted that intruder to be false?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s still too early toe to a conclusion,¡± Liu Jizhen said. ¡°Since Second Junior Sister Zhou persists in this belief, let¡¯s go through the events of what happened once more. Let¡¯s start from when my disciple had disappeared. Why had she disappeared?¡±

    Zhou Yinru said, ¡°She was chased by the Specter, and then tumbled down the canyon.¡±

    Liu Jizhen nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s break up the events that urred.¡± He turned around. ¡°Mingshu.¡±

    Lu Mingshu lowered her head to wipe off her tears. ¡°This disciple is here.¡±

    ¡°First exin the events that had urred.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Her surging emotions slowly calmed down. Lu Mingshu narrated the events that unfolded that day, including how Teacher Zuo assigned the task, as well as the small team¡¯s conflict.

    Liu Jizhen looked towards Wen Shijiie. ¡°Senior Uncle Wen, may I know if my disciple¡¯s statement conflicts with those of the witnesses you found? If there¡¯s anything amiss, you can call out and have a direct confrontation.¡±

    Wen Shijie moved his lips, shaking his head. ¡°Nothing, please continue.¡±

    Some methods could be used in front of Lu Mingshu, but would be of no use in front of Liu Jizhen.

    ¡°Alright. Second Junior Sister Zhou finds this matter to be too much of a coincidence, right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Zhou Yinru said coldly, ¡°Why had the Specter appeared so coincidentally? Why does she have the nerves to lure the Specter away? There¡¯s a full ten miles of road, so why had she just exactly happened to fall down the canyon?¡±

    Liu Jizhen¡¯s lips curved upwards. ¡°Which is to say, Second Junior Sister Zhou believes someone had intentionally released the Specter to let my disciple get away from the team, and conveniently y it off as an ident to draw Nine Jade Pce in to investigate?¡±

    Zhou Yinru opened her mouth and fortunately stopped herself from answering ¡®yes¡¯. Liu Jizhen directly used her train of thought, carried out an inference, and got what was an obviously problematic conclusion. How was she to answer to this?

    After a moment of silence, Liu Jizhen¡¯s indifferent voice sounded out once again, ¡°Since even Second Junior Sister Zhou finds this inference to be unreasonable, are we now able to give up the previous conclusion that this was all premeditated?¡±

 Chapter 68: Can We Go Now

    <h4>Chapter 68: Can We Go Now</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    With how clearly Liu Jizhen had spoken, how could the people present still not understand? Of course not. Frankly, all they were doing earlier was taking advantage of Lu Mingshu¡¯s young age and low status.

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about the following events. After a few days of my disciple¡¯s disappearance, she appeared in the depths of the beast cave and Second Junior Sister Zhou finds this to be very suspicious?¡±

    Zhou Yinru forced a bold expression. ¡°That¡¯s right. Even if it was mere coincidence that she met that person, why did that person bring her into the beast cave which was coincidentally in the vicinity of the spiritualnd?¡±

    ¡°So in Second Junior Sister Zhou¡¯s opinion, what should that person have done?¡± The corners of Liu Jizhen¡¯s lips lifted up slightly. ¡°Helplessly leave my disciple where she had fallen?¡±

    ¡°That would be natural since they are unrted.¡±

    ¡°Haha,¡± Liu Jizhen lightlyughed. ¡°For a single Inner Breath Realm disciple to be abandoned in the depths of Jade West Mountain Forest with the beast cave that close, what does Second Junior Sister Zhou think would be the oue?¡±

    Zhou Yinru mped her lips tightly together and kept silent.

    ¡°Let me tell you,¡± Liu Jizhen¡¯s voice lowered as he stared at her. ¡°There was an eighty percent chance that she would have died there!¡±

    It was as if Zhou Yinru could feel the killing intent in his eyes and she trembled.

    Liu Jizhen revealed a smile. ¡°Look, the truth about this matter could just be this simple. The other party merely wanted to let my disciple live. Why should you think so deeply into the matter?¡±

    ¡°Senior Brother Liu.¡± Zhou Yinru was unrelenting to let Liu Jizhen quell the matter so she cleanly and called out, ¡°This is only your conjecture.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t your so-called evidence also your conjecture?¡± Liu Jizhen was smiling, but coldness could be seen in his eyes. ¡°Just because you couldn¡¯t connect the cause and effect from the beginning to end, you sentence someone to be guilty. I had no idea Quintessence Courtyard does such a sloppy job!¡±

    His powerful and resonating lines one after another in a row rendered them speechless. When his gaze fell on those seated, Wen Shijie did not dare meet his gaze.

    Fu Shangqing fell silent.

    Zhou Yinru¡¯s chest heaved up and down in anger. ¡°Then how do you exin the existence of this dagger?¡±

    ¡°What exnation does this need?¡± Liu Jizhen spoke indifferently, ¡°What importance is there even if this dagger was given to my disciple from that expert?¡±

    Zhou Yinru, ¡°What importance is there? This is about informing outsiders of confidential information!¡±

    Liu Jizhen gazed towards her. ¡°Second Junior Sister Zhou, let me ask you, do you think my disciple could have resisted if that intruder wanted to kill her?¡±

    Zhou Yinru kept quiet.

    Liu Jizhen continued, ¡°Look, no matter how that person treated my disciple, she would have been unable to resist. He made the decisions, not my disciple. When our sect¡¯s disciple goes missing and meets an expert, we don¡¯t wish for them to be in harm¡¯s way as seniors, right? Naturally, it would be better if that expert treats our disciple well!¡± Liu Jizhen stopped there and looked at Fu Shangqing. ¡°Sect Leader, am I right?¡±

    Under his look, Fu Shangqing fell silent for a moment before replying, ¡°Yes.¡±

    Liu Jizhen smiled humbly before turning towards Zhou Yinru. ¡°Second Junior Sister Zhou, what do you say?¡±

    Zhou Yinru¡¯s face went as pale as a sheet. Ever since she was old enough toprehend things, Liu Jizhen was the eldest senior brother with high prestige and aptitude, yet she had no idea he was so eloquent too. If he still had this ability, why had he rejected the Zhou Family¡¯s request back then and gone into recluse?

    An indescribable anger nested itself in Zhou Yinru¡¯s heart and she coldly said, ¡°Even if she had not colluded with the outsider, it is inexcusable to personally witness the loss of the ley lines spiritual root! It¡¯s fine if she isn¡¯t banished, but she can¡¯t escape punishment!¡±

    Finished speaking, she lifted up her right palm and was about to strike.

    Everyone was in shock, but Fu Shangqing regained his senses and called out, ¡°No little sister!¡±

    However, Zhou Yinru wholeheartedly wanted to crush Lu Mingshu. Her anger had been simmering for a long time, and just when Lu Mingshu was about to be banished from the sect, Liu Jizhen arrived and negated the previous sentence with just a few words. Do I have to let her go back without even touching a single hair on her head? No, I will not ept this!

    No sooner than Fu Shangqing had called out, was Zhou Yinru about to press down on Lu Mingshu¡¯s crown chakra point when she felt pain in her wrist. ¡°Ah!¡± She wailed out and reflexively retracted her arm.

    A shiny droplet of sweat, like the ssy autumn waters, dripped down her face before falling onto her soft neck.

    Liu Jizhen¡¯s smooth voice traveled over. ¡°Second Junior Sister Zhou, may I ask what¡¯s your status? When has a hall head from Quintessence Courtyard not have the right to punish disciples at will?¡±

    A slight chill went down her spine. Liu Jizhen¡¯s dagger was a high-grade mystic weapon.

    Zhou Yinru could not believe what had just happened.

    Hasn¡¯t Liu Jizhen be disabled? How could he have cancelled out my move in such a short time and even rest the dagger¡¯s de on my neck?

    She lifted up her hand and saw a thin scratch around her wrist that was oozing out fresh blood.

    ¡°Senior Brother Liu!¡± Fu Shangqing quickly stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s talk it out!¡±

    Liu Jizhen simplyughed before withdrawing the dagger. ¡°I had no idea the sect rules of Nine Jade Pce had sumbed to such a low level during the twelve years I resided in Green Jade Valley. Fortunately, it¡¯s just me and my disciple that has seen what happened today. If an outsider were to know of this, ha!¡±

    Fu Shangqing¡¯s face turned red then white as he listened to Liu Jizhen. He finally had no choice but to lower his upper body and raise his sped hands towards Liu Jizhen. ¡°It is insolence on my little sister¡¯s part. This junior brother will get Miaoru to teach her when I get back. I plead for Senior Brother Liu to not take this matter to heart.¡±

    ¡°Liu Jizhen is but a cripple nowadays, so it doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s taken to heart or not. I hope that the sect leader will cherish the prestige of Nine Jade Pce as it took a hundred years to build up and was not easy.¡±

    ¡°Yes, this Junior Brother has understood Senior Brother Liu¡¯s advice.¡±

    Liu Jizhen was not in any position to say much with how Fu Shangqing lowered himself to him, thus he asked, ¡°We have settled the matter, so may I ask everyone if my disciple and I can go now?¡±

    Wen Shijie acted as if he were dead, keeping his silence.

    In the end, it was Fu Shangqing who answered, ¡°Naturally.¡±

    Liu Jizhen nodded and extended out an arm towards Lu Mingshu. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    The teacher and disciple duo took two steps before Liu Jizhen abruptly stopped in his tracks and turned back. ¡°Oh right, there¡¯s a matter I wish sect leader can help me with.¡±

    ¡°Please speak Senior Brother Liu.¡± Fu Shangqing was extremely polite.

    ¡°ording to your lineage, Mingshu is your daughter. However, you¡¯ve never done your part as a father. This being the case, I hope you don¡¯t exercise your right as a father too. My meridians are already crippled and are now in dire straits. I only have this one disciple to count on to take care of me till old age.¡±

    Fu Shangqing was stunned and regained his senses shortlyter. ¡°A teacher for a day is regarded as a father forever. Us Martial Practitioners ce greater importance on the inheritance from a teacher to their disciplepared to the rtionship between a father and child. For her, Senior Brother Liu will naturally be more important than I am.¡±

    ¡°Very well.¡± Liu Jizhen smiled before holding Lu Mingshu¡¯s hand and rxedly left.

    When the teacher and disciple finally disappeared, Zhou Yinru called out flusteredly and exasperatedly, ¡°Brother-inw! Haven¡¯t we agreed to make her take the me? Don¡¯t tell me you could not bear to do it? If this matter falls through, do you know how troublesome it will be afterwards?!¡±

    Fu Shangqing let out a breath. ¡°Little sister, go back and ask your sister if she will support your decision or mine.¡±

    He turned back and sped his hands together in the form of greeting towards Wen Shijie. ¡°Senior Uncle Wen, I apologize for causing you trouble.¡±

    Wen Shijie hostilely waved his hands. ¡°It¡¯s but a small matter. Sect Leader does not have to be so formal.¡± He paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°But, Second Miss is right to be worried about the troubles that will arise from the failure of this matter.¡±

    ¡°It will also be troublesome if we provoked Liu Jizhen.¡± Fu Shangqing sighed, ¡°An Tongchen is still waiting outside!¡±

 Chapter 69: Sectéˆ¥æªš Game

    <h4>Chapter 69: Sect¡¯s Game</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    Under the escort of An Tongchen, the teacher and disciple duo returned to Green Jade Valley.

    The moment An Tongchen left, Lu Mingshu kneeled down in front of Liu Jizhen. ¡°Master, this disciple has caused you trouble.¡±

    Liu Jizhen sighed before extending his hand to pull her up. ¡°No, I still have to thank you.¡±

    Lu Mingshu lifted up her head and looked at him stunned.

    Liu Jizhen said, ¡°Twelve years ago when I damaged my meridians, I thought I would be a cripple for the rest of my life and my remaining years would be spent in destion, day after day, year after year, like a zombie. But your Senior Uncle An opened up my eyes.¡± He looked down at the child before him and continued in a soft voice, ¡°I think I am a cripple, but to you, I am someone you rely on. If I do not stand up for you even when you are framed and bullied by others, there would be nobody else to shield you.¡±

    Lu Mingshu burst into tears. ¡°Master!¡±

    She hugged her master¡¯s waist and allowed herself to bawl her eyes out. Ever since her mother passed away, she had never cried this hard. Tears were only valuable when someone cared.

    Liu Jizhen caressed her head softly, letting her cry. She had repressed her emotions and worked too hard these four years, making others almost forget she was still a mere child.

    Once the sounds of her weeping slowly subsided, Liu Jizhen patted her head. ¡°Alright, go and wash up before we talk.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    After she got rid of all the dust and changed her clothes, Lu Mingshu was shocked when she went to go meet Liu Jizhen.

    ¡°Master!¡±

    The Liu Jizhen who stood before her was entirely foreign to her. He changed his woodwork clothing into the courtyard leader¡¯s robe. His long hair, clean and sleek, was draped over his shoulders with ease. Now that he was cleanly shaven, his outlined and distinct facial features were more clear.

    Most importantly, Liu Jizhen¡¯s aura in the past was full of listlessness, as if nothing in the world interested him. However, the Liu Jizhen before her now stood tall and straight in high spirits. Just like how he was a while ago in Quintessence Courtyard, no one could ignore his existence.

    This Liu Jizhen reminded Lu Mingshu of the legendary martial arts genius that was unbeatable in Nine Jade Pce.

    Liu Jizhen smiled warmly when he saw Lu Mingshu. ¡°Come.¡±

    Lu Mingshu walked over and sat down opposite of him. She quickly took the teapot when she saw him about to pour tea. ¡°Master, let me.¡±

    Liu Jizhen let go and looked at her hurrying about with a smile on his face.

    Once the hot teacup was in his hands, Lu Mingshu sat back down as he took a sip. ¡°Have you ever leaked any sect information?¡±

    Lu Mingshu was surprised but quickly understood he was asking about the matter regarding the spring hunt.

    She answered, ¡°No.¡± No matter what, she was still a disciple of Nine Jade Pce and would never do anything to betray the sect. She had never mentioned Nine Jade Pce¡¯s internal affairs when she met Yan Wugui. Yan Wugui already knew of the beast cave¡¯s existence from the start, and it was also him whoter brought her to the beast cave.

    However, there was something wrong about what Yan Wugui said earlier; she did not hate Nine Jade Pce, but Fu Shangqing and the Zhou family. Hence, even though she found it delighting to watch Yan Wugui stir up trouble, it was only but a mere fleeting emotion.

    Liu Jizhen slightly nodded. ¡°I was not wrong in saving you.¡±

    Lu Mingshu lifted up her head to look at him. ¡°Master, are you going to make aeback?¡±

    Startled by her question, Liu Jizhen¡¯s smile faltered a little. ¡°Whateback? My mystic force is gone, and I am but a normal man that knows martial arts. I¡¯ve juste to a realization that even if I try to avoid facing the problem, I will still be drawn into it; there¡¯s no point in cowering.¡±

    Lu Mingshu thought in her heart, Master¡¯s mystic force has been exhausted, yet his exquisite skills still remain. To be able to regte a Harmonization Realm like Zhou Yinru in a sh, who knows how incredible master was back in those days.

    Then Liu Jizhen continued on and sighed, ¡°The sect has truly degraded in these twelve years. A bnce on the surface could still be maintained back then, but now ... to actually let a child like you undertake responsibility.¡±

    Lu Mingshu was stunned. ¡°What?¡±

    Liu Jizhen smiled teasingly. ¡°Why do you think a mere Inner Breath Realm disciple like you could move the sect leader, Quintessence Courtyard¡¯s leader, as well as two elders? Zhou Yinru does not have that much of a face.¡±

    Lu Mingshu was confused. ¡°Master?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s good that you know of these matters, after all my mystic force is already exhausted and won¡¯t be able to shield you much. The conflict in the sect is getting more and more intense these days. With how big of a harvest we got this time after finding the beast cave, what follows after will be distributing the profits. Sect Leader Fu would definitely be criticized as a poormander since he was responsible for the loss of the ley lines spiritual roots this time after letting outsiders in. Zhou Yinru obviously had her own personal reasons for going after you, but she also had the intention of finding an excuse. Everyone knows you had a bad history with the Zhou family, hence by pushing the me onto you, they will then be able to avoid responsibility.¡±

    Liu Jizhenughed when he saw Lu Mingshu in a trance. ¡°Are you scared? Let me tell you that the most crucial key in saving you wasn¡¯t how eloquent I was, but their concern about the line of Shengyang and Willow Woods. Our line of Shengyang had leaned towards the Jade Terrace line previously, but due to my damaged meridians and how there wasn¡¯t any more outstanding talent appearing in the line of Shengyang l, we have rarely meddled in the sect affairs. As for the Willow Woods line, you should know they never take sides. If I wasn¡¯t able to protect you after showing up personally, perhaps they would infuriate others from the line of Shengyang. Our line still possesses face from having a Grandmaster, and thus they wouldn¡¯t dare to thoroughly offend us. Since Senior Uncle An was waiting outside yesterday, the line of Willow Woods has already dered their stance.¡±

    The Jade Terrace line was the faction where Yu Wen Shi was in. Lu Mingshu finally understood with Liu Jizhen¡¯s detailed exnation. The matter of saving her may look simple on the surface, but was actually part of the sect¡¯s game.

    ¡°But Zhou Yinru truly went too far! She was only arrogant and willful when she was younger, so I didn¡¯t expect her to be so prejudiced.¡±

    Lu Mingshu clenched her fingers into a fist. ¡°I am not afraid of her, for there will be a day where I will surpass her!¡±

    Liu Jizhen flicked her forehead. ¡°Good-for-nothing! She¡¯s still in the Harmonization Realm despite turning thirty soon and you want topare with her?¡±

    Lu Mingshu immediately changed her statement. ¡°I want to be an expert like Granduncle Zhuo!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s more like it.¡± Liu Jizhen ced his teacup down. ¡°Tell me how far you have progressed.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Which stage is your mystic force now cultivated to? What level is your swordsmanship at now?¡±

    ¡°This ...¡±

    ¡°Act it out for me so I can take a look if you don¡¯t know how to describe it.¡±

    Although Zhuo Jiangui would take a look at her progress every so often and would give her some pointers these past four years, Lu Mingshu mainly fumbled about on her own, as he was only ensuring she would not be led astray. She didn¡¯t learn many things systematically.

    Once she was done with acting out the <Cloud-treading Sword Technique>, Lu Mingshu could not help but worry when she saw Liu Jizhen furrow his eyebrows after she had sheathed her sword.

    ¡°Master, had I practiced it wrongly?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not wrong.¡± Liu Jizhen sighed. ¡°However, the solidifying of your closed apertures isn¡¯t correct.¡±

    In the cultivation of mystic force, closed apertures solidifying would be congealing true energy in each closed aperture. Every closed aperture would go through the stimtion of mystic force to congeal an aperture acupoint. Finally, when every aperture acupoint connects with another, the practitioner would step into the Harmonization Realm.

    If the method of closed aperture solidifying is incorrect, it will slow down one¡¯s pace in stepping into the Harmonization Realm.

    ¡°Also, where did you learn how to move your mystic force?¡¯

    Lu Mingshu felt nervous under the questioning. ¡°Master, I learned about it from a book ...¡±

    Liu Jizhen pondered it over. ¡°It is extremely difficult to understand when speaking of it individually, but as a whole, we still need to do some adjustment.¡±

    Lu Mingshu heaved a sigh of relief when she heard what he said. She learned random things in the Heavenly Wheel, thus it was already fortunate that nothing had gone wrong when she mixed them together.

    ¡°I¡¯ll teach you a set of sword techniques that I want you to practice daily from today onwards. Also, suspend your solidifying of your closed apertures. Besides your normal Inner Breath Realm cultivation, everything else must be put to a halt, understand?¡±

    Master finally decided to teach me? Lu Mingshu grinned in happiness. ¡°I understand, Master.¡±

 Chapter 70: Origin of the Sword Technique

    <h4>Chapter 70: Origin of the Sword Technique</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    Gao Xiang stepped into Green Jade Valley while he mounted the wolf, yet the deeper he entered the more he felt something amiss.

    It¡¯s but a month after the spring hunt, so why had it turned so foreign-looking now?

    The messy bushes on both sides have all been trimmed. The former crooked small wood huts have been pushed down and there were workers now building up the foundation of a new building. The whole scene was buzzing with activity.

    Gao Xiang almost thought he had stepped into the wrong valley.

    ¡°Young Master Gao?¡± a servant girl that was currently washing clothes at the pond quickly got over to greet him.

    Gao Xiang fixed his stare on her and asked with uncertainty, ¡°Are you Lu Mingshu¡¯s that ... What¡¯re you called?¡±

    ¡°This small one is called Hui Niang.¡±

    ¡°Oh! Hui Niang! You¡¯re here to see Lu Mingshu? What are they doing?¡±

    ¡°This small one has already been transferred over to Green Jade Valley,¡± Hui Ning exined heartily. ¡°They are building a house. Our Courtyard Leader said it¡¯s better for the body to stay outside as the lighting in the cave isn¡¯t good.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Gao Xiang understood the meaning hidden behind her words. Senior Uncle Liu finally thought it through? Senior Uncle indeed doesn¡¯t need to live a life of self-mortification! He¡¯s still a Courtyard Leader no matter what; as long as the people of the line of Shengyang hasn¡¯t died out, no one will dare to confiscate hismonly distributed items.

    Just in time, Lu Mingshu walked out of Heavenly Ascension Pavilion. ¡°Gao Xiang.¡±

    Gao Xiangtched the wolf onto a rock before walking over. ¡°How are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Great!¡± Lu Mingshu and he walked towards her room.

    Gao Xiangmented on her cheerful vibes, ¡°Look at how big your smile is now. Tsk! To think I was worried about you! Where¡¯s Senior Uncle Liu, do I have to go and greet him?¡±

    ¡°My master isn¡¯t around; he¡¯s out to meet some friends.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Senior Uncle has indeed changed, he¡¯s actually meeting friends now.

    ¡°Look, your silly Roe Deer is here too.¡± Gao Xiang utched the leather pocket behind him. ¡°Isn¡¯t it chubby?¡±

    It was not just chubby, but so chubby it was a little unexpected. A mere few days time was all it took for this cub to weigh much more than it used to; its fine and soft fur had also grown out. Its dark eyes seemed to have recognized Lu Mingshu, and its tongue poked out to lick her finger.

    ¡°It turned so pretty!¡±

    ¡°Yeah! My Martial Grandfather said some cubs will look vastly different in their adulthood, so it¡¯s hard to differentiate. But this is definitely not a Roe Deer.¡±

    ¡°Is it hungry? It keeps licking my finger. What has it been eating these few days?¡±

    ¡°Milk! I got someone to get a sheep. I¡¯ll send it overter so the both of you can have milk.¡±

    Lu Mingshu stared at him. ¡°Are you serious?¡±

    ¡°I am serious!¡± Gao Xiang felt wronged. ¡°Martial Grandfather said only by drinking more milk will we grow tall.¡±

    The two yed with the cub for a moment longer. Gao Xiang told Lu Mingshu that he named it ¡®Little Daze¡¯ because it looked foolish. The two then built a nest for it.

    Gao Xiang spoke as they constructed, ¡°Do you know who testified against you?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I said that it¡¯s suspicious how you even saved them when your rtionship with others isn¡¯t good.¡±

    Lu Mingshu remained expressionless. ¡°Who else can it be? Aren¡¯t we clear of that person back then? Who would it be but that person?¡± The young girl that had been scared shitless and only rushed the group to leave when she heard Lu Mingshu was going to lure the Specter away.

    ¡°It¡¯s indeed her!¡± Gao Xiang clenched his teeth angrily. ¡°There¡¯s another person you probably didn¡¯t think of.¡±

    ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°Le Xiaoyi.¡±

    Lu Mingshu furrowed her brows but did not speak. Although she was a little surprised, it was not too much of a shock. Ever since Le Xiaoyi was sent back after getting injured, she looked at her and Gao Xiang as if they were her enemies.

    ¡°We have to teach them a lesson if the chance arises!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t waste your time.¡± Lu Mingshu shook her head. ¡°Who are they to make us spend our time and effort on them? I just want to enter the Harmonization Realm as soon as possible now and then finish my apprenticeship.¡±

    Nine Jade Pce¡¯s rule was such that, if one passes the test and graduates from apprenticeship, they would be able to go out of the sect for experience training. In this sect where pandemonia reigns, everything reeked of oppression.

    Gao Xiang pondered for a moment. ¡°You¡¯re right, it¡¯s best you do not create trouble now. Leave it to me!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Lu Mingshu originally wanted to talk him out of the idea, but decided to give up after some thought. Given Gao Xiang¡¯s temper, if he did not let it out, he wouldn¡¯t even be able to eat. ¡°Take it easy, don¡¯t go overboard. You¡¯ll only be lectured if you let Senior Uncle An step in for you!¡±

    ¡°Rx!¡±

    With how strict his master was on him recently, Gao Xiang left after a while.

    When Lu Mingshu went out to check on the progress of the building. She then spoke a few words with Hui Niang.

    Now that Liu Jizhen had pulled himself together, he got Hui Niang and Ah Sheng back. They only had to do chores in Green Jade Valley from now on and didn¡¯t have to bear with the unfair treatment anymore. Thus, Lu Mingshu could also fully concentrate on her training now.

    Lu Mingshu was very contented with such days. Her master was no longer dispirited, while Hui Niang and Ah Sheng had a ce they could call home. She no longer had any requests, except ...

    Once her shoulder recovered, she also familiarized herself with the sword technique Liu Jizhen taught her.

    It was just that she felt a nagging feeling in her mind every time she was done practising.

    She told Liu Jizhen about that feeling, ¡°Master, I seem to have seen this set of sword techniques somewhere.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve seen it?¡± Liu Jizhen who was reading by the side looked up. ¡°Where?¡±

    Lu Mingshu hesitated for a moment, before speaking, ¡°In the few days where I had gone missing, I¡¯ve actually woken up once to realize I was in a cave. On the cave wall, I discovered imprints of a set of sword techniques.¡±

    ¡°What? Then do you still remember the sword technique?¡±

    ¡°I remember.¡± Lu Mingshu demonstrated the steps of the sword technique one after another.

    Liu Jizhen abruptly stood up when he saw her moves and asked once she was done with the demonstration, ¡°Do you still remember where it is?¡±

    Lu Mingshu shook her head. ¡°I was still unconscious on the way there.¡± She hurriedly asked when she saw his expression, ¡°Master, is there any problem with this set of sword techniques?¡±

    Liu Jizhen sat back down, and calmly spoke, ¡°Do you know what¡¯s the set of sword technique I¡¯ve taught you?¡±

    Lu Mingshu pondered. ¡°The sword technique taught by master has a considerable amount of simrities to the <Cloud-treading Sword Technique>, I heard the inheritance of every line was expanded from the foundation of <Goddess Cloud-treading Swordsmanship>. Is this the <Goddess Cloud-treading Swordsmanship> of our line?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±

    Lu Mingshu found it strange. ¡°Could it be that a senior of our line had once gone into seclusion training in Jade West Mountain Forest? But these two sword techniques are a little different. As if ...¡±

    ¡°The set of sword technique you practised should be a new sword technique evolved from the foundation of <Goddess Cloud-treading Swordsmanship>.¡± Liu Jizhen smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I should say it¡¯s because your luck is astonishing. The Grandmaster of our line has already disappeared for thirty years ...¡±

    ¡°Ah?!¡± Lu Mingshu was greatly rmed. ¡°Master are you saying that the person that left behind this sword technique is a Grandmaster?!¡±

    Liu Jizhen nodded. ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, it should be a Grandmaster. This should be the new sword technique he created after he entered the Void Realm.¡± *

    Lu Mingshu did not know what to say, This is just like manna from heaven! I actually unexpectedly learned a sword technique created by a Grandmaster.

    ¡°This set of sword techniques should match the technique we give to our line¡¯s Inner Breath to practice. With the two matchings, the wielder would learn a profound technique as a result. Do you still remember what I told you earlier? Don¡¯t solidify your closed apertures yet; wait till your Inner Breath has settled down. The cultivation method I¡¯ve imparted to you, together with this sword technique, should be able to let you seed in one attempt.¡±

 Chapter 71: How Time Flies

    <h4>Chapter 71: How Time Flies</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    Only when Liu Jizhen pulled himself together did Lu Mingshu realize therge difference

    between having a master and not having one.

    Despite his crippled meridians, he could still figure out her problems in one nce with his martial genius knowledge, which he still had, and discerning ability. Inparison, her previous fumbling about had led her to roundabouts.

    With her master¡¯s advice as well as the Heavenly Wheel as a guide, Lu Mingshu passionately absorbed all kinds of knowledge like a sponge.

    The spring hunt made her realize how important strength was.

    She won the bet but attracted misfortune. This was all due to hercking strength and her non-existent background.

    ...

    The tree leaves rustled as she entered the Heavenly Wheel, alerting its master of a message.

    Lu Mingshu held onto the leaf as a small circr airflow fluttered out. ¡°Little Sister Seven, you¡¯re looking for medicine that would restore meridians? Contact me once you¡¯re here.¡±

    That was Brother Six¡¯s voice.

    Lu Mingshu previously left a message in the Heavenly Wheel asking if anyone knew of a spirit medicine that could reconnect meridians.

    She replied, ¡°Brother Six, I¡¯m here. Do you have medicine that could restore meridians?¡±

    Brother Six was indeed around. The Heavenly Wheel was mainly used for learning and exchanging things for her; in contrast, the Heavenly Wheel was mainly used as a tool for transactions with endless business opportunities for him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t, but I know where you can get it.¡±

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s eyes lit up, it¡¯s good if I know where to get it too.

    ¡°Where, where?¡±

    ¡°Not long ago I was talking to a client who spoke of a marvel in his world. He was talking about how some sword cultivator had their dantian destroyed into shatters because of intrinsic flying swords. He originally thought they were done for, but who would have expected for them to actually recover and even be stronger than before? A spirit medicine that can restore dantian should be able to restore meridians, right?¡±

    This logic isn¡¯t wrong ...

    ¡°Is there any way to contact him?¡±

    ¡°Hold on.¡± A whileter, Brother Six told her that person¡¯s Heavenly Wheel number.

    Lu Mingshu left a message for that person. ¡°Brother, I was introduced to you by Brother Six. I heard your world has spirit medicine that can restore the dantian?¡±

    That person was probably not around because he only replied after Lu Mingshu flipped through the pages of a book.

    ¡°Yes.¡± From the concise and terse reply, the person seemed to have a cold personality.

    ¡°May I know if I can purchase them? How much will they roughly cost?¡±

    The other end replied quickly and straightforwardly. ¡°You can¡¯t purchase them, nor will you be able to afford them.¡±

    Lu Mingshu was stunned. ¡°Brother, why do you say so?¡±

    ¡°That person is a Great Elixir Cultivator, and you? What cultivation level are you at?¡±

    Lu Mingshu mentally converted her level. Every world¡¯s realm was notpletely identical, thus a senior once made a summary on the conversion of realms. The Great Elixir realm was equivalent to the Spirit Realm in her current world. In other words, she was two realms below the Great Elixir realm.

    ¡°Even if my cultivation is insufficient, I might still be able to take out treasures!¡±

    The other side responded in a clear-cut way. ¡°Can the so-called treasure you¡¯re talking about be exchanged in the Heavenly Wheel? If that¡¯s so, why can¡¯t I exchange for it myself?¡±

    Lu Mingshu truly couldn¡¯t say anything back.

    By mixing around in the Heavenly Wheel for a few years, she now possessed the ability to pick up cheap stuff. She previously thought by chance she might be able toe across a treasure to exchange for spirit medicine if she searched hard enough. However, this adroit person debarred the possibility of this happening.

    The other side continued, ¡°This medicine will be considered rare and precious in any world. That Great Elixir senior probably came across one by chance too. If you want one, I¡¯ll still have to ask around for you, and put in who knows how much effort. I advise you to give up. I¡¯ll perhaps be more willing to help you if you ever reach Great Elixir one day and have a sufficient amount of treasure.¡±

    Unwilling to give up, Lu Mingshu asked again, ¡°Brother, you¡¯re really not willing to help?¡±

    ¡°My strength is insufficient to provide help.¡±

    With his words, Lu Mingshu realized he was not willing to agree.

    ¡°Can we keep in contact? If I¡¯m able to take out a sufficient amount of treasures one day, I¡¯ll look for you again?¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Once the conversation ended, Lu Mingshu clenched her fists. Since it¡¯s not feasible now, I¡¯ll work hard at increasing my strength. I¡¯ll definitely help master restore his meridians!

    ...

    Lu Mingshu listened to Liu Jizhen and no longer attempted to solidify her closed apertures, but instead focused on preparing her inner breath. This one step quickly turned into half a year.

    By the time her inner breath had stabilized to the point where it rushed through the closed apertures by itself, Liu Jizhen finally taught her a new technique.

    It became clear at this time how valuable having a master was.

    Now that she had stabilized her inner breath, she sessfully solidified the true energy of three closed apertures merely on the first day of learning the new technique! There was in total one hundred and eight closed apertures and thirty-six of them were more relevant. As long as the thirty-six closed apertures had solidified true energy, it would be considered as Harmonization Realm. The remaining seventy-two closed apertures would just signify a firmer foundation with a more solidified amount.

    Thus, even if two people were in the Harmonization Realm, there would still be a difference in strength as well as potential. Some people only solidified the thirty-six closed apertures. Although they would still be considered as being in the Harmonization Realm, there was no possibility for them to enter the Spirit Realm. In theory, the more solidified closed apertures one had, therger the chance they had entering the Spirit Realm in the future.

    Liu Jizhen wanted her to cultivate her inner breath, before solidifying her closed apertures in one shot. She hoped to solidify all hundred and eighty closed apertures and then rush into the Spirit Realm with the fastest speed.

    It¡¯s not a long term n to depend on someone else for support. Although the line of Shengyang wasn¡¯t in any difficult predicament, their rtionship with each other was not considered close. As for the line of Willow Woods, they were close because they owed favours to the previous generation. If one wanted true stability, they would still have to rely on their own strength.

    As days passed by, time flew by quickly due to her full concentration on cultivating her strength.

    Ever since the incident at the spring hunt, Lu Mingshu had not attended any more seasonal encirclement hunt.

    With the Heavenly wheel, she always had a ce for training experience.

    The first few times she didn¡¯t how she traversed to another world, but afterwards, she slowly discovered how. The Heavenly Wheel could absorb the sun and moon¡¯s essence. Every so often, it would activate during the full moon when it was most energized. Thus, she only traversed to other worlds on full moon nights.

    Thinking about it, it was also a full moon when she received the Heavenly Wheel, but she still did not know why she was the one who discovered the Heavenly Wheel.

    She could freely pick the world she wanted to travel to. Every time the Heavenly Wheel turned, it would trigger a newbination and be lit up by spirit lights. She only needed to remember thebination to be able to go to the same world.

    Liu Jizhen originally disagreed about her not attending encirclement hunts, but with how the teacher and disciple lived together around the clock, some things were bound to be revealed.

    For example, those strange small spells of hers, or the herbs she always gave him to nourish his body, as well as those injuries that would strangely appear on her ...

    Liu Jizhen stopped caring about those when he discovered she did notck in training experience.

    He was not the type of master that regarded a disciple as a personal belonging that had to take the path he had set out for her and was not allowed to have even the tiniest secret. It did not matter if she had any secrets; it would be eptable as long as she continuously improved.

    Four years passed by in the blink of an eye. In these four years, Lu Mingshu did not leave the valley beside the few times she visited Gao Xiang. She did not meet even one outsider.

    With the unceasing sect dispute going on, practically no one remembered her existence in Green Jade Valley ...

 Chapter 72: The Heavenly Door Competition

    <h4>Chapter 72: The Heavenly Door Competition</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    A pair of fair hands held onto a basket full of grass and ced it into the fenced off area of the animal¡¯s home.

    ¡°Little Daze, you¡¯ve grown even chubbier.¡± The owner of the hand patted the youngster.

    The young horse, with its body of snow white fur, lifted up its head and called out xiliuliu before rubbing its head again her hand affectionately.

    The fifteen-year-old young girl finally had curves as her facial features gradually became defined, giving her a lucid and delicate appearance. However, her nose bridge that was a little too high as well as her still expression, made her a icy beauty.

    As for Little Daze who was once a cub that was once pitiful, it had now grown up into a plump youngster, aplete one-eighty from when it was first found.

    It resembled a roe deer less and less each day, and now it looked more like a young horse. It had snow white brows, clear eyes, and four jet-ck hooves that were exceptionally pretty. Two buns appeared on its forehead as if horns would grow out in the future.

    Lu Mingshu felt she might have identally picked up something incredible as she looked at Little Daze ...

    ¡°Miss.¡± Hui Niang walked over with a cheerful smile. ¡°Shall we make bamboo shoot buns with these newly dug up bamboo shoots?¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Lu Mingshu said, ¡°Master likes them so we should make more. Then let¡¯s pair it with a pot of mushroom soup!¡±

    For years, she thought about the mushroom soup that Yan Wugui made back in the Jade West Mountain Forest. It was a pity that she could not copy his recipe no matter how hard she tried ... Thinking about this, I wonder how he¡¯s doing now. He should have safely left with the Seven Truths tform disciples, right?

    Hui Niang asked, ¡°Should we chop some meat filling with the leftovermb meat that Young Master Gao sent over?¡±

    ¡°Mhmm.¡± Lu Mingshu thought awhile before continuing, ¡°Let¡¯s call him over too, otherwise he¡¯s going to nag again about how we didn¡¯t invite him when there¡¯s good food.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll call Ah Sheng to catch a few more fish.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Once they were done discussing the n for dinner, Little Daze was also finished with its meal, so Lu Mingshu brought it out for a stroll. Because Little Daze ate five meals a day, if she didn¡¯t bring it out for a stroll, it would definitely be rendered immobile by its weight.

    Hui Niang nced at Lu Minghsu¡¯s slowly disappearing figure and sighed.

    After they reunited from four years of separation, Hui Niang felt that her miss¡¯ personality had be very different. Her miss rarely smiled now, and even when she was happy, she only gave a faint smile. Besides practicing and cultivating, she showed no interest in any other things.

    Hui Niang hoped that her young miss could be happier instead of forcing herself to be stronger. She hoped that like other girls, Lu Mingshu would worry about the clothes she was going to wear and the flower she would pin in her hair. However, Hui Niang knew that this wish was just that ¡ª a wish. They were no longer living in the same world, and the goals that Martial Practitioners pursued would be unthinkable for her.

    Hence, she could only do her utmost best to take care of her miss¡¯ daily needs so Lu Mingshu could firmly set her mind on her goals.

    ¡°Come, let¡¯s run one round.¡± After brushing Little Daze¡¯s fur, Lu Mingshu patted its head before pulling herself up and saddling on.

    Although Little Daze was still a young horse, it particrly possessed strength and a sturdy body. Gao Xiang, who prided himself on his strength, loved to challenge Little Daze in apetition of strength of which he lost every time. With Little Daze¡¯s strength, it wouldn¡¯t even pose a problem if there were ten of her riding.

    Once she had stably settled herself, Little Daze started galloping off. The trees on both sides left their line of sight quickly as the wind howled past their ears. The two breezed past their surroundings lightheartedly.

    They ran from the base of the valley to the valley entrance. Returning back from the valley entrance, Lu Mingshu brought Little Daze to the stream to wash up.

    By the time they returned, Gao Xiang had arrived.

    In the span of these four years, Gao Xiang had grown at a rapid rate and was now as tall as an adult. His voice had also turned deeper and soft hairs started growing at the sides of his mouth.

    All youngsters at this age probably had amon problem of rebellion. They felt all grown up and did not want to be lectured. Unfortunately, An Tongchen was a severely strict master, hence every time Gao Xiang left Willow Woods, it would be as if he had been released from a birdcage and would cause trouble each time. Like now ...

    ¡°Aiyo, Little Daze has grown fatter again!¡± Gao Xiang came over to try to grip its fur.

    However, Little Daze turned its body away to avoid his grasp and walked over to another side.

    ¡°Why are you running off for?! Let¡¯s y together!¡±

    Lu Mingshu hit him. ¡°Don¡¯t disturb him. Thest time you pulled out its fur, it refused to eat a meal because it was sad about its bald spot.¡±

    ¡°Just one meal? It¡¯s fat enough that it should eat two meals less every day!¡±

    Little Daze looked up and neighed to express its objection.

    Hui Niang¡¯s voice travelled over, ¡°Young Master Gao, Miss, the buns are done!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go and have buns.¡± In order to prevent another tragedy, Lu Mingshu quickly ushered Gao Xiang over to have buns.

    The fresh and crispy bamboo shoots, the fragrantmb meat, and tender fresh fish ... All sorts of vours were served to satisfy different ptes. Once Liu Jizhen arrived, everyone gathered around the dining table to enjoy their meal.

    ¡°This bamboo shoot bun is really delicious!¡± Gao Xiang, whose mouth was stuffed with food, carelessly said, ¡°Hui Niang, make some more for me to take back.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Hui Niang answered while smiling with joy. ¡°There are two baskets of buns left, Young Master Gao can bring them back. Just heat them up when you want to have them. Don¡¯t store them overnight otherwise they won¡¯t taste good anymore.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be able to finish it all tonight!¡±

    Liu Jizhen slowly finished his bun before asking, ¡°Xiang¡¯er, does your master intend to let you attend the Heavenly Doorpetition this year?¡±

    Since his question was too abrupt, Gao Xiang choked on the buns in his mouth. He quickly drank water before calling out in surprise, ¡°Senior Uncle Liu, how did you know that Master wants me to enter the Heavenly Doorpetition?¡±

    ¡°I counted the days, so you should be having a breakthrough soon.¡±

    ¡°Senior Uncle Liu, you¡¯re truly a fortune teller! My master just informed me today.¡±

    ¡°The Heavenly Doorpetition?¡± Lu Mingshu looked at their expressions and could not help but ask.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know? Oh, I bet you haven¡¯t heard of it since you don¡¯t ever go out.¡± Gao Xiang exined to her, ¡°The Heavenly Doorpetition is also known as the disciple rankingpetition. You know the Nine Jade Pce disciples are divided into ranks, right?¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded. The disciples of Nine Jade Pce were mainly divided into three groups, while all those below Harmonization Realm would only be considered third-rate disciples regardless of their backgrounds. Once they reached the Harmonization Realm and graduated from their apprenticeship would they then be considered a second-rate disciple. A second-rate disciple could be promoted to a first-rate disciple based on their contribution to the sect.

    Only first-rate disciples were qualified to hold higher authoritative positions, such as teachers and those in charge at the Nine Jade Pce. The sect divided the ranks of disciples clearly; first-rates would be able to lead second-rates, while second-rates could lead third-rates. The rank of a disciple also determined the number of resources a disciple would receive from the sect.

    Besides these, there were also genuine sessor disciples whose status would only be second to elders and courtyard leaders. Their rank was higher than a first-rate disciple. A genuine sessor disciple would at the least be able to receive the title of a courtyard leader, and their status would be higher than courtyard leaders that were not genuine sessors.

    For example, Zhou Yinru held the title of the genuine sessor.

    ¡°The Heavenly Doorpetition is held once every three years and it will be apetition for the title of genuine sessor. Every disciple that has reached the Harmonization Realm would be eligible to participate. Regardless of their previous rank, they can be promoted to a genuine sessor as long as they are in the top ten. In other words, this is an opportunity for instant sess.¡±

    Lu Mingshu asked, ¡°Those that have not graduated from their apprenticeship can participate too?¡±

    ¡°Of course! ording to normal procedures, we would have to first graduate from our apprenticeship once we reach Harmonization Realm, then be a second-rate disciple before we can be promoted to a first-rate disciple. But, if we join the Heavenly Doorpetition, we won¡¯t be limited by this restriction.¡±

    ¡°Then will genuine sessors from previous years attend too?¡±

    ¡°They will. If they do not ce in the top ten after three consecutive Heavenly Doorpetitions, they will be kicked out of the list of genuine sessors.¡±

    ¡°Then ...¡±

    Gao Xiang seemed to have guessed what she wanted she ask. ¡°Zhou Yinru did not attend the previous two Heavenly Doorpetitions.¡±

 Chapter 73: The Change in the Heavenly Wheel

    <h4>Chapter 73: The Change in the Heavenly Wheel</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    ¡°Are you ready?¡± In the stone room, Liu Jizhen asked.

    Four years ago, after Liu Jizhen had renovated Green Jade Valley, the master and disciple duo moved to live outside the cave and the Heavenly Ascension Pavilion¡¯s stone room was rebuilt into a room for seclusion.

    Liu Jizhen did not shave wooden swords anymore but instead read more books. For the majority of their time, the disciple would cultivate while the teacher would read. Neither of them would disturb the other.

    If either of them needed to go into seclusion, they would be able to iste himself from the world just by closing off the Heavenly Ascension Pavillion.

    Lu Mingshu nodded.

    ¡°Go in then.¡±

    A lone bathing bucket stood in the stone room. Extremely concentrated steam was rising up from within the bucket.

    Lu Mingshu knew that this one bucket of herbal medicine had practically exhausted her master¡¯s herb collection.

    Back when Liu Jizhen came back to the sect from Beiming, he was downhearted. Hence, he got rid of a vast majority of the treasures in his hands, thinking he, as a cripple, would not need them anymore. Although this allowed people to benefit from his misfortune, Liu Jizhen could not be bothered anymore. In other words, by the time he banished himself to Green Jade Valley, he already did not have much wealth and goods in his possession.

    Then afterwards, because he held the title of courtyard leader yet did not have the corresponding strength due to his crippled cultivation, not even a single item relevant to cultivating was distributed to Green Jade Valley. Furthermore, the items distributed to third-rate disciples were so little, that it was pitiful. All these years, Lu Mingshu relied on scavenging and exchanging items in the Heavenly Wheel to obtain the necessities for cultivating.

    In order to facilitate her breakthrough into the Harmonization Realm, Liu Jizhen had long since made preparations. It was only because of an exchange he made with a pal from the sect with the measly amount of herbs that were still in his possession, that Lu Mingshu was able to have this bucket of herbal medicine to soak in today.

    Although the herbs were few in amount, this bucket of medicine soup weighed a hefty five hundred kilograms.

    Lu Mingshu took a deep breath, and then slowly lowered herself in.

    Liu Jizhen who stood by the side of the bucket spoke warmly, ¡°Now that you have sessfully solidified seventy-two of your one hundred and eight closed apertures, the remaining thirty-six are all main closed apertures. To you now, there is no turning back after you attempt the breakthrough. You will either sessfully solidify all thirty-six of your closed apertures and enter the Harmonization Realm, or will fail to solidify at least one and cause all of your past efforts to go down the drain, starting over from the beginning. Do you understand all this?¡±

    ¡°This disciple understands.¡±

    ¡°You also have to be clear on one point. Others have their master to keep an eye on them when they attempt their breakthrough, thus when things do not look good, their master can immediately prevent mishaps. However, you don¡¯t. My inner breath has beenpletely exhausted, so if you run into any problems, you¡¯ll have to solve it yourself.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Liu Jizhen nodded. ¡°Then let¡¯s begin.¡±

    Lu Mingshu shut her eyes tightly.

    The path Liu Jizhen chose for her was a ruthless one, yet it had an astonishing gain. Of the one hundred and eight closed apertures, one only had to solidify thirty-six of the main closed apertures and they would be able to enter the Harmonization Realm. The more closed apertures solidified out of the remaining seventy-two, the higher the possibility of breaking through to the Spirit Realm. Liu Jizhen wanted her to train her inner breath to be peerless and rush through the variousplementary closed apertures. Only once herplementary closed apertures had all been sessfully solidified, would she rush through her main closed apertures in one breath.

    Thus, to her, if she didn¡¯t seed in today¡¯s breakthrough, it would be taken as dying for a good cause.

    Liu Jizhen quietly looked at her one more time, before opening the door and leaving.

    Tonight¡¯s moon shone down brightly, illuminating the inner parts of the Heavenly Ascension Pavillion.

    He lifted his head to look at the empty and spacious core of the mountain. Rays of light passed through tiny holes in the ceiling, interweaving into a river of light. The radiance of the moonlight lightened the cave up.

    Sixteen years had already passed, but this was still the first time Liu Jizhen wholeheartedly admired this beautiful sight in the Heavenly Ascension Pavillion.

    After Founder Song had died in a seating position, sessive generations of sect leaders, elders, etc. wanted to find the secret hidden in the Heavenly Ascension Pavillion, but it was all to no avail. Hence, Liu Jizhen thought things might not have been soplicated, and perhaps, Founder Song only wanted to go into seclusion here because of the beautiful scenery.

    Just like him right now.

    Time ticked by, little by little. The river of moonlight went from a clear stream to darkness.

    Right before disappearing, the moonlight abruptly burst forth. It seemingly became as water; flowing backwards into the cave from the tiny holes in the ceiling.

    At the same time, a cry full of pain travelled over from the stone room.

    ¡°Mingshu!¡± Liu Jizhen¡¯s expression turned a one-eighty, and he hastily rushed into the room.

    The concentrated aroma of herbs had already dissipated into a lighter smell that carried a tinge of an indescribably sour stench. This meant that the herb¡¯s properties had been fully absorbed and the impurities had been discharged.

    Liu Jizhen was shocked when he walked over to take a look.

    Lu Mingshu unconsciously leaned against the bath bucket limply. However, a light shim formed from ayer of faint mystic force surrounded her body.

    For the mystic force to shimmer, it meant that the true energy in the thirty-six closed apertures has been sessfully congealed into a whole, which was the indication that one had entered Harmonization Realm. But why had she lost consciousness then? Does this indicate sess or failure?

    The consciousness of Lu Mingshu at that moment had already entered the Heavenly Wheel.

    Everything went smoothly when she rushed through her closed apertures, until thest moment when a powerful external force pressed down on her. Although it assisted her to break through into the Harmonization Realm in one go, it also caused her to feel a sharp pain from head to toe. By the time she hade back to her senses, she had already entered the Heavenly Wheel.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± She lowered her head to look at her hands and discovered the light shimmer of mystic force.

    Her form in the Heavenly Wheel should be called a spirit body. The spirit body would be a reflection of her real body. Thus, her spirit body would have the same amount of strength her real body had. Have I entered the Heavenly Wheel? How was I forced to involuntarily enter the Heavenly Wheel? What has gone wrong?

    Right when her thoughts were churning fast, her surroundings lit up brightly, blinding her in the process. When she regained her vision, a sight of the Heavenly Wheel¡¯s physical manifestation slowly appeared in mid-air, floating at the peak of the tree. The six-coloured streamers that fluttered around the tree increased its speed as it flourished more and more. When the space in the Heavenly Wheel filled up with the six-coloured streamers, hong! the lone tree in the space transformed into fragments.

    Lu Mingshu instinctively blocked the fragments with her hands, yet she realized none of the fragments touched her.

    Once the six-coloured streamers slowed down and it came to a halt, the space returned to its usual state. However, she was shocked to find out the appearance of the space in the Heavenly Wheel underwent huge changes.

    The previous Heavenly Wheel space was empty besides the lone tree. While the Heavenly Wheel space now had the appearance of an ind. An ind that crusaded among the clouds. It felt as if she walked into reality from a dream of nothingness.

    Lu Mingshu looked down to discovered she herself had changed too. The previous her always had an illusory feeling in the Heavenly Wheel, unlike now when she was no different from her real body.

    Is this ... a huge rise in the Heavenly Wheel¡¯s ability?

    The only element that remained unchanged was that tree; it just remained erected there silently.

    She walked over to check for the source of the abnormality. However, a hong sounded the moment her palm touched the tree leaf. The tree then transformed itself into an illusory Wooden Wheel.

    A female voice that held not even the tiniest bit of emotion sounded out, ¡°Congrattions 15127 for passing the newbie trial, the Heavenly Wheel shall officially open.¡±

    Lu Mingshu was greatly rmed. She just silently stood there, stunned.

    What does this mean? Does that mean that the previous Heavenly Wheel was not truly opened?

    ¡°That¡¯s right, the Heavenly Wheel you hade into contact with previously was only the newbie district.¡± The voice actually knew what she was thinking of.

    ¡°...¡± Lu Mingshu slowly regained her senses, These few years in the Heavenly Wheel ... Oh, no, in the newbie district I hade into contact with people of various worlds. Among them, that youngster from the Magic-less world had rmended me a novel from that world. In that novel, I¡¯vee across a so-called online game ...

    Newbie district, newbie trial ... why is this so simr to the online game in that novel? Could it be that the creator of Heavenly Wheel originates from the Magic-less world? That¡¯s not right either ... Since the Heavenly wheel can link up various worlds, the creator should be a being that originates from a ce above the various worlds, naturally, they would be proficient in all things of the various worlds.

    ¡°Then, who are you?¡± Lu Mingshu asked.

 Chapter 74: Game Rules

    <h4>Chapter 74: Game Rules</h4>

    A feminine voice was heard once again, ¡± I¡¯m Kong Sang, you can call me Xiao Sang.¡±

    ¡°Xiao Sang?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°What kind of existence are you? Are you the physical manifestation of the Heavenly Wheel, or a device that possesses spirit?¡±

    ¡°I am your facilitator.¡±

    ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I am unable to answer your question as you do not have sufficient credits.¡±

    ¡°...¡± It really has the feel of an online game. ¡°Xiao Sang, what is the situation I am in now? And what about the newbie trial?¡± Lu Mingshu asked.

    ¡°To decode the Heavenly Wheel is only but a part of it. Making use of the Heavenly Wheel with caution and capturing its trust after getting it is the answer to activating the Heavenly Wheel.¡±

    Lu Mingshu recalled that when she had just decoded the Heavenly Wheel, she saw a message asking to recruit apanion. Then shortly afterwards, the message was said to have been sent out to the wrong ce ... Later on, she was told that the ce she was in was just the firstyer of space. Only when she would be strong enough, would she be able to enter theter fewyers of space &mdash; the world of the experts.

    Was this what he meant?

    ¡°I can understand the newbie trial, but what¡¯s the secret of the Heavenly Wheel? Could it be that the real use of the Heavenly Wheel isn¡¯t traversing or exchanging?¡±

    ¡°Of course not.¡± Xiao Sang answered, ¡°The real function of the Heavenly Wheel, is here.¡±

    As soon as Xiao Sang finished her sentence, the tree turned into an imaginary Wooden Wheel which started to slowly rotate.

    When the Wooden Wheel came to a halt, Lu Mingshu saw a big number ten in the middle of it.

    ¡°What is this?¡±

    ¡°Your umted points.¡±

    ¡°umted points?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Every action of yours will affect the number of umted points you have. These umted points can be used to trade for items, or gain ess to the channel leading to other worlds.¡±

    Trade for items? Where do I trade?

    Xiao Sang¡¯s voice cut her thought, ¡± Right here.¡±

    Once she finished speaking, the Wooden Wheel started rotating again, only stopping after a full round.

    The number ¡®ten¡¯ still remained in the middle, and revolving around this number were a few sections consisting of weapons, spiritual treasures, technique manuals, resources, misceneous goods etc.

    Just as Lu Mingshu thought of it, the weapons section opened up. Inside, it contained a sword, a short de, and an arrow.

    The other sections were the same, each containing only a few items. Especially the ¡®technique manual¡¯ section, which contained a mere two items &mdash; Basic Swordsmanship and Meditation Forme.

    Lu Mingshu pointed towards the number in the middle. ¡°Are these my umted points?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Just this tiny amount of items aren¡¯t that attractive to me!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because your level and points are too low to unlock the rest of the items,¡± Xiao Sang replied in a monotone voice.

    ¡°Level?¡±

    ¡°Look at the space below your umted points.¡±

    Indeed, there was a small ¡®zero¡¯ under her points.

    ¡°I¡¯m at level zero?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Then how do I level up and umte points?¡±

    ¡°Your credits are insufficient, so you need to explore ways by yourself.¡±

    Lu Mingshu sighed. ¡°Okay, I get it. What about activating the channel to other worlds? Wasn¡¯t I able to ess it before this?¡±

    ¡°The channel that you activated is only essible to beginners and is at a low level. Only one person can ess it at a time.¡±

    ¡°So you meant that the channel has levelled up?¡±

    ¡°Yes. When you¡¯d sessfully passed the test, the channel to the other worlds had also levelled up. It is now a channel that can be essed by many people at once, which means you can invite helpers along on your traverse.¡±

    ¡°Where do I get the helpers? Do I have to bring them myself?¡±

    ¡°No. You can recruitpanions.¡±

    Once again, the Wooden Wheel started to spin slowly. However this time, there were no more words shown, as the image of her points has already been printed in her mind.

    This was an area simr to the newbie district. The main difference was in the information that was passed around ... Not only did the people here recruitpanions, they also discussed topics that were much more advancedpared to the beginner¡¯s zone.

    Lu Mingshu could even see strategies written down. She noted this down so as to refer to it afterwards.

    She pondered over the situation for a while. ¡°Would the rewards be better if we were to traverse to worlds which are opened with points?¡±

    ¡°Of course. Not only would you get rewards, but you would also gain points as well.¡±

    ¡°So what do I need to give in return? Collect mystic force like I did? Or there¡¯s a higher requirement?¡±

    Lu Mingshu believed that every benefit came at a cost. That included the points and rewards that the Heavenly Wheel gave.

    After a pause, Xiao Sang answered, ¡°Your contributions will be calcted as points, please figure it out yourself.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Lu Mingshu sighed in defeat. She had to figure out everything by herself.

    ¡°Okay, so what can I do now?¡±

    ¡°As your spirit body has gotten hurt from the bacsh of starting the Heavenly Wheel in the midst of your breakthrough, I suggest you rest in the Heavenly Wheel until you have fully recuperated before leaving.¡±

    ...

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s figure slowly faded away from the Heavenly Wheel. When she opened her eyes again, she found herself lying on her bed.

    ¡°Miss!¡± Hui Niang sighed in relief as Lu Mingshu woke up. ¡°You¡¯re finally awake.¡±

    Lu Mingshu sat up to take a look at the time. ¡°Did I stay unconscious for long?¡±

    ¡°Nope. It¡¯s just dawn.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded. ¡°Go take a rest Hui Niang. I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Hui Niang seemed unconvinced. ¡°Wait a while. I¡¯ll go get the courtyard leader.¡±

    Only after Hui Niang called Liu Jizhen over and was reassured by his nod, did she truly believe that Lu Mingshu was fine.

    Before Liu Jizhen could leave, Lu Mingshu stopped him in his steps. ¡°Master!¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you ... have any questions to ask me?¡±

    Isn¡¯t master curious about what happened to me? With how I unusually fainted right after breaking through to the Harmonization Realm?

    Liu Jizhen smiled and patted Lu Mingshu on her head. ¡°I believe you are aware of what you are doing.¡±

    ¡°... Thank you, Master.¡±

    Lu Mingshu got up from her bed as she watched Liu Jizhen leave. She unsheathed her sword. With a gentle flick of her hand, the mystic force surrounding the sword turned into light and fell onto the stone table, splitting it into two.

    Harmonization Realm, this is what Harmonization Realm is.

    The true energy in her body circted around and the one hundred and eight aperture formed a. Her inner breath surged on as if a powerful current.

    Even though for Lu Mingshu to get to where she was today, was admittedly, all thanks to her hard work and her master¡¯s guidance, the contribution of the Heavenly Wheel couldn¡¯t be ignored. Without the Heavenly Wheel, she would not have acquired any resources, and getting to the Harmonization Realm would have taken her at least a few years.

    She had not felt it earlier, but the opening of the Heavenly Wheel¡¯s true function, as well as the appearance of Xiang Sang, had left a traumatic shadow in her.

    Collecting points, exchanging for items and activating channels. What was the motive of the Heavenly Wheel¡¯s owner? In this society, everything came with a price. The previous version of the Heavenly Wheel was still about equal trade to her, but the new Heavenly Wheel brought with it a faint hint of bestowment. Sowing before reaping. What exactly did the Heavenly Wheel intend to gain from giving so much?

    Lu Mingshu dared not let her thoughts run wild in the Heavenly Wheel as Xiao Sang seemed to be able to read what was on her mind. Performing tasks under the rules set by others left her stressed and suffocated. Every single action of hers felt as if it had been scripted for a game made by someone else.

    Whereas outside the game, there would be people watching the whole scene y out just as if they were watching a y that consisted of sad and happy scenes.

    However, Lu Mingshu knew deep down that she was still not powerful enough to leave the Heavenly Wheel. She was still falling short by a far margin in terms of ability.

    For example, the Heavenly Doorpetition that would start soon.

 Chapter 75: Preparations

    <h4>Chapter 75: Preparations</h4>

    By the time Lu Mingshu¡¯s Harmonization Realm had stabilized, the time of the Heavenly Doorpetition was already drawing near.

    A month had already passed since thest time Gao Xiang had visited Green Jade Valley.

    He happily came over with the intention to show off his breakthrough into the Harmonization Realm, but his mouth fell open in disbelief the moment he spotted Lu Mingshu.

    ¡°You, you, you ... had already broken through to the Harmonization Realm?¡±

    Lu Mingshu held back herughter when she sawing his gaping expression. ¡°Why, only you can breakthrough while I can¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°Of course not, just, this is too abrupt. You didn¡¯t bring up the matter previously ...¡±

    Lu Mingshu said, ¡°It has been quite sudden for me as well, master only told me at thest moment.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡± Gao Xiang paused for a moment. ¡°Senior Uncle Liu definitely had the intention for you to attend the Heavenly Doorpetition when he asked if I was participating.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Lu Mingshu knew Zhou Yinru would definitely attend this year, hence an intention to participate grew in her heart.

    If a genuine sessor disciple did not make it to top ten for the three consecutive years thepetition was held, they would be expelled and relieved of their position. Zhou Yinru did not attend the past two years, so she would definitely have to attend this year and also had to enter the top ten.

    She had remembered the enmity back then, now was the time to strike back!

    ¡°It¡¯s not that far away from now, how is your preparation going?¡±

    ¡°So-so.¡± Lu Mingshu did not feel too confident. She was very confident in her survival capability due to her life and death fights in other worlds, but thepetition of the Heavenly Door was not merely apetition of strength.

    For example, Zhou Yinru would definitely have someone escorting and protecting her. I can overpower one, but can I overpower a group?

    As a century old tradition of Nine Jade Pce, unwritten rules grew over the years. Even if she asked Liu Jizhen to tell her some internal information, it was impossible for them to predict the underhanded means the person that operates thispetition would utilize.

    In order to deal with this, she could only do her utmost in preparations and adapt to the changes in the situation when the timees.

    The two conversed for a while before Gao Xiang went over to tease Little Daze. Ultimately, Little Daze raged and gave him the view of its butt as it disappeared from his scope of vision.

    ¡°Master.¡± Lu Mingshu walked into the Heavenly Ascension Pavilion.

    Just nice! Liu Jizhen had just finished practising a set of sword techniques. He took the towel passed over to him by Lu Mingshu to wipe off his sweat.

    ¡°Gao Xiang left?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Liu Jizhen gulped down a mouthful of water. ¡°Although he had just broken through, his foundation is solid, so top ten would not pose a problem to him.¡±

    Lu Mingshu did not reply.

    Liu Jizhen continued, ¡°Come, show me the set of sword techniques I¡¯ve just done.¡±

    The sword technique he had just practised was the one Lu Mingshu learned from the stone wall in Jade West Mountain Forest. Liu Jizhen guessed that it should have been left behind by a Grandmaster that improved the sword technique whilst travelling. It was a lot more superior aspared to the sword technique passed down by the line of Shengyang currently, it had the ability topensate for lots of the ws of the current sword technique.

    Lu Mingshu took the sword and passed it to her, startling her. ¡°Master, this sword ...¡±

    The sword was a mystic weapon of the high grade.

    Back then Liu Jizhen was the number one among the fifteenth generation disciples of Nine Jade Pce. After he had entered the Spirit Realm, he wielded a treasured tool from the collection that Nine Jade Pce acquired among the years. Afterwards, when he became a cripple, the treasure tool was reimed back by the sect. *

    The master and disciple were now just like two paupers; the meals of the Green Jade Valley relied on the fishing to fill their stomach, so how would they have any surplus money? Even a low-grade mystic weapon of the poorest quality could not be bought without a minimum of two thousand. As for high-grade mystic weapons, it was no longer a matter of money, it needed one to provide their own raw material or exchanging for it with a treasure of corresponding value.

    Lu Mingshu was very sure that bucket of herbal soup had already exhausted her master¡¯s collection. Where did he get this mystic weapon from? If I made master beg others, then I ...

    ¡°I gave your Senior Uncle Yu Wen the insight in the sword I had gained in my former years. In order to return the favour, he even gifted me this sword.¡± Liu Jizhen spoke of the matter very casually, ¡°This gift came at the right time since you¡¯re going to be participating in the Heavenly Doorpetition.¡±

    ¡°Master ...¡± Lu Mingshu¡¯s eyes brimmed up with tears.

    Liu Jizhen, however, did not give her time for gratitude. ¡°What are you wasting time on without practising?¡±

    ¡°Yes, this disciple will do so right now.¡±

    Once she was done with one set of sword techniques, Lu Mingshu looked over towards Liu Jizhen eagerly, waiting in anticipation for his evaluation.

    Liu Jizhen delved into thoughts for a while, before slowly speaking, ¡°You¡¯ve trained diligently for many years and are now able to wield this set of sword techniques freely. It¡¯s just that, I keep feeling that there¡¯s somethingcking.¡±

    ¡°Master what is it?¡±

    Liu Jizhen slowly shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t bring this feeling into words momentarily, I just feel that it should not only be limited to these moves.¡±

    This set of sword technique was vastly superior to the current <Goddess Cloud-treading Swordsmanship> passed down by the Nine Jade Pce, however, Liu Jizhen felt that it should not only be to this degree since it had been improved by a Grandmaster.

    One must know that when the Grandmaster of their line had left, he was already aplished in technique manuals and few would be able to match up to him in the world. His insight, mentality and attainments at that time, were only better and not worse than those of Founder Song in hister years.

    It¡¯s a pity that my meridians are crippled, my disciple had only deciphered the form of this sword technique, and I¡¯m unable to feel about for the profoundness of this technique.

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about this in future, I¡¯m only concerned about one matter concerning the Heavenly Doorpetition.¡±

    ¡°Please speak, Master.¡±

    Liu Jizhen said, ¡°The Heavenly Doorpetition, is not apetition that can be won individually, it is also apetition of power and background. I am only afraid that you will be caught up in a joint attack when the timees.¡±

    ...

    Somewhere within Jasper Jade Pce, Zhou Yinru barged into the room huffing with anger and dumped a gift list onto the table. ¡°Sister, tell the people from the Jin family to get lost!¡±

    Zhou Miaoru nced over at her, before speaking in a soft voice, ¡°What are you doing now? Let¡¯s talk things through calmly.¡±

    ¡°Talk things through calmly?! If I were to continue talking things through calmly, you would even ept the betrothal gift!¡± She could still pretend at normal times, but the Zhou Yinru today had no intention of tolerating anymore. ¡°Dream on! I will not marry that good-for-nothing!¡±

    Zhou Miaoru slowly penned down numerals in the ount book. ¡°Then tell me, who can you marry that isn¡¯t a good-for-nothing?¡±

    ¡°I ...¡±

    Zhou Miaoru spoke unhurriedly, ¡°Back then when we took a fancy for An Tongchen from the line of Willow Woods they did not take a fancy to you. Afterwards, you took a fancy for Grand Elder Yuan Xi¡¯s nephew, unfortunately, the Yuan family opposed you. Following that, we wanted to connect with the marquis of Ning Xiang through marriage, only to be wrecked by you. And following that ...¡±

    ¡°Sister!¡± Zhou Yinru shouted out, ¡°Are you deliberately trying to infuriate me?!¡±

    Zhou Miaoru lifted her head and smiled. ¡°Aren¡¯t my words actual facts?¡±

    ¡°You ...¡± Zhou Yinru truly did not know what to think of her elder sister. Normally, her sister showed her unconditional love and care. She always got whatever she wanted, and when she caused trouble, her sister would settle it for her. But at times, her sister would not give a damn about jabbing her sore spot, unmasking her trauma without a care for her embarrassment. At such a time, Zhou Yinru would even feel that her sister looked down on her and was mocking her. However, in the blink of an eye, her sister would help her n and bustle about for her, making her feel that what happened before was but a misperception on her part.

    For instance, right now, Zhou Yinru felt that her sister¡¯s smile now was one mocking her. This made her particrly unhappy.

    ¡°It¡¯s settled then!¡± Zhou Miaoru stood up and pushed her to sit down. With her hands on Zhou Yinru¡¯s shoulder, she spoke affectionately, ¡°Listen to me if you believe your sister.¡±

    See, it¡¯s like right now.

    However, this was extremely effective on Zhou Yinru, as she practically was appeased at once. Only her tone was stiff and still held a bit of brattiness. ¡°Listen? What¡¯s there to listen? Just that good-for-nothing from the Jin family! Anyway, I¡¯ll not enter their household even if you beat me to death.¡±

    Zhou Miaoru lightlyughed, ¡°Then, do you still want to get married?¡± She looked coldly at Zhou Yinru

 Chapter 76: Iéˆ¥æªe Underestimated Her

    <h4>Chapter 76: I¡¯ve Underestimated Her</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    ¡°Sister!¡± Zhou Yinru protested these words made it seem as if she would not be able to get married if she did not marry that Jin dude.

    The smile on Zhou Miaoru¡¯s face did not falter. ¡°Yinru, speaking from just the current circumstances, the possibility of you having a marriage of connection within the sect is close to zero. Those suitable would either be you being contemptuous towards them, or them being contemptuous towards you. Since it¡¯s so, we can only look for a suitable target outside the sect.¡±

    ¡°But the trashy Jin family?¡± Zhou Yinru cried out, ¡°They are not some high official nor royal family, and neither are they an aristocratic family. As for that Eldest Young Master Jin, who in the world doesn¡¯t know that he¡¯s a good-for-nothing? What are we to gain from having a marital connection with the Jin family?¡±

    ¡°The Jin family is wealthy,¡± Zhou Miaoru lightly stated.

    ¡°So for the sake of wealth, I have to be sacrificed?¡± Zhou Yinru jumped up and stared at her elder sister with a face full of disbelief.

    ¡°Do you think it is for us?¡± The corner of Zhou Miaoru¡¯s mouth curled up. ¡°Whenpared to aristocratic families, the Jin family¡¯s background only falls short by a little. The power and influence they have wielded in recent years has rapidly expanded. If you want wealth from them you¡¯ll get wealth, and if you want power you¡¯ll get power. Furthermore, the Jin family only has the Eldest Young Master Jin as their bloodline and if you marry him, the big Jin family will belong to you in the future.¡±

    ¡°But ...¡±

    ¡°But he is a fool?¡± Zhou Miaoru cut off her sentence. ¡°Yinru, why are you unable to lower your standards regards to this? It¡¯s even better that he is a fool. This way you won¡¯t have to hide yourself and will be able to grandly and openly take control of the Jin family as the young mistress.¡±

    Zhou Yinru bit her lips in indignance. ¡°It can¡¯t be that I¡¯ll have to follow a fool for my entire lifetime? Isn¡¯t it calling for others tough their heads off? Sister, although you also married someone of a lower status than you back then, brother-inw is still someone with unlimited potential and plus, he is even good-looking. However ... that fool? Haish ...¡±

    ¡°Yinru,¡± Zhou Miaoru looked at her with a gaze that was close to one of pity. ¡°So your heart is still fixed on such a thought? Finding a handsome and heroic man to be a loving couple?¡±

    Under her gaze, Zhou Yinru lowered her head and murmured, ¡°No matter what, I still must marry some normal person, right?¡±

    ¡°Haish!¡± Zhou Miaoru poked her head. ¡°Why do you not look at things from another perspective? Since that Young Master Jin is a fool, he will naturally depend on you in all respects. Once you¡¯ve gotten hold of the Jin family in your palms, no one will be able to stop you from doing whatever you want.¡±

    ¡°But ...¡±

    Zhou Miao sighed, ¡°You¡¯re already thirty-two this year, right?¡±

    Zhou Yinru immediately kept her mouth closed.

    ¡°Us practitioners age slowly, but as we have not yet reached the Assimtion Realm, we will not be able to remain youthful forever. There wille a day where your skin will wrinkle up and you¡¯ll have a dullplexion ... Do you still want to continue to put it off?¡± *

    Zhou Yinru parted her lips to speak but shook her head before saying, ¡°Can¡¯t I just not want to marry a fool?¡±

    Zhou Miaoru stooped down to her eye level before speaking in a soft yet icy-cold voice, ¡°That¡¯s fine. The Heavenly Doorpetition is about to arrive soon. You didn¡¯t attend the past two times, and if you do not attend this time, you¡¯ll by default be kicked out of the genuine sessor disciple cing. If you truly do not want to marry into the Jin family, then prove that you¡¯ve the right to make your own decision with real results.¡±

    ...

    In the bamboo fenced small courtyard, Yu-Wen Shi picked up a list of names.

    ¡°The Heavenly Doorpetition this time has numerous disciples signing up!¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Shao Zhengyang stood by the side.

    He was a mere twenty-year-old this year, but now that he had shredded off his youthful look, coupled with his originally mature appearance, he seemed more like a twenty-three to twenty-four year old.

    ¡°Are you nervous?¡± Yu-Wen Shi asked him while smiling.

    Shao Zhengyang only pursed his lips as he shook his head.

    Yu-Wen Shi resumed lowering his head as his fingers slid down the list of names before stopping on a particr name. Heughed, ¡°Gao Xiang from Willow Woods has signed up too, to think that you¡¯ll have topete with him also.¡±

    The sh went past Shao Zhengyang¡¯s eyes as he clenched his hands tightly into a fist.

    He had entered the Harmonization Realm three years ago. In that year, a Heavenly Doorpetition was held too, and as a matter of course, he had signed up for it too. However, he had been overcast by others and fell out of the top ten. Thus, he was still a second-rate disciple today.

    Gao Xiang, who had entered the sect a few yearster than Shao Zhengyang, was but a wimpy kid in his eyes, but who would have known that he would actually have topete for a ce as a genuine sessor disciple with this wimpy kid! Shao Zhengyang felt deep hatred in his heart, I am definitely going to get back at those people that took the top ten spots!

    ¡°Huh?!¡± Yu-Wen Shi suddenly let out a cry of astonishment.

    Shao Zhengyang looked towards his master.

    Yu-Wen Shi flicked his finger on the name list and looked at him with a profound gaze. ¡°Do you still remember that girl from Green Jade Valley?¡±

    Shao Zhengyang nodded. He would not be able to forget what had happened in the spring hunt four years ago even if he wanted to.

    ¡°She also signed up for the Heavenly Doorpetition this time.¡±

    Shao Zhengyang was stunned. ¡°She ... is now in Harmonization Realm?¡±

    ¡°Since she signed up, of course, she is in the Harmonization Realm now.¡± The corners of Yu-Wen Shi¡¯s lips curved up into a smile. ¡°No wonder Senior Brother Liu suddenly took out a sword technique secret manual to exchange it a high-grade mystic weapon with me.¡±

    ¡°This is impossible!¡± Shao Zhengyang could not help himself from blurting out his disbelief.

    Lu Mingshu and Gao Xiang had attended their first hunt just four years ago and even Shao Zhengyang had been in the same small team as them. That¡¯s why he had very clear knowledge about their cultivation realms.

    Shao Zhengyang did not find it surprising that Gao Xiang was able to breakthrough into Harmonization Realm in four years. First, the line of Willow Woods had strict criteria for epting their direct disciples so Gao Xiang would definitely have had to be highly talented to be chosen. Second, the line of Willow Woods always had only one single sessor. Therefore, all their resources would go into grooming Gao Xiang. Perhaps only Fu Mingtang was a match for him in terms of resources in the whole sect. Last but not least, Gao Xiang went to Jade West Mountain Forest every year and thus everyone could see his steady cultivation progress.

    As for Lu Mingshu? She indeed possessed a good aptitude, but who didn¡¯t know about the current state of Green Jade Valley? Liu Jizhen only had the empty title of a courtyard leader and didn¡¯t have the corresponding strength to back it up, which meant he was not given even the tiniest bit of resources. Moreover, she had not left the valley for four long years and had not attended any of the seasonal hunts. Even a little kid would know that a Martial Practitioner grows throughbat. How exactly would one be able to improve in a vacuum?

    ¡°However impossible it might be, it¡¯s an actual fact.¡± Yu-Wen Shi muttered, ¡°I¡¯ve underestimated her. She made Fu Mingtang lose his confidence four years ago, and now four yearster, she¡¯s even sessfully broken through into Harmonization Realm in a situation where she had scarce resources. Zhengyang, you seem to fall short inparison to her!¡±

    Shao Zhengyang tightly pursed his lips together.

    ¡°How interesting, this idle chess piece might actually turn into a killer move.¡± Yu-Wen Shi lifted up his head to look at the fluctuating expression on his disciple as he sported an expression that seemed like he was worried about something. He did not hesitate to speak: ¡°Why? You¡¯re feeling unwell after something so small? How many geniuses do you think there are in this world? If you¡¯re to feel unwell every time you meet one, then you¡¯ll definitely feel unwell often in the future.¡±

    After a moment of silence, Shao Zhengyang lowered his head. ¡°This disciple knows his mistake.¡±

    Yu-Wen Shi shook his head. ¡°Zhengyang, I¡¯m not trying to get you to admit your mistake. Think of it yourself, where exactly has your haughtiness gone? I yearn for the past where you were haughty.¡±

    Once he finished speaking, Yu-Wen Shi got up and entered the room to cultivate.

    He left Shao Zhengyang behind with mixed feelings.

    When the small bamboo-fenced courtyard received the name list, the Jasper Jade Pce also received one.

    Zhou Miaoru¡¯s delicately manicured jade coloured nail slid up and down the list as she slightly narrowed her eyes.

    ¡°She¡¯s actually so fast?¡± She mumbled to herself, ¡°It seems I¡¯ve underestimated her.¡±

    ¡°Mother, what are you saying?¡± A maiden leaning against a table while doodling lifted up her head and looked at her mother curiously.

    Zhou Miaoru shed her a slight smile as she ced the name list aside. ¡°I¡¯m saying your younger brother has been toozy these days.¡±

    Fu Mingxi pondered for a moment before asking puzzledly, ¡°Mingtang isn¡¯tzy these days, he¡¯s been practising daily.¡±

    ¡°What about you?¡± Zhou Miaoru looked at her daughter. ¡°All you do is y every day, when have you ever practised diligently?¡±

    Fu Mingxi pouted, ¡°I¡¯m not like Mingtang who has such a good body constitution ...¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯re not inferior to her.¡±

    ¡°Mother, who are you talking about?¡±

 Chapter 77: Exchanging Before the Contest

    <h4>Chapter 77: Exchanging Before the Contest</h4>

    In a sh, the Heavenly Doorpetition was about to arrive.

    On that night, Lu Mingshu was carefully cleaning her sword.

    Her master might have spoken casually about how he obtained the sword, but she knew it had not been easy. How advanced would a sword manual have to be to exchange it for a high grade mystic weapon? She recokened her master must have fished out all his secret techniques umted over the years ¡ª the true treasures he possessed.

    Thus, She had to enter the ranks of a genuine sessor and not let her master down.

    The polished sword de shone, surrounded by a dazzling light. Its surface was so clear that she could see her own reflection. Lu Mingshu sheathed the sword back into its scabbard.

    Then, she put out themp andid down. The moment she shut her eyelids, she entered the Heavenly Wheel.

    The six-colored streamers had weakened, only emitting a faint glow, and as usual, the lone tree stood erect in the middle of the floating ind.

    As Lu Mingshu approached it, she had the tree transform into a Wooden Wheel with a thought.

    The number on it turned from ¡®ten¡¯ into ¡®thirteen¡¯.

    In these past three months, I¡¯d practised my sword and cultivated as per usual, yet there¡¯s a change in my umted points. Where exactly did this change in pointse from? Is it the change of my growth, or ...

    Previously, a channel would open up every several months, once the Heavenly Wheel absorbed sufficient mystic force. She thought, perhaps, the energy absorbed by the Heavenly Wheel counts as umted points too?

    Such a conversion makes sense. I wasn¡¯t able to check this theory previously, but it¡¯s possible that the channel opens automatically whenever the umted points reach the requirement.

    However, the umted points from absorbing energy are way too little. If I were to depend on this to umte points, I reckon it¡¯d be difficult to even exchange for items, not even mentioning the upgraded channel to other worlds. Even just speaking of the items I¡¯ve unlocked, my thirteen points will only allow me to exchange for two items. As for opening a channel, Xiao Sang told me it takes at least a hundred points, which with the pace I¡¯m getting points now, will take me a hundred months ...

    Although Lu Mingshu felt wary towards the Heavenly Wheel, she did not intend to give up on using it. Currently, the usage of the Heavenly Wheel¡¯s benefit far outweighs the cost for her, as she was in an urgent need to improve her strength.

    ¡°Xiao Sang.¡±

    ¡°Here.¡± A voice travelled over out of nothingness, its tone still monotonous.

    ¡°Tomorrow will be the start of the Heavenly Doorpetition, so I want to exchange for some items. Do you have any rmendations?¡±

    After a moment of silence, Xiao Sang¡¯s voice could be heard again. ¡°In view of your current cultivation realm, your martial skill could be appraised as 80 out of 100, while your inner breath is 70/100. It is rmended to strengthen your inner breath.¡±

    Lu Mingshi was a little surprised by this appraisement. She had thought her martial skill grading would be higher after she learnt a sword technique from a Grandmaster. No wonder her master said her execution seemed tock something, even though she had familiarized herself with the sword technique.

    ¡°My inner breath iscking?¡±

    ¡°Your true energy may be plentiful, but it only allows you to fight alone. You¡¯ll fall short of it if you were to go against many at once.¡±

    Lu Mingshu pondered, master¡¯s indeed worried about this too.

    With just a change in her thoughts, the exchange options window opened up. She had no use for a weapon, nor did she need a technique manual right now. Taking a look at the resources, there were only a few types of spiritual medicine and ores which would not be useful for her challenge tomorrow.

    ¡°Xiao Sang, why isn¡¯t there an option for elixirs or magic tools?¡±

    There were ready-made medicines in her current world as well, but few refined elixirs. As for magic tools, martial practitioners would only make their own weapons, as practising martial arts needed one to have full concentration.

    However, the Heavenly Wheel had to cater to every world so, by right, there should be an option for magic tools.

    ¡°Because your level is insufficient, it is still locked.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Thus, she still needed to level up and earn some points.

    After flipping through every item, she could not find anything useful. ¡°Xiao Sang, there don¡¯t seem to be anything that can strengthen the inner breath?¡±

    Xiao Sang replied, ¡°There is.¡±

    ¡°Which one?¡±

    The Heavenly Wheel rotated and stopped at the section for technique manuals.

    Lu Mingshu was stunned into silence. The first thing she did was eliminate the weapons and technique manuals section. There were only two items in the technique manual section ¡ª Basic Swordsmanship and ... Meditation Forme!

    She took a deep breath before taking a closer look at the introduction of the Meditation Forme.

    [Want to be a mage? Meditation will be your first step.]

    It contained only this one line.

    Lu Mingshu hade across people from the Magic world previously, but perhaps because of the cultural differences, they rarely interacted with people from other worlds. However, despite the differences in cultivation among the various types of worlds, strength was still the undermining factor. Magic, mystic force, and spiritual force were about the same.

    In a Magic world, one had to first pass through meditation and sense the element of magic in order to be a mage. This was the same thing as drawing qi into one¡¯s body and condensing mystic force. Thus, the Meditation Forme was equivalent to the cultivation manuals from Lu Mingshu¡¯s world. Moreover ...

    ¡°Xiao Sang, can the Meditation Forme be used whenever?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Xiao Sang answered, ¡°Even the in middle ofbat, you can use the Meditation Forme to draw in magic elements.¡±

    This is it!

    With a quick thought, the Meditation Forme, from a virtual projection to a real one and flew out from the Wooden Wheel. The moment it fell onto her palm, it transformed into streamers that assimted into her body.

    In her mind, an image of a profound form immediately arose. The arrangement of energy breakdown, direction for elemental cirction ...

    This was no longer purely meditation, but a form created from the foundation of meditation. One that simplified the process of meditation, a depiction of the process of drawing in energy.

    Lu Mingshu carried out the process of drawing in energy ording to the forme ...

    Threads of mystic force surged towards her and forced themselves into her pores before travelling to her meridians. However, the mystic force gained through such a method needed a period of consolidation before one could keep it and change it into one¡¯s possession.

    To Lu Mingshu, this was already sufficient. Now that she had the Meditation Forme, it was tantamount to her having an unlimited source of mystic force duringbat.

    ¡°Xiao Sang.¡±

    ¡°Here.¡±

    ¡°Why do the mages stillck magic when just the Meditation Forme is this formidable?¡±

    ¡°Because the technique manuals provided by the Heavenly Wheel are the best among others of the same rank.¡±

    So such a Meditation Forme is rare and not every mage possesses one?

    The mystic force drawn in by the Meditation Forme could not be considered much. This tiny amount of mystic force could not keep up with the rate of consumption at all. However, Lu Mingshu had the ability to control the use of mystic force subtly. She strongly believed that this ability of her would not be in the least inferior when ced between the numerous disciples in Nine Jade Pce. To Lu Mingshu who had insufficient resources, mystic force was so valuable that every strand had to be used wisely. As long as she calcted the rate of consumption, this bit of mystic force couldst her a long period of time.

    Once she had exchanged for the Meditation Forme, her umted points dropped by ten in one go. With the remaining three points, there was practically nothing much she could exchange for. It took her a while of browsing before she found a strengthening talisman that only needed two points.

    ¡°Xiao Sang, what¡¯s the use of a strengthening talisman?¡±

    ¡°A strengthening talisman can strength weapons, protective tools or magic tools etc.¡±

    ¡°In what aspect?¡±

    ¡°The strengthening type will be randomly given, there are a few types: strengthening an attack, hardening an item, increasing the capacity of mystic force an item holds etc.¡±

    Lu Mingshu decided to make this gamble.

    At her thought, the strengthening talisman flew onto her palm and a shield image appeared on top of it.

    ¡°Congrattions, you¡¯ve exchanged for a hardening talisman.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Lu Mingshu breathed out a sigh. I¡¯ve exchanged for the most useless one. Hardening? I¡¯m not trying to cut down others here. Sigh, I¡¯ll just wait for an opportunity to use this.

    The pitiful number ¡®one¡¯ in the middle of the Wooden Wheel stared back at her. The umted points from Lu Mingshu¡¯s newbie phase had been used up so quickly.

    However, Lu Mingshu did not feel reluctant to part with them. If she wanted to make good use of the Heavenly Wheel, she definitely had to earn points.

    She practised the Meditation Forme in the Heavenly Wheel till she familiarized herself with it. Then she left the Heavenly Wheel and gave herself a well-deserved break.

 Chapter 78: Cloud Stage Heavenly Door

    <h4>Chapter 78: Cloud Stage Heavenly Door</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    Nine Jade Mountain¡¯s tallest White Magnificent Peak had an arduous and steep topography, a dense forest filled with vines and fog, as well as numerous trails that interweaved each other constantly, making it a confusing and difficult mountain to scale. However, the cloud stage on its peak was level enough, that horses could run on it. It was truly peculiar.

    The cloud stage was situated on a peak which was taller than others and was considered a majestic and beautiful spot in Xichuan as well as in the whole Nine Jade. Overall, it was considerably spacious.

    Thus, Nine Jade Pce always heldrge banquets on this peak.

    The arch gateway at the cloud stage¡¯s entrance gave the arena an immortal-like atmosphere when coupled with the sea of clouds and old pine trees. Hence, the arch was named ¡®Heavenly Door¡¯.

    The so-called Heavenly Doorpetition was to let the disciples enter the White Magnificent Peak and scale the mountain from the bottom on routes they chose themselves, all the way until they entered the Heavenly Door and stepped onto the cloud stage.

    Not only did the White Magnificent Peak in itself already possess aplex terrain, but the sect would also set up stages at crucial points. Not only had the participants topete with each other, but they also had to fight ferocious beasts.

    Early that morning, numerous disciples gathered at the base of the White Magnificent Peak.

    Among the various peaks of Nine Jade Mountain, White Magnificent Peak was the only one that hadn¡¯t been developed. Besides the summit, there were no buildings whatsoever on the mountain. It was a peak filled with nature.

    Also, it was not open to the public on ordinary days due to the danger arising from theyers uponyers of stages on it and the ferocious beasts that roamed all over.

    Thus, the Heavenly Doorpetition could be said to be the only time which the public could ess the White Magnificent Peak Even if they weren¡¯t attending, the disciples woulde over to take a look.

    Moreover, this was ¡®the¡¯ Heavenly Doorpetition we are talking about ¡ª Nine Jade Pce¡¯s highest levelpetition. The ordinary days¡¯ examinations and smallpetitions were iparable to this. Who would miss out watching the genuine sessor disciples that were normally? Also, it was a grand asion to be able to personally witness the birth of a new genuine sessor disciple!

    Thetter reason was still the more crucial one. Throughout the sessive generations of Heavenly Doorpetition, there were always dark horses that were previously a nobody and became famous in one go. Although such a situation was gradually getting rarer in recent years, it was still a great motivation to disciples thatcked in their family background.

    Shao Zhengyang had arrived at White Magnificent Peak early in the morning, yet he did not walk to the entrance but instead stood on a small hillside not far away.

    He sneered coldly as he gazed at the bustling scene of disciples who were animatedly gesturing.

    Hoping to be famous in one go? The Heavenly Doorpetition has long since be but a shadow of its past. The so-called genuine sessor disciples ces are mostly handed out to a selected few.

    Before every Heavenly Doorpetition, the various factions would have already made a gamble on the cings for genuine sessor disciples so by the time thepetition started, about seventy to eighty per cent of the points to decide cings would have been determined. Only the remaining twenty to thirty per cent would be a contest of one¡¯s own strength.

    Those who had no background whatsoever would be in for a tough time if they wanted to snatch a cing from those that already had an advantage in terms of background. However, even if one had a good background, they would have to be careful not to fall into others¡¯ schemes and risk making a futile effort.

    For example, the Shao Zhengyang three years ago. His partner, who he had allied with before thepetition, ditched him at thest moment, causing him to fall out of the top ten and miss the cing of genuine sessor disciple by a hair¡¯s breadth.

    Thus, he would make sure nothing unnned happens for today¡¯s Heavenly Doorpetition. He may have missed the cing by a hair¡¯s breadth the first time, but he sure did not want to do so two consecutive times, otherwise, how was he to have any more face to continue staying in Nine Jade Pce? These few years, the line of Jade Terrace had been constantly suppressed by the Zhou family and they did not have an easy time. If he were to let the genuine sessor cing slip out of his fingers again, even if his master wouldn¡¯t make him, he would leave the mountain on his own ord.

    Shao Zhengyang made a n in his mind. On the line of Willow Woods side, all parties agreed tacitly to give Gao Xiang a ce based on the fact that Zhuo Jiangui was the number one expert in the sect. Furthermore, he did notck in strength, so he should be able to grasp a cing.

    If possible, allying himself with Gao Xiang was a pretty good option. However, the Willow Woods did not answer the letter his master had sent over beforehand. This was expected, as it would go against their principle of not taking sides if they were to answer the letter. But with all that, it would not be considered going against their principle if they lent a helping hand to Shao Zhengyang if they came across each other midpetition by coincidence.

    As he thought of Gao Xiang, Shao Zhengyang remembered Lu Mingshu. He could still not believe the fact that she had already entered the Harmonization Realm!

    It will be bad if they go together, as they will definitely bear the brunt of the Zhou family¡¯s obstruction. But, even without her, the Zhou family will not allow me to reach the top easily. In this case, it¡¯s not a bad option to go together with them, plus it will also signify Gao Xiang being roped into our faction ...

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this Senior Brother Shao? Why are you here alone?¡± Shao Zhengyang turned back to see a guy approaching him with a wide grin on his face.

    Shao Zhengyang remained expressionless as he nced at this person. ¡°So it¡¯s Junior Brother Weng. How can I help you?¡±

    This person was a young master of simr age to Shao Zhengyang. He had a coquettish appearance and sleek hair, coupled with the fan he held in his hand, it gave him a yboy demeanour.

    With a wide grin on his face, he swaggered over. ¡°Aye, Senior Shao there¡¯s no need to regard me so formally, there¡¯s nothing wrong with greeting each other with our many years of friendship and all.¡±

    Shao Zhengyang only harrumphed and remained silent.

    This Weng Yufan was from the line of Sunset and had entered the sect around the time he did. In the previous Heavenly Doorpetition, Shao Zhengyang was kicked out of the top ten positions because of this line of Sunset, which was a cornerstone of the Zhou family¡¯s faction. Although hispetitor from the Sunset line wasn¡¯t Weng Yufan himself, he was one of thepetitors Shao Zhengyang had to face.

    Shao Zhengyang did not have any intention of chatting with Wen Yufan, for he didn¡¯t think that anything good woulde out of having a chat with that fellow. It was impossible for the two to turn hostility into friendship. Does he think two juniors like us can change anything about the factions¡¯ hostility in the sect?

    ¡°Haish!¡± Weng Yufan sighed, ¡°Senior Brother Shao, we are considered fellow sufferers that empathize with each other! In the previous Heavenly Doorpetition, we went through great trouble only to let others obtain the fruit we so painstakingly tried to obtain.¡±

    Shao Zhengyang remained expressionless. ¡°Isn¡¯t Junior Brother Weng afraid of your line seniors hearing what you¡¯ve just said?¡±

    Weng Yufan only continued fanning the fan in his hands.¡±So what if they¡¯ve heard? Would they give me the position of the genuine sessor disciple if they haven¡¯t heard what I just said?¡±

    Shao Zhengyang squinted his eyes but remained silent.

    ¡°Senior Brother Shao.¡± Weng Yufan leaned a little closer and his eyes shifted towards the disciples that came to watch thepetition. ¡°Why don¡¯t we form an alliance?¡±

    When he saw his unchanging, expressionless face, Weng Yufanughed out loud. ¡°Why? You don¡¯t believe me?¡±

    ¡°Why should I?¡±

    ¡°Because we share the desire to be a genuine sessor disciple.¡± Weng Yufan fanned himself. ¡°The line of Jade Terrace didn¡¯t have it easy these few years, right?¡±

    ¡°Haha.¡±

    Weng Yufan sighed, ¡°To be frank, I haven¡¯t had it easy these few years either! Our Sunset line may be pretty well-off these days, but none of the benefits goes to me! There are senior brothers before me and junior sisters after me, so I whois stuck in between isn¡¯t showed care by my father nor love by my mother.¡±

    His ridiculing gaze shifted over to Weng Yufan. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that even if you be a genuine sessor disciple through our alliance, you will still be looked down upon by your elders?¡± No elders would like a disciple that doesn¡¯t listen to orders.

    Weng Yufan only rolled his eyeballs. ¡°If I obtain the position it would still be better than letting someone else obtain it.¡±

    ¡°Oh? I wonder who is this someone else Junior Brother Weng is talking about?¡±

    Weng Yufan snapped his fan close and pointed forward. ¡°Aren¡¯t they here now?¡±

    Shao Zhengyang followed the direction of his fan and saw a pair of a boy and a girl walking over side-by-side. The two looked to be about fifteen to sixteen years old. One was mounted on a wolf while the other had a horse mount. They were chatting while galloping over.

    Gao Xiang and Lu Mingshu...

    Shao Zhengyang¡¯s eyes turned into slits the moment he recognized the two figures.

    What is this Weng Yufan trying to imply? It¡¯s impossible to snatch Gao Xiang¡¯s position, for who on earth will want to offend the Willow Woods line. Is he referring to Lu Mingshu? Isn¡¯t this overestimating her ability too much? How can someone that hasn¡¯t left the valley even once for four years and has only broken through to the Harmonize Realm be his opponent? Or, is he trying to sound me out?

    Shao Zhengyang could not make out the reason why.

 Chapter 79: Feminine Ways

    <h4>Chapter 79: Feminine Ways</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    ¡°It¡¯s so crowded!¡± Gao Xiangmented as he dismounted the wolf.

    Lu Mingshu patted Little Daze and jumped off as well. ¡°Go on and have fun, just don¡¯t get lost.¡±

    Little Daze nudged her happily and then galloped away.

    There were around three to four hundred people surrounding the White Magnificent Peak, making it even livelierpared to the spring¡¯s second hunt. It was Lu Mingshu¡¯s first time being in such a crowded ce in years. The crowdedness was a little bit too much for her.

    ¡°This time around, there are four real disciples participating too. Let¡¯s stay away and hope that we won¡¯te across them,¡± Gao Xiang said.

    Lu Mingshuughed in disbelief. ¡°I was expecting you to say that you want to get rid of them all!¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s how you see me? Brainless?¡± Gao Xiang confronted, ¡°I may be arrogant but I do know where they stand. They have entered the Harmonization Realm for quite a while and even won the Heavenly Doorpetition once. No doubt they have the strong ability. ¡±

    ¡°I am d you think that way.¡±

    ¡°Hey...¡±

    After joking for a while, they got back on track and Gao Xiang told Lu Mingshu all the information his master forced into his head. ¡°Other than that, there are still a few to beware of, such as Tan Yubing from the Line of Golden Door. It is her third time participating in the Heavenly Doorpetition. She might not have gotten into the top ten for the past three years, but her ability is not worse than that of the other genuine sessor disciples.¡±

    Lu Mingshu took a look at Tan Yubing, who was quietly staring at the entrance. The word ¡°attractive¡± couldn¡¯t be used to describe Tan Yubing, but she exuded a special aura. Unlike the rest of the genuine sessor disciples, she was not surrounded by people.

    Lu Mingshu could tell that she was very experienced, as her mystic force was especially stable. Tan Yubing felt someone intently stare at her, so she turned around and met Lu Mingshu¡¯s gaze.

    Tan Yubing was taken aback when she saw Lu Mingshu and Gao Xiang. She nodded as a form of greeting, before turning back.

    ¡°Is Shao Zhengyang here? Oh, he¡¯s there. You should already know about him, am I right?¡±

    Of course, Lu Mingshu knew about Shao Zhengyang.

    Beforeing, her master told her that it would be great if Shao Zhengyang was willing to form an alliance with her. However, Shao Zhengyang might decline the offer. As one of Yu Wen Shi¡¯s students, he knew how to weigh the pros and cons that a certain situation had to offer. That same went for forming an alliance with Lu Mingshu.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that Weng Yufan? Why is he with Shao Zhengyang?¡± Gao Xiang muttered

    ¡°Weng Yufan?¡±

    ¡°Yeap. He¡¯s from the Line of Sunset, which is part of the Zhou Family¡¯s faction.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded.

    ¡°They were the ones who snatched Shao Zhengyang¡¯s genuine sessor disciple position away that time. But why are they together? They should be displeased with each other... Or are they ying mind games?¡±

    Lu Mingshu noted Weng Yufan in her heart¡ª he would surely be her opponent as he was from the Line of Sunset.

    Before she came, her master made it clear that winning The Heavenly Doorpetition was going to be extremely difficult. Hundreds of years had passed by and thepetition has now evolved into a war between the different factions. Luck and skills were indispensable if one wanted to win. All Lu Mingshu could do, was to find an alternative route out of that situation.

    If Shao Zhengyang would be willing to join forces with her, she could ignore the Line of Jade Terrace first. The Line of Jade terrace might be weak, but their years of experience weren¡¯t for nothing and she would have to avoid both Shao Zhengyang and The Jade Terrace Line if he didn¡¯t team up with her.

    With Gao Xiang being part of the Line of Willow Woods, others would go easy on him. But there was no reason why anyone would go easy on Lu Mingshu. If she wanted to make use of Gao Xiang¡¯s status to get away from unnecessary trouble, not only would it not work, but she would also be dragging him down with her.

    Suddenly, amotion stirred up as a group of people grandiosely made their entrance.

    ¡°Herees that woman.¡± Gao Xiang pouted in displeasure.

    Lu Mingshu nced at Zhou Yinru, who was surrounded by the crowd at the moment and smiled slightly. ¡°She¡¯s still the same.¡± Arrogant and egoistic.

    ¡°Let me tell you a joke,¡± Gao Xiang ridiculed.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Ten years ago, the Zhou family came to propose a marriage with the Willow Woods line.¡±

    ¡°Marriage?¡± Lu Mingshu was stunned. ¡°Between your master... and who?¡±

    Gao Xiang raised his chin and pointed at Zhou Yinru. ¡°That woman!¡±

    An Tongcheng and Zhou Yinru? Lu Mingshu could not believe her ears. ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± Why would An Tongcheng fancy Zhou Yinru? Also, with Zhou Yinru being so short-tempered, it would be hard for her to put up with An Tongcheng.

    ¡°Precisely! My master rejected the offer immediately. Only a lunatic would marry her.¡±

    ¡°Is the Zhou family trying to pull the Line of Willow Woods to their side?¡± Lu Mingshu asked after pondering for a while.

    ¡°Yes. Even if my master fancied that woman, we would not agree to the marriage due to this reason.¡± Once the marriage would be set, they would have broken the Willow Woods¡¯ rule of not taking sides.

    However, Lu Mingshu was still confused. ¡°Why haven¡¯t they sent Zhou¡¯s eldest miss? She was still single back then.¡±Even Lu Mingshu¡¯s stepmother who rarely showed herself to the public, unlike Zhou Yinru, Lu Mingshu¡¯s stepmother was still more valuable than Zhou Yinru.

    ¡°Haha.¡± Gao Xiang rolled his eyes. ¡°Zhou¡¯s eldest miss did not have eyes for my master. The one she had her eyes on was your master!¡±

    ¡°My master?¡± Lu Mingshu was shocked.

    ¡°That¡¯s right! My master once said that the Zhou family wanted your master as their son-inw and even wanted to make him the sect master; however, your master showed zero interest in the marriage. Soon after that, your master had his meridians crippled and the Zhou family gave him up immediately.¡±

    ¡°....¡± This left Lu Mingshu speechless. She had always felt that the Zhou family had good judgment, and if they got Liu Jizhen to stand with them, the problem would have been solved. It was all due to the Line of Rising Sun being close to the Line of Jade Terrace that Yu Wenshi got the chance to be a candidate.

    If An Tongchen agreed to the marriage, the Zhou family would have gotten the Line of Willow Woods on their side and Yu Wenshi would¡¯ve been insignificant.

    Unfortunately, the Zhou family¡¯s n had gone down the drain, as the other party was unwilling to cooperate.

    Lu Mingshu felt the situation was strange. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the Zhous? Why would they depend on their son-inw when they have their daughters? Are their daughters just tools for marriage?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why my master wasn¡¯t interested in them!¡± Gao Xiang waved his hand slightly. ¡°I don¡¯t understand them! They have been using women to form new ties between different lines ¡ª not only the daughters but also the female disciples. The Nine Jade Pce isn¡¯t a ce where one could gain connections by hiding behind skirts! Shameless.¡±

    Lu Mingshu agreed with Gao Xiang in her heart. She did not understand why people would not invest girls in martial arts. There may be a difference in strength between the two genders, but after training, the mystic force from girls could stand its ground in front of the boys¡¯. Yes, the Zhou sisters may not be cut out to train, but the other female disciples were!

    A chime rang out from far at that moment.

    The crowd looked and saw a hoard of precious beastsing towards them¡ª flying, galloping, pulling a carriage and so on.

 Chapter 80: Help from the Compass

    <h4>Chapter 80: Help from the Compass</h4>

    ¡°Look at elder An¡¯s snow lion! How beautiful it is!¡±

    ¡°I still feel that the mystic wolf of Shi Zhang Yuan is better.¡±

    ¡°No! Our sect leader¡¯s Jade Crowned Eagle is obviously the best!¡±

    The disciples were already busy discussing the various mounts owned by the different leaders.

    In the eyes of the disciples, nothing else other than experts¡¯ mounts turned their eyes green with envy. Abilities won¡¯t strengthen within a day, but having a good mount depends on luck. As experts, they did notpare whose clothes are better than the other. The thing that mattered the most was still the steed. With just one look, one could tell who had a better one.

    Fu Shangqing¡¯s jade crowned eagle was at the front. It circled above the stage for a while before finally descending. As soon as hended, disciples immediately lead him to his seat. The Jade Crowned Eagle let out a loud cry, fluttered its wing and elegantly soared high into the sky.

    As Lu Mingshu watched the Jade Crowned Eagle take its leave, a handsome youngster and a beautiful youngdy appeared on the tform, lead by Fu Shangqing. They immediately attracted the eyes of the crowd. They were Fu Mingtang and Fu Mingxi, both fourteen this year ¡ª a year younger than Lu Mingshu.

    Fu Mingtang had grown taller now, and he resembled his father, Fu Shangqing. On the other hand, Fu Mingxi resembled both her parents, but the aura she gave out made her feels a lot like her mother, Zhou Yinru.

    ¡°Ignore them.¡± Gao Xiang whispered. ¡°What¡¯s the use of being in the limelight?¡±

    Lu Mingshu smiled at Gao Xiang. ¡± It¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t mind them.¡±

    Unfairness? Indeed, it was unfair to her.

    However, starting from that moment, she had let go of all the grudges. Her master had told Fu Shangqing that he shouldn¡¯t impose his status of ¡°father¡± on her when he hasn¡¯t taken up the responsibility of being her father in the first ce.

    She had someone who cared for her and pitied her.

    Even though her father did not love her, it was okay ¡ª at least she had her master, who gave her all, or even more than what a father would.

    After four years, she felt calm seeing the Fu family once again.

    The other mountsnded shortly after Fu Shangqing.

    The elders in the crowd started animatedly discussing with one another. Suddenly, Fu Shangqing stood up and summoned all the disciples in a loud and clear voice.

    ¡°The Heavenly Doorpetition is organized by our sect triannually to determine the candidates for the positions of genuine sessor disciple. You have all trained hard for the past years, and now is the chance for you to shine!¡±

    Gao Rang hinted Lu Mingshu to slowly move towards the entrance. As they reached the queue, Fu Shangqing was just about to finish his speech.

    ¡°... The disciples spectating, please move to the side. Those participating please queue up,¡± The guards at the entrance, who were in charge of the identity check, shouted.

    Lu Mingshu counted the number of participants. There only about two hundred people ¡ª not a lot. But, considering that most participants were extremely confident, they should¡¯ve been pretty skilled. Thus, thepetition was still quite difficult.

    After having their seal tablet examined and their names checked, the disciple queued up and were waiting for thepetition to start.

    On the other side, Fu Shangqing and the other elders gathered. Together. The mystic force on their hands soon surrounded the tform and condensed into an imaginary mirror.

    When they stopped casting, the clouds started to fade and the mirror showed what happened on the mountain.

    ¡°Wow, it¡¯s so clear!¡±

    ¡°What spell is this? It¡¯s so powerful!¡±

    ¡°Unexpected, right? They use mystic forces to project the scene on the mountain here.¡±

    The disciples, especially the newbies, were in awe. So mystic force could be used in such ways too!

    ¡°Start,¡± Fu Shangqing instructed an elder.

    The elder went down the tform and headed towards the entrance. He raised his sleeves; mystic light enshrouded the mirror and it turned into an entrance. ¡°Enter.¡±

    As soon as he said that, the disciples at the front rushed into the mountain.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Gao Xiang pulled Lu Mingshu towards the entrance.

    Mist filled the White Magnificent Peak, as they entered. More than two hundred disciples disappeared in the mist shortly after they entered.

    ¡°Left, or right?¡± Gao Xiang stood in front of two small alleys, contemting. Atst, he took out a coin and flipped it. ¡°Left side, that¡¯s it!¡±

    After two steps, all that was left was silence. Gao Xiang turned back just to realize there was no one behind him. For a moment, he was dumbfounded. He scratched his head. ¡°What master said was right. Even for joining forces, you need luck. I can¡¯t believe I lost her so fast! But it¡¯s okay, I will just continue moving forward.¡± The road in front was still quite easy.

    The key to the Heavenly Doorpetition were the three meeting points. Even though there were a lot of trails on the White Magnificent Peak, they would all still lead to the three meeting points.

    Thus, the meeting points were the ce to block someone¡¯s journey or join forces.

    The meetings points were situated at the lower door, the middle door, and the high door. Once the disciple got past the high door, it would open a path that leads to the heavenly door.

    Beasts and traps were ced all around the trails to eliminate the weaker disciples.

    At that moment, Lu Mingshu had also arrived at a fork.

    After entering the mist, Gao Xiang could not be seen anywhere. That was all because of the thick mist, traps and her intention.

    As Gao Xiang was skilled and well prepared, she would have only brought him trouble if she followed suit ¡ª he would be safer on his own. Thus, Lu Mingshu lost him on purpose.

    Fishing out herpass, she looked at it for a while and then chose one of the trails.

    It was impossible not to get lost as the mist was so thick; however, until then, the chances of not finding the way out were close to none. All the trails lead to the final destinations ¡ª they only differed in the amount of time required to reach the endpoint.

    Lu Mingshu walked slowly as there are many crossings on the way.

    The road to the heavenly door started easy, but the intensity increased as the disciples advanced. From the foot of the mountain to the lower door, there were so many trails that it was almost impossible to bump into anybody, and there were not many beasts on the way ¡ª the main test was to deal with the traps.

    After observing for a moment, Lu Mingshu got the hang of it.

    The standard of the traps here was average, as Nine Jade Pce did not have many high-standard traps. However, the traps still possessed difficulty to them. For example, some used mystic force to thicken the mist and confuse the disciple¡¯s five senses ¡ª simr to the illusion formation she had learned.

    Lu Mingshu smiled after she looked at herpass.

    Surprisingly, the traps didn¡¯t affect the maic force of the ce. After entering White Magnificent Peak, thepass on her hand remained urate. Does it mean that with mypass, I won¡¯t be confused by the trap? That is no different from cheating!

    But who wouldn¡¯t make use of the advantage given? Lu Mingshu was not stupid either ¡ª with herpass, regardless of how confusing the trails was, she could still find her way to the north.

    The beasts she met on the way were mostly used to test her stamina and for body tempering. She could easily settle any such encounters. Until now, she had only met one beast that was in the Harmonization Realm, so it was not difficult for her to advance.

    After killing that Harmonization Realm ming red beast, Lu Ming Shu rested for a while to recover her mystic force.

    Suddenly, she opened her eyes in shock. ¡°Who¡¯s there? Come out!¡±

    A disciple appeared from behind the tree with a smile on his face. He looked like he was around twenty. ¡± I¡¯m so sorry, senior. I just happened to pass by and I did not intend to spy on you.¡±

    Although he was older than her, he addressed her as a senior. It was obvious that he was trying to boot-lick her.

    Lu Mingshu could feel that the mystic force on him wasplicated ¡ª one hundred and eight closed apertures. He had only unlocked the main closed aperture and he had minimal mystic force.

    After eyeing him for a while, she closed her eyes again and continued recovering her mystic force.

    However, instead of leaving, the disciple walked towards her and asked,¡± How should I address you, senior? My surname is Liang, and my name is Zongping.¡±

 Chapter 81: First

    <h4>Chapter 81: First</h4>

    Liang Zongping kept rambling on for quite a while, which annoyed Lu Mingshu. She opened her eyes and stared at him.

    After noticing her cold stare, Liang Zongping immediately quieted down. However, before long, he started again. ¡°Since fate has brought us together and we have both chose the same path, should we go together, my dear senior?¡±

    Seeing that Lu Mingshu did not respond, he continued, ¡°No worries, senior. With my standard, it¡¯s impossible for me to be a genuine sessor disciple. All I want is to get promoted by rank and not to be embarrassed.¡±

    The three doors of the Heavenly Doorpetition were used to distinguish between the different disciples ¡ª the best always aimed for the genuine sessor disciple status, while the normal disciples were there just to try their luck.

    Liang Zongping smiled sheepishly. ¡°Senior, I may not be capable but I could settle minor stuff like the small Harmonization Realm beasts for you. It would help to lighten your burden, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±

    After a while, Lu Mingshu finally spoke, ¡°Then I should just protect you when there¡¯s danger, right?¡±

    Liang Zongping let out a cheeky grin. ¡°Junior promises that I will only follow you until the lower door as it¡¯s conveniently on your way¡±

    Lu Mingshu kept quiet. Seeing that Lu Mingshu had noments, Liang Zongping scrambled after her. At least, as he walked in front of Lu Mingshu, he was keeping watch for and was getting rid of any wild grass and small beasts blocking the way without needing to be told.

    When they met a metal-wed bear Lu Mingshu was the first to attack. Her sword shed as quick as lightning and not long after the battle ended. Liang Zongping was stunned. When he saw Lu Mingshu kill the red ming beast, he knew that she was strong, but he never expected her to be that strong. She¡¯s really out to get the ce of the genuine sessor disciple.

    After fighting the metal-wed bear, both of them continued their journey. Liang Zongping started to regret that he only made a deal to stay with her until the lower door.

    At that moment, on the White Magnificent Peak¡¯s stage, Fu Mingxi started stretchingzily. She turned to Fu Shangqing and asked. ¡°Father, when will we get to see something interesting?¡±

    The mirror made up of mystic force surrounded the stage, showing the three doors among the mist. However, there was nothing. Nobody had arrived at that point.

    Fu Mingxi had in fact voiced out the disciples¡¯ doubts. What was the purpose of the Heavenly Doorpetition when nothing, literally nothing, except the doors could be seen?

    ¡°You are already so impatient? It has only been a while since they entered. It will begin soon. The road to the lower door isn¡¯t difficult.¡± Fu Shangqing smiled.

    Just after he finished the sentence, the mirror showed some movement.

    ¡°There!¡± Fu Mingxi sounded more than excited.

    Mystic lights appeared on the mirror, and a slim and petite teenager broke away from the mist. Fu Mingxi shrieked when she saw her.

    ¡°Her?!¡±

    Fu Mingxi¡¯s loud voice drew all the eyes to her.

    ¡°Sister, lower down your volume,¡± Fu Mingtang whispered.

    Fu Mingxi did lower her voice, but she remained frustrated. ¡°It burns my eyes just seeing her! Why isn¡¯t she being chased out of here? Disgusting!¡±

    Compared to Fu Mingtang, Fu Mingxi hated her so-called ¡°sister¡± more. She had always thought that her family was perfect ¡ª her father was good at martial arts, her mother was smart and feminine. Fu Mingtang and her were well-loved and doted upon. In short, everyone in Nine Jade Pce envied their family.

    However, the appearance of this ¡°sister¡± destroyed the perfection. Her mother became the mistress, and she was no longer the eldest. It was like a perfect piece of ceramic that already had a w even before it waspleted.

    Fu Mingxi hated Lu Mingshu to the core. Without Lu Mingshu, she would have still been the eldest miss of the household. But now she was constantly being reminded that she was not!

    ¡°Don¡¯t say such things, sister!¡± Fu Mingtang warned her. ¡°What if others hear you?¡±

    Fu Mingxi was still hot-headed, unwilling to listen to anything. ¡°Oh, father didn¡¯t even say anything yet and you¡¯re anxiously asking me to calm down? Is she your sister ?¡±

    ¡°Sister!¡± Fu Mingtang was frustrated. What was Fu Mingxi saying? He turned to Fu Shangqing for help. ¡°Father!¡±

    Fu Shangqing looked awkward as he let out a soft cough. ¡°Mingxi, don¡¯t disturb others.¡±

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Fu Mingxi looked away.

    .

    Everyone on the stage was stunned as to see Lu Mingshu.

    ¡°Which line does she belong to?¡± an elder asked. ¡°I don¡¯t remember seeing her before.¡±

    The elder on his right replied, ¡°Ah, her. She¡¯s from the Grandmaster Xiang¡¯s line.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± The elder than asked out of curiosity. ¡°Who is her master? It¡¯s not easy to break through the Harmonization Realm at her age.¡±

    Another elder coughed out of awkwardness. ¡°It¡¯s... Liu Ji Zhen.¡±

    ¡°Liu...¡± The elder suddenly realized something and kept quiet. However, he intently watched the main position.

    Wow, thispetition is more interesting to watch than expected.

    On the stage, some of the spectators felt excited while some felt awkward.

    On the other hand, Lu Mingshu had just reached the lower door.

    The lower door wasn¡¯t a door, but a spacious tform where a sleepy old man, whose hair was white as snow, sat hugging a sword. The old man was the guardian of the lower door. Allied, or single, as long as he approved of you, you would be allowed to pass through. However, there was no guarantee that you would not be framed or taken advantage of during and after the challenge. Thus, before taking on the lower door, the disciples would n everything out, in order words, they would form the correct alliance.

    Lu Mingshu stepped on the tform only to realize that there was no one around.

    Liang Zongping appeared behind her. He was stunned, but he forced out a smile. ¡°Senior, you¡¯re so powerful! First to arrive! The position of the genuine sessor disciple will likely be yours!¡±

    Up until now, Liang Zongping had been confused; since he followed Lu Mingshu, he met no dangers except for a few beasts.

    That¡¯s weird. He had encountered numerous traps and nearly got himself killed when he travelled alone. But with Lu Mingshu around, he didn¡¯t chance upon any. Maybe she¡¯s that lucky? Liang Zongping felt that something was amiss. He must have been blessed by the gods to meet her.

    Lu Mingshu looked around the tform for a moment, before standing aside hugging her sword.

    ¡°Senior?¡± Liang Zongping whispered, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to challenge?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s not enough time.¡±

    Not enough time? What does that mean? Before Liang Zongping could process what she said, someone appeared on the alley.

 Chapter 82: Fight? Fight.

    <h4>Chapter 82: Fight? Fight.</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    Tan Yubing!

    Lu Mingshu never expected that she would be the second one to arrive. Neither did she. She was stunned when she saw Lu Mingshu. But she quickly recovered from her shock and nodded to Lu Mingshu as a greeting and stood at the side.

    Lu Mingshu was certain that without herpass and the matrix method help, it would be impossible for her to be first. Tan Yubing had no advantages and yet she only came in slightlyter than Lu Mingshu. This showed that Gao Xiang was right. While she may not be a sessor disciple, her ability shouldn¡¯t be looked down upon.

    As soon as Tan Yubing got into ce, the third one arrived. He was around eighteen years old, he wasnky and had a mole on his eyebrow which made him look fierce.

    Around eighteen? This was his first time participating in the Heavenly Doorpetition and the fact that he could arrive at such a fast speed showed that he should be quite powerful for his age. He must¡¯vee for the real disciple position. Lu Mingshu said to herself.

    ¡°Who is that?¡±

    Liang Zongping confidently stood up straight at the side. He immediately forced a smile when he heard Lu Mingshu¡¯s question. ¡°My senior, you don¡¯t recognize him? He¡¯s Ban Qin from Line of Dawn. He entered the Harmonization Realm when he was only sixteen and he defeated quite a number of his seniors not long after he entered. Lind of Dawn¡¯s strongest disciple among sixteen generations.¡±

    Line of Dawn... Lu Mingshu nodded. Gao Xiang had once told her that the Line of the Dawn and the Line of the Sunset are all under the Zhou family. During the previous Heavenly Doorpetition, one of Sunset disciples ced in the top ten. There was a high chance that they would give the position to one in Dawn this year. If they did, Ban Qin should be the one.

    Ban Qin walked up to the stage and scanned all three of them. A serious look shed across his face.

    He recognized Tan Yubing. She had strong abilities despite losing a ce for the real disciple in thest two years due to the fact that the Line of Golden Door was weak. It was perfectly normal for her to quickly reach the lower door.

    But who the hell were the other two? One was still young and still looked childish while the other one had someplicated mystic force. The mystic light around him wasn¡¯t clear at all, so how did both of them get to the lower door? Who were they exactly?

    An idea popped up in Ban Qin¡¯s head and he went to stand in front of them carelessly. ¡°You¡¯re fast, Senior Tan !¡±

    It was right for Ban Qin to address Tan Yubing as a senior since she was from the fifteen generations while he was from the sixteenth.

    ¡°You are quite fast too.¡± Tan Yubing answered in a monotone.

    Tan Yubing¡¯s distant reply didn¡¯t bother Ban Qin. He went to Lu Mingshu and checked her out from head to toe. ¡°How do I address you? My dear junior?¡±

    ¡°Green Jade Valley, Lu Mingshu.¡± Lu Mingshu replied ndly.

    ¡°Green...¡± Ban Qin¡¯s face immediately changed. ¡°So you¡¯re Lu Mingshu?¡±

    ¡°I guess I¡¯m the only one who¡¯s called Lu Mingshu in Nine Jade Pce.¡±

    Ban Qin rubbed his chin in consideration while eyeing her.

    The sect master had all gotten ahold of the list of participants way before the start of thepetition. Green Jade Valley, Lu Mingshu. The name had some meaning to it.

    During the spring hunt held four years ago, Lu Mingshu took Fu Mingtang down which angered Zhou Yinru who wanted revenge. It was the Line of Rising Sun and Willow Wood who stopped Zhou Yinru, and she was brought back to Green Jade Valley by Liu Jizhen back then. After the spring hunt, she had not stepped foot out of the valley even once.

    Outsiders thought that she had given up. So what if she did fantastically in the beast cave in the previous years? She didn¡¯t even have the courage to participate in the second spring hunt.

    She shockingly surfaced again after four years.

    Fu Mingtang, who went into the Inner Breath Realm as the same time her, hadn¡¯t even entered the Harmonization Realm!

    But every master had a different view on this situation. Some feel that even though she entered the Harmonization Realm, her abilities would deteriorate as expected due to not having left the valley for years. Maybe she was just here to remind others that she existed. On the other hand, some thought that she might have some shocking abilities, like Liu Jizhen. Although crippled, he still had the knowledge with him. It was hard to predict the kind of disciple he would produce.

    The real disciple¡¯s position was limited. Making Lu Mingshu a sessor disciple meant that someone had to sacrifice their position, but who would?

    In summary, Lu Mingshu was the odd one out. The Zhou family obviously wouldn¡¯t sacrifice their pride. They would do anything to stop her from bing the sessor disciple. As for the Line of Jade Terrace, they may need to carefully consider sacrificing anyone for her.

    Ban Qin had her master¡¯s reminder in mind. The Line of Dawn stood on the same line as the Zhou family. Therefore, he and Lu Mingshu were enemies.

    Ban Qin did not attend the spring hunt four years ago but he heard about her after the event and he was unwilling to believe her abilities. Disregarding Fu Mingtang, who was she? After knowing that she would be participating in the Heavenly Doorpetition, Ban Qin looked forward to meeting her. Yet now she was not like what he had expected her to be like.

    Is Lu Mingshu that capable? She¡¯s still so young! But she shouldn¡¯t be bad since her mystic force is first-ss and she can get through the Harmonization Realm. Furthermore, she¡¯s Li Jizhen¡¯s disciple!

    These thoughts were running through his mind when he realized that Lu Mingshu had her eye on something else.

    He looked over in the same direction to see a guy walking towards them.

    The guy was a twenty-five-year-old. He was tall and sturdy and he held a giant sword on his shoulder. As he walked slowly towards them, he left no footprints even though he was stepping on mud.

    He went up the stage, plunged the sword into the ground and shouted, ¡°Kuai Xin here. Anyone here needs advice?¡±

    Lu Mingshu eyed him for a moment

    Lu Mingshu remembered that she heard from Gao Xiang that Kuai Xin from the Line of Taifu was one of the four sessor disciples.

    There was no doubt that Kuai Xin was indeed a real disciple. He dered a challenge right after he arrived. If nobody was willing to take it up, he would probably take it out on the old man who was guarding the door.

    A change of expression could be seen in Tan Yubing¡¯s eye.

    Before she even spoke, a voice chimed in from the main street. ¡°Bullying juniors? Is it that enjoyable? Why don¡¯t you fight me!¡±

    The voice belonged to a twenty-year-old woman. She was petite and wore ck clothes. She walked confidently towards them.

    As soon as Liang Zongping saw her, his eyes lit up. Liang Zongping gushed, ¡°Ah, I see. It¡¯s the Line of Fluffy Cloud¡¯s Senior Jie Wenhan!¡±

    Jie Wenhan was from the Line of Fluffy Clouds and was the sessor disciple of the previous Heavenly Doorpetition. Most sessor disciples would not participate in the Heavenly Doorpetition for two years in a row.

    ¡°Oh so it¡¯s you, Junior Jie.¡± excitement shed across Kuai Xin¡¯s eyes after he saw Jie Wenhan. ¡°Why? Aren¡¯t you satisfied yet? Come at me if you¡¯re not!¡±

    ¡°Cut the talk and fight!¡±

    Jie Wenhan fished out her sword out. In a blink of an eye, she was already fighting.

    Everyone was taken aback by what happened. They did not expect them to fight for real.

    Especially Ban Qing. He initially wanted to take on the arrogant Kuai Xin but he didn¡¯t even get a chance to speak as Jie Wenhan took Kuai Xin on immediately when she arrived.

    It¡¯s okay, let¡¯s wait for them to finish.

    Ban Qing eyes flew towards Lu Mingshu again. Should he use her to warm up and get rid of her at the low door?

 Chapter 83: Different

    <h4>Chapter 83: Different</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    Jie Wenhan¡¯s sword was like fish gliding through water ¡ª fast and flexible.

    Kuai Xin swung his sword and it shed down swiftly with his might. However, Jie Wenhan calmly avoided the attacks.

    Lu Mingshu was observing the fight closely. It was the first time she witnessed a fight between genuine sessor disciples at such close proximity. This was the only chance for her to get a sense of each genuine sessor disciple¡¯s standing and adjust her ns ordingly when it came to fighting them herself.

    Kuai Xin¡¯s sword might have seemed bulky, but in fact, it was easy to control. The sword tore through the air like lightning and appeared in front of Jie Wenhan in no time.

    Lu Mingshu noticed that the sword was covered with ayer of red mystic light. When the sword swept past her, she could feel the air getting hot air around it.

    On the other side, Jie Wenhan easily matched Kuai Xin¡¯s speed. Just as Kuai Xin¡¯s sword shed down, she appeared behind him. She lifted her sword, and white mystic light enveloped Kuai Xin, attacking him from behind.

    Kuai Xin¡¯s giant sword instantly changed directions; drawing a U-shaped ark in the air, it stabbed at Jie Wenhan¡¯s sword.

    ng¡ª¡ª The swords collided.

    The mystic lights enveloping them were getting closer as well.

    Lu Mingshu looked at them fight. Both Kuai Xin and Jie Wenhan are skilled and their mystic forces are strong. But, they still do have ws. If Lu Mingshu were in Jie Wenhan¡¯s shoes, she wouldn¡¯t have taken a step back. Instead, she would have moved forward by half a step to dodge and would have attacked the opponent¡¯s wrist. Jie Wenhan¡¯s reaction, however, was not as swift. Her actions were too big, thus the amount of mystic force she expanded was huge.

    Not surprising. Jie Wenhan had been in the Harmonization Realm for years, she had more than enough mystic force to spare.

    Boom! Their mystic forces collided and both were forced back two steps.

    Not even one second had passed since both parties started to attack each other and the fight had already reached its climax. Sword light, mystic light ¡ª all intertwined together.

    Below the White Magnificent Peak, disciples cheered as they watched the fight.

    ¡°Wow! If it was me, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to stand any of the attacks.¡±

    ¡°Harmonization Realm, eh! We would have all been wiped out in one move!¡±

    ¡°No wonder they are the genuine sessor disciples!¡±

    The elders were discussing thepetition on the stage as well.

    ¡°Kuai Xin has improved a lot these few years. He used to only have a lot of mystic force but was unable to find the right bnce. Now he performed stunningly well.¡±

    ¡°Jie Wenhan is okay too. However, is she trying to embarrass herself by participating in this year¡¯s Heavenly Doorpetition?¡±

    ¡°Who is she to me for her being bad-tempered?¡±

    The fight between Kuai Xin and Jie Wenhan was still going on, while the ¡°fight¡± on the stage also continued. Just that the first was a fight with weapons and the other was a fight of words.

    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s fast.¡±

    It¡¯s Zhou Yinru

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s heart sank as she heard her voice.

    A boy and a girl came in together with Zhou Yinru. She went on the stage and took a look at those present. Lu Mingshu. Zhou Yinru¡¯s face fell as she saw her.

    ¡°There¡¯s not much time left. Go assist Jie Wenhan,¡± she ordered.

    The youth in ck, who was beside her, nodded and went up two steps. He stretched his palm out and a fist made of mystic light punched out. The mystic light flew straight towards Kuai Xin, as fast like lighting. Kuai Xin and Jie Wenhan were forced to stop their fight.

    ¡°Zhou Yinru! Mind your own business!¡± Jie Wenhan shouted at Zhou Yinru, to everyone¡¯s surprise.

    Lu Mingshu was taken aback. There was someone who dared to disrespect Zhou Yinru?! Moreover, Jie Wenhan and her were from the same line!

    Zhou Yinru stared coldly at her. ¡°Jie Wenjie! What are you talking about? I¡¯m trying to help you over here!¡±

    ¡°Who needs your help? I¡¯m not like you.¡±

    ¡°Not like me? What on earth are you talking about!¡±

    ¡°What on earth am I talking about? Won¡¯t you feel embarrassed?¡±

    After a moment of silence, more and more people start to crowd around.

    Zhou Yinru exploded in anger. ¡°Jie Wenjie! Don¡¯t think I won¡¯t touch you.¡±

    Jie Wenhan opened her mouth to argue back, but Kuai Xin couldn¡¯t wait anymore. ¡°Just shut up, you, annoying woman! Just fight or let me pass! Stop wasting my time.¡±

    ¡°You pass. I¡¯m not continuing this anymore.¡± Jie Wenhan put her sword back in its sheath and sat on a stone, not caring anymore.

    ¡°You!¡± Zhou Yinru bellowed, ¡°Jie Wenhan! Are you going to let him off like this?!¡±

    Jie Wenjie looked at her mockingly. ¡°Why not stop him yourself?¡±

    Zhou Yinru snickered, ¡°Don¡¯t regret it then!¡±

    ¡°Hmmph!¡± Jie Wenhan returned to her sulking self and ignored Zhou Yinru. She was the genuine sessor disciple, who had the skills and the ability. Not like second miss Zhou. She¡¯s still not capable to even defeat a genuine sessor disciple.

    Zhou Yinru signalled the female and male by her side to attack.

    ¡°Two versus one?¡± Kuai Xinughed. ¡°That¡¯s exciting! Come on!¡±

    The pair looked at each other and then dashed towards Kuai Xin. Kuai Xin swung his sword, causing a gust of wind. A red light shined among the chaos, as he shed both of his opponents, showing no mercy.

    Boom¡ª The three lights shed.

    Even if it was one against two, Kuai Xin was still the one who held the momentum. He waved his sleeve, indicating his victory.

    ¡°Senior uncle Kuai is really powerful!¡± Liang Zongping was in awe. ¡°He used his mystic force straight away, which is dangerous! Also, he looks so easy-going even when taking on two people! Senior, Who do you think will win?¡±

    Kuai Xin will.

    Lu Mingshu came up with this conclusion as she watched them fight. Kuai Xin might have seemed to be encircled, but he was not. Even with the two people cooperating, they couldn¡¯t overpower him. However, if Kuai Xin continued to drag this fight on, he would be at a disadvantage.

    Boom¡ª

    Before Lu Mingshu managed to put her thoughts in order, the results were already out. The wind came to a halt, as Kuai Xin watched the two fall. ¡°Who else?¡± heughed.

    Jie Wenhan snickered while eyeing Zhou Yinru. ¡°Just pass, I¡¯m not going to fight you. Nobody here can stop you so just go,¡± she told Kuai Xin.

    ¡°You said so?¡±

    ¡°Yep, I said it.¡±

    ¡°Okay then, see you at the middle door,¡±

    Jie Wenhan waved her hand.

    Kuai Xin dashed forward with his giant sword andshed at the old man.

    Lu Mingshu was taken aback by his action. Isn¡¯t he going to challenge the old man? Why didn¡¯t he greet him?

    As soon as the sword¡¯s light reached the old man, the old man hugging the sword looked up. Lu Mingshu could only see a sword light rapidly go past her. In a blink of an eye, it went back to just being a sword.

    The whole fight ended in an instant. It was over before they could see anything. Kuai Xin¡¯s sword stopped in mid-air, not finishing his move.

    The old man wiped his mouth. ¡°Okay, okay, you can pass.¡±

    ¡°Thanks!¡± Kuai Xin lifted his sword, passed by the old man and disappeared into the mist

    Lu Mingshu stood stunned on the ground. She was confused by the current situation. Isn¡¯t the challenge supposed to be hard? Why could Kuai Xin get through so easily? If she knew that was this case, she would have passed earlier and not waited until now.

    ¡°It¡¯s possible for him, but not you.¡± Ban Qin said, cutting of Lu Mingshu¡¯s train of thoughts. ¡°His skills have already been recognized, but not yours.¡±

 Chapter 84: Too Fast

    <h4>Chapter 84: Too Fast</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    So, the sessor disciples would get special treatment? If that¡¯s the case, then it would be hard to take down any of them...

    Before Lu Mingshu could respond, Ban Qing jumped up. ¡°Senior, please guide me!¡±

    As soon as he finished his sentence, the sword¡¯s energy could be felt. The sword was so fast! It shed past and Ban Qin¡¯s was gone before Lu Mingshu could even figure out what was happening. The sword¡¯s ingeniousness then multiplied itself into ten and surrounded the old man.

    However, the old man looked like he was unaffected. Soon, a snowy white sword shined and the ten duplicates were gone.

    Ban Qin didn¡¯t stop even after he missed his first shot. He changed his stance and the duplications reappeared. After just a few moments, Ban Qin and the old man had already each attacked and defended more than ten times.

    Lu Mingshu started to see the pattern of their moves. Ban Qin¡¯s sword might have been fast, but his mystic force was just ordinary. Even though he was able to split the sword into more than ten.

    A light suddenly flew past and it hit Ban Qin¡¯s chest.

    Even if Ban Qin jumped up his reaction wouldn¡¯t have been fast enough to avoid the strike. Thus, itnded on his shoulder.

    Ban Qin fell to the ground and struggled to stand up.

    Jie Wenjie, on the other hand, unsheathed her sword to attack Ban Qin¡¯s assant. ¡°Ambushing someone in front of me? Do you think I¡¯m dead?¡±

    The assant tried to attack again. But his mystic light and Jie Wenhan¡¯s sword light shed, causing them to move backwards from the impact. Jie Wenhan only went back a step, but the assant went back one and a half steps.

    The assant was about thirty years old. He had a gloomy aura surrounding him and he held a pair of weird knives. He creepily smiled at Jie Wenhan. ¡°Junior Jie, you¡¯ve indeed improved a lot!¡±

    It was Yuan Ziyang, another sessor disciple!

    Up until now, four sessor disciples: Kuai Xin, Jie Wenhan, Zhou Yinru, and Yuan Ziyang had shown themselves.

    Kuai Xin had already passed the lower door, leaving only the three of them. Jie Wenhan and Zhou Yinru were from the same line, but they were not on good terms. Meanwhile, Yuan Ziyang was on the opposite end.

    As for the others, Ban Qin belonged to the Zhou¡¯s family and Tan Yubing was neutral. Yuan Ziyang was at the stake of being a ¡°soloist¡±.

    Lu Mingshu swayed. If the Zhou family members have a winning streak, passing through would be tedious. Should she...?

    At that moment, another person walked out of the alley. ¡°Senior Uncle Yuan, you¡¯re early! Junior nephew iste.¡±

    Shao Zhengyang!

    Lu Mingshu stopped in her footsteps.

    Shao Zhengyang came with a few more people. With them, the parties were now bnced. If she stepped out to side with someone now, Yuan Ziyang might not appreciate the help.

    ¡°Ah, Junior Nephew Shao is here! You are indeedte.¡± Yuan Ziyang sighed in relief when he saw him; Kuai Xin had passed the lower door and those remaining, even if they didn¡¯t outnumber him, Jie Wenhan was already way more powerful than him.

    ¡°I got caught up in a small incident along the way.¡± Shao Zhengyang replied calmly. ¡°I met Junior Weng and wasted some energy.¡±

    Ban Qin frowned. ¡°Weng Yufan?¡±

    Shao Zhengyang smiled at him ¡ª a smile that indicated that Ban Qing was right.

    Ban Qin jumped up high and shed his sword. ¡°I heard that Senior Shao¡¯s skills are fantastic, junior would like to learn some skills from you!¡±

    Shao Zhengyang turned to look at him. ¡°But, Junior Ban, you are injured. Are you sure you want to challenge me yourself? You will be at a disadvantage though.¡±

    ¡°Ha!¡± Ban Qin snickered, ¡°I¡¯m not sure who will be at a disadvantageter.¡±

    No doubt, this fight will happen.

    Shao Zhengyang turned to look at Jie Wenhan.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me. I am not as shameless as the guy with the surname of Yuan.¡± Jie Wenhan waved her hand.

    Yuan Ziyang showed no reaction, he stood still and was emotionless as he heard her say that.

    Shao Zhengyang nodded. ¡°Thanks, Senior Aunt Jie.¡±

    He reached for his sword and prepared himself. ¡°Junior Ban, please!¡±

    Just as he was finishing his sentence, Ban Qin was already attacking. The sword replicas were approaching fast and furiously shining with mystic lights. They surrounded Shao Zhengyang, leaving him cornered.

    Shao Zhengyang stood still as he lifted his sword, only a gust of wind could be felt.

    ¡°Boom¡ª¡± The replicas disappeared into thin air.

    Lu Mingshu was taken aback. It was surprising for Shao Zhengyang to use this method to freeze the mystic force and make Ban Qin¡¯s sword duplication disappear. The method was brilliant, but it consumed a ton of energy. How will Shao Zhengyang sustain himself throughout the fight?

    While Lu Mingshu was thinking that, Shao Zhengyang suddenly dashed forward. He dashed and pointed his sword straight to Ban Qin.

    Lu Mingshu was dumbstruck as she watched the fight.

    Shao Zhengyang is actually countering Ban Qin¡¯s speed with his! Unlike Shao Zhengyang, who was fast due to his skills, Ban Qin was fast due to his sword. He had the ability to change his sword¡¯s position one after another. On the other hand, Ban Qin was struggling tounch an attack as he had to take down Shao Zhengyang¡¯s attacks one after another without stopping.

    Just as Ban Qin was facing danger, a ck streak of mystic light flew toward Shao Zhengyang. Shao Zhengyang was about to be hit by the mystic light, but he could not stop attacking Ban Qin just to defend himself from this light. When the light appeared right under his nose, Yuan Ziyang jumped into the fight and defended him from it.

    Two mystic lights shed, and the thunderous noise filled the surroundings.

    Shao Zhengyang turned around and ended the fight.

    He looked at Zhou Yinru mockingly. ¡°Senior Aunt Zhou, you don¡¯t seem to be satisfied with the one versus one fight, huh? Should we have a group fight instead?¡±

    ¡°Ban Qin¡¯s injured and you¡¯re taking advantage of him without my permission!¡± Zhou Yinru replied coldly.

    ¡°True. I¡¯ll take it that Senior Aunt Zhou has agreed, so what are we waiting for?¡± Shao Zhengyang hinted his partner. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte so let¡¯s get it over with fast!¡±

    ¡°Sure!¡± Zhou Yinru nced at Jie Wenhan. ¡°What are you waiting for?¡±

    ¡°Oi!¡± Before Jie Wenhan could take any action, Zhou Yinru had already started fighting.

    ¡°Tsk! ¡± She leapt up, staring fiercely at Zhou Yinru. ¡°Stupid woman! I must be cursed, that¡¯s why I¡¯m from the same line as her!¡±

    But, nothing else could be done as Zhou Yinru had already gone up to fight.

    The situation had changed so fast that Lu Mingshu was rooted to the spot. In a blink of an eye, a one-on-one has turned into a group fight?

    She tried to recall everything and it all made sense. Shao Zhengyang must have done it on purpose! If it were a single fight, Shao Zhengyang might have defeated Ban Qin, but Yuan Ziyang wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat Jie Wenhan. With Kuai Xin leaving first, Jie Wenhan was stopping all of them from passing through. Why not have a group fight?

    Zhou Yinru might outnumber them, but they were not powerful on their own. When it came to a group fight, Shao Zhengyang¡¯s side had a higher chance of winning.

    Everyone is so cunning.

    Lu Mingshu sighed. I should really never let my guard ¡ª there are too many sneaky people in this world.

    ¡°Senior.¡± Liang Zongping whispered, ¡°Do we wait here?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± The chaos had just started but Lu Mingshu knew for sure that she could make it through the lower door. Both parties would be too tired to even care about her and furthermore, there were many more chances for them to stop her afterwards.

 Chapter 85: Wait Here

    <h4>Chapter 85: Wait Here</h4>

    At the foot of the White Magnificent Peak, Fu Shangqing looked troubled.

    Before he even started, an elder from the Line of Fluffy Clouds snickered. ¡°Ain¡¯t Miss Zhou too impulsive?¡±

    Fu Shangqin tried to exin, ¡°Yinru is just too straightforward...¡± However, he stopped halfway as he found it meaningless to try and exin anything.

    The ugly truth was just... undeniable!

    Even if Shao Zhengyang hade, the result of would be as expected. Jie Wenhan alone was already not easy and with Ban Qin around, the opponent could be easily be taken down. In another words, as long as Kuai Xin was not around, there¡¯s no doubt that the Zhou family line would win.

    When Shao Zhengyang arrived, he hinted that he had gotten rid of Weng Yufan, which angered Ban Qin into agreeing to challenge him. He also got Jie Wenhan to promise that she would not interfere so that he could take Ban Qin on single-handedly.

    Yuan Ziyang then seized Ban Qin, which put Ban Qin in an undesirable situation during the challenge with Shao Zhengyang. Also, with Zhou Yinru¡¯s character, it was impossible for her to tolerate the scene.

    Zhou Yinru¡¯s interference was what Shao Zhengyang wanted; he nned to drag her into the confusion. On the other hand, the Zhou family¡¯s situation turned from a confirmed victory to an unpredictable result.

    And, from the start, Shao Zhengyang had been plotting against Zhou Yinru.

    Due to how Zhou Yinru had taken on this situation, Fu Shangqing couldn¡¯t even speak up for her.

    As for the fact that she couldn¡¯t tell that she has been yed, that was because Zhou Yinru was too stupid. Why didn¡¯t Jie Wenhan react rashly? That was because even Ban Qin lost, and there was still her!

    Yu-Wen shi was smiling from ear to ear, while Fu Shangqing, who was left speechless, felt frustrated.

    ¡°Senior uncle Jie, we will make a move first.¡± Shao Zhengyang said, just for the sake of basic respect, as he passed the lower door, disappearing into the mist.

    Looking at Shao Zhengyang and the rest leaving, Zhou Yinru stomped onto the stone in front of her, crushing it into powder.

    Jie Wenhan rolled her eyes, ¡°Why are you angry when even I¡¯m not? Not that I want to nag, but stay still if you are stupid. Do not create more unnecessary trouble!¡±

    ¡°Jie Wenhan!¡± Zhou Yinru bellowed.

    ¡°Oh? Is the second miss throwing a tantrum? You can throw a tantrum all you want, but it doesn¡¯t change the fact that Shao Zhengyang and his group has gotten a headstart thanks to your stupid idea,¡± Jie Wenhan snickered.

    ¡°Shut up before Ie at you!¡±

    ¡°Come then.¡± Jie Wenhan rolled her eyes as she went to challenge the old man who was guarding the door.

    The old man let her pass easily.

    Zhou Yinru was angry and hateful, but she knew that now was not the time to re-up, so she went off together with both of her attendants.

    After the challenge, she gave Lu Mingshu onest cold nce and disappeared into the mist.

    The people from the two ns which were caught up in the fight had all disappeared. Lu Mingshu turned to look at Tan Yubing, who was quietly watching the scene too. Their eyes met. ¡°Junior Lu...¡± Tan Yubing started.

    ¡°Senior Tan, please.¡± Lu Mingshu smiled.

    Tan Yubing only nodded and went ahead to challenge the old man.

    As more people entered, Lu Mingshu was getting more and more worried. Where¡¯s Gao Xiang? Could he be lost? Lu Mingshu regretted that she had split up with him.

    Soon, Tan Yubing finished the challenge and passed through the lower door.

    Nevermind, I¡¯ll take up the challenge first. Lu Mingshu sighed.

    ¡°Senior!¡±¡ªLiang Zongping scrambled up to Lu Mingshu¡ª¡±Can I join you?¡±

    Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t respond.

    Liang Zongping squeezed out a smile and continued. ¡°You can challenge in a pair, and I only want to pass the lower door...¡±

    Lu Mingshu remained silent as she looked at the old man. ¡°Senior, please advise me!¡±

    Without waiting for the old man to acknowledge her, she dashed forward with her sword unsheathed.

    ¡°ng¡ª-¡± The old man held his sword up to stop Lu Mingshu.

    After so many challenges, it was the first time that he had made any sound in a challenge; while fighting the previous contestants, he just silently ended the challenge and let them pass.

    Despite Lu Mingshu¡¯s first attack being blocked, she quickly struck at him again.

    However, this attack was slightly different. Halfway through, it stopped and suddenly changed its direction.

    The old man¡¯s eyes shined and he changed his sword¡¯s position to avoid the attack. However, his defence turned out to be an attack in disguise! Within no time, the sword was pointing right at Lu Mingshu.

    Instead of avoiding, Lu Mingshu nted her sword to gather energy and hit the old man¡¯s sword.

    The sound of the sh could be heard, and the sword¡¯s lighting from behind Lu Mingshu stopped.

    Even though she had sessfully taken down the attack, Lu Mingshu started to feel dizzy, and her heart started pounding faster. She started to lose control of her mystic force as well.

    This old man is powerful! But, is he trying to stop me from passing? Being stopped by other disciples was less embarrassingpared to being stopped by the guard.

    Unexpectedly, the old man stopped the fight the next minute.

    He put down his sword and sighed. ¡°You pass.¡±

    Lu Mingshu was taken aback. Even Ban Qin didn¡¯t let her off that easily!

    ¡°Why? Don¡¯t you want to pass?¡±

    This sentence called Lu Mingshu back to the earth. ¡°Thank you very much.¡±

    At the moment, the stage was filled with apuse.

    ¡°Good moves! That¡¯s how Liu Jizhen¡¯s student should be!¡±

    ¡°Yes, the line of Grandmaster Xiang teaches rather unique skills!¡±

    ¡°Is it just me, or Senior uncle Zhang also finds the method she used simr to the one your line¡¯s?¡±

    An elder raised from his seat. Slowly, she replied. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s used by my line, the Line of the Rising Sun. However, our method is are obviously different t her method. It might have been modified by Liu Jizhen!¡±

    ¡°Such great moves! What a pity...¡±

    No one dared to borate on why it was a pity.

    ...

    ¡°Mingshu!¡±

    Lu Mingshu turned and saw Gao Xiang walking towards the door. She sighed in relief, but proceed to pass through the lower door.

    She could hear Gao Xiang shouting, ¡°Wait for me, ya!¡±

    It started to get misty, and once again, they were separated.

    The clouds on the White Magnificent Peak became thicker as she passed through the lower door.

    Lu Mingshu continued walking for half an hour before she finally stopped to rest.

    She took a breather leaning against a tree to rest.

    Even though the challenge had not been very tough, it had drained her energy as she used her inner force to defend.

    She used the method of imagination to allow her mystic force to flow through the veins and reached her close aperture to recover her inner energy.

    After a few moments, Lu Mingshu opened her eyes

    ¡°Senior!¡± Liang Zongping walked out from among the trees. ¡°Are you okay? ¡±

    Lu Mingshu was stunned upon seeing him ¡°Why are you here?¡±

    Liang Zongping grinned. ¡°Junior¡¯s worried for you; that¡¯s why I am still here.¡±

    ¡°What I meant was, how did you find me?¡± It is so misty here, we should¡¯ve been separated once we have entered!

    Liang Zongping smiled sheepishly ¡°Er...There¡¯s a Lil bit of cheating involved here... That¡¯s how I met senior on the route to lower door too.¡±

    ¡°Okay okay. Keep your exnations to yourself.¡± Lu Mingshu stood up to figure out the directions and chose one of the alleys.

    As they had already passed the lower door, the traps were getting harder. Thepass was of no help with the mist hindering their view.

    Lu Mingshu walked deeply engrossed in her thoughts.

    Suddenly, Lian Zongping shouted, ¡°Be careful, senior!¡±

    She turned to the side to avoid the attack, but could only see a mystic light dash through her and hit the ground hard.

    No, wait! It is not a mystic light; it¡¯s a golden arrow!

    ¡°Who¡¯s that!¡± She turned abruptly.

    ¡°Not bad, huh, little bastard!¡± Zhou Yinru mocked, as she appeared from the mist.

    Lu Mingshu held tightened the grip on her sword and gritted her teeth. ¡°Zhou Yinru!¡±

    No wonder she had let her off before ¡ª it was all because she had been waiting to get rid of her here!

 Chapter 86: Such a Poor Little Thing

    <h4>Chapter 86: Such a Poor Little Thing</h4>

    ¡°Aww,¡± Zhou Yinrumented sarcastically. ¡°So you can¡¯t even remember how to greet someone properly? On second thought, it¡¯s fine. Being greeted by you would feel rather disgusting anyways.¡±

    Lu Mingshu came to the surface of the water with a murderous look.

    Liang Zongping gulped and retreated behind the tree.

    Looking at Lu Mingshu, Zhou Yinru snickered. ¡°Feel like ending my life now, huh? Well, it¡¯s indeed impressive that you can enter the Harmonization Realm, but so what? Does that mean you¡¯re able to defeat me now? No!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re delusional,¡± Lu Mingshu retorted coldly.

    Zhou Yinru replied, ¡°Oh? Am I understanding you correctly? Do you not want to get revenge?¡±

    Lu Mingshu raised an eyebrow, ¡°Zhou Yinru, who do you think you are?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked down at her sword, ¡°Entering Harmonization Realm isn¡¯t anything impressive. The training that I need to go through is hectic, and I need to reach the Spirit Realm before I¡¯m 30! Why would I waste my time on trash like you? It¡¯s not worth it.¡±

    ¡°Lu Mingshu!¡±

    Lu Mingshu snickered, ¡°So you know how to address people! I thought you only knew how to scold!¡±

    Zhou Yinru gritted her teeth. She had everything she wanted in the world... except a desirable body constitution.

    The Zhou family sisters had great health, but Zhou Miaoru achieved enlightenment quickly while Zhou Yinrugged behind, which was a scar on her heart.

    She always had plenty of resources, but her talent wascking. ¡°Smooth¡± was not a word that could describe her training path. While others entered Inner Breath Realm at an early age, Zhou Yinru only entered it when she was thirteen. She nearly didn¡¯t even make it into the Harmonization Realm! But she persevered and was now here, participating in the Heavenly Doorpetition to continue being a genuine sessor disciple.

    There are seventy-two closed apertures that people normally activate all while being in the inner breath realm, but sadly, Zhou Yinru only activated twenty-eight. She stayed in the Inner Breath Realm even longer than others, hoping to get some good results, but she failed.

    If Zhou Yinru was that untalented, the possibility of her reaching the Spirit Realm would be negligible. In that case, getting married into the Jin family would be possible!

    In the end, the reason she would always pick on Lu Mingshu was just that she was jealous.

    It was unfair. Lu Mingshu was talented at birth, but not her. She worked so hard, only to enter the Inner Breath Realm at thete age of thirteen, but Lu Mingshu entered when she was eleven and proceeded to the Harmonization Realm when she was fifteen. Why can Lu Mingshu do it, but she can¡¯t?

    Putting aside her nephew and niece Mingtang and Mingxi, who the hell was Lu Mingshu?

    ¡°Spirit Realm? You think you can reach the Spirit Realm? Dream on!¡± Zhou Yinru shrieked.

    ¡°Who¡¯s the one dreaming here?¡± Lu Mingshu rolled her eyes. She looked at Zhou Yinru with pity. ¡°Sometimes I pity you. One-hundred-and-eight closed apertures, and you¡¯ve only got twenty-eight. And you can¡¯t even control your mystic force after entering the Harmonization Realm. Other than shouting and throwing tantrums, what else can you do? If not because of your sister, would you even have any power at all? I may not have been born with a background like yours, full of resources and love, but I¡¯m the one who got all one-hundred-and-eight closed apertures, and I¡¯m the one who will reach the Spirit Realm.¡±

    ¡°Shut up and dream on!¡± Zhou Yinru screamed. ¡°You won¡¯t have the chance! Attack!¡±

    A mystic light was punched toward Lu Mingshu all of a sudden.

    Lu Mingshu shivered as she fished out her sword to block the mystic light before dashing toward Zhou Yinru like lightning.

    As soon as her sword was about to touch Zhou Yinru, two figures blocked her attack.

    Lu Mingshu did a somersault andnded on a tree branch. She pointed her sword at them, ¡°Ah, you¡¯ve finally showed yourselves!¡±

    ¡°Kill her!¡± Zhou Yinru ordered out of anger.

    ¡°Miss,¡± Rui Xiang warned, ¡°it would be troublesome if she died....¡±

    Zhou Yinru red at Rui Xiang, ¡°There¡¯s no trouble as long as no one sees us.¡±

    Lu Mingshu snickered as she heard Zhou Yinru¡¯s reply. ¡°Is that so? In that case, I could kill you too!¡±

    Zhou Yinruughed out loud upon hearing Lu Mingshu¡¯s response. ¡°If you¡¯re so confident you little bastard, fight me!¡± She fished out her sword and dashed toward Lu Mingshu.

    That left Rui Xiang and the other attendant no choice but to follow.

    Three streaks of mystic light came down together quickly. Lu Mingshu leapt up into the air to avoid the attack.

    Boom¡ª-

    The mystic forcended on the branch.

    Lu Mingshu seized the chance to attack in mid-air.

    She used up all her energy to control the sword as she sliced down hard.

    ¡°Arrogant little bastard!¡±

    Who does she think she is? An inexperienced kid who¡¯s only entered the realm for a short period of time and she¡¯s already trying to fight like Shao Zhengyang? Zhou Yinru shook her head. Taking down one of them was already tedious, and now she was trying to take down all three of them.

    The thing was, Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t even try to dodge. She chose to counterattack.

    Surprisingly, her mystic force wasn¡¯t like a normal person who just entered the realm. It was way more powerful.

    ¡°Be careful!¡± Rui Xiang shouted.

    Zhou Yinru was taken aback by the attack. It wasn¡¯t normal for someone who just entered the Harmonization Realm to have such fast mystic force! Shorty, a scream was heard as Zhou Yinru¡¯s attendant fell while vomiting blood.

    Lu Mingshu took a step back on the branch. Blood had soiled her sword, and it trickled down to the ground.

    One versus three... Lu Mingshu was indeed at a disadvantage. However, she was smart enough to notice that the attendant in ck was the key. She pretended to counterattack all three, while in actuality, she only attacked the attendant in ck.

    The attendant felt that something wasn¡¯t right when Lu Mingshu made her move, but he was too confident that he would win, which he regretted immediately when their mystic lights met.

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s mystic light was so fast that it broke his defence and injured him.

    ¡°Trash!¡± Zou Yinru shouted as she fished something out and got ready tounch an attack at Lu Mingshu

    A bow and golden arrows!

    What to do?

    Lu Mingshu squinted her eyes as she used her sword to block the first arrow.

    ng¡ª¡ª

    The golden arrow shed with the sword, creating sparks.

    Zhou Yinru continued to fire non-stop, forcing Lu Mingshu to the edge. She had no choice but to hide behind a bush. The golden arrows hit the ground hard, shaking violently as theynded.

    With a mystic jewel, there was no need to adjust the mystic force for shooting, and the output was great ¨C fast, urate, and strong. The only downside was that it required a lot of mystic jewels.

    Lu Mingshu swayed her sword to block another golden arrow.

    One, two, three.

    She silently counted in her heart as she leapt up from the bush.

    The golden arrow and the mystic lights scraped past her.

    Now!

    She dashed with her sword to destroy the mystic light.

    That move angered Zhou Yinru. She tried to shoot but to no avail, as her mystic jewels were all used up.

    She fished for her sword in a panic, but it was toote. Lu Mingshu¡¯s sword had already shed down.

    In a split second, the bow was destroyed, unable to handle the force from Lu Mingshu¡¯s sword.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Zhou Yinru screamed as the sword pierced through her arm.

    Meanwhile, the mystic light was too fast for Lu Mingshu to dodge, hitting her shoulder.

 Chapter 87: Better? No!

    <h4>Chapter 87: Better? No!</h4>

    Lu Mingshu grunted and stepped back. The edge of her mouth was bleeding. The impact from the hit on her shoulder was so big that it had hurt her internally.

    Nheless, she felt pleased. She had managed to get the positioning correct; the sword had pierced right through the closed aperture on Zhou Yinru¡¯s arm, destroying her mystic force.

    The fragile, closed aperture which was yet to be filled with condensed energy was too weak, so it just shattered from Lu Mingshu¡¯s attack.

    Zhou Yinru¡¯s hand had be paralyzed. It had been injured to the point where even an elixir wouldn¡¯t be able to save it. Even if there was a solution to healing closed apertures somewhere in the world, it would definitely cost more than an arm or a leg! Was Zhou Yinru worth the cost?

    ¡°Oh my god! My arm!¡± Zhou Yinru screamed as she clutched onto her arm in pain

    The wound wasn¡¯t more than half an inch deep, but it was bleeding profusely. In the eyes of a martial artist, it was just a tiny cut, but Zhou Yinru couldn¡¯t stop wailing.

    Rui Xiang looked at the crying Zhou Yinru, in confusion.

    ¡°Miss?¡±

    To Rui Xiang, the wound wasn¡¯t a big deal and Zhou Yinru was overreacting. However, she wasn¡¯t aware that the cut wasn¡¯t just a normal wound¡ªit was one that had shattered Zhou Yinru¡¯s closed aperture. Zhou Yinru felt like her flesh had been torn apart. It was a pain that made one want to rather die than bear it.

    ¡°Pill! Quickly bring me a pill, you trash!¡±

    Rui Xiang fished out a pill from her pocket and stuffed it into Zhou Yinru¡¯s mouth. After a while, Zhou Yinru¡¯s pain subsided. She stared at Lu Mingshu, with eyes full of hatred.

    ¡°Kill her!¡±

    ¡°Second miss?¡± The attendant seemed unwilling to move.

    ¡°Was my order unclear? Or do you only obey my sister?¡±

    Zhou Yinru was clearly emotionally unstable.

    ¡°Get lost if you¡¯re not going to follow mymands!¡±

    After much consideration, the attendant stepped forward. His hesitation was not only because Zhou Yinru¡¯smand was unreasonable, but also because he was also on the losing end. He had managed to hurt Lu Mingshu with his previous attack, but he had been injured as well. As for his teammates, Zhou Yinru could already be considered partially paralyzed, while Rui Xiang was more talk than actual skill.

    Although it began as three versus one, and Zhou Yinru should have been on the winning side, after numerous attacks, they were all badly wounded while Lu Mingshu was still rtively fine. There wasn¡¯t much of a gap between the two parties anymore.

    However, the attendant couldn¡¯t disobey Zhou Yinru. He gathered all his mystic light in his palm. The light started out golden, but it turned darker as time passed, finally ending up ck. With a warcry, the attendant pushed the light towards Lu Mingshu.

    After the previous attack, he became warier of Lu Mingshu. Neither her moves nor her strategy showed any signs of her being a newbie. Her skills were so powerful that even a master might not have been her match. Thus, the attendant gambled everything on this one attack.

    The mystic light shot out with great speed. Lu Mingshu took out her sword to counterattack.

    Is she trying topete on who has better mystic force?

    The attendant smirked. Competing in mystic force? That¡¯s good! Having been in the Harmonization Realm for almost 7 years, it was impossible for his mystic force to lose to that of a newbie. Furthermore, his mystic force had a special quality.

    Wait, what?

    Suddenly, Lu Mingshu smiled at him, her sword shining with mystic light. The mystic light became so bright that it could blind someone. It was as if it had unexpectedly doubled, creating a around the attendant that charged at Lu Mingshu.

    Boom¡ª¡ª

    The mystic lights shed, creating a cloud of dust. When the dust cleared up, Lu Mingshu was leaning against a tree. Her face was as pale as the moon, and she was coughing up blood.

    ¡°Ha!¡± Zhou Yinruughed out loud when she saw Lu Mingshu in such a pathetic state. ¡°Are you dead yet, little bastard?¡±

    On the other hand, Rui Xiang¡¯s face was filled with horror. She tried to call for Zhou Yinru while looking at the attendant.

    The attendant was motionless and a pool of blood spread under his feet. Looking closely, his body was covered in deep cuts and the blood flowing out was unstoppable. He lowered his head to look at the cuts in disbelief, then dropped dead.

    Lu Mingshu coughed again, but she was grinning from ear to ear. Thanks to her master teaching her some secret techniques, she had managed to win against the attendant. Only idiotspete with others directly with mystic force!

    ¡°So, do you still want me dead?¡± Lu Mingshumented sarcastically. ¡°Come at me then.¡±

    Zhou Yinru shivered in pain and anger. Yes, she wanted Lu Mingshu dead, but she was unable to do anything since her arms weren¡¯t acting the way she wanted them too.

    ¡°Rui Xiang!¡± Zhou Yinru shouted. ¡°Kill her.¡±

    ¡°M-Miss...¡± Rui Xiang stammered.

    Her ability was no better than Zhou Yinru¡ªan average Harmonization Realm martial artist. If even the attendant sent to protect Zhou Yinru couldn¡¯t win against Lu Mingshu, what made Zhou Yinru think that she could?

    Zhou Yinru seemed to read Rui Xiang¡¯s mind and she whispered, ¡°Well, either she dies... or you do!¡±

    Rui Xiang dashed forward, gritting her teeth.

    Lu Mingshu rposed herself and dashed forward as well.

    As soon as Rui Xiang realized that they would bepeting in skill instead of mystic force, she sighed in relief. Her energy had already been drained by the previous fight, so it would have been hard for her to fight with mystic force again.

    Wait, something¡¯s fishy.

    Why was Lu Mingshu able to block all of her attacks, one after another?

    After exchanging a few moves, Rui Xiang started panicking. She tried to stop fighting, but she was unable to do so. The whole fight fell under Lu Mingshu¡¯s control. She was forcing Rui Xiang to attack ording to her whims. Rui Xiang was just like a puppet, attacking however Lu Mingshu wanted, with absolutely no control over herself.

    However, Zhou Yinru was oblivious to any of that, so she continued to rage at Rui Xiang, ¡°What on Earth are you doing!? I asked you to kill her, not act like a sloth!¡±

    Rui Xiang sighed. Can¡¯t Miss tell that I totally have no control over the situation?

    ¡°Do you remember our first meeting?¡± Lu Mingshu¡¯s voice cut Rui Xiang line of thoughts.

    As their swords shed, Lu Mingshu¡¯s reflection appeared on the metal de. Rui Xiang was taken aback. It was the child eight years ago.

    Lu Qingyi, the name instantly appeared in Rui Xiang¡¯s head.

    Yes, she and her mother looked totally alike. Both bore the specific traits of Dong Yue women. However, one was soft, while the other one was cold.

    ¡°You said my mom was an embarrassment, and my grandpa tried to attack you while you were down, eh?¡±

    The cold voice pulled Rui Xiang back to reality.

    The child Rui Xiang and Zhou Yinru had looked down upon years ago had grown up into a beautiful woman, looking just like her mother. However, they had different auras¡ªLu Qingyi was gentle, while Lu Mingshu, on the other hand, was as cold as an iceberg.

    Lu Mingshu abruptly turned her sword. Rui Xiang did not manage to react in time and got injured.

    ¡°A country bumpkin like my mother can¡¯tpare to you?¡±

    Lu Mingshu heavily hit Rui Xiang¡¯s knees, forcing her to kneel down.

    She then looked down at her mockingly, ¡°What makes you think you¡¯re actually better?¡±

 Chapter 88: Who Is the Weak One?

    <h4>Chapter 88: Who Is the Weak One?</h4>

    Rui Xiang stuck close to the ground, with her hair already in a mess.

    There was a stark contrast between her ability and Lu Mingshu¡¯s. The probability of her winning was absolutely zero, and she had no motivation left to fight.Even now, Rui Xiang was still confused by the situation. Years ago, she had only followed the miss to Dong Yue to have fun. She had seen ces a lot more fantastic than that, and the trip to Dong Yue had already been long since forgotten by her.But who knew that the trip would bring her trouble today?

    She turned over to look at the bewildered Zhou Yinru, who was unable to ept what was happening.

    Suddenly, Lu Mingshu decided not to entertain Rui Xiang anymore and walked towards Zhou Yinru. ¡°D-don¡¯t you daree near me!¡± Zhou Yinru panicked and screamed.

    The attendant had already lost his ability to fight, and Rui Xiang couldn¡¯t get up. As for herself, she couldn¡¯t even lift her arm! Three against one. The fight should have been an easy win for Zhou Yinru, yet how did it reach this pathetic stage?

    Zhou Yinru started to retreat as Lu Mingshu approached her. Before long, her back touched a tree, and she had nowhere to escape to anymore.

    ¡°Scared, huh?¡± Lu Mingshuughed out loud while looking at Zhou Yinru. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I, too, felt scared when you used my mum of lying back then!¡±

    Zhou Yinru¡¯s breath became heavier, and sweat started trickling down her forehead. Lu Qingyi. What Lu Mingshu said reminded Zhou Yinru of her.

    ¡°Your mother deserved it! It was her choice toe all the way down to Nine Jade Pce to make amotion instead of staying back home in that poor vige.¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked at Zhou Yinru coldly and whispered, ¡± Indeed, you have no humanity. To you, the weak should be bullied, and they do not have any rights to resist, am I right?¡±

    Even though Lu Mingshu was whispering, Zhou Yinru felt chills run down her spine and her voice froze.

    ¡°However, you¡¯re the weak one now,¡±¡ªLu Mingshu smiled¡ª¡±So shouldn¡¯t you behave like the weak?¡±

    Zhou Yinru tried to escape, but being suppressed by Lu Mingshu¡¯s aura, she couldn¡¯t move an inch. Trembling, Zhou Yinru raised her voice, ¡°What do you want? Don¡¯t you daree near me! My sister... and my brother-inw wille after you if you do anything to me!¡±

    ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Lu Mingshuughed out loud till she was breathless. Then, she looked at Zhou Yinru with pity. ¡°Zhou Yinru, you¡¯re so pathetic. In the end, you still have to depend on your brother-inw. Anyway, aren¡¯t you overreacting? Zhou Miaoru hasn¡¯t even stepped out when I defeated Fu Mingtang, so why would she do it for you? Do you perhaps think that you are the wife of the sect leader? I heard the Zhou family likes their daughters to be settled down. However, even after so long, you¡¯re still single. Even though Zhou Miaoru is my father¡¯s second wife, after all, he is a master of both pen and sword and is a sect leader now. Are you envious that your sister had met such an amazing husband, but not you?¡±

    Zhou Yinru narrowed her eyes and tightly gripped onto the tree. This suddenly made Lu Mingshu realize something, and she snickered, ¡°Guess I¡¯m right. The Zhou family didn¡¯t find you a decent partner. However, it¡¯s still unbelievable that you get jealous of your sister given that my father is a total jerk.¡±

    ¡°D-did you just call your father a jerk?¡±

    Lu Mingshu replied with disdain, ¡°How should I think of him then? With admiration or adoration? Or should I hope that he will notice me one day? Stop being delusional. Only the Zhou family will treasure such a jerk who has sold his soul for gain and bit the hand that fed him.¡±

    Lu Mingshu burst intoughter once again. ¡°Why am I telling you this? To Second Miss moral values mean nothing, don¡¯t they? You can bully anyone with your status, right? But fret not, it¡¯s your turn to get bullied now!¡±

    She then took a step forward.

    ¡°W-what are you trying to do?¡± Zhou Yinru screamed.

    ¡°Can you not scream like as if I were about to rape you? Oh, but I don¡¯t think anyone would want to do so anyway. You¡¯re already so old!¡±¡ªLu Mingshu then leaned forward¡ª¡±It¡¯s alright. I just want you to experience what¡¯s it like to be bullied but without being able to resist.¡±

    As soon as Lu Mingshu finished her sentence, she pped Zhou Yinru.

    Zhou Yinru tried to counter-attack, but when she stretched out her uninjured hand, it was blocked by Lu Mingshu¡¯s sword. The mystic light condensed by the sword filled the surroundings.

    Piak! The fierce pnded on Zhou Yinru¡¯s cheek.

    ¡°I won¡¯t let...¡±

    Piak! Another pnded on her cheeks even before she could finish threatening Lu Mingshu

    ¡°These two ps are for humiliating my mother and grandpa!¡± Lu Mingshu growled.

    Zhou Yinru¡¯s cheeks were burning. She looked at Lu Mingshu with hatred and shouted. ¡°I will take revenge on you! You shall wait and...¡±

    ¡°Hmmph!¡± Lu Mingshu snickered as she twisted Zhou Yinru¡¯s able arm.

    Creak! The sound of bone cracking resounded.

    ¡°Ouch¡ª¡ª¡± Zhou Yinru wailed, cowering in fear. ¡°Do you know that by killing me you¡¯remitting a crime? You might be killed...¡±

    ¡°Who said that I¡¯m going to kill you?¡± Lu Mingshuughed while withdrawing her hand. ¡°Why would I kill you before I get my full revenge?¡±

    Lu Mingshu put her sword back and straightened her clothes. ¡°It¡¯s hard to avoid injuries in the Heavenly Doorpetition with so many fights going on, am I right? Take care and rest well, Second Miss. Don¡¯t worry about getting the title of genuine sessor disciple, I¡¯ll get it for you!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t leave, if you.... dare!¡± Zhou Yinru, being Zhou Yinru, shouted out loud

    And indeed, Lu Mingshu stopped in her tracks. This frightened the hell out of Zhou Yinru. Seeing Zhou Yinru shaking out of fear, Lu Mingshu burst outughing. ¡°Now, don¡¯t say things that you don¡¯t mean, or I¡¯ll really stay.¡±

    Zhou Yinru shut her mouth as she watched Lu Mingshu leave her sight, and disappear into the mist. When she finally left, Zhou Yinru sat on the ground and started wailing. Her arms, her dear arms, they hurt so much...

    After Lu Mingshu ensured that she was far away from the trio, she stopped and leaned on a tree to rest. She clutched her chest in pain.

    ¡°Urgh!¡± Lu Mingshu coughed out a mouthful of blood, and her face became as pale as that of a ghost.

    Whichever attendant was eligible to escort Zhou Yinru was not simple to defeat. In order to win, she got injuries not less severe than him. The two idiots, Zhou Yinru and Rui Xiang, couldn¡¯t tell that she was badly hurt. However, Lu Mingshu was clear that in this state, even if she could make it to the middle door, she wouldn¡¯t be able to pass through it.

    Time was rushing, and Lu Mingshu needed to recover as soon as possible. If not, it would be impossible to be a genuine sessor disciple even though Zhou Yinru had been defeated.

    ¡°Senior, senior!¡± someone called out from behind her.

    Lu Mingshu opened her eyes to see who wasing.

    Liang Zongping appeared from the mist, running towards her. ¡°I¡¯ve finally found you! Are you okay?¡±

    Lu Mingshu stared at him in silence.

    Liang Zongping continued to chatter on. ¡°You look so pale! Your injuries must be serious. I have some ointment and pills here with me, I exchanged for them with someone. Do you want to have some?¡±

    ¡°Nevermind me, I have my own.¡±

    ¡°Haish, senior, just take it as my gratitude towards you. If it wasn¡¯t for you, I wouldn¡¯t have passed through the lower door.

    ¡°No need.¡±

    ¡°Senior...¡±

    As soon as Liang Zongping finished his sentence, someone pushed him hard.

    Liang Zongping shrieked as his head banged into the tree. When he looked up and realized what has just happened, Lu Mingshu was already fighting with a ferocious beast.

 Chapter 89: Conscience

    <h4>Chapter 89: Conscience</h4>

    It was a metallic lizard with the strength of the Harmonization Realm. It was ten feet long and had a back that was as hard as steel.

    When Liang Zongping realized what was happening, Lu Mingshu was already fighting the lizard.

    ¡°Senior, watch out for its tail!¡±

    ¡°The tail contains poison! Don¡¯t let it touch you!¡±

    ¡°Be careful, it¡¯s behind you!¡±

    Lu Mingshu fished out her sword to scare the metallic lizard, causing it to retreat. On the other hand, Liang Zongping was just jumping around and screaming. He was so annoying that Lu Mingshu nearly ran over to kick him. She shouted, ¡°If you¡¯re going to be a hindrance then just shut up!¡±

    Her shout caused Liang Zongping to shut up indeed. He then pulled out his sword to help Lu Mingshu ughter the lizard.

    Looking at that scene, Lu Mingshu heaved a sigh of relief. She didn¡¯t expect Liang Zongping to actually be of any help though. In fact, he was no stronger than Zhou Yinru, and all Lu Mingshu wanted was for Liang Zongping to not be a hindrance.

    Suddenly, she started massaging her dantian because her meridians were still throbbing in pain from the previous battle.The ck mystic light from Zhou Yinru¡¯s attendant carried an unknown force that would damage one¡¯s meridians uponing in contact with them.

    Lu Mingshu was more wounded than she initially thought.

    However, she had no choice except to ignore the pain for now. She had to get rid of the metallic lizard before finding a spot to heal her injuries.

    Despite being in so much pain that cold sweat was trickling down her forehead, Lu Mingshu gritted her teeth and continued to fight without slowing down.

    After a painstaking struggle, the metallic lizard finally dropped to the ground with an anguished wail and stopped moving.

    As for Lu Mingshu, she had reached her limit as well. She felt dizzy and struggled to stand up straight.

    ¡°Senior!¡± Liang Zongping dashed over to her side to support her.

    ¡°Take it slow. Come over here and take a rest.¡±

    It seems he¡¯s not good for nothing after all.

    Since her body waspletely strained, Lu Mingshu leaned against him and allowed him to lead her to a ce where she could rest.

    As soon as she settled down, Lu Mingshu felt a sting on her waist. Something had pierced through her; her flesh was cut open and the sound of blood gushing from the wound could be clearly heard.

    She looked up slowly at Liang Zongping. The guy who was constantly trying to tter her had a sinister smile on his face.

    ¡°Why?¡± Lu Mingshu¡¯s voice had be hoarse from all the fighting. Even though they were strangers that only came together by chance, she had treated Liang Zongping fairly: bringing him to the lower door, helping him pass, and even ensuring that he was safe.

    ¡°Why? Why are you trying to murder me? I saved your life, didn¡¯t I?¡± Lu Mingshu asked while panting.

    Liang Zongping smiled foolishly as he looked down at Lu Mingshu.

    ¡°Senior, you can¡¯t me it on me. Senior Aunt Zhou said that if I kill you, she will promote me to be a disciple manager. I¡¯m sure you understand... a disciple like me who¡¯s neither a genuine sessor disciple nor a first-rate disciple, even if I¡¯m in the Harmonization Realm, I don¡¯t have much of a chance at sess. If I can be a disciple manager, I¡¯ll be able to die without regrets!¡±

    After he finished hisst sentence, Liang Zongping pushed the dagger further into Lu Mingshu. In a few minutes, even an immortal would die from blood loss and pain.

    A radiance shed across Lu Mingshu¡¯s eyes. She punched with great strength, creating a mystic light that exploded. The force of the punch sent Liang Zongping flying.

    Liang Zongping was struck dumb. He never would¡¯ve expected that Lu Mingshu would still be able to strike back given how badly injured she was, and the attack was even strong enough that it sent him flying.

    ¡°Hahahaha,¡± Lu Mingshuughed aloud as she leaned against the tree. It was unknown whether she wasughing at herself or Liang Zongping.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think that I would only be worth a measly disciple manager!¡±

    She grasped her waist tightly. The dagger was still stuck in her; it was so deep inside her that the hilt could no longer bepletely seen. She tried her best to bnce herself.

    ¡°I keep trying to save everyone no matter how badly I get treated, as I value each and every one of your lives, even if saving you all means putting myself in danger. Why do I keep getting betrayed by all of you in the end?¡± She said while looking into his eyes.

    Liang Zongping looked at her as a chill ran down his spine.

    She continued rambling, ¡°You¡¯re the same as everyone else. Hah. Since when do I owe you guys? I¡¯ve risked myself to protect your lives, yet you all still want to backstab me? Maybe that¡¯s just how the world is, huh? We shouldn¡¯t be good guys.¡±

    You guys? Who is she referring to?

    Lu Mingshu looked down for a moment before whispering, ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, why should I be a good guy? Revenge seems to make my life easier too, right?¡±

    She took small steps as she moved toward Laing Zongping. Even though she couldn¡¯t even stand up straight, Liang Zongping felt scared.

    ¡°D-don¡¯t... don¡¯t you daree over! You may be powerful, but you¡¯re seriously hurt right now. You wouldn¡¯t be able to kill me-...¡±

    Before Liang Zongping could finish his sentence with the words ¡°that easily¡±, the sword shone as it aimed for his head.

    Liang Zongping cried out in rm as he tried to block the attack with his own sword.

    ng¡ª¨C

    The swords shed and Liang Zongping¡¯s sword was chopped in half.

    Lu Mingshu pointed her sword at him as she slowly walked toward him.

    ¡°When did you gang up with Zhou Yinru? From the start? No.... Should be after you passed the lower door. You promised that you would only follow me up to the lower door, right?¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded, agreeing with herself.

    ¡°No wonder you were able to locate me among the heavy mist. It must¡¯ve been Zhou Yinru telling you where I was, right?¡±

    ¡°D-don¡¯te near me....¡± Liang Zongping stammered. She¡¯s seriously injured, how is it possible that she¡¯s still so powerful? He was in the Harmonization Realm too, why was the difference so big?

    ¡°So to you, personal interestes before everything? You¡¯re just like him....¡± Lu Mingshu stopped and sighed.

    Him? That sentence aroused Liang Zongping¡¯s curiosity.

    He wanted to probe further, but there was no longer any chance to do so. Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t hesitate as she waved her sword. Before Liang Zongping could escape, his head had already dropped to the ground.

    Swoosh¡ª-

    Flesh blood spurted everywhere as the headless corpse fell to the ground.

    Lu Mingshu had killed numerous ferocious beasts and demonic beasts in her time. She had killed more than she could count, but this was the first time in her entire life that she had ever killed a human being.

    So, killing a human being isn¡¯t that hard after all.

    Suddenly, the sound of coughing could be heard. Blood flowed from the edge of Lu Mingshu¡¯s mouth. Her vision was blurry and, within a second, she fell.

    Lu Mingshu was currently very weak. She had been seriously injured by Zhou Yinru¡¯s attendant, yet she still had to fight the metallic lizard. On top of that, Liang Zongping assaulted her by stabbing her in a vital part, which caused her to lose too much blood. She didn¡¯t dare to pull the dagger out on her own. All she could do was take some medicine to relieve the pain.

    It would be great if could enter the Heavenly Wheel right now. However, her vision was too blurry and she didn¡¯t have enough energy, making her unable to do so.

    It¡¯s alright, just a little longer. She received this medicine back in the Heavenly Wheel, so she was sure that she would survive. If she could just manage to endure the current pain, she would be able to spend some time to recover.

    If she was lucky, maybe someone would pass by and lend her a helping hand.

    Lu Mingshu was drowsy. Her body needed to rest and she was losing consciousness. However, losing consciousness here wasn¡¯t an option because it would put her life at risk.

    In her dazed state, she heard footsteps.

    ¡°Someone¡¯s here....¡±

    It was Jie Wenhan.

    Will she lend a helping hand?

    Jie Wenhan inspected Lu Mingshu for a while.

    ¡°Your injuries are so serious. Were you attacked while you were down? Oh no! There¡¯s not much time left. I¡¯ll have to get going. Please hang on while I inform the guards,¡± Jie Wenhan sighed.

    Jie Wenhan covered Lu Mingshu with something

    before she left.

    Lu Mingshu wasn¡¯t very disappointed. It¡¯s perfectly normal for her to react that way, right?

    Being part of the Zhou family line, Jie Wenhan was already treating her kindly by not hurting her even more. The Heavenly Doorpetition meant so much to Jie Wenhan, it was impossible that she would forego thepetition to save Lu Mingshu¡¯s life. At least she¡¯s going to report to the guards....

    Not longter, the sound of footsteps could be heard again.

    ¡°This is... Lu Mingshu?¡±

    That¡¯s Shao Zhengyang¡¯s voice.

 Chapter 90: Advanced Treatment

    <h4>Chapter 90: Advanced Treatment</h4>

    Shao Zhengyang?

    A slight hope arose in Lu Mingshu.

    He will help me, right?

    Anyone in the line of Jade Terrace would be an enemy of the Zhou family, so it would be a good choice to form an alliance with someone like Lu Mingshu that was also an enemy of the Zhou family. In addition, Lu Mingshu¡¯s master Liu Jizhen was a longtime friend of Shao Zhengyang¡¯s master.

    ¡°Junior Nephew Shao, you recognize her?¡±

    That¡¯s Yuan Ziyang¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Shao Zhengyang answered. ¡°She¡¯s from Green Jade Valley, she¡¯s a disciple of Liu Jizhen.¡±

    Somebody removed the thing covering her body and inspected her injuries.

    ¡°The injuries are serious; she¡¯s been stabbed in a vital area,¡± Yuan Ziyangmented

    ¡°That corpse over there... this girl must¡¯ve been schemed against by someone.¡±

    Yuan Ziyang sighed, ¡°Such a pity. We may have had a better chance of winning if she could¡¯ve reached the upper door as well.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Yuan Ziyang continued, ¡°Junior Nephew Shao, you looked worried about something.¡±

    Shao Zhengyang paused for a second before he replied, ¡°I made a deal with Weng Yufan.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    ¡°He will buy time for us to pass the middle door by not meeting his allies on time.¡±

    ¡°What do we have to give him in return?¡±

    ¡°If we sessfully reach the upper door, I will team up with Lu Mingshu. After that, I would let Weng Yufan take her down.¡±

    Yuan Ziyang was taken aback by Shao Zhengyang¡¯s reply.

    ¡°Why would you let Weng Yufan take her down? Isn¡¯t Lu Mingshu capable enough to be a genuine sessor disciple? Why let Weng Yufan take one of the slots and not Lu Mingshu? Weng Yufan¡¯s a member of the Zhou family anyway.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just a genuine sessor disciple, what¡¯s the big deal?¡± Shao Zhengyang replied calmly.

    ¡°A Harmonization Realm disciple won¡¯t affect much. Lu Mingshu may be powerful, but Master Uncle Liu¡¯s meridians are all crippled. There¡¯s no point in trying to rope her in.

    ¡°Yes, but...¡±

    ¡°The amount of genuine sessor disciples we and the Zhou family have is now equal. If Lu Mingshu bes a genuine sessor disciple, the Zhou family may start trying to scheme against us.

    Master isn¡¯t young anymore, I don¡¯t want to worry him any further.¡±

    ¡°What you mean is that if Lu Mingshu bes a genuine sessor disciple, the Zhou family might be angered ande at us, and even if she bes a genuine sessor disciple, we wouldn¡¯t benefit very much because she doesn¡¯t have anybody to support her?¡±

    ¡°Yes. On the other hand, if Weng Yufan gets to be a genuine sessor disciple, the Zhou Family wouldn¡¯te after us because I will have something against them. I could even use the fact that I helped Weng Yufan against the Zhou family.¡±

    He pped in satisfaction, ¡°Smart! Such a good n.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s a pity that Lu Mingshu got attacked. That n won¡¯t work anymore.¡±

    ¡°So what should we do now?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s just try to pass through first and beat everyone on our own.¡±

    ¡°Okay. We don¡¯t really have any other choice.¡±

    Lu Mingshu could tell that someone walked around her and did something.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t have enough time to save you right now. Please hang on until help arrives,¡± Shao Zhengyang told her.

    Yuan Ziyang sighed, ¡°Such a pity....¡±

    Shao Zhengyang stood up.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get moving. I don¡¯t think Senior Uncle Kuai is going to provide any help now.¡±

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Yuan Ziyang sounded unhappy.

    ¡°These few years have been tough. The line of Golden Door...¡±

    The sound of their footsteps slowly faded and the surroundings quieted down.

    Everyone¡¯s the same, huh?

    To Liang Zongping, his future was worth more than her life, and to Shao Zhengyang, she could be used to exchange for peace for his line.

    Benefits. It¡¯s all about benefits.

    Lu Mingshu was clear that nobody would save her.

    Don¡¯t Shao Zhengyang and Yuan Ziyang realize that it¡¯s full of danger out here?

    So what if she managed to hang on? There were beasts everywhere!

    But nobody took that into consideration. Or perhaps they did and they just couldn¡¯t waste their precious time to save her because passing through the doors was way more important than her life.

    The sky started to darken. Lu Mingshu could no longer keep herself clear-headed because of her fatigue and, within minutes, she was out cold.

    After some time, Lu Mingshu woke up all of a sudden.

    How long has it been? A day? Or just a few minutes?

    She could see six coloured lights flowing, which made her realize she was in the Heavenly Wheel.

    How is this possible?

    Lu Mingshu was certain that it was impossible for her to channel enough power to enter the Heavenly Wheel.

    ¡°You¡¯re awake,¡± Xiao Sang¡¯s voice rang in her head.

    Lu Mingshu took a while to realize what was going on.

    ¡°Why... am I here?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re seriously injured and your life¡¯s in danger. The Heavenly Wheel decided that you need to restore your health.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying that the Heavenly Wheel can summon me back at any time?¡± Lu Mingshu asked after she had processed the information.

    Xiao Sang remained silent.

    Well, as excepted. Even if she answered it would just be, ¡°Your credits are insufficient, so you need to explore ways by yourself.¡±

    Lu Mingshu sat up slowly and changed the topic, ¡°So, how do I restore my health?¡±

    ¡°Your umted points can be used to exchange for cures.¡±

    Lu Mingshu smiled bitterly after she saw a ¡°one¡± on the wooden wheel.

    ¡°Can I even exchange for anything? I don¡¯t really have any points left.¡±

    ¡°Seeing that you¡¯ve only recently activated the Heavenly Wheel and are still adjusting to it, the Heavenly Wheel has decided to let you borrow some points.¡±

    ¡°Borrow?¡± Lu Mingshu was confused.

    ¡°Yes, but the borrowed points can only be used for yourself. No exchanging for items.¡±

    ¡°How much do I need to heal myself?¡± Lu MIngshu asked when she had processed everything.

    ¡°Basic treatment: ten points. Normal treatment: one hundred points. Advanced treatment: one thousand points.¡±

    Lu Mingshu was taken aback.

    ¡°Howe there¡¯s such a big difference?¡±

    Clearly, Xiao Sang didn¡¯tck in patience; despite Lu Mingshu asking so much, she still answered her doubts.

    ¡°Basic treatment provides staunching your wounds and clearing your meridians, but you¡¯ll still need to recuperate on your own. Normal treatment heals your injuries but doesn¡¯t mend your foundation. Advanced treatment totally heals you and also provides a boost for the next twelve hours.¡±

    ¡°Boost? What does that mean?¡±

    It must be special to cost a thousand points. Even a book for Meditation Forms only costs about ten points!

    ¡°It means that you can make use of all your potential within the next twelve hours,¡± Xiao Sang replied.

    ¡°What do you mean, ¡®make use of all your potential within the next twelve hours¡¯?¡± Lu Mingshu continued asking.

    ¡°For example, you¡¯re in the Harmonization Realm right now, so your potential will be activated and your ability will reach the zenith of the Harmonization Realm.¡±

    ¡°Are there any side-effects?¡± Lu Mingshu asked a follow-up question.

    ¡°Yes. Activating your potential is using up your energy before it¡¯s ready. The side-effect is that there will be a period of time where you won¡¯t be able to cultivate.¡±

    ¡°How long will that side-effectst?¡±

    ¡°It depends on one¡¯s health. Yours... I estimate willst for three months.¡±

    Lu Mingshu took a deep breath, before continuing, ¡°I choose... the advanced treatment.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Xiao Sang¡¯s monotone voice rang out across the Heavenly Wheel.

    ¡°The Heavenly Wheel will proceed with your advanced treatment. As long as you still owe points, you¡¯ll need to pay an interest of 0.5%. If you don¡¯t pay, the Heavenly Wheel¡¯s functions will temporarily stop. If you still don¡¯t pay up, the Heavenly Wheel will ban you.¡±

    Ban? What do they...?

    Before Lu Mingshu could ask anything, six different coloured lights gushed into her body.

    All the pain disappeared within a second and her injuries were healed.

    She was thrown out of the Heavenly Wheel. When she opened her eyes, she was on the White Magnificent Peak.

 Chapter 91: Hurrying

    <h4>Chapter 91: Hurrying</h4>

    Lu Mingshu got up slowly.

    She realized that there was a cloak covering her. She recognized it as Jie Wenhan¡¯s.

    There was also some beast-repelling powder surrounding her.

    Lu Mingshu smiled bitterly.

    Should I thank Shao Zhengyang?

    He actually considered that were beasts around and didn¡¯t just leave her to die.

    But now her injuries were all recovered. The dagger that was used to attack her was now on the floor.

    She picked it up to have a look, then tossed it aside expressionlessly.

    Liang Zongping¡¯s headless corpse was still lying there, but Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t even spare it a nce. She quickly packed her things before taking out thepass and continuing her journey.

    She had already wasted too much time here. She would have to hurry since a lot of people may have already passed the middle door.

    A huge ming red mink suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t even bother looking at it before her sword-light surrounded the mink and chopped off its head.

    It¡¯s quite a boost indeed.

    Back at the White Magnificent Peak¡¯s stage:

    ¡°There¡¯s someone at the middle door!¡± somebody shouted as a figure appeared on the mirror

    Fu Mingxi sat up enthusiastically. She looked at the mirror and realized that it was a tall and muscr man. She turned to Fu Shangqing happily, ¡°Isn¡¯t that Kuai Xin ¨C Senior Uncle Kuai?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Fu Shangqing answered. Why is she so happy?

    ¡°He¡¯s the first to pass the lower door, and now he¡¯s the first for the middle door too! Isn¡¯t that amazing?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s been in the Harmonization Realm for more than ten years, he should be able to break through to the Spirit Realm by the time of the next Heavenly Doorpetition.¡±

    ¡°Wow! No doubt he¡¯s the backbone of our Nine Jade Pce¡¯s new generation!¡±

    The elders who were seated near Fu Mingxi and Fu Shangqing looked at them in confusion.

    Why are they praising Kuai Xin all of a sudden?

    Fu Mingtang sighed. Nobody knew why Fu Mingxi reacted that way, but he did. She was just happy that Lu Mingshu wasn¡¯t the first to reach the middle door, so she kept praising Kuai Xin.

    In reality, though, it didn¡¯t matter. Everyone knew that speed wasn¡¯t a factor that determined if one got a ce as a genuine sessor disciple. As long as one didn¡¯tg behind by too much, everyone had a chance.

    In his heart, Fu Mingtang was curious if his other ¡°sister¡± would be a genuine sessor disciple.

    Kuai Xin¡¯s arrival was considered early. He quickly challenged the guard and passed the middle door before anyone else even got there.

    Other disciples soon started to stroll in slowly.

    It was just another round of fighting, ganging up, and betrayal.

    Something struck Fu Mingtang and he turned to his father, ¡°Why isn¡¯t aunt at the middle door yet?¡±

    The fight at the middle door was about to end, yet Zhou Yinru couldn¡¯t be seen anywhere.

    Fu Shangqing narrowed his eyes.

    Something feels weird.

    Zhou Yinru brought along two attendants. Aside from Rui Xiang, the other attendant was highly skilled. It was impossible that she wouldn¡¯t even be able to reach the middle door.

    As soon as he was about to instruct somebody to check it out, a sparroweagle flew over and circled over Fu Shangqing¡¯s head beforending.

    Sparroweagles, which were a hybrid of a sparrowhawk and an eagle, were used as messengers.

    Fu Shangqing detached a small bamboo tube from the sparroweagle¡¯s w. He took a piece of paper out of the tube to have a look. Fu Shangqing¡¯s face fell as he read the message.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, father?¡±

    ¡°You both just continue watching, Father has something to do,¡± Fu Shangqing patted them. He disappeared before they could even respond.

    Fu Shangqing went down the stage to a corner. Somebody was already waiting for him there.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Fu Shangqing whispered.

    ¡°Second Miss was found seriously injured near the lower door....¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    However, this wasn¡¯t the time to investigate the details, so Fu Shangqing quickly added on, ¡°Where is she now?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s on the way now.¡±

    Fu Shangqing was a bundle of nerves while waiting for Zhou Yinru to arrive. Soon, he could see some people carrying three stretchers walking down a path of White Magnificent Peak.

    He was taken aback after seeing what was on the stretchers.

    Zhou Yinru¡¯s attendant waspletely wrapped up, unable to move. The amount of bloodstains indicated that he had injuries over his entire body.

    Rui Xiang wasn¡¯t seriously hurt, but her eyes were lifeless and she showed no reaction.

    As for Zhou Yinru...

    Fu Shangqing¡¯s heart fell as he saw Zhou Yinru.

    She didn¡¯t have any serious injuries, but with her dishevelled hair and staring nkly into space, she looked like a madwoman.

    ¡°Sister?¡± Fu Shangqing called her.

    Zhou Yinru didn¡¯t respond.

    ¡°Sister!¡± Fu Shangqing shook her.

    ¡°Ouch!¡± Zhou Yinru screamed in pain.

    The man who brought her down on the stretcher immediately went over, ¡°Sect Leader, Second Miss has broken her arm....¡±

    Fu Shangqing looked over to realize that Zhou Yinru¡¯s arm was situated in a weird position.

    ¡°How is Second Miss? Are her injuries serious?¡±

    ¡°She fractured one arm, and the other was pierced by a sword. Other than that, there¡¯s nothing much.¡±

    The man hesitated for a while before adding on, ¡°There are two handprints on Second Miss¡¯ face, like she¡¯s been pped.¡±

    Fu Shangqing looked closer and realized that Zhou Yinru¡¯s face, which was covered by her hair, was indeed swollen.

    Sighing, he ordered, ¡°Send Second Miss for healing and inform Madam immediately.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Fu Shangqing then went over to the attendant.

    ¡°What happened Jun? Who did this to you?¡±

    The attendant forced his eyes open, ¡°Sect Leader.... It¡¯s... Green Jade Valley....¡±

    ¡°Green Jade Valley...?¡± Fu Shangqing probed.

    ¡°Yes, Second Miss wanted to block her....¡±

    Green Jade Valley. Fu Shangqing immediately knew who he was referring to. But...

    ¡°Who is she with?¡±

    ¡°Nobody....¡±

    ¡°You mean she injured you all by herself?¡±

    ¡°Yes....¡±

    ¡°Go back and rest first,¡± Fu Shangqing waved his hand, but he was confused.

    On his way back to the stage, Fu Shangqing¡¯s mind was filled with a lot of questions. What Jun meant was that she took on all three of them and defeated them? But Lu Mingshu only just entered the Harmonization Realm, and Jun isn¡¯t just an ordinary servant; his skills are at the same level as a genuine sessor disciple! How did she manage to do it...?

    ¡°Father, you¡¯re back!¡± Fu Mingxi pulled him to the side happily, not noticing that Fu Shangqing wasn¡¯t looking good.

    ¡°There was an interesting fight just now!¡±

    However, Fu Shangqing ignored her and turned to Fu Mingtang, ¡°Mingtang... has Lu Mingshu passed the middle door?¡±

    Fu Mingxi¡¯s face dropped after hearing what he asked.

    ¡°Father, there!¡± Fu Mingtang pointed out.

    When Lu Mingshu arrived at the middle door, the fights were about to end. Those who qualified to be genuine sessor disciples had already passed, while those who weren¡¯t cut out for it were starting to make their way back. There were only a few left that was waiting to take on the guard.

    The guard at the middle door was a bearded and muscr man. From his skills, one could tell that he was in the Spirit Realm.

    After the disciple before her finished their challenge, Lu Mingshu went up.

    ¡°Senior, I resign myself to your guidance.¡±

    The bearded man didn¡¯t even bother to look at Lu Mingshu before waving his hand to indicate that they could start.

    ¡°Eh? Aren¡¯t you...?¡± He looked at her in confusion when he turned around.

    Lu Mingshu looked up, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, senior?¡±

    The bearded man scratched his head before continuing, ¡°Whatever, it¡¯s not my problem anyway. C¡¯mon.¡±

    As soon as he finished thatst sentence, Lu Mingshu¡¯s sword-light shone. The bearded man didn¡¯t expect her to attack immediately. He quickly pulled out his sword and blocked the attack.

    Seeing that the first attack failed, Lu Mingshu changed her strategy.

    Both swords shed, as did their owners. The fight was so intense that the audience couldn¡¯t differentiate who was who.

    Finally, the fight ended. The bearded man looked at Lu Mingshu in shock.

    ¡°Senior?¡± Lu Mingshu called him.

    ¡°Oh, you may pass.¡±

 Chapter 92: Not Worthy?

    <h4>Chapter 92: Not Worthy?</h4>

    On the high stage, Fu Shangqing was shocked by what he was seeing.

    The fight at the lower door gave him a clear perspective on how strong Lu Mingshu was, so why did the fight at the middle door seem different?

    It looked simr to the one at the lower door, but something was off.

    With her skills, it was possible for her to defeat attendant Jun. However, to seriously injure him, there must have been something more.

    This child isn¡¯t simple....

    Lu Mingshu stepped into the mist and hastened her footsteps.

    Time. I need time.

    She had badly injured Zhou Yinru, which meant that, if she didn¡¯t manage to be a genuine sessor disciple, the Zhou family would undoubtedly give her trouble.

    The Zhou family used to ignore Lu Mingshu because she was weak. Even though Zhou Yinru attacked her first, the Zhou family wasn¡¯t logical.

    Moreover, she killed Liang Zongping. With his body left on the mountain, it would be investigated. Yes, she was attacked by him first, but the Zhou family wouldn¡¯t care much. Jie Wenhan and Shao Zhengyang knew what happened, but would they stand up for her? It was hard to say.

    Thus, she was left with no choice but to be a genuine sessor disciple.

    Genuine sessor disciples were the pride of Nine Jade Pce, which meant that she would be protected to a certain extent if she became one.

    Being in such a hurry, the beast and traps were nothing to her; she passed everything very quickly.

    Upon stepping out of the mist, she could see the upper door. She sighed in relief but was soon taken aback.

    Where is everybody? Am Ite?

    On the White Magnificent Peak, cheers could be heard.

    ¡°Someone has arrived at the upper door!¡±

    Everyone knew that after passing the upper door, that¡¯s where the Heavenly Door was, which meant that the fight at the upper door would determine the genuine sessor disciples. Thus, it was the most exciting part of the wholepetition.

    ¡°Eh? It¡¯s her!¡±

    ¡°How is that possible? Didn¡¯t she reach the middle doorte?¡±

    ¡°She did! Others who passed it early haven¡¯t even reached the upper door and she¡¯s already there!¡±

    The members of the upper echelon were shocked as well.

    It was possible to be the first to reach the lower door through luck, but for the upper door, it was impossible to do so without skills.

    What happened? Where was Kuai Xin, who was in the lead!?

    Lu Mingshu went up onto the tform.

    An olddy was guarding the upper door.

    The olddy had hair as white as snow, a thin headband around her forehead, and she was sleeping soundly while tightly holding a walking stick. Lu Mingshu blinked. If not for the fact that the White Magnificent Peak didn¡¯t allow outsiders to enter, she wouldn¡¯t have believed that this was the guard.

    Before Lu Mingshu even made a noise, the olddy lifted her head slowly and yawned.

    ¡°Aye, this girl is fast,¡± the olddy smiled at her.

    ¡°Fast?¡± Lu Mingshu raised an eyebrow, ¡°Senior, thepetition hasn¡¯t ended?¡±

    ¡°What Heavenly Doorpetition ends before night? Look at the time, it¡¯s still early!¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked around. It¡¯s two or three p.m. Indeed, I¡¯m early.

    ¡°Where is everyone?¡±

    ¡°On their way?¡±

    ¡°You mean, I¡¯m the first one to arrive?¡± Lu Mingshu was shocked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± the olddy smiled while staring into Lu Mingshu¡¯s eyes. ¡°You may be young, but treasure your body! Don¡¯t be impulsive.¡±

    Lu Mingshu felt a chill running down her spine. She was uneasy as the olddy stared into her eyes. It¡¯s as if she can read my mind. This feeling was like being stared at by Zhuo Jiangui.

    Lu Mingshu shivered. Perhaps this olddy is in the Assimtion Realm?

    The olddy yawned again.

    ¡°Look at you. First time participating, huh? Let me give you some advice. The upper door is almost impossible to pass without any help. So, go and look for help or fight the others while I go back to sleep. Wake me upter.¡±

    After the olddy finished her sentence, she closed her eyes and went back to sleep.

    Footsteps could be heard from the mist. It was Kuai Xin, who carried a sword on his shoulder.

    After passing the first two doors, he surprisingly didn¡¯t meet any trouble on his way to the upper door. This one should be more troublesome than the first two doors, and both ns won¡¯t allow me to pass without choosing a side. However, I¡¯m toozy to care about the ns, so how should I continue...?

    Kuai Xin was suddenly rooted to the ground when he saw someone on the tform.

    What on earth? How is this possible!?

    Kuai Xin couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. He was the first to pass through the two doors! How was it possible that someone could overtake him?

    ¡°You?!¡± He shouted in surprise when Lu Mingshu turned around.

    ¡°Senior Uncle Kuai.¡±

    ¡°How are you so fast?¡± Kuai Xin asked in confusion.

    ¡°Lady Luck is shining on junior today.¡±

    Yeah, sure. Luck. Kuai Xin looked at her. There¡¯s a high chance that there¡¯s something going on... but it¡¯s better not to know.

    ¡°Does Senior Uncle Kuai want to challenge?¡±

    Kuai Xin shook his head, ¡°Nah, not now.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded and stood aside.

    She has nothing more to ask? Kuai Xin scratched his head as he stood aside too. He thought she would say something more.

    Very soon, somebody else came.

    Ban Qin!

    He whistled as he came out of the mist. He was about to greet Kuai Xin when he stepped on the tform, but...

    Lu Mingshu?

    He stood rooted to the ground.

    ¡°You...¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked at him in silence.

    Ban Qin rubbed his eyes and pinched himself to ensure that he wasn¡¯t dreaming.

    ¡°Lu Mingshu? Howe you¡¯re here?¡± He didn¡¯t even give Lu Mingshu a chance to reply before he continued, ¡°Aren¡¯t you already dead?¡±

    ¡°Who told you that?¡± Lu Mingshu squinted her eyes.

    ¡°Senior Aunt Jie told me.¡± Ban Qin furrowed his eyebrows. But Jie Wenhan said that Lu Mingshu has fallen dead from serious injuries so there¡¯s a change in n. Why was it that now he was seeing a perfectly alright Lu Mingshu at the upper door? Forget dead, just looking at her, it¡¯s impossible that she¡¯s even injured!

    Lu Mingshu remained silent. There was no need for her to answer Ban Qin anyway.

    Ban Qin continued to probe but still couldn¡¯t get any answers, so he let it go. Seeing that there was only the three of them at the moment, Ban Qin added, ¡°Hey, why not just give up? Bing a genuine sessor disciple isn¡¯t child¡¯s y. Even if you¡¯re fine, there isn¡¯t much chance that you will pass.¡±

    Lu Mingshu smiled at him.

    Ban Qin was angered by Lu Mingshu¡¯s silent response.

    ¡°I¡¯m warning you because I feel that you¡¯re an okay person, don¡¯t take my advice for granted!¡± Seeing that Lu Mingshu was still keeping quiet, he added, ¡°Skills and stamina are not enough. Here, without any help, it¡¯s impossible to pass. You¡¯re hoping that Gao Xiang will help you, eh? But remember this; we give him face because of his master, Master An. But look at you, who¡¯s your master?¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked up and stared into his eyes.

    The eye contact brought a chill down Ban Qin¡¯s spine, but Ban Qin being himself, he continued, ¡°Why are you staring at me? Stubborn much? I¡¯m telling you out of my goodwill and because Senior Aunt Jie says that you¡¯re okay as a person.¡±

    ¡°Senior Ban,¡± Lu Mingshu started.

    She spoke in a monotone, but that somehow made Ban Qin¡¯s hair stand on end. He looked up at Lu Mingshu, stammering, ¡°W-What?¡±

    ¡°My master is Liu Jizhen, the eldest senior of the fifteenth generation of the Heavenly Ascension Pavilion,¡± she spoke firmly. ¡°Are you suggesting that his disciple is unworthy of being a genuine sessor disciple?¡±

 Chapter 93: Talk to the Sword

    <h4>Chapter 93: Talk to the Sword</h4>

    When Ban Qin had woken up from his shock he yelled, ¡°I¡¯m telling you this because I¡¯m kind! If you¡¯re not willing to listen to me, then so be it!¡±

    ¡°Oh, how kind you people are. Kind enough to ask me to give up and be taken advantage of, thinking that I should be proud that I¡¯m being used by you guys. No thanks. There¡¯s no need to be ¡®kind¡¯ when we both know that, in actuality, you all look down on me, my family background, and my master.¡±

    Lu Mingshu snickered, ¡°Why? Why should I give up or be taken advantage of? To be a puppet and let you control me just so you can achieve your own goals?¡±

    At that moment,

    a strong murderous aura could be felt.

    Frightened, Ban Qin took a step back.

    Even Kuai Xin, who was just minding his own business, felt the tension and stood in a ready position.

    He could feel the strong aura and Lu Mingshu¡¯s urge to kill.

    Even the olddy felt the aura. She woke up, and her eyes shone with anticipation.

    Lu Mingshu slowly walked toward the center of the tform, then held her sword up high.

    ¡°I, Lu Mingshu, dere a challenge to anyone who wants to pass the upper door! Today, if you don¡¯t greet my sword, I won¡¯t let you pass!¡±

    Her urge to kill was so strong that even those watching through the phantom mirror could feel it.

    Many people at the bottom of White Magnificent Peak held their breath.

    What is she doing? Dering war on everybody?

    By herself, against everyone?

    On the high stage, Fu Mingtang let out a shriek but quickly rposed himself. Luckily for him, the stage was so chaotic that nobody realized what he did.

    ¡°Is she insane?!¡± Fu Mingxi shouted after she realized what happened.

    ¡°Who does she think she is? Senior Brother Ban is just kind enough to warn her. It¡¯s okay if she doesn¡¯t take his advice, but she still wants to challenge everyone?¡±

    ¡°Sis!¡± Fu Mingtang pulled her sleeves, indicating for her to calm down.

    ¡°Am I wrong? Challenging everyone? Even Senior Uncle Kuai wouldn¡¯t do such things!¡±

    She turned to Fu Shangqing, ¡°Father, am I wrong?¡±

    Fu Shangqing didn¡¯t respond as he stared at the phantom mirror intensely.

    Other elders and courtyard leaders remained silent even though the disciples were already making a fuss.

    ¡°Oh, how kind you people are. Kind enough to ask me to give up and be taken advantage of, thinking that I should be proud that I¡¯m being used by you guys. No thanks. There¡¯s no need to be ¡®kind¡¯ when we both know that, in actuality, you all look down on me, my family background, and my master.¡±

    This sentence was directed not only at Ban Qin, but it was also directed to everybody.

    But so what if she was heard? This naive child... since when was there such a thing as ¡°justice¡± or ¡°humane¡± in this world? If you were capable, then you would be taken advantage of. If not, you would simply be forgotten.

    Trying to change the rules by herself? Even the Nine Jade Pce couldn¡¯t be controlled by anyone who felt like it, what made her think that she could change the entire world?

    When Ban Qin recovered from his shock, he looked at Lu Mingshu and snickered.

    ¡°You said you want to challenge everyone, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Why, do you have something to say about that?¡±

    ¡°Okay then, I¡¯ll oblige you!¡± He drew his sword in anger.

    A ray of sword-light could be seen, followed by more than a dozen sword-shadows aimed at Lu Mingshu. She immediately blocked the sword-light.

    Ban Qin used his ultimate move right at the start since he wanted to take Lu Mingshu down a peg. Who does she think she is? So what if her master was the best among the fifteenth generation? He¡¯s paralyzed now anyways. How good can his disciple be? So what if she entered the Harmonization Realm at the age of fifteen? She ended up being awed by the Zhou Family and didn¡¯t dare to leave her valley for four years. She didn¡¯t even participate in the second spring hunt. So what if she¡¯s in the Harmonization Realm?! He was getting more and more irritated by Lu Mingshu the more he thought about her.

    The sword-light shone again fiercely while the sword-shadows surrounded Lu Mingshu, forming an inescapable around her,

    If this can¡¯t defeat her, it can at least force her to surrender. Ban Qin smirked. Who asked her to be so arrogant?

    However, Ban Qin never expected that after his attack, his control over his sword would disappear like a y ox in the ocean. He was taken aback. When he tried to attack again, no sword-light could be seen, he couldn¡¯t even perform a sword posture, and the sword-shadows were all missing!

    What happened? What went wrong? He turned pale with fright.

    Ban Qin was always confident and proud of everything he did. Among the members in the line of Dawn, he had always been on top. He overtook all his seniors, and there weren¡¯t any juniors who could overtake him. Having been praised since he was young,

    he had developed such a big ego that he thought he could evenpete with Fu Mingtang for thebel of ¡°best.¡± To him, entering the Inner Breath Realm two years earlier orter wasn¡¯t an important factor. Skills were the most important factor for him.

    In this Heavenly Doorpetition, there¡¯s no doubt I will get a genuine sessor disciple spot because my skills are legitimate!

    He defeated Shao Zhengyang at the lower door, had a tie against Yuan Ziyang at the middle door, and now Lu Mingshu at the upper door was someone who hadn¡¯t even shown herself for four years? So what if she¡¯s in the Harmonization Realm now?

    But why... why do I feel so restless while battling her? My skills, my posture...

    Ban Qin tried to attack again, but only a speck of light could be seen, which promptly disappeared into thin air. Suddenly, he felt a sense of danger.

    Ban Qin immediately waved his sword, creating some mystic force to defend himself.

    Ping¡ª¡ª-

    Ban Qin could feel a strong forceing toward him and, in no time at all, his mystic force broke apart and went flying.

    Hended on the ground with a thud. He was dizzy and couldn¡¯t remember how to counterattack. When he finally remembered, Lu Mingshu¡¯s sword was already at his throat.

    ¡°You¡¯ve lost,¡± Lu Mingshu stated.

    Ban Qin was still in denial, but his reflection on her sword proved what happened.

    Lost? I¡¯ve lost? But we only just started...? How did I even lose?

    Lu Mingshu took back her sword while Ban Qin remained confused.

    She walked back to the centre of the stage, ced her sword perpendicr to the floor, and shouted, ¡°Who¡¯s next!?¡±

    Only now did Ban Qin realize that more people had arrived while they were fighting.

    Shao Zhengyang, Yuan Ziyang, Tan Yubing.

    I was defeated in front of their eyes? Ban Qin felt ashamed and embarrassed.

    However, the trio didn¡¯t even care whether Ban Qi won or lost.

    They all came at about the same time to see Lu Mingshu fighting Ban Qin.

    The scene caught Shao Zhengyang and Yuan Ziyang off guard. They saw with their own eyes that Lu Mingshu was badly injured and lying motionless on the roadside, struggling to survive, but now, she arrived earlier than them in perfect condition?

    And what did she mean by ¡°I, Lu Mingshu, dere a challenge to anyone who wants to pass the upper door! Today, if you don¡¯t greet my sword, I won¡¯t let you pass!¡±?

    In no time, a crowd started to form at the upper door.

    Everyone was staring at Lu Mingshu, who was situated in the middle of the tform with her sword staring back at them

    What¡¯s this all about?

    Shao Zhengyang and the rest looked over at Kuai Xin.

    From the moment Lu Mingshu pulled out her sword, Kuai Xin had been like a panther, alert and ready to fight at all times.

    But Kuai Xin didn¡¯t take up the challenge. No matter what, he was still a senior. He was already about to break through to the Spirit Realm! Going up to take on a junior¡¯s challenge was an embarrassment to him.

    Looking back at Shao Zhengyang, he mouthed, ¡°Junior Niece said that, if anyone wants to pass, they have to fight her first.¡±

    The disciples who had just arrived held their breath.

    Does she mean that she wants to fight everyone alone? She must be mad.

    Shao Zhengyang and Yuan Ziyang looked troubled.

    This situation was totally out of their expectations. Yes, it was a good thing that Lu Mingshu had recovered since that meant they could go on as originally nned. But fighting everyone? What does she really want? To stop everyone by herself? Who does she think she is?

 Chapter 94: Whoéˆ¥æªš Next?

    <h4>Chapter 94: Who¡¯s Next?</h4>

    Below the White Magnificent Peak, everybody held their breath.

    On the high stage, after watching Ban Qin be defeated so quickly, an Elder from the line of Dawn abruptly stood up, ¡°How is this possible?!¡±

    He only sat down after someone urged him to, but he did so with anger.

    The olddy at the upper door was an Elder in the Assimtion Realm; if Lu Mingshu had defeated Ban Qin through some kind of trick, she would have noticed and said something. Since she didn¡¯t, that indicated that Lu Mingshu defeated Ban Qin fairly.

    However, how could it be possible for the spectators to ept that fact? Ban Qin was the best in the line of Dawn.

    Even Jie Wenhan couldn¡¯t defeat Ban Qin easily. If Lu Mingshu could take Ban Qin down in no time, how powerful was she? Moreover, she only entered the Harmonization Realm a few months ago!

    When Lu Mingshu dered her challenge earlier, everyonemended her courage. However, in their hearts, they just figured her as an innocent little kid who didn¡¯t know anything, and they couldn¡¯t wait to see her fall into despair when she lost.

    But in actuality, the ones who were falling into despair were the spectators, not Lu Mingshu!

    ¡°Father,¡± Fu Mingtang looked over at his father.

    But Fu Shangqing just continued to stare at the phantom mirror in silence.

    ¡°How arrogant!¡± Amongst the crowd, a shout could be heard as someone stood up.

    It was a man in a green robe. His eyebrows were thick, making him look stern, which paired perfectly with his solemn presence.

    Lu Mingshu turned to look at him. After quickly looking him over, she asked, ¡°How do I address you, sir?¡±

    ¡°Tang Jingrong from the line of Scarlet Sunrise!¡±

    Lu Mingshu then greeted him, ¡°So, it¡¯s Senior Uncle Tang.¡±

    Tang Jingrong. A potential candidate for genuine sessor disciple. The line of Scarlet Sunrise.

    Tang Jingrong went up to the tform, ¡°You want to block the way, huh? Well, let me speak to your sword!¡± He said mockingly.

    Lu Mingshu nodded, ¡°Senior Uncle, please.¡±

    What, she doesn¡¯t have anything else to say? Tang Jingrong was taken aback by her behaviour, then angered since he felt that she was being disrespectful.

    ¡°Okay then! Let me bring you to your senses, you arrogant little kid!¡±

    The whole tform turned bright red as Tang Jingrong pulled out his sword.

    ming Sword ¨C

    an infamous method from the line of Scarlet Sunrise. All their methods involved the element of Fire, due to their line inhabiting Scarlet Sunrise Vige. Scarlet Sunrise Vige was and steeped in the essence of Fire, so it was considered normal for the residents to fuse fire into their methods.

    The bright red light became a sea of mes as it made a beeline toward Lu Mingshu.

    Using his status as a fifteenth generation disciple, he epted Lu Mingshu¡¯s challenge in order to put her down and show off his abilities.

    The sea of mes was so huge that it engulfed the whole tform.

    Below the tform, shrieks could be heard.

    ¡°Senior Uncle Tang¡¯s mes are quite something!¡±

    ¡°Yes, the mes are huge! Maybe they could even take down Senior Uncle Kuai!¡±

    Upon hearing such praise, Tang Jingrong tilted his head back in pride. Why do I always work so hard? It¡¯s been years, and all I¡¯ve wanted was a moment to shine just like this! Lu Mingshu, thanks for being the first stepping stone on my journey toward bing a genuine sessor disciple!

    ¡°Hah!¡± Tang Jingrong shouted. The sea of mes curved inward and went for Lu Mingshu.

    The raging mes had the characteristics of a sword as they burned and sliced everything in their way. The attack seemed to hide the sky and cover the earth

    Seeing that Lu Mingshu was just standing there and letting the mes engulf her, Tang Jingrong was secretly delighted.

    Why say boastful things when you don¡¯t even have the ability to escape one attack?

    Among the sea of mes, a tint of mystic light could be seen as it started to grow bigger. The delighted look on Tang Jingrong¡¯s face disappeared immediately

    Boom¡ª¡ª

    The sea of mes turned into smoke, leaving behind some ashes that slowly fell to the ground.

    As soon as Tang Jingrong saw what happened, his face turned red with anger. He attacked several more times in his anger,pletely ignoring his status as a senior.

    Both parties dashed forward, and the shing of swords could be heard. Suddenly, a ray of light shot up into the air before dropping back down to the ground.

    ng¡ª¡ª

    The disciples¡¯ eyes followed the ray of light. The broken de of a sword was lodged in the stone tform, still vibrating.

    Tang Jingrong stood motionless as he nkly stared at his broken sword.

    He noticed his reflection on the other sword, which was pointed directly at his chest.

    ¡°You let me win, Senior Uncle Tang.¡±

    Tang Jingrong nked out for a while. When he regained his senses, he threw his broken sword on the ground and walked away, covering his face out of embarrassment.

    I didn¡¯t even get to fight the guard!

    ¡°Trash!¡± Shao Zhengyang muttered.

    Yuan Ziyang turned to look at Tang Jingrong before adding, ¡°He highly values his pride. It¡¯s hard for him to bear such embarrassment.¡±

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Shao Zhengyang snickered.

    ¡°Losing to someone stronger than you is a disgrace? How can you win when you don¡¯t even have the courage to lose!?¡±

    Yuan Ziyang remained silent for a while before asking, ¡°Do you think... we can defeat her?¡±

    Meanwhile, Jie Wenhan pulled Ban Qin to the side.

    ¡°What happened? Why is she still alive and kicking?¡±

    After being defeated, Ban Qin was still in denial. Toward Jie Wenhan¡¯s questions, all he did was reply with a shake of his head.

    Jie Wenhan furrowed her eyebrows, ¡°You only lost once yet you¡¯re so upset about it? Answer my questions properly!¡±

    Ban Qin looked up at her, face covered in shock.

    Jie Wenhan took a deep breath and changed her tone.

    ¡°So, what exactly happened? Wasn¡¯t she badly injured? Why is she here right now? And why did you fight with her?¡±

    ¡°Senior Aunt! That¡¯s my question to you! Aren¡¯t you the one who said that she¡¯s dead?¡± Ban Qin whined, feeling wronged and upset. He then summarized the whole situation for Jie Wenhan. ¡°Senior Aunt, is she that strong? While fighting with her...¡± I couldn¡¯t even resist.

    Ban Qin didn¡¯t finish his sentence. It¡¯s so embarrassing. Not only did I lose, but I also couldn¡¯t even fight back.

    ¡°That¡¯s weird. I examined her wounds; even if she was able to survive, she would still be wounded. How could she have recovered so fast?¡± Jie Wenhan ruminated over what Ban Qin said. She hadn¡¯t seen Lu Mingshu fight before, but she could tell that she was good. However, even for Jie Wenhan herself, it wasn¡¯t so easy to defeat Ban Qin, which Lu Mingshu did in no time. Suspicious.

    ¡°Senior Aunt Jie, what should we do? Lu Mingshu is blocking the path over here, and Zhou Yinru still hasn¡¯t arrived....¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s noting. I heard that she¡¯s left thepetition,¡± Jie Wenhan replied.

    ¡°What happened?¡± The unexpected news almost knocked him over.

    ¡°I heard that she was attacked on her way up, and her injury was so bad that she had no choice but to leave,¡± Jie Wenhan sneered, ¡°but in reality, she was the one who tried to attack Lu Mingshu with the help of Jun and Rui Xiang. That¡¯s why the three of them ended up leaving while Lu Mingshu ended up seriously injured.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see what happens. I bet that Lu Mingshu not only wants to hold us back, she also probably wants to hold back the line of Jade Terrace too.¡±

    Jie Wenhan hummed. In high spirits, she continued, ¡°Interesting! It¡¯s unexpected, but she¡¯s gonna make things fun!¡±

    After defeating Tang Jingrong, Lu Mingshu stood up straight with pride while grabbing her sword tightly and eyeing everybody.

    Despite having such a young age and thin body frame, she looked at everyone disdainfully out of the corner of her eyes.

    Four years of hard work and holding herself back. It was all for this moment. Who could stop her now?

    ¡°Who¡¯s next?!¡± She bellowed, attracting the attention of the crowd.

 Chapter 95: Streaks

    <h4>Chapter 95: Streaks</h4>

    ¡°Please advise me with your wise strokes, Junior Sister Lu.¡±

    A women wearing ck stepped out from the crowd. She had a slender figure, fair skin and spoke in a gentle tone, with a smile on her face. She looked more like she was greeting a friend, than taking up a challenge.

    ¡°Emerade Peak¡¯s Xi Qing,¡± She briefly introduced herself. Knowing that Lu Mingshu wasn¡¯t too aware of n-rted matters, she then added on, ¡°The sixteenth generation disciple.¡±

    ¡°Senior sister Xi,¡± Lu Mingshu greeted.

    Xi Qing rolled up her sleeves and proceeded to take out her weapon ¡ª an emerald sword. ¡°Can we start now?¡±

    ¡°Please go ahead, Senior Sister.¡±

    As soon as Lu Mingshu finished her sentence, a bluish-green shadow shed out of nowhere and charged towards Lu Mingshu.

    Xi Qing looked gentle. In fact, coupled with her sword, she looked rather elegant, but her methods were the pr opposite of her looks ¡ª fast and cruel.

    Her sword energy was not as mighty as Tang Jiarong¡¯s. Her attacks were simple and sharp, which was very different from Tang Jingrong¡¯s fancy but imprecise style.

    Her style was in fact simr to Lu Mingshu¡¯s, just that Xi Qing¡¯s uracy was due to her vast experience, while Lu Mingshu¡¯s due to calctions.

    Lu Mingshu and Xi Qing were so fast that all people could see was the two¡¯s afterimages. Compared to the battle with Tang Jingrong, this fight was too bleak. There was nothing to watch ¡ª both of them just attacked to the point, without hesitation or fancy moves. The only thing that made this fight worth watching was that both girls were gorgeous. One was slender, the other one was slim and graceful. It was truly aesthetically pleasing to watch them fight.

    In the eyes of the disciples on the high stage, their fight looked more like a dance. However, that was not the case for the elders. They could see through way more.

    Yu Wenshi was deep in thought. The first and third fight had shown how skilled Lu Mingshu was. The second fight had revealed her astonishing mystic force. It¡¯s surprising how she could improve so much in eight years. Has she surpassed her master? Most likely. Back then, senior brother Liu was powerful, but he wasn¡¯t this powerful. Who would have thought that the orphan from back then would get to where she is today? Before, he had thought that she was nothing, and only now he came to realize that he had been deadly wrong.

    That dumb disciple, she made a wrong move...Yu Wenshi shook his head and smiled bitterly. Back then, he was no match for his senior brother Liu. Now, his disciple was not a match for his Senior Brother¡¯s either.

    ...

    Gao Xiang came out of the alley with a heavy heart.

    He stayed at the middle door to wait for Lu Mingshu but she could not be seen anywhere. He had only continued his journey when time started to run out. Gao Xiang knew Lu Mingshu¡¯s ability well. His martial grandfather said that sword skills are inborn. Thus, even if he were more powerful, he would have still lost the fight against Lu Mingshu. He believed that Lu Mingshu would not be stopped halfway. Even if she were to be besieged by others, she would be able to find a way to escape.

    He did not question her ability, but something seemed wrong. She was neither at the middle door nor where Zhou Yinru was. Thus, Gao Xiang had no choice but to go on without her. The heavenly doorpetition was not just about him, but also about his line¡¯s, master¡¯s and martial grandfather¡¯s face!

    He sighed. Whatever, let¡¯s pass this quickly ande back to search for her afterwards.

    As he looked up, he saw a familiar figure. Gao Xiang squinted his eyes, trying to take a better look. His eyes gaped wide open from what he saw.

    The Lu Mingshu that he had been waiting for at the middle door, was already at the upper door and was even fighting someone!

    By the time Gao Xiang processed what had happened, the fight had already ended.

    ng¡ª The swords shed and a ray of bluish-green light shot up.

    As if lightning, the mystic force on Lu Mingshu¡¯s hand pressed down onto Xi Qing. Thetter immediately tried to counter-attack but to no avail. The sword light shone on her, pressing onto her neck.

    With a thump, her emerald sword broke into half and dropped to the ground.

    ¡°You¡¯re indeed more skilled. I admit defeat.¡± Xi Qing smiled bitterly.

    ¡°You¡¯ve let me win.¡± Lu Mingshu sheathed her sword.

    Xi Qing picked up the broken halves of the emerald sword with regret. ¡°This sword has been with me for ten years, and it¡¯s broken now. Perhaps its time has arrived.¡±

    Xi Qing sighed and stepped down from the tform, holding onto the broken sword.

    In the beginning, when Lu Mingshu had dered the challenge, she had been perceived as a naive girl who thought too highly of herself. However, after looking at the three people Lu Mingshu had defeated, everyone started taking her seriously.

    Lu Mingshu ¡ª a name that had not been heard for four years, and that many had already forgotten about, was now on everybody¡¯s lips. When the name list came out, most only knew about her because of her ¡®special¡¯ identity. Most elders even warned their disciples about her beforehand.

    In reality, who would take her seriously? Indeed, it was impressive to enter the Harmonization realm at the age of fifteen, but what was the use of cultivating? Martial arts was all about practising and improving constantly, but did she? Having been frightened by Zhou Yinru during thest Spring Hunt, she hadn¡¯t stepped out of Green Jade Valley for four years straight. Realm and ability were two different things! Even if she was gifted, without anybat experience, her ability would only be so-so.

    They all thought of her like a flower in a greenhouse, unable to take up any challenge. However now, Ban Qin, Tang Jingrong, Xi Qing ¡ª the strongest disciples in the Harmonization realm had all been defeated by her with no effort.

    ¡°Next!¡±

    Silence engulfed the tform.

    ¡°Senior Aunt?¡± Ban Qin nudged Jie Wenhan in confusion.

    Jie Wenhan remained still. ¡°Nope. Not now.¡±

    ¡°Haven¡¯t you fought once already?¡± Ban Qin couldn¡¯t resist the urge to ask.

    Jie Wenhan red at him and replied with embarrassment. ¡°I can¡¯t ensure that I¡¯ll win. Her ability is...¡± She paused to find a suitable word before continuing, ¡°...is too good to be true.¡±

    Ban Qin stood there with his eyes wide open, waiting for an exnation.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you find her mystic force too strong for a disciple who had just entered the Harmonization realm?¡±

    Ban Qin blinked. Indeed, without a strong mystic force, Lu Mingshu¡¯s would not have been able to use the methods she had used. He had felt it personally ¡ª he had not even stood a chance against her.

    This feeling sucks. Ban Qin felt pathetic upon recalling the battle.

    ¡°Let¡¯s observe first,¡± Jie Wenhan concluded. She was not someone who cared about sportsmanship, fairness, integrity and so on. To Jie Wenhan, there was no harm in ying a little trick if it meant certain victory.

    On the other side, Yuan Ziyang nudged Shao Zhengyang.

    Shao Zhengyang sighed and took a step forward. ¡°Junior sister Lu, please advise me.¡±

    Jie Wenhan was left in disbelief when Shao Zhengyang stepped forward. ¡°Is there something wrong with his head?¡± she shouted.

    ¡°Senior Aunt, what do you mean?¡± Ban Qin asked softly.

    ¡°That Shao Zhengyang! Isn¡¯t he the most cunning one? Him being him, he would¡¯ve waited for Lu Mingshu to use up all her energy before fighting her. Can¡¯t he tell that she is unstoppable for now? It¡¯s not like him to step out like this.¡±

    Ban Qin agreed, ¡°True... What is he thinking about?¡±

    Jie Wenhan rolled her eyes, ¡°How would I know?¡±

    There was something that Jie Wenhan had not told Ban Qin. By now, she was fairly sure that if she took up Lu Mingshu¡¯s challenge at this moment she would also end up losing. Why not wait for a while more until she¡¯s out of mystic force and only then attack. No matter how abundant her mystic force is in the Harmonization realm, it can¡¯t support her continuous streak of fights.

 Chapter 96: Embarrassment

    <h4>Chapter 96: Embarrassment</h4>

    Shao Zhengyang? Lu Mingshu furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

    Aside from Gao Xiang, Shao Zhengyang was the one that gave her the most favourable impression. Back when she was in a predicament, it was him and his master who gave her a helping hand. But now, he was also the one that she loathed the most.

    Why him and not Zhou Yinru, who tried to kill her, or Jie Wenhan, who didn¡¯t help her? Why Shao Zhengyang?

    He only wanted to help Lu Mingshu because he wanted to use her for his schemes.

    In fact, Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t really hate him, because there wasn¡¯t any reason for Shao Zhengyang to help her in the first ce. She was just disgusted by how fake he was, just like how she was disgusted by that ungrateful father of hers and how all the Nine Jade Pce cared about were benefits.

    Benefits. It was all about the benefits. It was as if that was the only thing worth treasuring in the whole world.

    And that¡¯s the reason Lu Mingshu was here as well ¨C benefits.

    ¡°Senior Brother Shao, you shouldn¡¯te up here yet.¡±

    ¡°What shoulde will eventuallye. Now orter makes no difference,¡± Shao Zhengyang replied.

    ¡°But if you fight me now, there¡¯s a lower chance that you would win,¡± she exined. ¡°Seeing the

    first three fights, you should already know my current status. Why not wait until I finish a few more rounds and use up most of my mystic force, then youe to fight me? Your chance of winning would be greater. That¡¯s more like you, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Shao Zhengyang blinked his eyes. He seemed to get her hidden message.

    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be any fun if I did that. I would rather get a taste of your ability than win,¡± Shao Zhengyang replied after he made a small n in his head.

    Before Lu Mingshu could reply, he fished out his sword.

    ¡°C¡¯mon, let me see how good you are. Even if I don¡¯t win, I¡¯ll still get to be part of the legend of people who tried to defeat you.¡±

    That sentence signified that nothing more should be said.

    ¡°Please start!¡± Lu Mingshu stood up upon hearing his words.

    In the previous fights, she never took the initiative; she only attacked after her opponent.

    This time, she attacked right away.

    On the high stage, there was a lot of discussion going on.

    ¡°Is he nuts? He shouldn¡¯t take up her challenge now!¡±

    ¡°Uh, maybe he¡¯s overconfident?¡±

    ¡°But he isn¡¯t someone who¡¯s frivolous.¡±

    ¡°Hard to say. Youngsters nowadays all think highly of themselves.¡±

    Yu Wenshi smiled when he heard the whispering behind him. He held up his wine cup as he stared into the phantom mirror.

    Stupid disciple... but at least he knows how to mend the pen after the sheep are lost.

    Losing or winning doesn¡¯t really matter. Even if the position of genuine sessor disciple is lost, it¡¯s nothing. The genuine sessor disciple spot isn¡¯t his main goal in the first ce. I¡¯m d that stupid disciple understands that.

    Their attacks were like meteors, falling to the ground in pieces and surging up violently like an ocean wave.

    Shao Zhengyang¡¯s fierce attacks followed one after another, not allowing Lu Mingshu to counterattack.

    Ban Qin turned pale upon watching this scene

    ¡°What, you feel bad now?¡± Jie Wenhan asked him sarcastically.

    Ban Qin chose not to respond and looked away. He watched the fight from the corner of his eyes.

    Shao Zhengyang is sneaky indeed! He didn¡¯t disy his true ability during the previous fight!

    Upon facing Lu Mingshu¡¯s powerful attacks, he attacked without reserve.

    The mystic lights were like lightning, moving fast and furiously, making the swords look magnificent.

    The disciples on the high stage were stupefied. They watched the fight as if they were drunk.

    They didn¡¯t care much for the previous fights, which ended before they even knew what was going on. The fight with Ban Qin ended in the blink of an eye. With Tang Jingrong, as soon as he attacked, Lu Mingshu counterattacked and ended the fight. At least the fight with Xi Qing was something to look at, but the gracefulness of it made it hard to tell when either of them was even attacking.

    However, with this current fight, both parties were giving it their all. Sword-lights shed, revealing whose sword skills were better as they had a fierce contest for victory.

    Their attacks became bigger and more powerful. Everyone around the tform could feel their ferocity.

    Lu Mingshu waved her sword. Sparks could be seen as she chopped down with all her might.

    Shao Zhengyang eyes shone. With his sword, he went to counterattack.

    Everyone held their breath.

    ng¡ª¨C

    Both swords shed.

    A ray of sword-light shot up, and just like the previous fights, itnded in the ground.

    The spectators all stood rooted to the ground when they saw this scene.

    Shao Zhengyang was just standing there with his sword still held upright... only, the sword was cut in half.

    What¡¯s... happening?

    When she bisected Tang Jingrong¡¯s sword, all of them felt that it was just her sword that was stronger. When she bisected Xi Qing¡¯s sword, all of them felt that it was normal for Xi Qing¡¯s sword to be chopped in half ¨C it was made of bamboo. But now, even Shao Zhengyang¡¯s sword was chopped in half.

    One by one, everyone felt suspicious of Lu Mingshu¡¯s sword.

    All eyes were glued to Lu Mingshu¡¯s sword.

    What kind of sword was it? A treasured tool? But no, a treasured tool wouldn¡¯t have such an ordinary appearance. It couldn¡¯t be a spirit weapon either. There was only a limited number of spirit weapons in all of Ancient China. In the Nine Jade Pce, only someone in the Spirit Realm would even have a chance to touch a spirit weapon. No matter how they looked at it, it was just a mystic weapon, but it had the ability to chop someone else¡¯s mystic weapon in half, wasn¡¯t that too impressive?

    Ding!

    The other half of the sword fell to the ground.

    Shao Zhengyang stared at his broken sword, lost for words. He had predicted this oue, but it was still hard to ept when it arrived.

    He sighed with a heavy heart and waved his hands, ¡°Junior Sister Lu is indeed very skilful. I¡¯m convinced.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded to return his politeness.

    In this Heavenly Doorpetition, she initially didn¡¯t want to stand out. She didn¡¯t expect things to go this way either. Neither Lu Mingshu nor her master hoped to get anything more than a genuine sessor disciple spot out of the Heavenly Doorpetition.

    That¡¯s exactly what she did at the lower door ¨C passed without any distractions.

    However, Zhou Yinru ruined everything.

    Seriously injured, being assaulted, and almost dying. At that point, Lu Mingshu knew how she was perceived by everyone else.

    One party felt that she was useful and tried to take advantage of her, while the other party tried to act ¡°nicely,¡± advising her to give up.

    As for who she was or if she got to be a genuine sessor disciple, nobody cared.

    All of them were idiots in this game, just chasing after benefits. Either you were a puppet to be manipted or you were an enemy.

    Thus, Lu Mingshu chose to stand up and challenge everyone.

    She might not have been able to change the rules of the game, but at least she would let them know that she wasn¡¯t a pushover.

    Lu Mingshu stood in the middle of the tform and faced the crowd.

    With her winning streak of four, she had proven herself.

    On the other hand, the elders on the high stage started to feel embarrassed.

    She had already won four rounds continuously, and yet she wanted to continue? Even though

    she was too powerful to be true, they couldn¡¯t afford to let her win again.

    Just look at who she¡¯s defeated up to now: Ban Qin, the best of the line of Dawn¡¯s sixteenth generation, Tang Jingrong, the best disciple of the line of Scarlet Sunrise, Xi Qing, the elder senior sister of the line of Emerald, and Shao Zhengyang, Yu Wenshi¡¯s favourite disciple and the sessor of the line of Jade Terrace.

    The names of every line were at risk!

    ¡°Senior Brother Yu, look....¡±

    Yu-Wen shi lifted his hand to indicate that he understood.

    ¡°That youngster is pretty good. Let her be,¡± he replied with a smile.

    Yu-Wen shi¡¯s response left the elder in shock. What? His disciple was defeated by Lu Mingshu in front of everybody and yet he said she was pretty good?

    In another area, Fu Shangqing received a voice transmission from the elder of the line of Fluffy Clouds, ¡°Pass the message to Wen Han.¡±

 Chapter 97: Sixteen out of Sixteen.

    <h4>Chapter 97: Sixteen out of Sixteen.</h4>

    ¡°Senior Aunt!¡± Ban Qin nudged Jie Wenhan again.

    Feeling irritated, Jie Wenhan snapped, ¡°Poke me again and I will chop your finger off!¡±

    Jie Wenhan rolled her eyes. She looked over and beckoned a disciple from the same line toe over, then whispered something to him.

    ¡°Senior Aunt, what did you tell him?¡± Being a busybody, Ban Qin asked as soon as the disciple left.

    ¡°Why do you always talk nonsense?¡± Jie Wenhan asked in annoyance before answering his question. ¡°I asked him to challenge her so that she can use up more of her mystic force.¡±

    Ban Qin¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, ¡°But isn¡¯t that...?¡± He started to ask in a low voice.

    ¡°Devious?¡± Jie Wenhan sneered. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s only about us right now? If she defeats all of us, not only will we be embarrassed, the line of Fluffy Clouds will be embarrassed too. You guys ¨C the line of Dawn ¨C as well.¡±

    ¡°But...¡±

    Jie Wenhan waved her hand, ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m asking you to fight her. You¡¯ve already lost.¡±

    That made Ban Qin speechless.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take up the challenge!¡± A disciple stepped out of the crowd.

    Without wasting any time, both parties attacked immediately after greetings were made.

    Compared to the first fourpetitors, this disciple¡¯s ability fell short. However, he had determination. Even knowing that he would lose, he still fought with all his might. The fight ended once again with Lu Mingshu breaking his weapon in half.

    As soon as the disciple was defeated, another with simr qualities came up to challenge Lu Mingshu.

    After numerous fights, Lu Mingshu figured out what was going on.

    Trying to use up my mystic force and injure me, huh? Nice try, but it¡¯s a pity that that n won¡¯t work.

    Unlimited mystic force rushed through her meridians via meditation forme. Her closed apertures then turned the mystic force into true energy, which then flowed into her Dantian. Paired with her exceptionally good control over her energy, she was able to bnce her use of mystic force perfectly.

    After a dozen or more rounds, disciples stoppeding up to challenge.

    Blood started oozing from her arms. The continuous fights indeed left her with some cuts here and there, but that didn¡¯t stop her from fighting; all she did was wrap her injuries with strips of cloth, then face the crowd once again, ¡°Who¡¯s next?¡±

    Below the White Magnificent Peak, an uproar was happening among the spectating disciples.

    ¡°How many has she fought?¡±

    ¡°Sixteen....¡±

    ¡°Sixteen wins in a row! Wow... such an impressive result!¡±

    ¡°So, sixteen weapons have been broken now?¡±

    ¡°Yeah! I wonder what the fate of the next weapon will be....¡±

    Lu Mingshu... who was she exactly? Reaching the Harmonization Realm at her age was already hard, and yet she could also win sixteen battles in a row in the Heavenly Doorpetition! Her ability was no worse than the best of the genuine sessor disciples. Even if she lost afterwards, her streak had already made history. Comparing her to oneself, one has just wasted one¡¯s life away living like a pig.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Wenhan?¡± The Zhou family¡¯s Elder mmed his wine cup on the table in annoyance. ¡°Why is she still taking up the challenge? Didn¡¯t she get the message?¡±

    Every disciple that Lu Mingshu defeated was like giving the Elders a tight p on the face. By now, all the Elders¡¯ faces should be swelling!

    ¡°Wenhan must have a n,¡± The Elder of the line of Fluffy Clouds tried to defend Jie Wenhan, but hisment fell on deaf ears.

    Many pairs of eyes involuntarynded on Fu Shangqing. Out of all the Elders, his face would be the most swollen; after thispetition, there was no doubt that most disciples would hunt down Lu Mingshu¡¯s origin.

    Fu Shangqing remained silent. He sat there expressionlessly as if everything that just happened was none of his business.

    However, the twins beside him reacted much differently. Fu Mingtang stared nkly into the phantom mirror while Fu Mingxi looked sullen.

    ¡°Father!¡± Fu Mingxi called.

    Fu Shangqing turned to look at her.

    ¡°I¡¯m upset!¡±

    ¡°Go find your mother then.¡± Fu Shangqing shrugged her off.

    Fu Shangqing¡¯sment angered her. ¡°Father...!¡±

    She stomped and ran down the high stage.

    All the disciples who were qualified to reach the upper door had already arrived.

    Even so, no disciple dared to take up Lu Mingshu¡¯s challenge. The streak of sixteen victories had them thinking twice before doing so.

    Lu Mingshu scanned the crowd.

    She didn¡¯t even spare the ordinary disciples a nce. Her focus was on the potential genuine sessor disciples. They are my opponents.

    Her eyesnded on Tan Yubing and they made eye contact.

    ¡°Junior Niece Lu¡¯s ability is astonishing. I concede defeat,¡± Tan Yubing replied with a smile.

    The crowd was taken aback by her response.

    There was no doubt that it would be hard to defeat Lu Mingshu, but given Tan Yubing¡¯s ability, she still stood a chance at winning! Lu Mingshu¡¯s definitely both physically and mentally tired after sixteen rounds, and Tan Yubing chose to give up without trying?

    Was Tan Yubing being a coward, or did she really believe that she wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat Lu Mingshu?

    Seeing that Tan Yubing conceded defeat, Lu Mingshu diverted her attention away from Tan Yubing.

    The Heavenly Doorpetition didn¡¯t forbid sneak attacks, but if one admitted defeat then sneak attacking would be considered cheating, otherwise, thepetition wouldn¡¯t be able to continue properly.

    Lu Mingshu then turned to stare at Yuan Ziyang.

    Yuan Ziyang yed with his peculiar-looking sword for a while before smiling at Lu Mingshu. He had a creepy smile that made people feel ufortable.

    The crowd looked at him in anticipation. The previous disciples were all wannabes, but Yuan Ziyang was a genuine sessor disciple.

    To everyone¡¯s surprise, Yuan Ziyang replied, ¡°I too concede defeat.¡±

    !!!

    Yuan Ziyang conceded defeat? What is he thinking? Everyone was waiting for the moment where Lu Mingshu would fight a genuine sessor disciple and yet Yuan Ziyang decided not to fight. Where¡¯s his pride? Did he eat his own pride, or was it eaten by a dog?

    Hearing Yuan Ziyang, Lu Mingshu then turned to... Jie Wenhan!

    Jie Wenhan sighed. She had predicted Tan Yubing¡¯s response; the line of Golden Door was inferior, so she wanted to wait for Lu Mingshu to mess up so that she could benefit. Yuan Ziyang¡¯s reply did take Jie Wenhan aback for a moment, but after remembering that Shao Zhengyang was one of the first few to ept the challenge, she somehow understood Yuan Ziyang¡¯s reply.

    It¡¯s hard, but... it¡¯s time that the line of Jade Terrace put their pride aside. They may have already been on the weaker side, but if they couldn¡¯t put their pride aside, they wouldn¡¯t even be able to think about turning things around!

    Jie Wenhan¡¯s n was going downhill. Jie Wenhan nned to let the previous disciples fight Lu Mingshu and tire her out. Then, when Tan Yubing or Yuan Ziyang fought her, they would be able to wound her, giving Jie Wenhan an advantage when she took on Lu Mingshu¡¯s challenge....

    ¡°Junior Niece Lu, I¡¯m afraid that this fight will be to your disadvantage,¡± Jie Wenhan stepped up.

    ¡°Senior Aunt Jie¡¯s a genuine sessor disciple and someone of the older generation, of course, Senior Aunt shouldn¡¯t act rashly,¡± Lu Mingshu smiled.

    Lu Mingshu sounded normal enough, but Jie Wenhan somehow felt that Lu Mingshu was hinting at something. Is it just me, or...?

    ¡°So, after watching the previous fights, does Senior Aunt think that I¡¯m capable of fighting you?¡±

    Jie Wenhan¡¯s smile fell, embarrassment taking over her face. So, she knew. As a senior, scheming against a junior wasn¡¯t something worth being proud of, but Jie Wenhan was left with no choice. She¡¯s too powerful for me! It¡¯s okay if others see me as someone without integrity, but the face of the line of Fluffy Cloud must be preserved!

    Before Jie Wenhan could say anything, Lu Mingshu pulled out her sword. ¡°Senior Aunt Jie, please.¡±

 Chapter 98: Whose Fight Is It?

    <h4>Chapter 98: Whose Fight Is It?</h4>

    Lu Mingshu acted fast and attacked first.

    No matter how confident in their ability, if one was fighting Jie Wenhan, no one would let down their guard.

    That was because the most powerful individuals in thepetition were none other than Jie Wenhan and Kuai Xin!

    Kuai Xin had a strong foundation; within a few years, he would be in the Spirit Realm. Compared to him, Jie Wenhan had a very strong ability as well, so she didn¡¯tck by much.

    Sparks could be seen before the sword-light expanded into a halo as it surrounded Jie Wenhan.

    Jie Wenhan waved her sword. It shone as mystic light burst out and dashed at Lu Mingshu.

    Clink Clink Clink¡ª¡ª

    The sound of the swords shing against each other lingered in everyone¡¯s ears. Both parties moved so fast that they couldn¡¯t be seen clearly.

    In the blink of an eye, the number of times the swords shed was already uncountable.

    Now that Lu Mingshu was going up against Jie Wenhan, she realized how scary the ability of a genuine sessor disciple was.

    She thought that she was already pretty good at controlling her mystic force, but Jie Wenhan was no worse than her. Jie Wenhan had smooth control, which showed how much effort she put into polishing her use of mystic force.

    Indeed, the ability that was gained through an artificial boost was no match for ability gained through repeated training.

    Even so, Lu Mingshu had faith in herself that she would win this fight!

    Sword-shadows flew past like lightning back and forth on the tform. Below the White Magnificent Peak, disciples were whispering in one another¡¯s ear.

    ¡°Interesting! I thought the fight with Senior Brother Shao would be the best, but this one with Senior Aunt Jie is way better!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what happens when the strongest meet up with each other.¡±

    The fight with Shao Zhengyang disyed Lu Mingshu¡¯s ability as close to his. The defeat of Shao Zhengyang was seen as a close shave, which made it seem like a fight that made one¡¯s heart speed up.

    With this fight against Jie Wenhan, it was revealed that Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t actually disy her true ability back then!

    The fight was still ongoing even after half an hour when the figures on stage split apart all of a sudden.

    Lu Mingshu was gasping for air, her clothes now drenched in sweat.

    ¡°Junior Niece Lu,¡± Jie Wenhan smiled politely. ¡°Seeing that you¡¯re out of energy, why don¡¯t we stop now? A tie isn¡¯t a bad result, is it?¡±

    ¡°Is Senior Aunt Jie winning?¡± Whispers among the crowd could be heard.

    In the spectators¡¯ eyes, she was indeed in a better conditionpared to Lu Mingshu, who looked like a wreck; not only was she drenched in sweat as well, there was blood oozing out of her wounds.

    After all, one party had a winning streak of sixteen while the other was nurturing her strength and biding her time.

    However, as long as Jie Wenhan won, nothing else would matter. Lu Mingshu¡¯s streak of sixteen wins would go down the drain.

    Lu Mingshu stood up straight facing Jie Wenhan.

    ¡°Senior Aunt Jie, I believe you are aware that some things shouldn¡¯t be left unfinished.¡±

    As fast as lighting, Lu Mingshu dashed forward once again.

    Cling Cling Cling¡ª¨C

    The sound of the swords hitting against each other could be clearly heard once more.

    Jie Wenhan started taking the fight lightly, and the corners of her mouth curved upwards.

    Silly kid, even though she has great ability, she¡¯s still a greenhorn in a fight. As long as she¡¯s triggered...

    Silly kid, doesn¡¯t she realize that she just fought sixteen people? What makes her think that she would be energetic enough to fight me? The more delicate her moves are, the easier it will be for her to make mistake.

    And she¡¯s injured too. I bet she can¡¯t even move her left arm now.

    As a Martial Practitioner, once a part of the body was hurt, it would affect the uracy of any moves.

    She¡¯s injured and still wants to fight me? Hah....

    Jie Wenhan¡¯s eyes shone as she felt Lu Mingshu¡¯s movement. Without the slightest hesitation, Jie Wenhan counterattacked.

    The sword in Jie Wenhan¡¯s hand trembled slightly as the mystic light passed through it, dispersing throughout the air and striking toward Lu Mingshu¡¯s injury.

    Szzzz¡ª¡ª

    The sword pierced through Lu Mingshu¡¯s left arm.

    Jie Wenhan let out a smile, which quickly faded when she felt something cold on her neck.

    As it happened, Jie Wenhan¡¯s strike didn¡¯t knock Lu Mingshu back, who decided to counterattack instead. Lu Mingshu ignored the sword that was piercing through her arm as she stepped forward to get closer to Jie Wenhan, simply letting the sword pierce deeper into her arm.

    A few strands of hair fell to the ground.

    The sword stayed on Jie Wenhan¡¯s neck.

    Jie Wenhan¡¯s smile stiffened. She looked up slowly at Lu Mingshu.

    Lu Mingshu was gasping for air, and the sweat trickling down her face was blurring her vision, but she gripped her sword tightly, pointing it at Jie Wenhan¡¯s neck.

    The sword-light blinked rapidly, causing a chill to run down Jie Wenhan¡¯s spine.

    This scene caused an uproar.

    ¡°Who was defeated? Senior Aunt Jie? ¡±

    ¡°Are you an idiot? Can¡¯t you see the sword pointing at her throat?¡±

    ¡°But... she wounded Lu Mingshu....¡±

    ¡°So what if she wounded Lu Mingshu? Even if Lu Mingshu lost an arm, the one with a sword at their throat is the loser! If Lu Mingshu continued, Senior Aunt Jie would need to wave her head goodbye!¡±

    ¡°What happened? Isn¡¯t Senior Aunt Jie on the winning end?¡±

    ¡°She was....¡±

    Elsewhere among the spectators, the Fluffy Cloud Elder stood up abruptly at the scene, nearly flipping the table over.

    ¡°Calm down, my dear Senior Sister. Sit,¡± The Elder of the line of Dawnmented sarcastically.

    The Fluffy Cloud Elder¡¯s face changed. She gritted her teeth and sat down.

    After this, the Zhou family¡¯s face would bepletely gone.

    After sixteen rounds, Lu Mingshu was obviously no longer in her best condition. Jie Wenhan had a major advantage going against Lu Mingshu in such a state, and yet she still managed to lose. The real reason the Zhou family allowed Jie Wenhan to fight, in the guise of Jie Wenhan wanting to retrieve face, was because they wanted to take control over Kuai Xin. However, they never expected that Lu Mingshu would show up out of nowhere and ruin the entire carefullyid n.

    ¡°You let me win,¡± Lu Mingshu sheathed her sword.

    Jie Wenhan took a deep breath before she withdrew her sword.

    Blood flowed out of Lu Mingshu¡¯s arm incessantly.

    Jie Wenhan put her sword back and took out some ointment, then proceeded to help Lu Mingshu wrap up her injury.

    After stopping the blood, Lu Mingshu nodded, ¡°Thank you, Senior Aunt Jie.¡±

    ¡°Why would you thank me? I yed dirty against you,¡± Jie Wenhan smiled bitterly.

    ¡°I know,¡± Lu Mingshu smiled. ¡°I knew from the start. Back then, you only fought Senior Uncle Kuai for show.¡±

    ¡°What...?¡±

    ¡°I could tell from that fight that you are someone who would use dirty tricks for your own benefit. Other people would think so as well, and they would look down on you.¡±

    That left Jie Wenhan speechless, before she shook her head and smiled, ¡°Stupid me, thinking that you fell into my trap when you figured out my weaknesses instead.¡±

    Jie Wenhan got the title of genuine sessor disciple three years ago. Being someone who was low-profile, not many people knew her well. Most thought she was a straightforward and short-tempered person when she fought with Kuai Xin at the lower door and quarrelled with Zhou Yinru.

    However, it would result in a loss if one saw Jie Wenhan that way.

    Jie Wenhan intentionally let more than ten disciples fight Lu Mingshu first before she went up in order to drain Lu Mingshu¡¯s energy. During the fight, she used strong moves so that Lu Mingshu would reveal her weakness, before finally attacking straight away to secure her win.

    It was nicely nned, but unfortunately, it didn¡¯t work out that way.

    Silly me. I thought that Lu Mingshu had fallen into my trap when actually, I was the one falling into hers. Lu Mingshu had already clearly seen through Jie Wenhan¡¯s tricks and pretended to be weak, tricking Jie Wenhan into thinking that Lu Mingshu was no challenge, all so she could identify Jie Wenhan¡¯s ws and turn the tide at thest second.

    ¡°Indeed, there¡¯s talent in every part of the world. I admit defeat.¡±

    Not only is my ability weaker, but I¡¯m also a worse schemer. Jie Wenhan tightened her fist as she made a decision...

    ...which was to just leave immediately. Her title as a genuine sessor disciple wouldn¡¯t be affected anyway since she was in the top ten in the previouspetition, so losing this time around wouldn¡¯t affect her title.

    Jie Wenhan pped Ban Qin¡¯s arm softly before leaving, ¡°Young man, it¡¯s your problem now.¡±

    The real reason she participated, to begin with, was to control Kuai Xin. Seeing that Kuai Xin wasn¡¯t intending to help the line of Jade Terrace, her part was done.

 Chapter 99: The Last Fight

    <h4>Chapter 99: The Last Fight</h4>

    Now that Jie Wenhan had been defeated as well, there was only one person left. All eyes turned toward him. If he was defeated by Lu Mingshu too, she would be the first person in the history of Nine Jade Pce who truly andpletely deserved the title of ¡°genuine sessor disciple.¡±

    ¡°Senior Uncle Kuai,¡± Lu Mingshu broke the silence.

    Kuai Xin turned to look at her, ¡°You¡¯ve just fought seventeen people; you must be quite tired. Rest for thirty minutes, then we¡¯ll fight after you¡¯ve had enough rest.¡±

    He had been standing there watching her fight. Lu Mingshu nodded in agreement. Her body was indeed in need of rest right now. Even though there was the Heavenly Wheel¡¯s boost and the help of the meditation forme, there was no way her energy wouldn¡¯t be drained after so many rounds of continuous fighting.

    ¡°Thank you, Senior Uncle Kuai.¡±

    Sitting down at the edge of the tform, Lu Mingshu took some medicine to heal her injuries and started to rest. As soon as the fighting paused, an uproar was caused by the disciples who were spectating below the White Magnificent Peak.

    ¡°He will definitely win! Even though Lu Mingshu is powerful, she¡¯s not in her best state right now! So, Senior Uncle Kuai will definitely win.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what you said about the previous fight, right? I feel that, when fighting against Senior Sister Lu,mon sense doesn¡¯t apply.¡±

    ¡°Well, the previous fight and this uing fight are different. At the end of the day, Lu Mingshu is someone who only just entered the Harmonization Realm, while Senior Uncle Kuai is about to enter the Spirit Realm soon! Can¡¯t you see the difference? Senior Aunt Jie¡¯s ability can¡¯t bepared with Senior Uncle Kuai¡¯s either.¡±

    ¡°If we could guess the result usingmon sense, why would we even be discussing this? If we were usingmon sense, Senior Sister Lu would have already been defeated long ago! I¡¯ll stick with what I¡¯ve said already.

    ¡°Fine, let¡¯s wait and see!¡±

    Meanwhile, Fu Mingxi stomped into the Jasper Jade Pce throwing a fit, ¡°Mother!¡±

    ¡°Why are you making such a fuss?¡± Zhou Miaoru strolled out from the hallway after hearing Fu Mingxi¡¯s voice.

    Seeing her, Fu Mingxi immediately went up and grabbed her sleeve tightly.

    ¡°Mother, do you know? On the White Magnificent Peak...¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Zhou Miaoru answered calmly. She sat down and took a sip of the tea that the maid had brought her, ¡°Your sister won sixteen fights in a row, right?¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s my sister?¡± Fu Mingxi bawled, ¡°Mother! What are you talking about? Do you expect me to admit that little bastard is my sister?¡±

    Zhou Miaoru chuckled at her reply before replying gently, ¡°I don¡¯t think your father would like what you just said. At the end of the day, she¡¯s still your father¡¯s daughter, carrying your father¡¯s genes. If you say she¡¯s a bastard, doesn¡¯t that mean your father is too?¡±

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Fu Mingxi looked away, as if to show that she didn¡¯t care.

    ¡°Mingxi, you¡¯re not a kid anymore,¡± Zhou Miaoru continued. ¡°You have to know that not everything will go your way.¡±

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t care! There¡¯s no way I would ever admit she¡¯s my sister!¡± Fu Mingxi huffed. ¡°Anyway, I didn¡¯t see Aunt anywhere. I¡¯ll ask around.¡±

    ¡°In the room.¡±

    Just as Fu Mingxi got up to look around, Zhou Miaoru¡¯s reply knocked her socks off. She paused and turned to look at her mother in shock.

    ¡°Left arm fractured, right arm paralyzed. She won¡¯t be able to hold a sword from now on.¡±

    Not minding Fu Mingxi, Zhou Miaoru continued as if nothing happened.

    ¡°How?¡± Fu Mingxi¡¯s eyes widened in shock as she started bawling once again. ¡°Who did it?¡±

    ¡°Your sister,¡± Zhou Miaoru replied in monotone. ¡°Your aunt tried to obstruct her but ended up being the one who was unable to reach the upper door. ¡±

    Fu Mingxi¡¯s blood boiled upon hearing what happened.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell father immediately and seek revenge for her!¡± She raged.

    Fu Mingxi was about to make her way to her father, but Zhou Miaoru¡¯s next words caused her to stop in her tracks.

    ¡°Your father already knows.¡±

    ¡°He knows? So why...? Oh, I know, he must be waiting for thepetition to end before he does anything. When it ends, he will seek revenge for Aunt!¡±

    Zhou Miaoru sighed in resignation after hearing Fu Mingxi¡¯s theory.

    ¡°My dear child, nobody in this world would get revenge against his or her own flesh and blood for a sister-inw.¡±

    What Zhou Miaoru said triggered Fu Mingxi.

    ¡°Father wouldn¡¯t side with her! Never!¡±

    ¡°Yes, he wouldn¡¯t care if we wanted to take revenge, but why would we?¡±

    ¡°Mother! It¡¯s Aunt who¡¯s injured right now! Why wouldn¡¯t we get revenge? Don¡¯t tell me... you think of her as your daughter?¡± Fu Mingxi shouted in disbelief.

    Zhou Miaoru chuckled. She smiled at Fu Mingxi while looking into her eyes. Zhou Miaoru smiled lovingly, but it sent a chill down Fu Mingxi¡¯s spine.

    ¡°Well... why wouldn¡¯t I?¡±

    Half an hour passed. Lu Mingshu opened her eyes and stood up slowly. Seeing that Lu Mingshu stood up, Kuai Xin, who was leaning on his sword as he patiently waited at the side, stood up straight.

    ¡°You¡¯re done?¡±

    ¡°The thirty minutes are up.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine if you still need more time.¡±

    Lu Mingshu shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte.¡±

    ¡°True. Let¡¯s start then,¡± Kuai Xin nodded in agreement. He carried his sword and walked toward the center of the tform.

    A big crowd of people were starting to flow toward the bottom of the White Magnificent Peak.

    Some were rushing over after hearing that one of the disciples had defeated seventeen people in a row, while some were just following the crowd without actually caring about thepetition itself.

    A streak of seventeen, not including bigshots like Tan Yubing and Yuan Ziyang who chose to avoid trouble by conceding. On the other hand, Jie Wenhan, who did choose to fight, didn¡¯t even get to resist before Lu Mingshu¡¯s sword was pointing straight at her neck. If Lu Mingshu defeated Kuai Xin on top of everything else, this Heavenly Doorpetition would go down in history. It wouldn¡¯t be forgotten even after a hundred years, and Lu Mingshu would be a legend.

    However, snickering could be heard on the high stage. If anyone could be a legend, then there wouldn¡¯t be any legends in this world. It was indeed surprising that Jie Wenhan was defeated, but against Kuai Xin, there was no way that Lu Mingshu would still be on the winning end. Kuai Xin had strong fundamentalspared to Jie Wenhan, and he was about to enter the Spirit Realm. On the other hand, Lu Mingshu had just entered the Harmonization Realm! There was such a huge difference in their ability, what were the chances that Lu Mingshu would win

    Whatever just take it as a chance to watch that pathetic arrogant girl be defeated.

    Lu Mingshu made a move first. She was so fast that her sword movement was like lightning. Seeing that Lu Mingshu made her move, Kuai Xin fished out his gigantic sword after bncing himself.

    Whooo...

    As if it was light as a feather, the giant sword in Kuai Xin¡¯s hand swayed smoothly in the air.

    ng!

    The swords shed and the sword-light bounced. Within no time, Lu Mingshu was already standing behind him. Kuai Xin raised his arms and another sound of swords shing could be heard. In a blink of an eye, both of them had already gone against each other for the umpteenth time.

    Below the tform, Shao Zhengyang furrowed his eyebrows.

    ¡°At this rate, there¡¯s no way she could defeat Kuai Xin,¡± Yuan Ziyang muttered

    Shao Zhengyang nodded.

    At the moment, Lu Mingshu was fighting Kuai Xin the way she fought Jie Wenhan; doing a push-and-pull with the opponent to drain their energy. Such a method was perfectly fine, seeing that Kuai Xin was so buff and used a giant sword. However, he wasn¡¯t someone who had a well-developed body at the expense of a simple brain. He knew when and where to use different methods to attack the opponent in order to cause the most damage. The reason Jie Wenhan dared to fight Kuai Xin before was that she was very experienced, but Lu Mingshu? Her use of mystic force was iparable to Jie Wenhan¡¯s, all she had was some skill.

    Right now, Shao Zhengyang hoped Lu Mingshu would win. Having sacrificed himself as her stepping stone and making Yuan Ziyang concede defeat in front of everyone, he didn¡¯t want all his efforts to go down the drain.

    The moment Shao Zhengyang saw Lu Mingshu at the upper door, he knew he was wrong.

    Liu Jizhen is indeed paralyzed, but not Lu Mingshu. She just entered the Harmonization Realm and yet her ability is so much more! Not even a god could do what she¡¯s done.

    Thus, Shao Zhengyang and his shallow vision decided to drop all previous ns and help Lu Mingshu.

    He guessed that Lu Mingshu must have overheard his and Yuan Ziyang¡¯s conversation on their way to the upper door. Since I volunteered to be a stepping stone, that should make up for any embarrassment.

    ¡°Should we help her?¡± Yuan Ziyang whispered.

    Shao Zhengyang shook his head.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not do anything on our own initiative. What she really wants isn¡¯t just to defeat him.¡±

 Chapter 100: The Strike

    <h4>Chapter 100: The Strike</h4>

    The giant sword came down with a tint of red. It was perfect in all aspects, be it in strength or speed.

    Lu Mingshu blocked the sword with her hands.

    BAM!

    The impact of the sword made Lu Mingshu¡¯s wrist numb and caused her to move back half a step. However, Lu Mingshu quickly regained her calm, wielding her sword and attacking once again.

    In the eyes of the crowd, the contest was never-ending as both of them struggled to defeat the other.

    Kuai Xin wielded his sword in a majestic manner. The sword was so fast that it was nearly invisible. The only thing that could be seen was the tint of red on the sword. Lu Mingshu was just someone there for Kuai Xin to defeat, like leaves floating in the air aimlessly. Compared to Kuai Xin, she was weak.

    Most of the crowd felt a sense of relief as they watched this scene unfold in front of their eyes. As they expected, Lu Mingshu was about to lose to Kuai Xin. Despite her being so strong and defeating the previouspetitors, she just entered the Harmonization realm recently, so she was no match for Kuai Xin.

    The people on the high stage, especially the Zhou family Elders, also felt relief as they watched them battle. In the past, they would¡¯ve wished for Kuai Xin to lose, but this time around, it was different. In thispetition, Kuai Xin seemed to hint at his separation from the line of Jade Terrace, and the Elders were anxious for him to win. If he won, Lu Mingshu¡¯s winning streak would be over, and he would have contributed to the Nine Jade Pce by saving its pride.

    However, the Elders did not realize that their ns were putting Lu Mingshu at an advantage.

    Stressed ¡ª that was how Lu Mingshu felt about the fight with Kuai Xin.

    As soon as the fight started, she started to experiment. The strength of the sword, the angle of the attacks, the amount of energy used.... She was clear about Kuai Xin¡¯s ability.

    However, that information didn¡¯t benefit her much since Kuai Xin didn¡¯t seem to have a weakness. He was way more powerful than her in every aspect!

    Compared to Kuai Xin, Jie Wenhan also had powerful stamina, but she was weak when it came to the basics. She relied too much on her fancy skills and wasn¡¯t veryposed, which is what Lu Mingshu took advantage of to defeat Jie Wenhan.

    However, Kuai Xin¡¯s basics were strong. He was stable andposed. Despite knowing that Lu Mingshu won seventeen rounds in a row, he was still calm.

    Lu Mingshu tried figuring out ways to defeat him, but to no avail. Kuai Xin was just too strong in every aspect. Even his thoughts were hardly shaken. Would she really be defeated by Kuai Xin after so many rounds of winning?

    As Lu Mingshu tried to figure out ways to win, they had already battled more than ten rounds.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t looking good. She still hasn¡¯t found a way to win,¡± Yuan Ziyang pointed out.

    Shao Zhengyang couldn¡¯t take his eyes off the battle. Even though he still couldn¡¯t tell who had the upper hand, Lu Mingshu being weaker than Kuai Xin was a truth that couldn¡¯t be denied.

    ¡°...should be because her basics are too weak.¡±

    ¡°I agree,¡± Yuan Ziyang shook his head.

    ¡°If I was in her position, I wouldn¡¯t have any idea how to win either. Kuai Xin has the upper hand in every aspect.¡±

    If Lu Mingshu was in her best condition right now, she may have stood a chance due to her exquisite skills, but after seventeen battles in a row, Lu Mingshu¡¯s energy had already been drained. Just having a half hour of rest wasn¡¯t enough for her to recover. With such an obvious disadvantage and Kuai Xin¡¯s powerful stamina, it was impossible for Lu Mingshu to win.

    Most of the disciples could tell what was happening. Especially the elders sitting at White Magnificent Peak¡¯s stage, as they were already chatting away.

    Winning seventeen battles in a row was indeed an excellent result. However, once she lost, the previous wins would all go down the drain. Even if a genuine sessor disciple spot was given to her, she would still be taken down easily after thepetition.

    As Lu Mingshu fought, her breathing started to get heavier. The previous battles had caused her to be covered in injuries on top of her declining stamina. If not for the Heavenly Wheel boost, she wouldn¡¯t even be able to lift her arm.

    The sky started to darken; Lu Mingshu had fought since noon without rest.

    No... this needs to end.

    Kuai Xin had good stamina, and he hadn¡¯t wasted much of his energy so far. On the other hand, her stamina was starting to drain much faster. Lu Mingshu¡¯s disadvantage would only get bigger as time passed.

    But... how do I win? In terms of skill, Kuai Xin was no worse than her. He was also better trainedpared to her, and he was always calm. The only advantage she had was that her sword was stronger than his, but Kuai Xin¡¯s sword was so big that breaking it the way she did previously was totally out of the question.

    He was like a tortoise hiding in its shell, making it hard to attack since there was no ce to start.

    The impact from the swords made them both move back half a step.

    ¡°Junior Niece Lu, do you still want to continue?¡± Kuai Xin sighed after looking at a wrecked Lu Mingshu.

    She¡¯s still just a child! Kuai Xin couldn¡¯t bear to continue.

    Lu Mingshu wiped away her sweat and answered with determination, ¡°As long as my sword is still intact, I won¡¯t stop!¡±

    She wielded her sword and dashed toward Kuai Xin.

    Lu Mingshu avoided his counterattack by sliding to the side.

    She tried to figure out a way in her mind. She clearly had weaker staminapared to him. It was impossible for her to fight him head-on other than just dodging his attacks. Suddenly, it came to her; why did she keep dodging? Yes, she was weaker than Kuai Xin, but continuing to dodge him wouldn¡¯t allow her to win, it would only wear her out even more, and she would be too tired to continue fighting.

    Suddenly, an idea came to her mind.

    Throughout the years, she had always used her ability to break down her opponent¡¯s strengths and weaknesses to her advantage. Lu Mingshu always tried to find the easy way to defeat her opponents, and there was nothing wrong with trying to find an easier way out. But this time, there was no easy way out, and the only method left was to gather up her courage and fight her opponent head-on.

    Like her current situation; she was constantly fighting for survival only to realize that she didn¡¯t belong.

    Lu Mingshu was forced to the edge. It felt like she was trapped in a cell, nothing but walls around her. The only way to free herself was to dash forward and never look back!

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s eyes started shining. She changed her method of fencing and exerted more energy into the sword, causing the sword to shine brighter.

    ¡°What is she trying to do?¡± Yuan Ziyang was shocked.

    Not just him, Shao Zhengyang was shocked as well, ¡°Is she mad? That¡¯s a suicidal move!¡±

    ¡°She really doesn¡¯t know where she stands,¡± Some Elders on the stage mocked.

    However, some agreed with her move.

    ¡°Rather than waiting to die, that¡¯s a good move!¡±

    ¡°Haish...¡± But most of the audience felt a sense of relief. After struggling for so long even though the answer was already so obvious, the battle was finally about to end.

    Lu Mingshu who leapt into the air currently felt calm. At this moment, the only thing left in her mind was not winning, but what her master said; ¡°You have been training so hard for years, and your sword technique is perfect, but it just feels like there¡¯s something missing.¡±

    She never knew what was missing, but she finally figured it out. The world was like a cell, trapping her inside and leaving her with no solution for how to get out. Since nothing could be changed, the only way was to just break it with her sword!

    Boom¡ª

    Her sword came down fast like lightning. At that moment, something broke open in front of her.

 Chapter 101: Letéˆ¥æªš Team Up!

    <h4>Chapter 101: Let¡¯s Team Up!</h4>

    ¡°What!?¡± Shao Zhengyang¡¯s eyes widened in shock.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Some elders on the high stage stood up abruptly in disbelief.

    ¡°That¡¯s... impossible!¡± Voices of disbelief could be heard from the crowd.

    The olddy that was guarding the upper door raised her head all of a sudden. Doubt was written all over her face.

    Lu Mingshu shed her sword with all her might. Kuai Xin then steadily counterattacked.

    There was almost nobody that believed Lu Mingshu would win. Whether it was her basics or her mystic force, she couldn¡¯tpare to Kuai Xin.

    And that was exactly what was happening. The rays of mystic light shed, and the ray that belonged to Lu Mingshu was suppressed by Kuai Xin¡¯s before gradually vanishing, indicating Kuai Xin¡¯s victory....

    But just at that moment, Lu Mingshu¡¯s sword-light split into several different rays of light and dashed toward Kuai Xin.

    Sounds of explosions could clearly be heard as the sword-light rubbed against the air.

    Nobody had time to react to what happened; it was all too fast.

    Creak¡ª-!

    The giant sword shattered into small pieces. Kuai Xin groaned as he was thrown off the tform.

    The sword technique had transformed into a whirlpool.

    In the centre of the whirlpool was a teenage girl situated calmly in midair. Despite the whirlpool, her face could still be seen.

    Everyone was left speechless.

    Shended as her sword technique slowly vanished.

    The olddy¡¯s eyes widened as she muttered, ¡°Physical Manifestation of Sword Intent... Physical Manifestation of Sword Intent! She¡¯s only in the Harmonization Realm, yet she¡¯s already able to break through to that realm....¡±

    The olddy then took a deep breath.

    ng!

    On the high stage, the sound of a cup breaking could be heard.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± somebody asked anxiously. Wasn¡¯t Kuai Xin going to win for sure? What happened?

    ¡°Did Lu Mingshu cheat?¡±

    ¡°Pfft!¡± Yu-Wen shi sneered at thatment.

    ¡°How is it possible to cheat with so many elders overseeing the fights? Can¡¯t you guys tell that it was a sudden breakthrough? That was Physical Manifestation of Sword Intent.¡±

    ¡°Physical Manifestation of Sword Intent? What¡¯s that?¡±

    Yu-Wen shi rolled his eyes, not bothering to reply. You¡¯re in the Spirit Realm and aren¡¯t even able to recognize the Physical Manifestation of Sword Intent?

    But honestly, who would have guessed it? How many people on earth are able to reach the stage of Physical Manifestation of Sword Intent when they¡¯re only in the Harmonization Realm?

    How Kuai Xin lost wasn¡¯t his fault. Who could¡¯ve known that Lu Mingshu would use all her energy and suddenly breakthrough against him?

    However, Yu Wenshi was taken aback by what happened. This kid, she¡¯s quite courageous! She struck without thinking of the consequences! Maybe she was forced to make that move.

    There were two types of people in this world: the first type would break down under pressure, causing them to underperform. The second would unleash all their potential under pressure.

    The trait of the second type was enough to make one¡¯s eyes green with envy.

    ¡°Who lost? Senior Uncle Kuai?¡± The spectating disciples took a moment to realize what was going on.

    ¡°Yes. Unbelievable.¡±

    ¡°How did he lose? I don¡¯t understand anything! Wasn¡¯t Senior Uncle Kuai on the winning end?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any idea either....¡±

    Some were cheering about her win.

    ¡°Hah! Like I said; she won! Eighteen wins in a row! I was right, you see?¡±

    ¡°How did she even win? Senior Uncle Kuai had the upper hand....¡± Resentful replies were made.

    ¡°Whatever! In any case, I was right.¡±

    On the other hand, the upper door was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.

    The disciples who were spectating through the phantom mirror couldn¡¯t understand how the disciples at the upper door felt.

    They felt firsthand how powerful the fight was, and they witnessed the Physical Manifestation of Sword Intent. Thus, while others were doubting Lu Mingshu¡¯s ability, they had noments.

    They felt her power personally.

    After a few moments, Kuai Xin slowly got up.

    He took a look at his shattered sword before turning his attention toward Lu Mingshu, who was standing straight.

    ¡°Haha, nice battle! I¡¯m honoured to be able to witness the Physical Manifestation of Sword Intent,¡± heughed heartily.

    ¡°Junior Niece Lu, I admit defeat!¡± He took a step forward and bowed.

    Lu Mingshu raised her head to give Kuai Xin a smile. Suddenly, her legs wobbled, and she was no longer able to bnce herself. Lu Mingshu fell to the ground with a thud.

    rgh!

    She vomited all the blood that she had been holding in.

    ¡°Lu Mingshu!¡±

    ¡°Mingshu!¡±

    Her chest felt heavy, and her vision was blurred. Lu Mingshu could feel pills being stuffed into her mouth, which then rolled down her throat.

    A while passed before Lu Mingshu slowly regained consciousness. Gao Xiang was the first thing she saw upon opening her eyes.

    ¡°Shh. Get some rest first,¡± Gao Xiang didn¡¯t even give her a chance to speak.

    ¡°But... I still have to pass....¡± Lu Mingshu struggled to look over at the olddy.

    ¡°Senior....¡±

    The olddy turned away.

    ¡°Lu Mingshu, your streak of eighteen has indeed set a record for the Heavenly Doorpetition, but rules are still rules; you still need to pass.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded, ¡°Senior, please give me a moment.¡±

    The olddy looked at her kindly before replying, ¡°Can¡¯t you feel that your energy has been all used up during the previous fights?¡±

    What? Shock was written all over her face. This olddy, she can really tell what¡¯s going on. I bet she¡¯s clear about my state right now.... What she said is true; my energy is all used up, and I have no more mystic force left. Even if I use the meditation forme, it wouldn¡¯t be any help because the boost already ended earlier due to the huge amount of energy needed for the Physical Manifestation of Sword Intent.

    Eighteen wins in a row and now Lu Mingshu was unable to pass the upper door? How unlucky could she be!?

    ¡°Senior!¡± Gao Xiang called out, ¡°Can we form groups in the Heavenly Doorpetition?¡±

    The olddy nodded her head slowly.

    ¡°Yes, but allow this grandma here to give you some advice. I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be able to pass, my dear boy.¡±

    ¡°This...¡±

    The olddy beamed at him, ¡°No hurry. This grandma here will give you 5 minutes to find your teammate.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll join,¡± a feminine voice rang from across the tform.

    Lu Mingshu and Gao Xiang looked over and realized it was Tan Yubing who spoke!

    Upon making eye contact, she nodded.

    ¡°Are both Juniors okay with me joining in?¡±

    ¡°Thank you very much, Senior Aunt Tan!¡± Gao Xiang was unable to hide his delight.

    ¡°We are just helping each other,¡± Tan Yubing replied with a slight smile.

    ¡°Junior Niece Lu, you should rest first.¡±

    At this situation, Lu Mingshu had no more energy left to be polite, ¡°Thank you for Senior Aunt Tan¡¯s trouble.¡±

    Sitting and watching from the side, Lu Mingshu could clearly see that, just by mming her walking stick on the floor, the olddy could summon a dozen swords to the tform to surround Gao Xiang and Tan Yubing.

    This olddy was indeed special, and way more powerful than the two guards from the middle and lower doors.

    Below the tform, Yuan Ziyang looked at Shao Zhengyang with doubt, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say anything? It¡¯s a good chance to express your goodwill, y¡¯know?¡±

    ¡°It would be tooplicated. We worry about her rtionship with the Zhou family, and she would worry about our fight with them. If we want to express our goodwill, then think in her shoes. Joining us does her no good,¡± Shao Zhengyang replied.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Yuan Ziyang rubbed his chin, pretending to be deep in thought.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have another, more selfish motive?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, Senior Uncle Yuan...?¡±

    ¡°Your age and hers aren¡¯t too far apart, am I right?¡± Yuan Ziyang added.

    Shao Zhengyang sighed and shook his head, ¡°You¡¯re overthinking things.¡±

 Chapter 102: Cutting Anotheréˆ¥æªš Throat

    <h4>Chapter 102: Cutting Another¡¯s Throat</h4>

    A thud could be heard as the sword formation shattered into many pieces, revealing Gao Xiang and Tan Yubing.

    Both of them were drenched in sweat. To describe them in one word, they were ¡°wrecked.¡± Blood could be seen on Tan Yubing.

    The upper door was indeed way more difficult to passpared to the previous doors. Furthermore, only two people were taking up the attack even though the test was currently designed for three, so the difficulty for Gao Xiang and Tan Yubing was even greater.

    Blinking her eyes to prevent herself from falling asleep, the olddy waved her hands as soon as the formation shattered, ¡°Okay, pass.¡±

    As she waved her arm, the mist that was surrounding the area started to disperse, and a grand staircase leading to the Heavenly Door was uncovered.

    Gao Xiang and Tan Yubing were overjoyed.

    ¡°Thank you, Senior,¡± they thanked the olddy, then immediately went back to help Lu Mingshu up before ascending the stairs.

    The other disciples¡¯ eyes were all green with envy when the three went up the stairs. Going up the stairs signified that one would be a genuine sessor disciple!

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Shao Zhengyang urged.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to wait a while? I¡¯m scared that...¡± Yuan Ziyang looked over at Ban Qin.

    Shao Zhengyang shook his head.

    ¡°Be at ease, they¡¯re still busy trying to save their face. Where would they have the time to care about us?¡±

    In this Heavenly Doorpetition, a lot of unexpected events had urred. The biggest ns who initially should have gone against each other didn¡¯t do much, and thepetition just ended with not much happening from them.

    Zhou Yinru didn¡¯t even finish thepetition, Tang Jingrong quit out of embarrassment, and Jie Wenhan gave up her seat as a winner this year. Out of all the people who managed to be genuine sessor disciples, half of them were unexpected.

    This was the worst result in recent years.

    Why was there such a result? All because a single disciple ¨C one who didn¡¯t belong to any ns, one who was sick and tired of being stepped on ¨C struck back out of anger.

    How many sighed with sorrow, and how many were angry and resentful?

    Before the sun went down, the ten disciples who managed to clinch a title as a genuine sessor disciple stood on the cloudy stage.

    Below the White Magnificent Peak, some stomped off in anger, and some walked over to the cloudy stage to witness the moment.

    To the Zhou family, it wasn¡¯t just an embarrassment to them, it was an embarrassment to their ancestors too. Among the ten, Gao Xiang, Tan Yubing, Kuai Xin, and Lu Mingshu weren¡¯t on any side. However, two of those ¨C Kuai Xin and Lu Mingshu ¨C were against them. Out of the other six, three were from the Jade Terrace and three were from the Zhou family. Not only did they not gain anything, they were now at a disadvantage.

    ¡°The Heavenly Doorpetition results are out. Thirty disciples were put to test at the upper door, but only ten managed...¡±

    Fu Shangqing took a piece of a jade tablet from a tray. The thing that signified one as a genuine sessor disciple; when thepetition ended, the name of the disciple would be carved into the tablet in through a special message, and it would be passed from the sect leader to the disciple.

    ¡°Lu Mingshu,¡± he announced the name in monotone.

    ¡°Disciple is here,¡± Lu Mingshu answered. Even though she won the Heavenly Doorpetition, neither happiness nor excitement could be seen on her face; she was perfectlyposed.

    ¡°You had an outstanding performance. Now, you will receive the title of genuine sessor disciple.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, sect leader.¡±

    Looking at Fu Shangqing, Lu Mingshu felt weird. This was her father ¨C her biological father ¨C yet the number of times they had met could be counted with her fingers.

    Eight years ago, at the Nine Jade Pce, he met her as a father and told her that he found her a master. Four years ago, she was used of conspiring with outsiders by Zhou Yinru during the spring hunt and met with him during her hearing. Now, Lu Mingshu had a streak of eighteen wins and she became a genuine sessor disciple, meeting him again for the award ceremony.

    They were rted by blood, yet they weren¡¯t even at the level of strangers.

    As far as Lu Mingshu was concerned, the only good thing that Fu Shangqing ever did as a father was bringing her to her master, Liu Jizhen.

    ¡°Wait a second!¡±

    Fu Shangqing halted his actions upon hearing the voice.

    He looked over to the crowd. A man with long hair and a beard was walking toward him withrge steps.

    Fu Shangqing took back his hand.

    ¡°Second Uncle? What brings you here?¡±

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s eyes lit up. The only person that Fu Shangqing would address as Second Uncle would be the Second Master of the Zhou family.

    Second Master of the Zhou family.

    He was in the Spirit Realm, and he held the title of Elder. Unfortunately, no matter how hard he tried, his brother ¨C the First Master ¨C was always way better. He couldn¡¯t cultivate as well and his ability was never up to par, so he was always forgotten by others.

    Even though Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t really know what happened between other ns, she knew the Zhou family¡¯s business by heart. Gao Xiang was always telling her stories about them.

    It wasn¡¯t surprising that a member of Zhou family woulde, but no matter who it was, it didn¡¯t matter.

    Elder Zhou went up to them and pointed angrily at Lu Mingshu, ¡°She¡¯s not qualified to be a genuine sessor disciple! Personal matters shouldn¡¯t apply here!¡±

    The second part was directed to Fu Shangqing.

    Fu Shangqing furrowed his eyebrows, ¡°What does Second Uncle mean? There are many witnesses that she was one of the top ten, I¡¯m just following the rules.¡±

    ¡°Oh, is that so? But, I seem to recall there being a rule saying a murderer shouldn¡¯t be given the title of genuine sessor disciple!¡±

    Not only were the disciples watching the ceremony through the phantom mirror confused, the Elders present on the cloudy stage were as well.

    Murderer? Who was killed in those eighteen fights? There weren¡¯t even many injuries!

    Most disciples didn¡¯t believe what Elder Zhou said. They witnessed Lu Mingshu winning despite always being forgotten by the Nine Jade Pce. So, to them, Lu Mingshu was a miracle, and they were biased toward her.

    ¡°Second Uncle Zhou, baseless usations shouldn¡¯t be made!¡±

    Before Fu Shangqing could finish, An Tongchen cut him off coldly, ¡°Cruel, bloody, killing innocents indiscriminately ¨C that¡¯s considered to be murder. Any vition will be taken care of. Light vitions will result in expulsion, serious vitors will be sentenced to death, and if someone is framed, then the party who framed them will be sentenced simrly!¡±

    ¡°Because it is such a serious matter, I have no choice but to speak! Bring it up!¡± Elder Zhou beckoned.

    Upon hismand, two disciples carried a stretcher up the stage.

    Elder Zhou took a step forward to lift the white cover, exposing a body covered in blood.

    The disciples below the White Magnificent Peak held their breath, and the female disciples shrieked.

    The corpse was covered in wounds indicating that beasts had been chewing him. The injuries were so bad that the body was badly mangled.

    ¡°It¡¯s him!¡± Ban Qin shrieked upon recognizing the face.

    The Zhou Elder immediately turned to him, ¡°Youngster, you knew him?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know who he is, but I¡¯ve seen him before....¡± Ban Qin answered after hesitating for a while.

    ¡°Where did you see him before?¡±

    ¡°At the lower door....¡±

    ¡°Was he with Lu Mingshu?¡±

    ¡°Yes....¡±

    The disciples¡¯ eyes shone after hearing Ban Qin¡¯s answer. When Lu Mingshu arrived at the lower door, that person was with her, but when she arrived at the middle door, it was only her. Because the White Magnificent Peak was so hazy, no one found it fishy at the time, as getting lost was easy. However, it turned out that he didn¡¯t get lost, he was dead!

    ¡°Everybody, look at the corpse. The wounds caused by the beasts are from after he was already dead. The fatal injury is this ¨C decapitation!¡± Elder Zhou held the head, which was no longer connected to the body, up to everyone, ¡°Look at the injury!¡±

    The bloody scene caused a lot of diforts. It even caused some to vomit.

    ¡°The Heavenly Doorpetition is apetition amongst fellow disciples. Decapitation of a fellow disciple of the Nine Jade Pce is more than cruel! Everyone, shouldn¡¯t this be taken care of?¡±

 Chapter 103: Convincing the Masses

    <h4>Chapter 103: Convincing the Masses</h4>

    All eyes turned to Lu Mingshu.

    Lu Mingshu, face as pale as a ghost, whose frail body was covered with blood, and the same person who had won eighteen fights in a row and created a historical moment.

    She stood there quietly and expressionlessly. She didn¡¯t try to defend herself, and she didn¡¯t look guilty either, as if the whole situation had nothing to do with her.

    On the other hand, Gao Xiang was like a cat on hot bricks. He stood up to defend Lu Mingshu, ¡°Elder Zhou, where¡¯s your evidence?¡±

    ¡°Evidence?¡± Elder Zhou sneered. He pointed to the horribly mangled body, ¡°Look! Just look at him. He passed the lower door with Lu Mingshu and his body was found near the lower door as well. Doesn¡¯t that seem fishy? And as for evidence... we could just match the cut on the neck to the murder weapon, do you want to have a go?¡±

    ¡°No need for all the hassle,¡± Lu Mingshu calmly cut off Elder Zhou, ¡°I killed him.¡±

    This caused many disciples to cry out in surprise. The heroine who won eighteen fights and reached the top ten is a murderer? This...!

    ¡°Mingshu!¡± Gao Xiang panicked, ¡°You...!¡±

    But Lu Mingshu had no intention of correcting herself.

    Gao Xiang urgently debated with Elder Zhou, ¡°Please think carefully, everyone! What reason does she have to kill? She¡¯s much more powerful than most, so there¡¯s no need for her to get rid of her opponent. Who would waste such unnecessary energy on someone like Liang Zongping?¡± He shouted, ¡°And if you wanted to say that she killed for wealth, that¡¯s even more ridiculous! How wealthy could a normal disciple like him be? Besides, his belongings are all still with him!¡±

    ¡°What are you bbering about, kid?¡± Elder Zhou bellowed, ¡°She already admitted it!¡±

    ¡°What my disciple means,¡± An Tongchen started coldly, ¡°is that no matter what, there¡¯s no reason for Lu Mingshu to kill. There must be something else going on here.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± With his master backing him up, Gao Xiang felt more daring, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a crime to murder, but it¡¯s not a crime to kill someone in self-defence!¡±

    Elder Zhou sneered, ¡°Youngster, as you said earlier, she¡¯s more powerful than others. What¡¯s the need for self-defence then?¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡± Gao Xiang increased his volume, ¡°Everyone saw it, they were together at the lower door, which shows that they were teammates! Under normal circumstances, why would you hurt your teammate for no reason? Unless... he betrayed her during a fight or tried to harm her!¡± He tried to reason with Elder Zhou.

    The crowd nodded in agreement. That makes sense. Liang Zongping was an ordinary disciple, while Lu Mingshu was aiming to be a genuine sessor disciple. He was hardly a rival for her; it made no sense to kill Liang Zongping unless he did something to her first.

    ¡°Haha, you¡¯re quite a good storyteller! What you¡¯ve said is certainly reasonable, but where¡¯s your evidence?¡±

    ¡°Then where¡¯s yours? She¡¯s a genuine sessor disciple of this Heavenly Doorpetition and yet you want to fix her up as a murderer before she can even exin herself? Is that how the Nine Jade Pce treats their genuine sessor disciples!?¡± Gao Xiang shouted at the top of his lungs. He then pulled Lu Mingshu forward, ¡°Mingshu, exin!¡±

    Lu Mingshu slowly lifted her head. She made eye contact with Elder Zhou and smiled, ¡°Elder Zhou, I think perhaps you¡¯re missing something here.¡±

    Elder Zhou stared daggers at her, ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s smile brought chills down everyone¡¯s spine as she continued coldly, ¡°Not only did I murder Liang Zongping, I also maimed Zhou Yinru!¡±

    The crowd gasped in shock upon hearing Lu Mingshu.

    Maimed Zhou Yinru? That exins why Zhou Yinru wasn¡¯t at the middle door and why she disappeared! But what¡¯s Lu Mingshu¡¯s motive? Does she think that she hasn¡¯tmitted enough crimes already?

    ¡°You...!¡± Surprisingly, Elder Zhou didn¡¯t seize the chance to use her, he was actually left speechless instead.

    ¡°Was Elder Zhou not intending to tell everyone about that?¡± Lu Mingshu asked in a monotone. ¡°Ah, right. Why would you? It¡¯s such an embarrassment; the Zhou family¡¯s Second Miss brought her two subordinates to ambush me but ended up being injured by me instead and had to withdraw from thepetition.¡±

    After summarizing the main event, Lu Mingshu¡¯s eyes shone, ¡°And to answer Elder Zhou¡¯s question of why I killed Liang Zongping... Gao Xiang was right; he attacked me, but do you know why? Because Zhou Yinru ambushed me!¡±

    All the disciples widened their eyes in shock. Zhou Yinru ambushed her? Senior Aunt Zhou brought two subordinates with her for thepetition, which means... it was Lu Mingshu against the three of them?

    Elder Zhou took a while to think of a reply, ¡°The Heavenly Doorpetition allows disciples topete with each other, and ambushes are also a way ofpeting. Are you nning to sue her for ambushing you?¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked at him and sneered, ¡°I¡¯ve already told you what happened, yet Elder Zhou still doesn¡¯t understand? Three against one... what makes you think that I can escape without the slightest injury? If the three of them were badly injured, would I be much better? That¡¯s how Liang Zongping got the chance to attack me, which is why I killed him in self-defence. That¡¯s my exnation. What do you think, Elder Zhou? Or do you think I should¡¯ve just sat there and waited to die after being ambushed?¡±

    Elder Zhouughed sarcastically, ¡°Lu Mingshu, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re contradicting yourself? You just said you were badly hurt by Zhou Yinru and attacked by Liang Zongping, yet you¡¯re standing right here, perfectly alright, and you even managed to win eighteen fights in a row! Show your injuries then!¡±

    Upon hearing what Elder Zhou said, most people were enlightened. Precisely! She just fought eighteen times in a row and won, so where were all her injuries then?

    Lu Mingshu then retorted, ¡°So, Elder Zhou is saying that I should already be dead after being ambushed?¡±

    ¡°You-¡±

    He was cut off by Lu Mingshu before he could continue, ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard of secret techniques? There¡¯s clearly a reason I can no longer fight anymore, right?¡±

    The disciples below the White Magnificent Peak were having a heated discussion about the supposed technique.

    ¡°Is there such a technique?¡±

    ¡°I have no idea,¡± another disciple shook his head.

    ¡°It¡¯s such a big world, it may really exist and we¡¯ve just never heard of it. I am going to believe her. Lu Mingshu wouldn¡¯t say things that don¡¯t make sense, she¡¯s not an idiot.¡±

    ¡°Of course she¡¯s not an idiot! That¡¯s why she is out to deceive idiots like you! She may have already predicted that everyone would think the same way as you.¡±

    ¡°Uh...

    I¡¯ll stick with my opinion. Who knows...?¡±

    Having been cut off twice now, Elder Zhou turned to Fu Shangqing in annoyance, ¡°Sect Leader, say something! She¡¯s already admitted that she killed Liang Zongping, what more evidence do you need!? And just because she says she has some secret technique doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s true! Killing a fellow disciple of the Nine Jade Pce is a serious offence! Are you going to just let her off?¡±

    Fu Shangqing turned to look at the corpse before turning to the crowd, ¡°This is a serious matter, decisions shouldn¡¯t be made on impulse. I¡¯ll investigate this matter further before giving everyone an exnation,¡± he replied solemnly.

    ¡°How can one be awarded a spot as a genuine sessor disciple if one is a suspect in a murder investigation?¡± Elder Zhou continued, unwilling to let Lu Mingshu get away with it.

    ¡°You can investigate further all you like, but the title of genuine sessor disciple shouldn¡¯t be awarded to her, otherwise how are you going to ount to the crowd! Or... Sect Leader, are you nning to bring your personal feelings into this?¡±

    ¡°Well...¡±

    As Fu Shangqing was hesitating, a voice rang across the stage, ¡°What a joke. Aren¡¯t genuine sessor disciples supposed to be important members of the Nine Jade Pce? Just by being a mere suspect, one will lose their title of genuine sessor disciple? Isn¡¯t the rule that one has to win with their own ability? How are you going to ount to the public if that rule is ignored?¡±

 Chapter 104: Evidence

    <h4>Chapter 104: Evidence</h4>

    Yu-Wen Shi!

    The spectators were taken aback seeing that he was speaking up for Lu Mingshu.

    The Elders on the cloudy stage all started to figure out what he was trying to do. Back during the fight against Shao Zhengyang...

    The line of Jade Terrace is siding with her?

    Lu Mingshu smirked. Finally, her hard work was paying off. She chose the Heavenly Wheel¡¯s advanced treatment because she would be able to achieve outstanding results, which would then garner the support of powerful parties since all they care about are benefits.

    It was an undeniable fact that she murdered someone, and who would believe her if she told the truth ¨C that it was Zhou Yinru who tried to kill her first ¨C if she had no evidence? The Zhou family wouldn¡¯t have given her a chance to exin herself anyways, so there was no choice but to garner the support of someone powerful.

    Yu Wenshi stood up and greeted Fu Shangqing before continuing, ¡°Sect Leader, it¡¯s not like this is the first incident of murder after so many years of the Heavenly Doorpetition. There have been one or two cases over the past ten years. Since Sect Leader only came to the Nine Jade Pce after all that already happened, allow me to tell you...¡±

    Hearing Yu Wenshi borating on the cases, Elder Zhou turned pale. Being in the Nine Jade Pce since he was young, and being even older than Yu Wenshi, he knew that everything Yu Wenshi was saying was all true.

    ¡°...those few examples all resulted in someone losing their life, and solid evidence is hard toe by since no one would attack someone else when there are witnesses around, so we should judge with logic.¡±

    ¡°Good point, that makes sense!¡± Elder Zhoumented, ¡°I agree that Lu Mingshu has a point, but why does she not have a single injury on her? Something¡¯s fishy, no? I¡¯ve never heard of this ¡®secret technique¡¯ either.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes, the secret technique. Well, I¡¯m in no position to say anything about that, but I do have two witnesses for Lu Mingshu.¡±

    Under Yu Wenshi¡¯s prodding gaze, Shao Zhengyang stepped forward, ¡°Disciple Shao Zhengyang here. I came across Lu Mingshu after I passed the lower door. She was lying on the side of the path at that time, struggling like she was on her deathbed. A dagger was stuck in her waist, and it looked to be a fatal injury. As for him...¡±

    Pointing at Liang Zongping¡¯s corpse, he continued, ¡°...his head was already removed. I think that it might¡¯ve been that disciple who attacked Lu Mingshu but ended up being killed in self-defence.¡±

    Yuan Ziyang was the next to step up, ¡°Disciple Yuan Ziyang here, and I can corroborate. With my ability, the only way to cause such a fatal wound to Lu Mingshu would be if she were unprepared, or if I was already in close proximity when I attacked. Thus, I¡¯m guessing Liang Zongping attacked her first.¡±

    As Elder Zhou was about to argue back about speaking without proof, Shao Zhengyang added on, ¡°By the way, I informed the guard at the middle door about this. Elder Zhou should check with him.¡±

    Before anybody could react to the situation, someone else stood up and volunteered to be a witness, ¡°I can also be a witness.¡±

    Hearing this voice, a lot of people were startled.

    That¡¯s Jie Wenhan!

    Jie Wenhan bowed to the crowd before she started, ¡°Sect leaders and Elders, I met Lu Mingshu on the way up as well. I can prove that Junior Nephews Shao and Yuan are telling the truth.¡± She turned toward Liang Zongping and picked up the cape on his body, ¡°This belongs to me. Iid it on Lu Mingshu when I saw that she was injured. She must¡¯ve left it there when she continued with her journey. In addition, I also informed the guard about this incident when I reached the middle door.¡±

    Three witnesses said the same thing, and they all mentioned another person.

    All eyes turned toward the guard in question.

    Seeing that everyone was waiting for his answer, he nodded, ¡°Yes, It¡¯s true.¡±

    Finally, there¡¯s some solid evidence.

    Gao Xiang heaved a sigh of relief.

    Below the White Magnificent Peak, disciples started to discuss amongst themselves once again.

    One cheered, ¡°I knew it! Senior Sister Lu didn¡¯t murder anyone on purpose!¡±

    However, others still felt that it was the wrong thing to do, ¡°Hmph! So what if it wasn¡¯t on purpose? She¡¯s ady yet she¡¯s so brutal....¡±

    Upon hearing that, ady retorted, ¡°Hey! So what if she¡¯s ady? Are we girls meant to just die if we get assaulted?¡±

    ¡°Senior Sister Lu is so hardcore! Did you hear what Senior Brother Shao said? There was a dagger stuck in her waist! Without that secret technique, she would be dead!¡±

    Yu Wenshi then turned to Elder Zhou and smiled at him, ¡°Second Elder Zhou, is there enough evidence now?¡±

    After Jie Wenhan acted as Lu Mingshu¡¯s witness, Elder Zhou¡¯s face became exceptionally pale.

    Jie Wenhan was a member of the Zhou family, so why did she choose to serve as a witness for Lu Mingshu? Was it the line of Fluffy Clouds¡¯ idea? The whole reason Elder Zhou stepped forward to take Lu Mingshu down was because he wanted to be recognized by the Zhou family, and it would be great if everything was linked to Fu Shangqing. However, he never expected that his n would be so undermined. Since he wasn¡¯t even that familiar with the Zhou family¡¯s situation, he couldn¡¯t tell whether it was because the Zhou family had other ns for Lu Mingshu or whether the line of Fluffy Clouds decided to save her.

    ¡°But, what about this supposed secret technique...?¡± Elder Zhou tired his very best to retort even though it was just his death throes.

    ¡°Haish...¡± A sigh could be heard.

    Even though it was just a light sigh, it caught the hearts of everyone who heard it.

    Hearing the sigh, Fu Shangqing rushed to the Heavenly Door.

    The crowd turned toward the Heavenly Door, and there stood the olddy that guarded the upper door.

    The Elders on the cloudy stage immediately bowed and greeted her, ¡°We see the Grand Elder!¡±

    The spectating disciples all immediately followed what their seniors did. The Grand Elder, having ast name of Yuan and the first name of Xi, hadn¡¯t shown herself in ages.

    ¡°This old woman here rarely guards for thispetition, yet something so terrible happened.¡± She waved her hand to dismiss Fu Shangqing¡¯s help as she slowly walked to the stretcher at the side.

    ¡°Senior Grandmother,¡± Fu Shangqing bowed to ask for forgiveness, ¡°It¡¯s all disciple¡¯s fault that you were rmed....¡±

    She waved her hand, ¡°No need, it¡¯s okay,¡± she then looked over at Elder Zhou before continuing slowly, ¡°Second Zhou, I can be a witness for this girl here. She was at her best state when she was at the upper door all because of some secret technique that gave her a boost. However, ites with a side effect; until several months pass, she will be unable to fight since she has lost all her ability.¡±

    Seeing that the Grand Elder already said something, Elder Zhou had no choice but to let the matter go, ¡°Of course I believe Senior Aunt Yuan....¡±

    ¡°Is that it?¡± The olddy looked at him in disbelief, ¡°You little bastard, can¡¯t you just stay at home and mind your own business? Go and mess up your already-messed-up Zhou family and stay in yourne. Tsk, why were you even given the title of Elder?¡±

    Despite her cutting remarks, Elder Zhou remained silent.

    ¡°Whatever!¡± She continued, ¡°This old woman here can¡¯t bear to see such a good seedling be ruined! These days, the quality of the Nine Jade Pce disciples has gone down the drain. One man¡¯s treasure is taken as trash by all you blind people. No wonder the other ns ¨C even the middle-ranked ns ¨C are surpassing us! Without us, three people who don¡¯t die, would you all even have the face to walk out of the pce? Wake up!¡±

    What the olddy said stabbed the hearts of the Elders present. Despite them being proud know-it-alls, none of them dared to retort, they only pleaded for forgiveness, ¡°Disciples know their mistake now!¡±

    ¡°Whatever,¡± she brushed away their pleading, ¡°You all say you know now, then you¡¯ll just continue your nonsense behind my back.¡±

    Her words left the crowd in silence, and no one dared to make any more noise.

 Chapter 105: Piece Of Advice

    <h4>Chapter 105: Piece Of Advice</h4>

    Lu Mingshu looked down, with the eyes facing the nose and the nose facing the heart, as a form of respect when the olddy walked toward her.

    She could see the walking-stick beside her feet. It remained there for quite a while before the olddy spoke up, ¡°How¡¯s your master?¡±

    Lu Mingshu stared nkly at her for a while. She then regained her consciousness, ¡°Replying to the Grand Elder, master is doing well now. He has been reading, fishing, and chatting with disciples during his free time.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s good that he has let go,¡± the olddy nodded.

    Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t continue the conversation as she didn¡¯t know what to say.

    The olddy looked into her eyes, ¡°This old woman here has been around for more than a hundred years and has seen many talents, but your master is the only one worth mentioning. Do you know why?¡± She drawled.

    ¡°Disciple does not.¡±

    The olddy ambled away from Lu Mingshu before stopping to look at the breathtaking scenery. ¡°Practicing martial arts isn¡¯t just about fighting, it¡¯s about values too. There are a lot of talents, and you will see them everywhere; that¡¯s normal. However, the only thing that differentiates them from the best are the values they hold. Without proper values, they won¡¯tst long.¡±

    Before Lu Mingshu could reply, the Elders answered in unison, ¡°Thank you for the advice, Grand Elder!¡±

    However, the olddy¡¯s reaction was something that nobody would¡¯ve expected, ¡°No one¡¯s talking to you idiots!¡± She rolled her eyes at them.

    ¡°Uh...¡±

    The olddy ambled back to Lu Mingshu as she continued, ¡°Liu Jizhen did a great job in teaching you, but this olddy here has a piece of advice for you.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded, ¡°Please enlighten me, Grand Elder.¡±

    ¡°The strongest one will break and the most powerful will be humiliated. Just do your best, but act appropriately.¡± The olddy then slowly turned around to exit the stage with the help of her walking-stick, ¡°Alright, this unpleasant old woman here will leave now.¡±

    The crowd immediately bowed, ¡°Sending the Grand Elder off!¡±

    ¡°Haish...¡± She sighed as she took a few steps forward and disappeared into thin air.

    This scene caused the eyes of those on the cloudy stage to turn green with envy. Once one entered the Assimtion Realm, they were no longer limited to a physical body, and they could live for a very long time as well. How good would that be? Would I even see the day...?

    Since Grand Elder Yuan Xi had spoken, Elder Zhou couldn¡¯t say anything else, so he just left quietly, his disciple following suit carrying the corpse. The award ceremony that was cut off was resumed.

    A mixture of feelings gushed up when she received the tablet.

    Before thepetition, she was eager to get the title of genuine sessor disciple so that her master could be at ease. However, right now, when the tablet was ced in her hand, she didn¡¯t feel even a single bit of excitement.

    Every single person and matter in this n no longer matters.

    ¡°Mingshu?¡± Gao Xiang¡¯s voice rang in her ears. She realized that the ceremony was over.

    Gao Xiang suggested, ¡°You¡¯re hurt, so how about you let my master send you home?¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded, but something struck her, ¡°What about Little Daze...?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll send him back for you.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    The sky dimmed and covered the sun that was shining on Green Jade Valley.

    In the garden sat Liu Jizhen, who was polishing a rusted sword. This was the first gift he ever gave Lu Mingshu, and it was ruined during the spring hunt. Now it was no longer usable. Despite that, she brought it back safely.

    This child... she must not have received much love that she cherishes every single bit given to her so much.

    He started to ponder about how good of a master he was. He didn¡¯t even care about her for the first four years, leaving her ¨C around seven or eight at that time ¨C to figure out martial arts on her own on top of all the house chores he had her do.

    When she grew up, he didn¡¯t give her much either. He had no resources, and since he was crippled, all he could do was teach her from all the experience he had gained. The Heavenly Doorpetition was dangerous, especially for a young girl like her, but he couldn¡¯t do anything except sit here and wait for her toe back, letting her go through thepetition all by herself.

    ¡°Courtyard Leader, the sky is turning dark. Will youe in first? Ah Sheng is waiting by the road; we will inform you once she¡¯s back,¡± Hui Niang¡¯s voice cut off his thoughts.

    Liu Jizhen shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Makes no difference.¡±

    Hui Niang wanted to say something more, but she could see Ah Sheng hurrying back from the entrance. She immediately went up to him, ¡°Has Miss arrived?¡±

    Liu Jizhen stood up anxiously.

    Ah Sheng nodded while trying to catch his breath. ¡°Elder An sent her back. Miss... Miss is in the top ten!¡±

    ¡°Really?!¡± Hui Niang couldn¡¯t hide her excitement.

    ¡°Yes!¡± He nodded, ¡°It¡¯s true!¡±

    ¡°Is she injured then?¡± Hui Niang asked, worried for Lu Mingshu¡¯s wellbeing.

    Before Ah Sheng could reply, the snow lion had already appeared out of nowhere. In the blink of the eye, it had already reached the front door.

    ¡°Miss!¡± Hui Niang rushed forward.

    An Tongcheng got down from the snow lion and greeted Liu Jizhen who just walked out, ¡°Senior Brother Liu.¡±

    ¡°Junior Brother An,¡± Liu Jizhen greeted him while Hui Niang anxiously checked Lu Mingshu for injuries after helping her dismount.

    ¡°Miss, how are you feeling? Are you hurt? Is it serious? Why do you look so pale? And why is your hand so cold...?¡±

    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m fine,¡± Lu Mingshu smiled brittlely at Hui Niang before going forward to greet Liu Jizhen, ¡°Master.¡±

    Liu Jizhen scanned her for any serious injuries, then smiled at her, ¡°You must be tired. Go in and rest first. We can talkter.¡±

    ¡°Okay, disciple shall leave first,¡± Lu Mingshu bowed to An Tongcheng before going into the house with the help of Hui Niang. She was way too tired to do any more talking.

    As soon as Lu Mingshu could no longer be seen, Liu Jizhen turned to face An Tongcheng, ¡°Is there something that you want to tell me, my dear Junior Brother?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s go in first,¡± he replied.

    Lu Mingshu felt dizzy after leaving the cloudy stage.

    Lu Mingshu could not register Hui Niang¡¯s nagging out of concern. She could feel the warmth of home, but she couldn¡¯t stay awake to pay attention to all the care and concern she was being showered with.

    After a while, Hui Niang had already finished helping her wash up and clean her wounds, and Lu Mingshu immediately fell asleep hugging her pillow.

    Looking at her quietly sleeping, Hui Niang felt sorry for her.

    Outside, the sky waspletely dark. Inside Liu Jizhen¡¯s bedroom sat two guys, with a lit candle that faintly showed their shadows.

    The sound of tea flowing into a cup emanated throughout the room. An Tongcheng silently stared at Liu Jizhen, who was pouring the tea for him, before speaking up, ¡°Senior Brother, you don¡¯t look as amazing as you used to, eh?¡±

    Liu Jizhen ced the teapot down gently before muttering, ¡°I¡¯m crippled now, how could I possibly look amazing?¡±

    An Tongcheng smiledzily as he held the teapot in his hand, ¡°Senior Brother, you may be crippled, but at least you¡¯re still alive and kicking,¡± he downed the cup of tea that Liu Jizhen poured for him before he continued, ¡°Ever since we were young, you¡¯ve been my shlight, guiding me to the right path without fail. For a short while, the light was put out from the pain, but I am d it came back to life again.¡±

    Liu Jizhen stared at him for a while in confusion beforeughing it off, ¡°Junior Brother, this doesn¡¯t sound like you. What¡¯s going on?¡±

    An Tongcheng stared at his teacup and continued softly after Liu Jizhen filled his cup up for him again, ¡°I know the reason why Senior Brother has the will to live again. It¡¯s because of that child, am I right? Without her, you would still be making wooden swords all day.¡±

    ¡°So?¡± Liu Jizhen smiled at him softly.

    ¡°So,¡± An Tongcheng looked into his eyes,

    ¡°if she ever had to leave this ce, would you still be like how you are today?¡±

 Chapter 106: So Close Yet So Far

    <h4>Chapter 106: So Close Yet So Far</h4>

    The Heavenly Doorpetition hade to the end, and Lu Mingshu became famous. Her amazing result of eighteen wins in a row was known by everybody in Nine Jade Pce in no time, and her background became known as well.

    Eight years ago, she was notorious due to the ugly rumors that Zhou Yinru had spread about her. Now, stories about her were much different from what she was associated with back then. Maybe it was because of the history-breaking record of eighteen wins, or perhaps some other reason.

    ¡°Zhou Yinru imed that Senior Sister Lu¡¯s family was materialistic. Weird. If they really were, why would theye to fetch the Sect Leader back instead of trying to join the sect?¡±

    ¡°And she imed that they came just to cling onto Fu Shangqing? Lu Mingshu¡¯s mother is already dead! What kind of moneygrubber woulde just to kill themselves? What¡¯s wrong with leaving her daughter with her father?¡±

    ¡°Anyway, I heard that Senior Sister Lu did well during the spring hunt, but the Zhou family called her a traitor, tsk....¡±

    Gao Xiang happily told Lu Mingshu about all the rumors he heard.

    ¡°Miss, time for medicine!¡± Hui Niang entered with a bowl of Chinese medicine.

    Lu Mingshu cringed when she smelled the medicine, ¡°Aunt Hui, can I not take the medicine?¡±

    ¡°Of course not!¡± Hui Niang replied sternly, ¡°How could you not when you are seriously injured?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Gao Xiang popped some peanuts in his mouth, ¡°Hui Niang, you must make sure she takes the medicine! It¡¯s so rare and effective that it cost an arm and leg on top of my master¡¯s face!

    ¡°Yes, we shouldn¡¯t waste the Grand Elder¡¯s effort.¡±

    Seeing that her whining was to no avail, Lu Mingshu pinched her nose and poured the medicine into her mouth. She wanted to pour away the residue, but she was stopped by Hui Niang.

    She then proceeded to rinse her mouth to get rid of the bitterness of the medicine.

    ¡°Have you heard about Zhou Yinru?¡± Gao Xiang asked as he popped a peanut in her mouth.

    ¡°Nope,¡± she popped another peanut in her mouth.

    ¡°The Zhou family has betrothed her to someone!¡±

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s jaw dropped, ¡°Betrothed? To who?¡±

    ¡°The Jin family, which deals in gold,¡± Gao Xiang took one more peanut. ¡°You may not have heard of them, but the Jin family has been expanding their business these past few years, and they¡¯re aiming to expand their business into the aristocratic families.¡±

    ¡°Oh...¡± Lu Mingshu took the peanuts Gao Xiang handed her, ¡°Each side takes what they need, and things all fit together. That¡¯s good.¡±

    ¡°Good for both families, but not Zhou Yinru,¡± Gao Xiang tried to wink at her suggestively, but failed since he couldn¡¯t wink.

    Lu Mingshu giggled, ¡°Stop being so mysterious! Spill it!¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay,¡± Gao Xiang leaned toward her, ¡°The young master of Jin family... is retarded!¡±

    ¡°You mean Zhou Yinru¡¯s fianc¨¦e?¡± Lu Mingshu couldn¡¯t believe her ears.

    Gao Xiang grinned from ear to ear happily, ¡°Yeah! Rumors say that Zhou Yinru was unwilling to do so, but the Zhou family was so determined that she couldn¡¯t do anything about it. Now that she¡¯s a cripple, her only value is in sending her off to be married off for the sake of an alliance,¡± he sneered.

    The room went silent for a moment before Gao Xiang broke that silence with a question, ¡°Why do you seem so moody?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to rejoice over,¡± Lu Mingshu answered. ¡°No matter whether she¡¯s alive or dead, the Zhou family wouldn¡¯t be affected much because she¡¯s just a nobody.¡±

    ¡°True.¡±

    ¡°By the way, have you heard anything about me from the Zhou family?¡± Lu Mingshu changed the subject.

    It¡¯s weird, why hasn¡¯t the Zhou family taken any action toward me? Elder Zhou came to disrupt things and then Jie Wenhan helped bail me out. After that, there¡¯s been nothing from the rest of the Zhou family. Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t understand what the Zhou family was thinking.

    ¡°Nah, I haven¡¯t heard anything yet,¡± Gao Xiang gave her a cup of water after the peanuts were finished. ¡°I predict that the Zhou family won¡¯t do anything to you for now. Not because of your wins or anything, but because of the Grand Elder. With you having the support of the Grand Elder, they will be well-behaved for now.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded. It must have been a blessing from above that the Grand Elder would speak up for her; she never expected things to end this way.

    The Grand Elder was the greatest within the Nine Jade Pce¡¯s hierarchy and the most powerful as well. With her present, Zhuo Jiangui was just a junior.

    ¡°By the way, there¡¯s something you should take note of,¡± Gao Xiang gulped. ¡°Being who they are, the Zhou family must still be nning something against you since they haven¡¯t taken any direct actions against you yet and because the Jade Terrace has spoken up for you.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re just trying to make use of me,¡± Lu Mingshu smiled.

    The rules of the Nine Jade Pce¡¯s game were easy to understand. The line of Jade Terrace sided with her since they found her useful. As for the Zhou family, she hadn¡¯tpletely figured them out yet, but no doubt their actions were based on making use of and suppressing other parties.

    After chatting for a while more, Gao Xiang stoop up, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte soon, got to go! My master is being stricter with me these days!¡±

    ¡°Oh, go ahead. Could you please help me feed Little Daze too? It must be starving.¡±

    ¡°Again? Have you not seen how fat it is right now?¡±

    Gao Xiang reached the Willow Woods.

    Standing in front of his house, Gao Xiang looked up to the sky.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Zhuo Jiangui, who was watering the nts, asked as he saw Gao Xiang staring into space.

    Gao Xiang¡¯s thoughts were cut off. He sighed and lowered his head.

    ¡°Martial Grandfather.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Am I useless?¡±

    ¡°Are you mad? Aren¡¯t you always full of confidence?¡± Zhuo Jiangui furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

    Gao Xiang remained deep in thought as he leaned against a rock.

    Seeing that Gao Xiang was feeling down,

    Zhuo Jiangui made an effort to show some concern, ¡°What is upsetting you?¡±

    Gao Xiang twirled the vine in his hand as he sulked, ¡°After passing through the middle door, I thought that Mingshu was in trouble and wanted to turn around to look for her. ¡±

    ¡°Yes, and...?¡±

    ¡°But when I reached the upper door, she was already there, battling with all her might.¡±

    ¡°So?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a weird feeling. I thought I knew her like the back of my hand since we¡¯ve been friends for so long, but it seems that I was wrong; I still don¡¯t know her well enough. The Mingshu at thepetition was so awesome that she was shining. Someone like me would never be by her side, but always behind her....¡±

    Zhuo Jiangui nodded as he made his way up.

    ¡°She¡¯s physically beside me, yet why do I feel that I am being neglected and left behind by her...?¡± Gao Xiang sighed.

    And why is it that, when Lu Mingshu took on the other disciples during thepetition, Gao Xiang chose to be a spectator and not a teammate? Because... who was he to interrupt the Lu Mingshu who was shining so brightly?

    He was there when she got her first win. He felt extremely happy for her, but he couldn¡¯t help but feel bitter about it as well. Happy that she was now so powerful and outstanding, but bitter that he had been left behind by her.

    He had always believed that they were so close, but now Gao Xiang finally realized that they had never been close at all.

    ¡°Martial Grandfather, so what should I...?¡± Gao Xiang turned around to ask for advice, but Zhuo Jiangui could no longer be found.

    Gao Xiang stared nkly.

    ¡°Nevermind,¡± he muttered.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Just as he was feeling upset about what happened, Zhuo Jiangui shouted at him, ¡°Go and practice before your masteres back and canes you!¡±

 Chapter 107: You Shouldnéˆ¥æª› Stay

    <h4>Chapter 107: You Shouldn¡¯t Stay</h4>

    Lu Mingshu used her thoughts to enter the Heavenly Wheel.

    Due to her debt, the functions of the Heavenly Wheel were shut down. The ce that used to be lively became dull once again, and time passed slower. To just recuperate was too boring, so she came to the Heavenly Wheel, where she would read or chat with Xiao Sang.

    However, the colour of the wooden wheel had turned dark, and it had stopped rotating. A bright red number was in the middle of it: nine-hundred-and-eight.

    Lu Mingshu smiled bitterly. Such a huge amount! I¡¯m not even close to being able to pay it.

    She used up herst bit of points to exchange for the advanced treatment, then her performance during thepetition gained her a hundred new points. Adding up the interest for thesest few days, she still owed the Heavenly Wheel nine-hundred-and-eight points.

    Seeing that she still hadn¡¯t recovered yet, there was no way she could earn any points for now. Lu Mingshu shrugged it away. After all, as the saying goes; when you¡¯re covered in lice, you won¡¯t feel itchy, when there¡¯s a lot of debt, you won¡¯t worry. Speaking of consequences, she doubted the Heavenly Wheel would actually ban her. It had invested quite a bit in Mingshu by giving her the advanced treatment, so banning her now would be quite a loss. It and Xiao Sang would think of a way to make her pay them back.

    After earning a hundred points from the Heavenly Doorpetition, she realized that not only could one earn points inside the Heavenly Wheel, one could do so outside as well! For now, there weren¡¯t enough examples to prove her theory entirely, but when her theory was proven, it would be easy to earn points.

    After reading for a while, sounds could be heard from outside.

    Lu Mingshu opened her eyes and exited the Heavenly Wheel.

    She saw Hui Niang ushering Liu Jizhen into her room while reporting her condition to him, ¡°Miss has already taken her medicine and cleaned her wounds. She went out earlier to move around for a bit....¡±

    Liu Jizhen nodded, ¡°Later on, ask Ah Sheng to go down to the Truth Courtyard to collect medicine. Remember to tell him to take Mingshu¡¯s tablet with him.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Hui Niang went out to inform Ah Sheng. Liu Jizhen¡¯s eyes met with Lu Mingshu¡¯s.

    ¡°Master.¡±

    Liu Jizhen put down the cup in his hand and walked toward her, ¡°How are you feeling?¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± she sat up, ¡°but my whole body is sore.¡±

    ¡°Rest more than,¡± he smiled at herzily. He went through this before, thus he was able to resonate with her.

    Liu Jizhen proceeded to sit by her bedside.

    ¡°Master, do you want to tell me something?¡±

    ¡°Uh...¡± Liu Jizhen pondered for a while before continuing, ¡°What are you going to do from now on?¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked at him in confusion. What am I going to do from now on?

    ¡°Even though nothing will happen for a while, I doubt you will be able to get away from trouble totally,¡± Liu Jizhen emphasized each and every word he said. ¡°You¡¯re too outstanding, and the line of Jade Terrace has its eyes on you already. As for the Zhou family... I heard that they fought among themselves after that day.¡±

    ¡°Fought among themselves? You mean... internal strife?¡± Lu Mingshu was lost for words.

    Liu Jizhen nodded, ¡°Zhou¡¯s Second Master came to the cloudy stage on his own ord. It wasn¡¯t the Zhou family¡¯s instructions.¡±

    ¡°No wonder Jie Wenhan was willing to be my witness.¡±

    It all makes sense now.

    ¡°So, what is the Zhou¡¯s nning now? Not only did they not find trouble with me, they even helped me. What do they want from me?¡±

    ¡°The current batch from the Zhou family doesn¡¯t have any outstanding characters. If I¡¯m not wrong, it should be Zhou Miaoru who is the decision-maker of the household currently.¡±

    After she was married, Zhou Miaoru had been lowkey and didn¡¯t care for things in the Nine Jade Pce since she wanted to be a good mother and wife. Gao Xiang didn¡¯t know much about her either.

    ¡°Your stepmother,¡± Liu Jizhen teased Lu Mingshu, ¡°if she had the talent for martial arts, your father would never have been the sect leader.¡±

    This took Lu Mingshu by surprise. She never knew what Zhou Miaoru was like as a person because no one had ever mentioned it. Nine Jade Pce had always painted her as a good wife and loving mother, which Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t buy at all. A kind woman would totally snatch someone¡¯s husband and force the old wife to her death. The divorce paper wasn¡¯t even written when Zhou Miaoru was married to Fu Shangqing!

    However, from what Liu Jizhen said, it seemed like this Zhou Miaoru had some wild schemes. The Zhou family liked to marry their daughters away for benefit, and what Liu Jizhen said didn¡¯t sound like what the Zhou family would do. Wait, didn¡¯t Gao Xiang mention that the Zhou family wanted to marry Zhou Miaoru to Master!?

    ¡°Master, you seem to know her well, huh?¡±

    Looking at her making a face, Liu Jizhenughed out loud, ¡°Did Gao Xiang tell you about that? Nah, I¡¯m not emotionally entangled with her. I know her well because we grew up together in Nine Jade Pce, so of course, I would know her better than outsiders. ording to her style, she wouldn¡¯t let you off so easily. She may even have other evil schemes against you.¡±

    ¡°Master, just get straight to the point.¡±

    Liu Jizhen could feel his heart squeeze when he realized how young she still was.

    ¡°Thising year, there will be the Qilin Festival. The king of Zhongzhou has already sent out the invitations to the pce.¡±*

    ¡°King of Zhongzhou? The Qilin Festival?¡±

    ¡°Of the Five States, Zhongzhou and the sects have the closest rtionship. The Seven Truths tform in Zhongzhou is closest to the king. Every few years, the king will send out invitations to the Qilin festival, and every year, there will be a hero ranking. It¡¯s a rare asion that all the best martial artists wille and gather at one location in Zhongzhou.¡±

    Lu Mingshu started to make sense of what Liu Jizhen was driving at, ¡°What you mean is that... you wish to send me there?¡±

    Liu Jizhen nodded, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be trapped in the Nine Jade Pce. The world is huge; go out and take a look at what the world is like.¡±

    Lu Mingshu remained silent for a long time.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, do you have any worries?¡±

    ¡°Master, if I just leave like that, will anyone make things difficult for you?¡±

    ¡°Be at ease. Your Senior Uncle Zhuo can protect anyone without fail. Besides, why would theye for me when I¡¯m not even against them?¡± Heughed.

    ¡°But...¡±

    ¡°For now, it will be the best decision for you. You¡¯ve trained so hard in the Green Jade Valley for years, it¡¯s time for you to go out and gain some experience. The sect is also in a mess right now, so you should avoid it temporarily,¡± Liu Jizhen patted her head. ¡°When the Qilin festival ends, don¡¯te back. Just take this chance to go and travel. Please be at ease, Master here promises you that, when youe back, me, Hui Niang, and Ah Sheng will be waiting for you, alive and kicking.¡±

    After a long pause, Lu Mingshu replied to him softly, ¡°Yes, Master.¡±

    Smiling at her, Liu Jizhen got up and went back to his room. He sat down and stared nkly into space.

    The things An Tongcheng said to him came to mind.

    ¡°That child shouldn¡¯t be in the Nine Jade Pce anymore.¡±

    Liu Jizhen¡¯s hands started to tremble upon hearing that sentence.

    ¡°Grand Elder Yuan Xi gave her a piece of advice: the strongest one will break and the most powerful will be humiliated. That child is so outstanding that the Nine Jade Pce is just a quagmire with no ce to amodate her.¡±

    Since there¡¯s no ce that will amodate her, they would try to suppress her, or even destroy her so she would be someone like you ¨C paralyzed and mediocre.

    Thetter half of the sentence went unsaid.

    After a long pause, Liu Jizhen asked, ¡°Is this Senior Uncle Zhuo¡¯s idea?¡±

    An Tongcheng smiled, ¡°My master once said that your disciple shouldn¡¯t be at the Nine Jade Pce. Anyway, we both know best what that woman Zhou Miaoru is like. I really do not hope to see Mingshu get schemed against by her. An eagle should be in the sky, not in a cage like a canary.¡±

    A mix of feelings gushed up in Liu Jizhen. He poured himself another cup of wine and downed it.

    Things now were just like wine; bitter at first, but sweet in the end.

    Yes, she shouldn¡¯t be here anymore. She deserves a better ce.

 Chapter 108: Caring Stepmother

    <h4>Chapter 108: Caring Stepmother</h4>

    The Heavenly Doorpetition ended not long ago ¨C just in time for the first snow of Nine Jade Mountain.

    Snow this year was the heaviest among thesest few years. It was so heavy that the route up the hill was blocked.

    Grinning from ear to ear, Ah Sheng happily went out to remove snow from the main door. Suddenly, he saw a huge group walking toward him from afar.

    He scanned his surroundings before scrambling back into the house.

    ¡°Why are you in such a hurry?¡± Hui Niang, who¡¯s cleaning up the house, asked.

    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of people outside,¡± Ah Sheng replied.

    ¡°A lot of people?¡±

    Just as Ah Sheng was about to answer, knocking could be heard from the courtyard door.

    ¡°Hello, does Courtyard Leader Liu live here?¡±

    Both of them turned toward the door. Ady about thirty years old was standing there with a thin smile on her face. She was dressed fancifully and she looked neat, but her actions were rtively reserved.

    Behind her stood girls and boys, more than ten each ¨C it was indeed a lot of people.

    Hui Niang stepped forward to address her, ¡°He does stay here, Auntie. What do you...?¡±

    The woman bowed elegantly to Hui Niang, ¡°Stewardess of Jasper Jade Pce. Last name Yao ¨C most people call me Aunt Yao.¡±

    ¡°Jasper Jade Pce?¡± Hui Niang¡¯s face dimmed.

    Jasper Jade Pce, where the sect leaders lived. Since Lu Qingyi¡¯s death, Hui Niang hated the ce, even though she might not have ever said anything. That¡¯s where her enemies lived.

    However, Stewardess Yao acted as if she didn¡¯t notice Hui Niang¡¯s face change. She continued, ¡°This sister here must be Hui Niang, right? Madame told me about your hard work these years in taking good care of the Miss. Mister and Madame will keep your hard work in their hearts.¡±

    Hui Niang couldn¡¯t process what Stewardess Yao said, so she stared at her nkly.

    ¡°Aunt Hui,¡± a voice brought her back to reality.

    Stewardess Yao turned back.

    A youngdy in white was staring at her. She had fair skin and dark hair, but her eyes were cold, and she looked like a statue from afar.

    Stewardess Yao was taken aback by her. That woman from Dongyue looked so fragile, so why does her daughter look otherwise?

    Hui Niang turned back to see Lu Mingshu standing in the corridor. She hurried over, ¡°Miss, why are you out here? It¡¯s so cold.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± Lu Mingshu smiled as she shook her head to indicate nothing was wrong.

    ¡°Greetings to Miss from Maid Yao.¡±

    Lu Mingshu scanned her from head to toe in silence.

    Stewardess Yao¡¯s smile froze in nervousness as she was being looked over.

    ¡°Miss, Madame has sent Maid Yao here to serve you and provide you with materials to get through the winter.¡±

    ¡°I have all I need here, so it¡¯s okay; you may leave,¡± Lu Mingshu replied in monotone.

    ¡°Miss!¡± Seeing that Lu Mingshu had turned around and was about to leave, Stewardess Yao stopped her in hurry, ¡°Take it as being filial to Courtyard Leader Liu! It¡¯s freezing here at the Nine Jade Mountain and, without martial ability, it will be tough on him throughout the winter.¡±

    Lu Mingshu stopped in her tracks.

    Stewardess Yao immediately went forward to persuade her, ¡°Madame knows that you are a filial child. She even sent him some winter clothes!¡±

    After a long pause, Lu Mingshu nodded, ¡°Thank you for the trouble.¡±

    Seeing that Lu Mingshu had agreed, Stewardess Yao heaved a sigh of relief, ¡°What are you all waiting for? Bring them in!¡± She beckoned the group standing outside.

    One by one, they carried huge packages into the tiny courtyard of Lu Mingshu¡¯s house like ants. Within no time, everything was in ce.

    Fresh ingredients, top-notch charcoal, tonics, thick beddings, winter clothes made out of wool.... Everything in Lu Mingshu¡¯s house had been reced by something better. Within no time, the originally simple house had be elegant.

    Stewardess Yao then passed a message to Lu Mingshu, ¡°Madame says that if you need anything, feel free to inform the Jasper Jade Pce. Since you are currently unwell, these two servant girls will serve you and cater to your needs.¡±

    Just as Stewardess Yao was about to beckon the servant girl to greet Lu Mingshu, Lu Mingshu waved her hand, ¡°Leave the things, but not them.¡±

    Stewardess Yao opened her mouth to say something, but Lu Mingshu stopped her, ¡°I¡¯m not interested in whatever you¡¯re going to say. Keep the act to yourself. It¡¯s no fun when it¡¯s all an act.¡±

    Stewardess Yao bit her lips. She swallowed back her words and, after much hesitation, she decided to add something on, ¡°If Maid Yao fails to finish the task given, Madame may punish me....¡±

    ¡°What does that have to do with me?¡± Lu Mingshu snapped.

    ¡°Get lost after you¡¯re done. It has always been quiet in Green Jade Valley, and you¡¯re creating noise pollution.¡±

    Stewardess Yao suppressed her urge toment even further. She bowed to Lu Mingshu, ¡°Maid Yao will excuse herself now.¡±

    Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t bother to reply. The group slowly left with the empty boxes.

    When they had all left, Hui Niang went up to Lu Mingshu, ¡°Miss, what are they...?¡± Her voice was filled with worry.

    Lu Mingshu took a package of tonics and handed it over to Hui Niang. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, just use this all. Nothing will happen.¡± sheughed sarcastically. ¡°I have enough cabbages anyway. Aunt Hui, make something good for lunch, okay?¡±

    Hui Niang smiled upon hearing that, ¡°Sure.¡±

    Lu Mingshu then stood up and walked toward the master bedroom. She knocked on the door softly, ¡°Master?¡±

    ¡°Come in,¡± Liu Jizhen¡¯s voice could be heard.

    She walked in to see him engrossed in calligraphy.

    Lu Mingshu walked over to the stove. She fanned the charcoal to ignite the fire.

    ¡°Have they left?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± she sat down in front of him. ¡°Master, I¡¯ve epted the items.¡±

    Liu Jizhen remained focused on his calligraphy, ¡°As long as you know what you¡¯re doing.¡±

    Silence engulfed the room for a few seconds before Lu Mingshu broke it, ¡°Even though I do not know what Zhou Miaoru has in mind, I believe that, as long as I have my sword, there¡¯s nothing to be afraid of.¡±

    Liu Jizhen put down his brush and proceeded to warm his hand at the stove, ¡°Your stepmother¡¯s hobby is to scheme against people. Without much experience, you would get caught by her bait, but with cultivation and growth, you won¡¯t get caught.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Lu Mingshu nodded in agreement. ¡°The most important thing now is to recover. The rest can wait.¡±

    Liu Jizhen smiled contently, ¡°Yes.¡±

    Lu Mingshu once again broke the silence that had engulfed the room, ¡°Master, what do you think she¡¯s scheming? Sending me a servant who calls me Miss? What does acknowledging me bring? If she wants to control me using filial piety, that sadly won¡¯t work on me; I¡¯m not a simpleton.¡±

    Martial arts didn¡¯t put as much focus on ethics; things worked mostly on logic. If Lu Mingshu disrespected Fu Shangqing then she would be at fault, but for Zhou Miaoru ¨C the second wife who was suspected of being ountable for the first wife¡¯s death ¨C it was reasonable for Lu Mingshu to disregard her.

    Liu Jizhen shook his head, ¡°I know her well; she¡¯s not that dumb. She might not be highly involved in martial arts, but her father was the sect leader and now her husband is the sect leader; she would definitely be farsighted. All her actions might be for show.¡±

    ¡°For show? How is that useful?¡± Lu Mingshu was confused. How would making others see her as a caring stepmother do anything?

    ¡°That... well, I can¡¯t tell. But with your mindset, it¡¯s nothing important. What matters is that you have the ability. She can¡¯t do anything to you if you are powerful enough.¡±

    ¡°Yes, master.¡±

 Chapter 109: Packed

    <h4>Chapter 109: Packed</h4>

    The snow was bing heavier as time passed. Due to the snow, as well as the fact that she had yet to recover, Lu Mingshu stayed in the valley during the winter.

    These days, Gao Xiang couldn¡¯t be seen anywhere either.

    Lu Mingshu wrote a letter to Gao Xiang. He replied by saying that he had been grounded by his master, and An Tongchen had been keeping such a close eye on him that he had to write this letter in secret at night when his master was asleep.

    Reading the letter, an image of Gao Xiang pouting appeared in her mind. Lu Mingshu chuckled and shook her head.

    Days continued to pass. Life in Green Jade Valley remained unchanged ¨C peaceful and fine. The only thing that changed were the red numbers in the Heavenly Wheel.

    The new year came, and Lu Mingshu felt better as time passed. Her meridians and nerves felt refreshed bit by bit.

    Boom!

    True energy ran through her body. All the lost mystic force came back to her at once.

    She let out a deep breath. Lu Mingshu felt that she had been revived.

    She entered the Heavenly Wheel immediately, and Xiao Sang¡¯s voice rang in her head, ¡°Congrattions. You¡¯ve fully recovered.¡±

    Looking at the Heavenly Wheel covered in mist, she asked Xiao Sang, ¡°Xiao Sang, I¡¯m still in debt, the portals to the other worlds are inactive... what can I do to gain points?¡±

    ¡°Given your current health, I suggest you stay here.¡±

    ¡°So, I¡¯m able to gain points here? The points I gained during the Heavenly Doorpetition, were they because I improved or because I became famous?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but you do not have enough points to know that.¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± Lu Mingshu sighed. ¡°Wait, onest question; by when should I pay my debt?¡±

    Xiao Sang answered rtively quickly for that question, ¡°The Heavenly Wheel will inform you the day before it bans you.¡±

    ¡°So... when is that?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t answer that question.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Lu Mingshu smiled bitterly. ¡°There¡¯s really nothing you can answer, huh?¡±

    Xiao Sang remained silent.

    She shook her head and faded away slowly.

    As soon as Lu Mingshu came out of the Heavenly Wheel, she started to n what she could do. ¡°...will inform you the day before it bans you,¡± but it seems like there isn¡¯t a specific deadline to meet. Perhaps there¡¯s something the Heavenly Wheel needs my help in fulfilling. Lu Mingshu dared not think of this within the Heavenly Wheel; Xiao Sang would¡¯ve found out if she did.

    ¡°Mingshu! Lu Mingshu!¡± Someone shouted from outside.

    Lu Mingshu looked out the window to see Gao Xiang riding his wolf toward her. He smiled at her widely and waved his hands at her.

    She walked toward the courtyard garden just as Gao Xiang reached it. He dismounted from his wolf and held her hand tightly in excitement, ¡°Have you heard?¡±

    ¡°Heard what?¡±

    ¡°The Qilin Festival! You know, the Qilin Festival?¡±

    Yeah, I heard about it three months ago. But seeing how Gao Xiang was so excited, she didn¡¯t want to kill his excitement, ¡°Yeah, I know about the Qilin Festival. What about it?¡±

    Gao Xiang, who was still out of breath, rushed into the house and gulped down a cup of tea before continuing, ¡°I just went to the Great Dao Hall, and guess what? Zhongzhou Wang is hosting the Qilin Festival at the start of the year, and our n is sending representatives there! All ten representatives will be disciples in the Harmonization Realm!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re interested?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± Gao Xiang¡¯s eyes shone with excitement as he ran around the house, ¡°It¡¯s the Qilin Festival, man! The festival where the best martial artists in China gather! It will be such an eye-opener! And- and what if we did well there? We would be ranked! How famous would we be?¡±

    ¡°Mingshu, let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go!¡± He grabbed her shoulders and started jumping up and down.

    Even though Liu Jizhen had mentioned it, Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t want to promise anything without confirmation from her master, ¡°Let me ask my master.¡±

    ¡°Yeah! I will go back and ask my master too! I¡¯m sure he would agree, man! Hahahaha.¡±

    Gao Xiang smiled like the Cheshire Cat as he ran out of the house and mounted his wolf. In the blink of an eye, he was no longer within Lu Mingshu¡¯s sight.

    Lu Mingshu shook her head at that as she walked toward Liu Jizhen, ¡°Master, regarding the Qilin Festival...¡±

    ¡°Ah, no worries. You need not register,¡± Liu Jizhen replied. ¡°Your Senior Uncle An has already done it for you.¡±

    After three days, the confirmed list of disciples who were participating was released. Lu Mingshu spotted her name on it, but not Gao Xiang¡¯s.

    Was Senior Uncle Zhuo opposed? But Senior Uncle An will be going too....

    And indeed, that night, Gao Xiang came to her crying.

    ¡°My master didn¡¯t allow it! I already registered, and yet he asked someone to remove my name!¡±

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s eyes widened in shock. This is such a rare asion. The next festival will probably only be held after ten or twenty years. Even if he didn¡¯t allow Gao Xiang to participate, it could at least serve to widen his horizons.

    ¡°What did he say?¡±

    ¡°He said my thoughts aren¡¯t calm enough and that I sucked yet I want to y monkey!¡± Gao Xiang sobbed in resentment, ¡°I replied saying that I¡¯m already a genuine sessor disciple, how am I not good enough? And guess what he replied?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°He said that I was only given the title because the sect leader wanted to give him and my Martial Grandfather face, not because I deserved it!¡± Gao Xiang bawled. ¡°How could he say such things? He has gone too far! I don¡¯t deserve it? Come fight me then! Fight me!¡±

    Lu Mingshu secretly agreed that An Tongchen¡¯s words had gone overboard. Gao Xiang may not be a match for Kuai Xin or Jie Wenhan, but he was still way better than Shao Zhengyang, Ban Qin, and the rest. Looking at all the disciples of Nine Jade Pce, Gao Xiang was one of the better ones and taking his age into consideration, he was one of the best.

    However, that was Senior Uncle An¡¯s decision for his disciple. She didn¡¯t have any right toment about it.

    ¡°What about your Martial Grandfather?¡±

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t give a shit!¡±

    Gao Xiang shouted at the top of his lungs. ¡°God, why? What did I do wrong? Why do you treat me like this!? Everyone gets to go out and I get to rot at home!¡±

    ¡°There must be a reason why both of them would say such things, no?¡± Lu Mingshu tried to calm him down.

    She failed, obviously. Gao Xiang then grabbed her shoulders and started shaking her vigorously, ¡°You are standing on their side? You all are evil!¡±

    Lu Mingshu felt very dizzy after his continuous shaking.

    ¡°Okay, okay, I¡¯m on your side. They have gone too far. Stop shaking me now!¡±

    Gao Xiang than let go of her and kneeled on the floor, ¡°I don¡¯t care, I don¡¯t care! I want to go!¡± Suddenly, an idea came to his mind, ¡°Perhaps I¡¯ll do a makeover? I can wear a wig, put on some makeup, and secretly tag along! What do you think? It¡¯s a good idea, right?¡± His eyes shone with hope.

    With sympathy, Lu Mingshu asked softly, ¡°Isn¡¯t there a high chance that he would recognize you right away?¡±

    Upon hearing that, Gao Xiang burst into tears again, ¡°I don¡¯t care, I don¡¯t care, I want to go!¡±

    No matter how pitiful Gao Xiang looked or how much he wanted to go, he dared not y any tricks under the eyes of his master and Martial Grandfather.

    The other residents of Green Jade Valley came to send Lu Mingshu off.

    Before she took off, Liu Jizhen gave her a book, ¡°I wrote this from my experience. It¡¯s good to refer to since you don¡¯t have any of your own.¡±

    ¡°Yes, master.¡±

    Lu Mingshu took the book, and her eyes teared up when she realized that it wasn¡¯t calligraphy that her master had been doing every day, it was this book for her.

    Hui Niang and Ah Sheng sent her out of Green Jade Valley. Hui Niang wept as Lu Mingshu left, and Ah Sheng stood there silently, looking at her walking further away.

 Chapter 110: Great Actor

    <h4>Chapter 110: Great Actor</h4>

    Lu Mingshu led Little Daze into the public square of the main pce.

    Five years, has it been?

    Five years since she hadst been here.

    There was a huge vehicle parked outside the public square, and curious disciples swarmed around it.

    The ¡°vehicle¡± was a sort of giant, three-story building, with a fence made of jade and shining golden walls, it was a very distinct, emerald-coloured structure, with a carriage-like ce to attach some beasts. It was parked in the middle of the square, and disciples of every level came to have a look.

    As Lu Mingshu arrived, many gazes fell on her ¨C jealousy, admiration, curiosity, hate, and disdain.

    ¡°Look, that¡¯s Senior Sister Lu!¡±

    ¡°Senior Sister Lu? You mean the one that won eighteen fights in thepetition?¡±

    ¡°Yes! She¡¯s attending the Qilin Festival this time, I¡¯m sure she will create history once again!¡±

    ¡°She looks so young. Is she really that good?¡±

    ¡°Hey! Watch what you say! A winning streak of eighteen is no joke, man! Even Senior Uncle Kuai lost to her!¡±

    ¡°Hey, look at that.... Is it a horse or a goat? It¡¯s so fat!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s so fat! Imagine if we cook it! It would be so tasty....¡± the disciple gulped.

    Little Daze became alert and stared fiercely at the disciple who suggested to cook it.

    ¡°Oh my god, it¡¯s staring at us! Does it understand us?¡±

    ¡°Maybe... perhaps it¡¯s a rare beast?¡±

    Lu Mingshu chose to turn a deaf ear to the gossip. She handed Little Daze over to the disciple who was leading the way, and she entered the vehicle.

    Near the pce gates, a servant girl was looking around. When she spotted Lu Mingshu, she scrambled back to report.

    After a moment, a group walked over majestically, with Stewardess Yao leading the way.

    They walked toward Lu Mingshu in pairs under the eyes of the crowd.

    ¡°Eldest Miss,¡± Stewardess Yao smiled warmly to Lu Mingshu as she bowed. ¡°Madame has instructed me to prepare some luggage for you. Fortunately, you haven¡¯t left yet.¡±

    Lu Mingshu stared at her emotionlessly. She didn¡¯t even bother to reply.

    The atmosphere became awkward. Stewardess Yao tried to salvage things, so she smiled warmly at Lu Mingshu, ¡°I apologize foringte. Please don¡¯t be angry, we will load everything on the vehicle right now.¡± She turned around and gave a signal. The servant girls immediately picked the luggage up and proceeded to move it onto the vehicle.

    Lu Mingshu eyed the servant girls.

    ¡°The name-list was released days ago. You could have sent me this luggage earlier, why are you only in such a rush now?¡± Shemented without any interest.

    Stewardess Yao immediately apologized to Lu Mingshu, ¡°It¡¯s Maid Yao¡¯s fault for being all thumbs. Madame instructed me to make some clothes for you, but I took a long time to get them done.¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked at her in disdain and sneered.

    After a few moments, the servant girls returned, ¡°Stewardess Yao, Eldest Miss¡¯s luggage is all loaded.¡±

    Stewardess Yao nodded and turned to Lu Mingshu. With a smile on her face, she passed a message from Zhou Miaoru to Lu Mingshu, ¡°Madame wanted me to help pass a message to you; ¡®Take care, and safety first. The Sect Leader will wait for you to return safe and sound.¡¯

    ¡°Maid Yao will leave now. Please rest well, Miss,¡± Stewardess Yao bowed and left, not waiting for Lu Mingshu¡¯s reply.

    Whispering could be heard among the crowd.

    ¡°Rumors say that the Sect Leader¡¯s wife dislikes her stepdaughter, but it doesn¡¯t look like that¡¯s true!¡±

    ¡°I know, right? It¡¯s more like Senior Sister Lu is the one who dislikes them.¡±

    ¡°Bullshit. Would you like someone who forced your mother to her death?¡±

    ¡°True. They didn¡¯t treat her this good in the past either. Maybe now that Senior Sister Lu has be more powerful, they¡¯re suddenly bootlicking her?¡±

    ¡°Hey, watch what you say! No matter what, she¡¯s still only in the Harmonization Realm. The Sect Leader is way more powerful than her, why would they bootlick her?¡±

    There was a ton of gossip.

    The Heavenly Door Competition had only ended a few months ago. It was still the talk of the town nowadays, and people were still interested in Lu Mingshu.

    However, Lu Mingshu chose to turn a deaf ear to the gossip as she silently waited for the chaperones to arrive.

    The main chaperone was an old and experienced Elder named Kang Tian. There were also two assistants: Yin Hong, Jie Wenhan¡¯s Senior Sister from the line of Fluffy Cloud, and An Tongchen.

    Among the disciples who would be going on the trip, she saw Shao Zhengyang and Tan Yubing. Shao Zhengyang nodded at her, and Tan Yubing came over to greet her.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Junior Niece Lu.¡±

    ¡°Senior Aunt Tan,¡± Lu Mingshu replied.

    ¡°No need to be over-courteous. I was so d to see your name on the name-list. It¡¯s great to have someone I know with me on this trip. With you here, time will pass faster.¡±

    Lu Mingshu smiled thinly as a reply. It was obvious that Tan Yubing was deliberately being friendly. Pass time? That¡¯s not hard; just cultivate and time will pass on its own.

    Both of them were so engrossed in their conversation that, before they knew it, the vehicle had been fully loaded. Fu Shangqing came personally to send them off. Under the eyes of the crowd, the disciples going to the festival boarded the vehicle one by one.

    When Lu Mingshu passed by, Fu Shangqing added, ¡°Be careful, and listen to Elder An, okay?¡± He spoke to her like a concerned father who was worried about his daughter¡¯s safety.

    Lu Mingshu looked astonished. She let out a sardonicugh as she boarded the vehicle.

    Such a good actor he is!

    Fu Shangqing just smiled and waved goodbye when all the disciples had boarded.

    Disciples from the Earth Spirit Pce brought in three majestic, emerald-coloured heavenly beasts and hooked up their harnesses to the vehicle. With amand from the beast trainer, the three beasts soared up to the sky with the vehicle in tow.

    ¡°Wow!¡± The disciples in the public square were all left in awe.

    Under their gazes full of envy and shock, the vehicle soared up to the sky and slowly disappeared into the vast horizon.

    Within the vehicle, the disciples in the Inner Breath Realm couldn¡¯t contain their excitement, and their chattering could be heard from quite a distance.

    Compared to them, the Harmonization Realm disciples just greeted each other and went back to their rooms.

    The first floor consisted of a hall with a red carpet and a few dining tables. It could be used for many purposes, like gathering or reception.

    There were stairs on each side that lead to the rooms of the disciples.

    The second floor contained the rooms of the Inner Breath Realm disciples. Two or three disciples shared a single room, while the Harmonization Realm disciples all had their own rooms on the third floor.

    As for the three chaperones in the Assimtion Realm, they each had the biggest rooms, located at the end of the third floor.

    Lu Mingshu found the room with her name on it. As soon as she pushed open the door, she saw an unexpected scene.

    ¡°Eldest Miss.¡±

    Two servant girls were standing in the room, and they greeted her as soon as they saw her.

    Lu Mingshu stared daggers at them.

    However, the cold stare didn¡¯t scare the servant girls away. They continued to serve her as if nothing had happened.

    ¡°Eldest Miss, the tea is ready, and so is your bed. It¡¯s cold here, so please take a cup....¡±

    ¡°Get lost!¡± She stepped into the room and yelled at them. ¡°Actually, nevermind. It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll just throw you off the vehicle. I doubt the Sect Leader¡¯s wife woulde and take revenge for you two.¡±

    The servant girls turned white upon hearing that. Now that the vehicle is in the air, being thrown off is guaranteed death. We would be turned into meat paste.

    They made a quick decision in their mind and replied, ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Wait.¡±

    Both of them turned back, full of hope.

    ¡°Nevere into my room ever again, and stop calling me Miss! I don¡¯t know how you don¡¯t find it disgusting to call some random person Eldest Miss when you¡¯ve called someone else that for years, but I find it absolutely disgusting!¡±

 Chapter 111: Tianyun City, Barbarian Race

    <h4>Chapter 111: Tianyun City, Barbarian Race</h4>

    The excitement didn¡¯tst long. The lengthy journey continued, and it was dull and dry.

    This was the longest journey that Lu Mingshu had ever been on. The journey from Dongyue to Xizhou took half a year.

    Of course, this journey was very different from the ones she had always been on with her legs. With the emerald-colored vehicle and the heavenly beasts that never stopped flying, she could see all the mountains and rivers below as time passed.

    ¡°No wonder they say that mankind originated in Zhongzhou. Look at all the unique sceneries,¡± Tan Yubingmented.

    Lu Mingshu stood by her side on the balcony, looking down at thend below.

    In Dongyue, it was full of hills, but in Xizhou, it was full of mountains. However, unlike Dongyue and Xizhou, Zhongzhou, which upied the mostnd in China, was surprisingly a vast tnd. Farms could be seen everywhere, and there were rivers and mountains too. Compared to Dongyue and Xizhou, it was quite wide.

    Lu Mingshu nodded in agreement, ¡°I didn¡¯t know that Zhongzhou was full of cities.¡±

    ¡°Zhongzhou has a dense poption. It has always been populous and affluent ¨C very different from Xizhou. We have many industries in the Nine Jade Pce that rely on resources from the Jade West Mountain Forest, while Zhongzhou can sustain itself just with its citizens.¡±

    Tan Yubing then turned to face the other side, ¡°Junior Niece Lu, with our current speed, we will reach Tianyun City by today. Let¡¯s prepare our stuff now.¡±

    ¡°Let me take a look at the mounts first,¡± Lu Mingshu smiled.

    ¡°You mean feed them, right?¡± Tan Yubing let out a shortugh.

    Lu Mingshuughed while nodding before heading to the stable.

    The stable on the vehicle housed around ten mounts, and most of them belonged to the disciples in the Harmonization Realm. Disciples in the Inner Breath Realm rarely had a mount that was valuable enough to bring with them, while Elders in the Spirit Realm stored their mounts in a portable stable simr to a mustard seed pouch.

    Pondering for a moment, she realized that mustard seed pouches and portable stables were extremely important for long trips. When she was at Nine Jade Pce, she could still handle things without those two items even though it was more inconvenient, but now that she was out and about, that was no longer true.

    Little Daze jumped up and down upon seeing her.

    Lu Mingshu ruffled its head before she gave it some fresh fruits.

    Chomp! Chomp! Little Daze was so happy that his eyes could no longer be seen.

    ¡°Looks like Junior Sister Lu is in a good mood,¡± a voice rang from across the stable.

    Turning around, she saw Shao Zhengyang walking toward her.

    ¡°Senior Brother Shao.¡±

    Shao Zhengyang was carrying a basket filled with meat, indicating that he was here to feed his mount too.

    ¡°We will be reaching Tianyun City today, what does Junior Sister Lu have nned?¡± He asked while cing the basket in front of his mount.

    ¡°Senior Brother, that¡¯s such a funny question. We are just disciples, what¡¯s there to n? You should be asking the chaperones,¡± she answered while ncing at him, full of sarcasm.

    However, it seemed as if Shao Zhengyang didn¡¯t sense the sarcasm, ¡°Does Junior Sister Lu perhaps have any raging doubts that you need to clear, but you have no one to help you clear them?¡±

    Lu Mingshu remained silent. Be it the Zhou family or the line of Jade Terrace... if there¡¯s nothing important, god, please let them stay far away from me.

    ¡°My master knows how the Zhou family settles things. It¡¯s obvious they wouldn¡¯t let you off that easily.¡±

    He cleaned his hands and turned to her, ¡°What they¡¯re doing now is all for show. The biggest possibility is that they want to show that they recognize you as the Eldest Miss.¡±

    Shao Zhengyang ended the conversation and left with the basket.

    Lu Mingshu stood there staring nking into space.

    Eldest Miss? Hah. What¡¯s the worth of an Eldest Miss exactly?

    ...

    ¡°Oh my god, look at that! It¡¯s Tianyun City!¡± The disciples all crowded around to have a look.

    Golden rays of sunlight shone onto a majestic skyscraper, making it look like a bunch of huge blocks of gold shooting out from the ground. Even though the buildings were so tall, they still could not cover up the vastness of the in.

    ¡°That¡¯s Dingshan Tower! It¡¯s so huge!¡±

    ¡°Look at the Nine Dragon Cauldron! It sure does embody its name!¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked over. She saw a giant cauldron in the middle of the city, and it had nine dragon carvings around the rim, making it seem like the dragons were protecting the cauldron.

    The Nine Dragon Cauldron. Thendmark of Tianyun City. In the past, mankind went through quite a lot in order to conquer the Barbarian race and get rid of mystic beasts who harmed humans. They built up Tianyun City with their blood, sweat, and tears, and they made the Nine Dragon Cauldron. That was the reason for mankind¡¯s prosperity now.

    It was also said that the Nine Dragon Cauldron could suppress anything, thus, Tianyun City was also known as Dragon City.

    Just as the vehicle was about tond, a group of birds flew towards the vehicle and blocked the way.

    ¡°What are those?¡± The disciples were taken aback by the scene.

    Those birds are huge, and there seem to be humans on them... humans? No, they have the upper body of a human!

    In the blink of an eye, the ¡°birds¡± arrived in front of the vehicle

    Peng! Peng! Peng! The ¡°birds¡± started knocking against the vehicle, causing it to sway vigorously, and the disciples fell.

    Lu Mingshu jumped out of the window to prevent the creatures from hurting the disciples.

    ¡°What happened? Why are there harpies?¡±

    ¡°Look at their horns! It¡¯s the Barbarian race!¡±

    ¡°Have the Barbarians invaded!?¡±

    Shrieks of rm and shock could be heard. A siren could then be heard as the vehicle formed ayer of protection around itself.

    ¡°The Barbarians?¡±

    An Tongchen¡¯s voice rang across the vehicle, ¡°How dare they invade China? Are they dering war?¡± He stood up and drew his sword, which was as white as snow and just as cold.

    Boom!

    The sword-light blocked a ck fist-light.

    ¡°I see the martial artists of China aren¡¯t very good!¡± A nasally male voice rang.

    The disciples raged after they heard what he said, ¡°Come and fight us then, you ignorant Barbarians!¡±

    ¡°What makes you think you¡¯re better just because you¡¯re a giant bird!?¡±

    An Tongchen rolled his eyes at thement. Being as good-tempered as he was, a few words would have no effect on him.

    ¡°I might not be good, but I¡¯m good enough to end you,¡± he sneered.

    As soon as he finished his sentence, Lu Mingshu could feel that the temperature around her had dropped, making it feel kind of like winter.

    Seeing that Elder An was about to take on the Barbarians, all the disciples cheered, ¡°Elder An, show them what you got!¡±

    Snowkes started falling slowly, and the sword-light shone brightly. Just as An Tongchen was about to attack, a ray of light shot toward the front of the vehicle from the city.

    ¡°Please wait a minute!¡±

    The ray of light faded, uncovering a middle-aged man in a maroon robe.

    ¡°Brother An, after so many years, you¡¯re still the same ¨C so powerful!¡± The man smiled at him.

    An Tongchen squinted his eyes to get a better look.

    ¡°Oh, so it¡¯s Mr Lin! It¡¯s been so long since we met, I see you¡¯ve been promoted to an official.¡±

    Mr Lin waved his hand, ¡°Nah, it¡¯s just because Lady Luck¡¯s on my side.¡±

    However, An Tongchen was not in the mood to entertain him. He cut off the chat and went straight to the point, ¡°So, why did you stop me? Tons of Barbarians are in China right now and yet no actions have been taken? Are they now allowed to roam freely around Zhongzhou?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a misunderstanding!¡± Mr Lin immediately apologized. ¡°Both of you are my valuable guests, it is my fault that this happened.¡±

    ¡°Valuable guest?¡± An Tongchen stared at him coldly. ¡°You invited them?¡±

    The harpy sneered, ¡°So what if he invited the Barbarians? Do you think that we don¡¯t deserve to be here? Fight me then!¡±

    Upon hearing that, Mr Lin tried to cool down the situation, ¡°Elders, it¡¯s just a misunderstanding. Please don¡¯t take it so seriously....¡±

    An Tongchen rolled his eyes, ¡°Mr Lin, they rammed into our vehicle as soon as we arrived, is that a misunderstanding? I have no say in who you invite, but I¡¯m pretty sure they did what they did on purpose, and you want me to turn a blind eye to it? Do you think the Nine Jade Pce is a pushover?¡±

 Chapter 112: New Trend

    <h4>Chapter 112: New Trend</h4>

    Before Mr Lin could add anything else, another ray of light shot up from the city and dashed toward the vehicle.

    This ray of light was dimpared to the previous one, but it travelled way faster.

    The light slowly faded, revealing a woman in a purple gown. It was simr to the one Mr Lin was wearing, but it was more refined. She had a mellow and full face, which made her look young and friendly when paired with her fair skin and curved eyebrows. She looked like she was in her twenties, but her steady character made her feel like she was in her thirties.

    ¡°Elder An,¡± she greeted An Tongchen with a gentle smile, ¡°I apologize for our carelessness, which resulted in an unhappy situation here. We have already prepared wine for both Elders. We sincerely beg for your forgiveness.¡±

    She was a humble and respectful woman, and she spoke with politeness. An Tongchen smiled thinly at her, ¡°So, it¡¯s Emissary Xiahou. I apologize for being so disrespectful.¡±

    ¡°Everything¡¯s fine,¡± she smiled at him broadly. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to have you here from the Nine Jade Pce. We are more than honoured to have you here with us.¡±

    Lu Mingshu wasn¡¯t sure since when, but Tan Yubing was standing next to her. Tan Yubing whispered to her, ¡°This Emissary Xiahou has a high position in Tianyun City. Even the Prime Minister has to listen to her.¡±

    Even the Prime Minister of Zhongzhou... no wonder An Tongchen calmed down as soon as she showed up. The Barbarians didn¡¯t say anything either.

    The government of Zhongzhou was the most closely rted to the ns. All their officials were martial artists. For example, Mr Lin was in the Spirit Realm, and Emissary Xiahou wasparable to An Tongchen. The King of Zhongzhou himself was in the Assimtion Realm! Otherwise, how could the Qilin Festival be so widely recognized?

    The King of Zhongzhou retired twenty years ago. Now, the country was in the queen¡¯s hands. The queen had two officials with her; Ding Qingqing and Emissary Xiahou. Emissary Ding was mainly to tackle with the queen¡¯s personal matters while Emissary Xiahou was mainly there for government matters.

    Lu Mingshu was taken aback by the information. So Zhongzhou is under the queen? That¡¯s unusual.

    With Emissary Xiahou stepping in, both the Nine Jade Pce and the Barbarians immediately calmed down, and the conflict was thus resolved easily. Mr Lin then guided the vehicle to its parking spot and helped settle the disciples.

    After settling down, Tan Yubing invited Lu Mingshu to roam around the city.

    Tianyun City ¨C the capital of Zhongzhou, and the most prosperous city in the whole of China. Lu Mingshu was curious about what the city was like, and ever since she had embarked on this journey, Tan Yubing had showered her with care and concern, so it wasn¡¯t appropriate to reject her invitation.

    The street was neatly nned, with row upon row of skyscrapers ced side by side. It was packed like sardines in a tin, and it was bursting with activities, not to mention the dazzling goods that delighted the eye, which were all lined up for disy.

    Tan Yubing brought her to a few shops that sold cultivation items. The shops were rmended by her seniors. These few shops in Zhongzhou were the most well-known; they had everything you could need, and they sold their items at a decent price. If one was visiting the city, these shops were the ones that one should go to in order to prevent getting scammed.

    Lu Mingshu witnessed another side of her Senior Aunt Tan, squandering away all her money.

    ¡°Junior Niece Lu, aren¡¯t you buying anything? These are rare!¡± She reminded her.

    Lu Mingshu pondered for a moment.

    ¡°Do you sell mustard seed pouches or portable stables?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± The clerk smiled proudly. ¡°No shop in Tianyun City would dare to say that they don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°How much?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t sell rare items for silver taels, only mystic crystals. These two items each cost about ten mystic crystals.¡±

    Lu Mingshu wasn¡¯t surprised by the answer. Mystic weapons above the middle tier were mostly bought with mystic crystals. They were so valuable that silver taels couldn¡¯t be used to measure their worth.

    ¡°So expensive!¡± Tan Yubing sighed. ¡°Zhongzhou citizens are rich indeed. I saw a number of disciples in the Harmonization Realm that had a mustard seed pouch! In Xichuan, it¡¯s almost impossible to get mustard seed pouches.¡±

    Mystic crystals were rare treasures. In Nine Jade Pce, only Spirit Realm Elders or Courtyard Guardians would have any. If a Harmonization Realm disciple wanted one, it had to be given by an Elder.

    The line of Golden Door ¨C Tan Yubing¡¯s line ¨C had already declined. They didn¡¯t have an Elder in the Spirit Realm, thus it was impossible for her to own a mystic crystal.

    Lu Mingshu had taken the package given to all the genuine sessor disciples on this trip. There were tons of valuable things inside the package, but still not enough to exchange for mystic crystals. She still had to cultivate on her own too.

    ¡°We can earn silver taels easily, but where can we earn mystic crystals?¡±

    Lu Mingshu muttered to herself, but it was caught by the clerk, who kindly answered her doubts, ¡°Misses, in other ces, it would be impossible to earn mystic crystals, but not here in Zhongzhou. You can earn them, and it¡¯s not hard.¡±

    The answer took both of them by surprise, and Tan Yubing hurried asked, ¡°Where? There¡¯s such a generous boss?¡±

    Pointing to the shop opposite them, he hummed, ¡°Look.¡±

    Looking at where the clerk was pointing, Lu Mingshu saw a martial arts hall. It had a big g with ¡°Wu¡± written on it, which was the character for ¡°Martial.¡±*

    ¡°Martial arts hall? Do martial arts halls in Zhongzhou pay their workers mystic crystals?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, not quite,¡± the clerk felt a sense of pride as he exined the culture of Zhongzhou to some tourists. ¡°See the character ¡®Lei¡¯ at the corner of the g? That shows that the hall has an arena, and in our city if you are at least in the Harmonization Realm, you might get a mystic crystal as a prize. If you are lucky enough to have a second-generation rich kid in the audience, you might win the lottery in one night!¡±**

    Tan Yubing¡¯s eyes lit up upon hearing that information.

    ¡°There¡¯s such good things? No wonder so many people have mustard seed pouches.¡±

    ¡°Not really,¡± the clerk shook his head. ¡°The arena is monitored by the government, and it¡¯s not responsible for death or injury. The fights have to be interesting for one to be rewarded. You get rewarded depending on how good you are.¡±

    ¡°True,¡± Tan Yubing nodded in agreement, but she was still eager to give it a try.

    The clerk smiled at her reaction. How many people think that their ability is too low?

    ¡°Misses, other than the martial arts arena, there are arenas for other skills too,¡± the clerk added. Why not just feed them with all the possible information they could need since I¡¯ve already given them some? ¡°Pharmacology, crafting, art, writing... they have arenas for those too. If Misses are good in any of those areas, you could give it a shot there too.¡±

    ¡°But how would wepete?¡±

    ¡°Depends on the hall,¡± he said as he pointed at the martial arts hall. ¡°Keep a close eye on the signboard. The martial arts hall obviously has the martial arts arena, the pharmacy hall obviously has the arena for pharmacology. Since it¡¯s the Qilin Festival soon, the city will be filled with tourists. Even if they don¡¯tpete, they might be spectators.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Tan Yubing gave him a few silver taels.

    The clerk was pleasantly delighted with the tip. Like a dog with two tails, he sent them off, ¡°My pleasure. Have a safe trip here!¡±

    Lu Mingshu and Tan Yubing left the shop, and indeed, they saw many shops with ¡°Lei¡± on their signboards.

    ¡°This must be some new trend from the past few years,¡± Tan Yubing said. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of this from my seniors!¡±

 Chapter 113: Expensive Gift

    <h4>Chapter 113: Expensive Gift</h4>

    Both of them entered the Martial Arts Hall opposite the shop.

    The Martial Arts Hall was obviously unlike normal ones since it was situated on such a busy street. Upon entering, a waitress in ck came to receive them, and she lead them to their seats beside the arena.

    The arena left Tan Yubing with wide eyes. The elevated stage alone took up a huge amount of space and yet there were still enough seats to amodate around six hundred spectators. Thergest arena in Nine Jade Pce was only this big, but thend in Nine Jade Pce was the cheapest while thend in Tianyun City was the most expensive.

    ¡°This Martial Arts Hall is definitely rted to some big organization,¡± Tan Yubing whispered to Lu Mingshu.

    Lu Mingshu nodded in agreement. The bigger the organization behind the hall, the more people dared topete here since nobody would dare to y dirty tricks.

    The battles held were indeed fascinating. The participants were at least in the Harmonization Realm. In addition, since the Qilin Festival was just around the corner, tourists were swarming the arena. The Qilin Festival wasn¡¯t open to everyone, but the arena was. Getting famous here wasparable to bing known to the whole world.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    After spectating a number ofpetitions, Lu Mingshu became familiar with the arena¡¯s standard.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going up?¡± Tan Yubing¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. She was under the impression that Lu Mingshu would definitely go up and fight.

    She shook her head, ¡°We¡¯re just newbies. There¡¯s still time; I¡¯m not doing it today.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± Tan Yubing nodded in agreement. ¡°We only just arrived today. We should get enough rest before we fight.¡±

    Even though Tan Yubing misunderstood her, Lu Mingshu chose to kept quiet since she didn¡¯t find any point in correcting her.

    When they got back to the hotel, Lu Mingshu went to feed Little Daze before she went to bed as usual.

    Upon seeing her, Little Daze stomped. Little Daze hmphed and looked extremely ufortable. Tianyun City was nice, but Little Daze still wasn¡¯t used to being in such a crowded ce.

    Lu Mingshu fed it fruits andbed its mane.

    ¡°Just two more days... I¡¯ll get you a better ce,¡± she whispered.

    She went back to her room and opened the map she bought recently.

    Candle me shone on her emotionless face, casting a shadow.

    Shao Zhengyang¡¯s words rang in her head. ¡°What they¡¯re doing now is all for show. The biggest possibility is that they want to show that they recognize you as the Eldest Miss.¡±

    A smile slowly formed on Lu Mingshu¡¯s face.

    The Sect Leader¡¯s wife must believe that the Nine Jade Pce¡¯s Eldest Miss is valuable, huh? Especially one that is so talented and won eighteen fights in a row during the Heavenly Doorpetition.

    Since they had already lost the opportunity to crush her down, why not sell her at a high price? That way, not only would they get rid of their eyesore, they may even get some benefits out of it as well.

    Master mentioned that Zhou Miaoru isn¡¯t nearsighted or stupid... but Master has forgotten that she hasn¡¯t cultivated for years, nor has she left the Nine Jade Pce. There¡¯s a saying that goes, ¡°Knives that aren¡¯t sharpened will be blunt.¡± Someone who only sees the perspective of four walls, it¡¯s hard for someone like that to be farsighted.

    In that case, what¡¯s the harm in fulfilling her wish?

    Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t mind increasing her value for the Sect Leader¡¯s wife. Let¡¯s see if she¡¯s capable of selling this Eldest Miss off.

    ...

    Xiahou Mansion.

    It was already past midnight, and Xiahou Shan was able to take a break from all the government affairs. Under the attendance of her servant girl, she soaked herself in the bathtub with hot steam rising.

    The fragrance from the bath filled the air, but it was a unique smell. It wasn¡¯t petals that were floating on the water, but different herbs. These herbs cost more than an arm and a leg. Even those in the Spirit Realm would be speechless after hearing the price, but to Emissary Xiahou, it was just an ordinary herb bath.

    Some servant girls stepped forward, slowly massaging her body to help her tense muscles better rx and absorb the essence of the herbs.

    Even so, Xiahou Shan didn¡¯t waste her time. While she closed her eyes and rested her head on the wall to rx, a female official was kneeling beside her and reporting a string of matters to her.

    ¡°Wait a minute,¡± Emissary Xiahou suddenly stopped the official.

    The official then stopped and quietly waited for amand.

    ¡°Could you repeat the gift list again?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The official then repeated the gift list in monotone.

    ¡°Such an expensive gift,¡± Xiahou Shan stroked the Heavenly Star Crystal on her wrist, which was too valuable to be priced. ¡°Who¡¯s the sender?¡± She smirked.

    The official scanned her list.

    ¡°Nine Jade Pce, Yin Hong.¡±

    ¡°An Elder from the Nine Jade Pce is almost definitely unable to get such expensive stuff. Most likely, their boss has something to do with it.¡±

    ¡°Yin Honges from the line of Fluffy Clouds. The Zhou family helped her breakthrough to the Spirit Realm,¡± the official replied.

    ¡°Zhou family?¡± Xiahou Shan raised her eyebrow. ¡°Didn¡¯t Zhou Jin retire as the Sect Leader nine years ago?¡±

    ¡°Yes. His son-inw Fu Shangqing has taken over for him.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right. That Sect Leader Fu has an interesting background.¡±

    The official kept quiet. She was only here to report the facts, not to speak her opinions.

    ¡°Who¡¯s in charge of the household now?¡± Xiahou Shan asked.

    ¡°Zhou Jin¡¯s elder daughter, Fu Shangqing¡¯s current wife, Zhou Miaoru.¡±

    ¡°Zhou Miaoru?¡± Xiahou Shan tried to recall who that was.

    ¡°Oh! It¡¯s that woman! She¡¯s a snake ¨C sneaky. Too bad her constitution isn¡¯t good enough. How is she now?¡±

    ¡°As soon as Fu Shangqing took over the position of Sect Leader, Zhou Miaoru chose to stay at home to be a good wife and mother. She gave birth to twins, and she¡¯s still in the Harmonization Realm,¡± the official announced.

    Xiahou Shan held out her hand. A crystal cup with flower wine in it was immediately served.

    The sweetness of the wine filled her mouth, followed by a strong fiery taste as it turned into mystic force and entered her body. She paused for a moment to feel the mystic force before continuing, ¡°Anyway, what¡¯s new in Nine Jade Pce?¡±

    The official took out a book and scanned. She then replied, ¡°A few months back, during the triannual Heavenly Doorpetition, a genuine sessor disciple created history by winning eighteen battles in a row.¡±

    ¡°Eighteen wins? Just eighteen?¡± Xiahou Shan didn¡¯t take the wins seriously. Nine Jade Pce¡¯s standard had been dropping ever since Liu Jizhen was crippled. There wasn¡¯t much talent left, so in Xiahou Shan¡¯s eyes, eighteen wins in a row were nothing much.

    ¡°The thing about this disciple is not just the results, but her background.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s Fu Shangqing¡¯s eldest daughter, given birth by his first wife. She entered the Harmonization Realm when she was fifteen, and it had only been a few months since then when she entered thepetition. She wasn¡¯t noticed by anyone at first, but for some reason, she chose to challenge all the participants and she seeded.¡±

    Xiahou Shan¡¯s eyes lit up upon hearing that. Finally, something interesting.

    ¡°Oooh, what else?¡±

    The official knew what she was interested in. She immediately flipped her books for more details, ¡°She came to the Nine Jade Pce nine years ago and became Liu Jizhen¡¯s disciple. She was always lowkey, and she wasn¡¯t recognized by the Zhou family, but after thepetition, they started treating her with care and acknowledged her as the Eldest Miss.¡±

    ¡°I see, hmm.¡± Xiahou Shan smiled. She didn¡¯t need the official to continue, she already got the hang of what was going on.

    Downing the whole cup of wine, she waved her hand at the official, ¡°Since they gave such an expensive gift, I¡¯ll see her then.¡±

    ¡°Noted,¡± the official took up her pen and wrote down the order.

 Chapter 114: The Hall of Immortals

    <h4>Chapter 114: The Hall of Immortals</h4>

    A banner hanging outside a shop was floating in the wind.

    A bunch of youngsters passed by, and one of them stopped to read out the words on the banner, ¡°The best pharmacologist in the universe! Comepete if you doubt it!¡±

    ¡°Oh no, I¡¯m so scared!¡± He snickered.

    The others burst intoughter and started jeering.

    ¡°How dare someone say they¡¯re the best when Senior Brother Qi is around!?¡±

    ¡°I know, right? Senior Brother Qi, go show this guy what you¡¯ve got!¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes, yes! Go teach this arrogant kid a lesson!¡±

    A passerby witnessed this chaotic scene and stopped by to have a look, ¡°The gentlemen here are surely not Zhongzhou citizens, am I right? I have nothing to say about the pharmacologist who wrote that, but the Hall of Immortals is the biggest pharmacy in our Tianyun City. That banner has been up for six months and tons of people are unconvinced, but no one can defeat him.¡±

    ¡°Such a hard opponent?¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s all the more reason we need to ¡®increase our knowledge¡¯ with him!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! Who dares say they¡¯re better than us, the Heavenly Sea Pavilion, in this area? Let¡¯s go check it out!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    The bunch of youngsters couldn¡¯t take the provocation, so they walked toward the entrance noisily.

    ¡°Youngsters... I guess that¡¯s just how they are,¡± the passerby shook his head.

    Someone from the back responded, ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what they said? They¡¯re from the Heavenly Sea Pavilion. That shows why they¡¯re unconvinced. The Heavenly Sea Pavilion is famous for their pharmacology.¡±

    ¡°No matter what, they¡¯re still young. How can they bepared to the pharmacology from the Hall of Immortals?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±

    As soon as the bunch of youngsters entered the door, they were led to the arena.

    The arena was a big courtyard that could hold more than hundred people. The elevated stage was ced in the middle of the courtyard. It was simr to the one for martial arts; the only difference was that there were tables ced on the ends of the stage with paper and pens lying on them. Behind the tables, there were stoves that were already well prepared. Green colored smoke rose up in spirals from the stoves.

    Martial arts depended on one¡¯s fist ¨C whoever¡¯s fist could make the loudest noise would win. However, for pharmacology, it was obviously based on one¡¯s knowledge of medicines. Compared to the martial arts arena, the pharmacology arena was less intense, thus there weren¡¯t many spectators, but because of the banner hanging outside the Hall of Immortals, the number of spectators had increased over these past few months.

    ¡°Starting soon, starting soon,¡± the clerk held a big Tongluo and shouted as he struck the Tongluo hard.

    Customers who had already gotten their number tes filled the seats of the elevated stage. In no time, the seats were almostpletely filled.

    A man went up on stage and greeted all the spectators, ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, we, the Hall of Immortals, set up an arena as a tform to meet pharmacologists from all walks of life and anyone with the same interest. Those who defeat the pharmacology of our Hall of Immortals and ward off any other challengers for three days will win ten mystic crystals and a VIP customer status, which gives you an eighty percent discount whenever youe to us, and this VIP status willst forever! Now, let¡¯s wee the Hall of Immortals pharmacologist up to the stage!¡±

    The man reached out his hand. Under the gaze of all the spectators, he led the pharmacologist up to the stage.

    The pharmacologist from the Hall of Immortals stepped up on stage. To everyone¡¯s surprise, it was a skinny and shriveled old man whose steps were shaky. The green jacket on his body looked like a green jacket on a piece of bamboo.

    The pharmacologist bowed to the spectators with a serious face.

    A round of apuse was given to him.

    This old man was Qin Zhiqiu, the pharmacologist of the Hall of Immortals. He hadn¡¯t lost a round of battle since he started hosting the arena six months ago.

    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, who¡¯s here to challenge?¡±

    As soon as the man ended his sentence, somebody stood up and strolled up on stage, ¡°Let me meet Pharmacologist Qin!¡±

    ¡°May I know who this gentleman is...?¡± The man gestured to the person.

    The person fanned himself as he replied, ¡°My surname is Deng, from Linjiang¡¯s Deng lineage.¡±

    The spectators cheered for him.

    Linjiang¡¯s Deng lineage, the aristocratic family well known for pharmacology! The banner outside the Hall of Immortals was attracting more and more famous pharmacologists over the past six months, and now even Linjiang¡¯s Deng lineage hade out to challenge!

    Today¡¯s challenge would be more than interesting.

    ¡°So, it¡¯s Gentleman Deng,¡± the man spoke with respect upon knowing who he was. ¡°I¡¯ve long looked forward to meeting you.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m iparable to you, the Hall of Immortals. I do not dare to say that we, the Deng lineage of Linjiang, are the best in this universe!¡± He replied with sarcasm.

    But the man seemed to be unmoved by the sarcasm as he kept a smile on his face.

    ¡°Okay, so what are wepeting on?¡± Gentleman Deng directed the question to Pharmacologist Qin.

    The old man opened his mouth slowly, replying in a hoarse voice, ¡°Identification, production, or investigation ¨C choose whichever one you want.¡±

    Gentleman Deng raised his eyebrow upon hearing the old man, ¡°Oh, for me to choose? Good, brave indeed! No wonder you¡¯re the best in the universe. I will challenge all three then!¡±

    Three servant girls walked up on stage, each with a fine wooden box in their hands. The man put on his gloves and opened the boxes to reveal what was inside. In the first box, there was aplete medicinal herb. The second one contained a half-finished product that had been cut and dried. The third one stored a porcin jar with a finished product.

    ¡°Gentleman Deng, there are three segments to identification: raw material, medicinal herb, and end product. You may provide three of your own for our Pharmacologist Qin as well.¡±

    How hard could it be for someone born in an aristocratic pharmacologist family to provide three such items?

    Six items were arranged on the tables neatly for both parties to check. After checking, the man announced, ¡°Let me humbly exin the rules first. Both parties will identify the Chinese herbs first, then write your answers on the given paper. The answers should include the herb¡¯s name, source, age.... The winner will be based on who has the most correct answers, but if the number of correct answers is the same, it¡¯ll be based on who finished first. During thepetition, the Imperial Pharmacy will be there as a witness. Any questions?¡±

    Obviously, Pharmacologist Qin didn¡¯t have any questions. Gentleman Deng didn¡¯t have any either. The Imperial Pharmacy was the pharmacy that the king of Zhongzhou used, and it was the most prestigious pharmacy in all of Zhongzhou. With the Imperial Pharmacy as a witness, it would definitely be a fair fight.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s... begin!¡±

    Pharmacologist Qin and Gentleman Deng went to the boxes and started immediately.

    The bunch of youngsters from the Heavenly Sea Pavilion started to discuss.

    ¡°This arena is interesting!¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s beyond my expectations. I didn¡¯t know that pharmacologists could have arenas too. Why don¡¯t we start one when we get back to Zhangzhou?¡±

    ¡°Can you guys just shut up? Stop interrupting thepetition!¡±

    ¡°Exactly, keep quiet!¡±

    Some of them even stretched their necks to focus on the elevated stage. As martial artists, they could see what was happening on the stage clearly.

    After a while, the chattering started again.

    ¡°Hey, can any of you do it too?¡±

    ¡°The first two items are easy enough, but not thest. I can¡¯t smell or taste anything, so I can¡¯t do it.¡±

    ¡°True. Hmm...¡±

    Both contestants were like lightning. They just scanned the first item and immediately started scribbling on the paper. It was the same with the second item as well. The third one slowed them down. They smelled and tasted the medicine over and over. After some considerations, they shouted at the same time, ¡°Done!¡±

    Smiling widely, the man announced, ¡°Both contestants have finished simultaneously! I guess time won¡¯t be a factor that affects the result. Let¡¯s have a look at the answers!¡±

    Six servant girls held the papers up for the spectators to see.

    ¡°Could we have both contestants check out each other¡¯s answers first?¡±

    ¡°Sounds interesting,¡± Gentleman Deng kept his fan. ¡°Why not?¡±

    He read Pharmacologist Qin¡¯s answers one by one. Reading the first two, a smile was still stered on his face, but it dimmed once he read thest answer.

    ¡°Are both contestants done? Anyments?¡±

    ¡°Talented Gentleman Deng, all correct,¡± Pharmacologist Qin answered.

    ¡°Nothing wrong....¡± Gentleman Deng didn¡¯t look good.

    ¡°Since both parties have checked, this round will end in a draw....¡±

    One of the youngsters noticed the change in Gentleman Deng¡¯s face.

    ¡°Senior Brother Qi, why is that Deng guy so upset when it¡¯s a draw? Is there something wrong with him?¡±

    Senior Brother Qi rolled his eyes, ¡°Why are you such an idiot? That Gentleman Deng must have taken out his family¡¯s secret medicine. Since the other party could figure out what it was, isn¡¯t that the same thing as leaking his family¡¯s secret recipe?¡±

    ¡°The Hall of Immortals is really something, huh!¡±

 Chapter 115: Walking Medicine

    <h4>Chapter 115: Walking Medicine</h4>

    As the rounds finished, Gentleman Deng¡¯s face became more and more ugly.

    In the first round of identification, Pharmacologist Qin identified his family¡¯s secret medicine. In the second round of production, he made the mostmon medicine ¨C Golden Creation Pill. Since both products had their own benefits, it was a draw for the second round as well. In the third round of investigation, both parties were directed toward an injured martial artist, and they had to find out what the injury was and create medicine for it. Both parties had their own theories, and under the witness of the Imperial Pharmacy, they started to produce their medicines.

    Gentleman Deng had always been an arrogant man. Never did he expect that an unknown pharmacologist from the Hall of Immortals would be so capable. A draw was a disgrace to him, whose family was full of professionals in this area.

    The third round must be a win! I bet my family name on this!

    That thought spurred Gentleman Deng on. He put his all into his work and sped up his progress.

    ¡°Time¡¯s up!¡± The man announced.

    The contestants put out their fires at the same time. Hot piping extract was poured out of the pots and given to the official of the Imperial Pharmacy.

    ¡°Who do you think will win?¡± The bunch of youngsters started whispering once again.

    At first, they thought that the Hall of Immortals was too arrogant. Even if you were a well-known pharmacy in Tianyun City, one shouldn¡¯t look down on others from the other parts of the world! How dare you call yourself the best in the universe without the recognition from us, the Heavenly Sea Pavilion?

    But after watching thispetition, they realized that the Hall of Immortals was indeed something.

    Even though this gentleman from the Linjiang¡¯s Deng lineage was way better than ordinary people, he seemed to be less experienced than this Pharmacologist Qin.

    ¡°Hard to tell. The Deng family guy confirmed that he has his own secret things, but that Pharmacologist Qin looks confident too.¡±

    ¡°Senior Brother Qi, what do you think?¡±

    The one known as the best out of all them, Senior Brother Qi shook his head, ¡°So far, Gentleman Deng has a higher chance of losing.¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t it be impossible for Gentleman Deng to lose?¡± They were still unwilling to acknowledge that Pharmacologist Qin was better. Since Gentleman Deng came from a family of professionals just like them, they were naturally biased toward him.

    ¡°Look, they¡¯re going to reveal the results now.¡±

    The official from the Imperial Pharmacy put the bowls down. His eyebrows furrowed as if it was very hard to make a decision.

    After a moment, he started speaking, ¡°The medicines made by both parties are both suitable for the patient, and both have their pros. It¡¯s hard to decide the winner. Gentleman Deng¡¯s medicine is delicate and useful over a long time period, but Pharmacologist Qin¡¯s isn¡¯tcking in any way either. This is the hardest decision that I¡¯ve ever had to makeover these six months.¡±

    All eyes were on the official now. If Gentleman Deng won, then the Hall of Immortals¡¯ banner would need to be taken down, and their name would lose reputation. But if the Hall of Immortals won, the name of Linjiang¡¯s Deng lineage would be at stake too. The spectators were mostly here to join in the fun, but they never would have expected that today¡¯spetition would have such a huge impact.

    Would the Hall of Immortals remain the best pharmacy in Tianyun City, or would Linjiang¡¯s Deng lineage be even more famous? Everyone was waiting anxiously for the result.

    The official then added on, ¡°As Gentleman Deng was producing his medicine, he used some secret methods to increase the effectiveness...¡±

    Buzzing could be heard from the spectators. Is Gentleman Deng going to win? So, the banner outside the Hall of Immortals...

    ...however, from the diagnosis of both parties, the patient has suffered from damaged meridians for years, causing him to be in a weak state. If the medicine is too effective, the patient may not be able to properly absorb it,¡± ncing at Pharmacologist Qin, he continued, ¡°so, I think that the win goes to Pharmacologist Qin.¡±

    ¡°Wow,¡± the spectators were a mess.

    ¡°He won again?¡±

    ¡°Linjiang¡¯s Deng lineage...¡±

    ¡°I bet on Deng! I just lost a huge sum...¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, I won, I won!¡±

    Some were happy while some were not.

    ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± Gentleman Deng blew a gasket. ¡°My family¡¯s secret recipe is extremely mild; how could the patient possibly be unable to absorb it!?¡±

    The official replied calmly, ¡°Both of you can try each other¡¯s medicine. If any party is unhappy, we can reverify on the spot.¡±

    In a rage, Gentleman Deng took up Pharmacologist Qin¡¯s product and drank a big mouthful.

    However, as soon as he tasted the medicine, his face changed. He tasted his own product, then stomped off without a word.

    ¡°Eh? He just left?¡±

    ¡°Duh! He¡¯s obviously unwilling to admit defeat.¡±

    ¡°Powerful! Powerful! Even Linjiang¡¯s Deng lineage had to concede defeat.¡±

    Spectators who were enjoying the show fished out some silver teals and threw them up on the stage. In the blink of an eye, Pharmacologist Qin had received a huge prize.

    He cupped his hands in a salute and stood there with a serious expression.

    Senior Brother Qi nudged the group of youngsters, ¡°Let¡¯s get going.¡±

    ¡°Senior Brother!¡± One of them whined. ¡°I don¡¯t believe that a pharmacologist from a small pharmacy like this is so powerful! Aren¡¯t we conceding defeat if we leave now?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah!¡± Most of them crowded around him. ¡°Who knows what he had in his medicine? How can we just concede defeat like this?¡±

    ¡°Nah, we wouldn¡¯t win,¡± Senior Brother Qi replied calmly. ¡°I was wondering... why is he so sick that he looks like he¡¯s about to copse any moment? Now I know why.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t he just underweight? What¡¯s strange about that?¡±

    Senior Brother Qi chuckled, ¡°Do you all even pay attention in ss? What underweight? His skin, teeth, and nails are all a weird colour. He¡¯s clearly been poisoned!¡±

    ¡°Poisoned!?¡± The rest shrieked. ¡°Then all the more we should take him on!¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s more than just poison. He has turned himself into a stove. He has refined himself into a pot of medicine. He¡¯s now a walking medicine. The human body can transform lots of things, making it the best medicinal primer. Through his hands, he can make medicine that is much more effective than the other party¡¯s, and much milder too. No wonder the Hall of Immortals is so arrogant. Thepetitors are all just serving as their stepping stones to bing famous.¡±

    The juniors were all taken aback by the information. Walking medicine? There¡¯s such thing?

    ¡°Senior Brother, so there¡¯s no way to win?¡±

    ¡°For now, yeah. There¡¯s no way.¡±

    The youngest ones of the group hung their heads dispiritedly. They couldn¡¯t stand their arrogance, so they came to defeat the host. However, not only did they not achieve that, they were scared off frompeting at all.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, guys. There¡¯s no benefit if we stay here anyway,¡± Senior Brother Qi urged. It wasn¡¯t like there wasn¡¯t a way for them to ¡°smash the signboard,¡± but they would need a senior who was way more cultivated and a bunch of rare items to do so. With that, they might be able to put down the Hall of Immortals through their rarity. But which Elder would care about such things?

    ¡°Wait!¡± Senior Brother Qi stopped them just as they were about to leave.

    Amidst the crowd, a teenage girl stood up. She looked like she was only about fifteen or sixteen, but she looked lucid and elegant.

    ¡°There¡¯s still someone who wants to challenge!?¡± the juniors shouted in shock when they realized what was going on.

    ¡°Eh? It¡¯s a girl!¡±

    ¡°Tsk. Even we don¡¯t dare to take up the challenge, yet she dares? She really doesn¡¯t know the immensity of heaven and earth.¡±

    ¡°Yeah! Don¡¯t cry like a baby when she loses!¡±

    ¡°Shut up and watch first,¡± Senior Brother Qi interrupted.

    ¡°Senior Brother Qi, that girl will lose for sure, what¡¯s there to watch?¡±

    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s not right, brother. Thepetition may not be worth watching, but her face is!¡±

    The youngsters burst intoughter.

    Senior Brother Qi threw a nce at them, ¡°Stop babbling nonsense. Since she dares to take up the challenge now, she surely has something to rely on.¡±

    ¡°Since Senior Brother says so, we¡¯ll stay and watch then.¡±

    The man on stage looked at the girl, ¡°How should I address the youngdy over there?¡± He bowed.

    ¡°Surname Lu,¡± she made it short and sweet, not wanting to report her origin.

    The man smiled at her widely, ¡°Miss Lu, what do you want to challenge?¡±

    Miss Lu turned to Pharmacologist Qin with a thin smile on her cold face, ¡°Identification.¡±

 Chapter 116: Hidden

    <h4>Chapter 116: Hidden</h4>

    The hotel in Tianyun City was right next to Kowloon station.

    After the wee dinner, An Tongchen dragged himself back with a tipsy feeling. Instead of going back to his room, he went up to the pavilion at the northeast corner and stared at the Nine Flying Dragons Apsara under the moonlight.

    The northeast corner was far from the noisy streets of Tianyun City, leaving the pavilion inplete silence.

    The bustling and thriving Tianyun City attracted all the attention of the disciples who had never been on such long trips. Since they did not need to involve themselves in entertainment, all of them wandered around the streets in groups.

    Additionally, the citizens of Zhongzhou were more than happy to show the tourists what they had here.

    After sitting in silence for a while, somebody broke the peace. ¡°Admiring the moon as a way to pass this long, dark night. Elder An has good insight, I see.¡±

    An Tongchen looked over to see a man walk toward him with quick small steps under the moonlight.

    The man was about the same age as An Tongchen. There was a smile stered on his face and the Seven Star gown on him made him look elegant and somewhat mighty.

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s you!¡± An Tongchen replied in a monotone. He remained seated, making it obvious that he had no intentions to greet the man.

    ¡°Of course it is me! I came to visit you in the middle of the night, are you touched?¡± The man grinned happily at An Tongchen. ¡°Nine Jade Mountain indeed has nice resources! After ten years, not only did Gentleman An not age, you grew younger instead!¡±

    ¡°Cao Lucun, you¡¯re here to bullshit me, aren¡¯t you?¡± An Tongchen coldly stared at him.

    ¡°Of course not.¡± Cao Lucun replied with all smiles as he fished out two bottles of wine. ¡°I am here to share something interesting with you.¡± He passed An Tongchen one bottle.

    As soon as An Tongchen popped off the cork, the strong but sweet smell of Japanese apricot rushed up and filled his nose. ¡°Japanese apricot wine? This interesting matter must be expensive.¡±

    Taoist Cao burst intoughter. ¡°Can¡¯t I offer you some help on the name of your old friend?¡±

    ¡°Hmph, do you think I would buy your words?¡±

    Even though that was what was being said, both of them gave each other a toast and drank the wine together.

    Taoist Cao leaned against a pir before he continued in a tone which made him seem like he was joking. ¡°You know, as soon as y¡¯all arrived yesterday, that Yin Hong sent a list of gifts to Emissary Xiahou.¡±

    ¡°And then?¡± As if it were a known fact, An Tongchen replied calmly.

    ¡°And then, Emissary Xiahou treated Yin Hong to a meal today at Shangri-La Restaurant. ¡±

    An Tongchen nodded as he took a sip of the wine.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious about the details?¡± Taoist Cao yfully wiggled his eyebrows.

    An Tongchen patted the pockets on his waist and threw an ornament at Cao Lucun.

    The Taoist grabbed the ornament and grinned back at him, clicking his tongue. ¡°Aish, only Nine Jade Pce would throw this precious and rare Assimtion Realm beast bone ornament like that!¡±

    ¡°I only have one with me so I¡¯ll dly take it back if you do not want it!¡± An Tongchen reached out with his hand as an action to take it back.

    Taoist Cao immediately hugged the ornament. ¡°How is it possible to get something back after it hasnded in my hands? If it¡¯s possible, I¡¯m not the Lucun Star Lord!¡± heughed.

    ¡°Are you Lucun or a Pixiu?¡± [1]

    Cao Lucun was so intrigued by the ornament that he didn¡¯t bother to argue with An Tongchen. ¡°Xie Lianzhen, you know who he is right?¡±

    An Tongchen nodded. ¡°He came to the Nine Jade Pce nine years ago.¡±

    ¡°Do you know any background information about him?¡±

    ¡°Grandson of the previous Alioth Star Lord. The guy who is supposed to take over the position got into an ident and the position was passed down to him. Among the Big Dipper Seven Star Lords, he has the lowest position in the hierarchy.¡± An Tongchen answered in a monotone, as if he were reading Xie Lianzhen¡¯s background out of a textbook.

    Taoist Cao sneered, ¡°We, the Seventh Truths tform, aren¡¯t that lousy. Senior Uncle Yan might not have that many disciples, but it¡¯s not that hard to get one of the fifth descendants to seed to that Alioth Star Lord position. But that guy, he was only twelve when he assumed the position, and both his legs are even paralyzed! Do you believe that there¡¯s nobody ying tricks behind the scenes?¡±

    An Tongchen kept quiet. Those were the internal matters of the Seventh Truths tform, and he had no rights to make anyments or reply.

    Taoist Cao did not need his reply anyway. Cao Lucun continued his rant. ¡°To cut the long story short, he has somebody behind him. Somebody that nobody can stop. As long as that somebody holds power for a day, nobody can kick Xie Lianzhen out from the Alioth Star Lord position!¡±

    An Tongchen eyes lit up upon hearing Cao Lucun¡¯s words. ¡°What is their rtionship?¡±

    ¡°The closest in the whole wide world!¡± Taoist Cao wiggled his eyebrows. ¡°Not even the King of Zhongzhou couldpare.¡±

    A rtionship that¡¯s closer than a married couple? There¡¯s only one possibility in this whole world. An Tongchen was struck dumb after hearing such a secret that would probably take the world by shock.

    ¡°Even her son¡¯s legs are paralyzed and he can¡¯t practise martial arts. She used some secret medicine to let him cultivate. Yet this is still not all of it ¡ª she even got one of the positions of the Big Dipper Seven Star Lords for him!¡±

    ¡°What has that got to do with us then?¡± An Tongchen asked softly.

    ¡°Why not?¡± Taoist Cao smiled. ¡± I¡¯m a monk, but he isn¡¯t.¡±

    An Tongchen pondered for a while. ¡°Who?¡± He probed after making sense of the whole thing.

    Taoist Cao nced at him. ¡°I do not have the ability to know what Emissary Xiahou told others. You should ask yourself that.¡±

    An Tongchen tried to figure things out. ¡°Yin Hong¡¯s part of the Zhou¡¯s, the Zhou¡¯s....Zhou Miaoru¡¯s daughter is fifteen this year. If it is her, Emissary Xiahou may not value her...¡±

    Suddenly, An Tongchen realized something.

    Seeing his face darken, Cao Lucun smiled at him. ¡°This information is definitely a good deal, right?¡±

    Remembering what Liu Jizhen had entrusted him with before they left, An Tongchen was filled with anger. ¡°She dares?!¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡± Cao Lucun replied tipsily. ¡°If it¡¯s a deal, what can you do?¡±

    Upon sensing An Tongchen¡¯s anger, Cao Lucun patted his shoulder. ¡°Actually, there¡¯s no need to rush. There are a lot of people who are looking for Emissary Xiahou nowadays for power. That position makes a popr man!¡±

    ...

    On the arena at the Hall of Immortals, the man looked at the girl in confusion. ¡°So what this Miss means is that each party can take out one medicine, and the other party must make a copy of it?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Lu Mingshu nodded. ¡°This way, recognizing and manufacturing can be tested at the same time. This is more convenient.¡±

    This way ofpeting had never been heard of before. The man kept ncing at the corner where the boss of the Hall of Immortals was sitting.

    ¡°This is a good idea!¡± The bunch of youngsters from the Heavenly Sea Pavilion whispered to each other. ¡°This girl got something in her sleeves, eh?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Without abilities, she wouldn¡¯t havee up with this idea.¡±

    ¡°But with her age, can beat Pharmacologist Qin? Leaving experience aside, she¡¯s no match for him since he¡¯s the walking medicine!¡±

    ¡°Just watch.¡± Senior Brother Qin replied. ¡°She must have some ability if she dared toe up with that idea.¡±

    On the other hand, the man waited for both the boss and the pharmacologist¡¯s agreement before he continued with a bright smile stered on his face. ¡°Okay, this is it then! Let me give both parties some time to think about it, and which medicine to choose from. However, there¡¯s something that both should take note of. The medication shouldn¡¯t be too expensive or rare, as we would not have the ingredients for you to make it.¡±

    Pharmacologist Qin called a worker over and whispered a few words in his ears.

    Lu Mingshu on the other hand just took out a China jar and handed it over to the man.

    After a while, the man received the medicine from Pharmacologist Qin and he exchanged it for them.

    ¡°Both of you may check the product given to you now. If you have any queries, please raise it immediately.¡±

    Lu Mingshu opened a box to see a pill.

    The same went for Pharmacologist Qin when he opened up the jar.

    ¡°Do any of you have any questions?¡±

    Lu Mingshu shook her head while Pharmacologist Qin furrowed his eyebrows for a moment before he also shook his head.

    ¡°Then let thepetition begin!¡±

 Chapter 117: Novice Pharmacologist

    <h4>Chapter 117: Novice Pharmacologist</h4>

    As soon as thepetition kicked off, all the spectators started picking up the number tes to bet.

    ¡°Who are you betting on?¡±

    ¡°Pharmacologist Qin of course. Even gentlemen Deng from the Linjiang¡¯s Deng lineage lost, so this girl.....¡±

    ¡°I agree, I doubt she would make it either.¡±

    However, some others had opinions. ¡°But she¡¯s so confident, surely she¡¯s not as simple as she seems to be.¡±

    ¡°Gentlemen Deng is also very confident.¡±

    ¡°Make sense too....¡±

    The bunch of youngsters started whispering amongst each other once again.

    ¡°Do y¡¯all wanna bet too?¡±

    ¡°Bet on who?¡±

    ¡°This girl!¡± All of them giggled.

    The youngster bet on her not because she was confident, but because they hade to the Hall of Immortals with the goal of ¡°smashing the signboard¡±, which they failed to do so as they chickened out even before they got topete.

    On the elevated stage, Pharmacologist Qin took up the pill that was given to him. He smelled it before he tasted it.

    At first, he was taken aback by the strength of the mystic force within the pill. After another confirmation, there were no ingredients that he didn¡¯t recognize, and thus he rxed a bit. However, the ingredients he had identified did not match up with the end product.

    None of the ingredients in the pill were rare, but by putting them together, it produced an effect that was out of the ordinary. Pharmacologist Qin thought long and hard but to no avail. He couldn¡¯t think of any ways to manufacture the pill that would allow it to keep such a huge amount of mystic force in it.

    This girl sure has some sort of secret cheat code!

    He stole a nce at her, and what he saw left him rooted to the ground.

    To recognize the pill, he dissolved it in water before he scraped to get power and taste it. However, the other party just sat down on the floor crossed-legged and popped the entire pill into her mouth.

    What the heck? Is she gonna eat it?

    ¡°What is she trying to do?!¡± One of the youngsters eximed.

    ¡°Will you shut up!¡± Senior Brother Qi bellowed. ¡°Don¡¯t interrupt thepetition.¡±

    Even if the bunch of youngsters kept quiet, the spectators were all in shock.

    How do youpare itter if you ate the whole pill? How can you be so confident that you will get the exact same copy with one try? Every pharmacy has a secret recipe of their own. Even if you know the ingredients, it¡¯s not hundred per cent guaranteed that you will get it. Lu Mingshu¡¯s way ofpeting had all the spectators looking at her in disagreement. Yeah, you¡¯re confident, but you need to check to get the right amount for each ingredient. Even those that are talented need to check.

    Initially, Pharmacologist Qin was wary of Lu Mingshu because of the pill she had produced. Upon seeing how she recognized the pills, he heaved a sigh of relief.

    Maybe her elders made this pill? Then he had nothing to fear then. He knew the ingredients by heart, but there was only a fifty to sixty per cent chance for him to get the same effect. On the other hand, the pill that he chose had used years of experimenting to get the best effect. Even if she could determine theponents in the pill, it would be hard for her to get the quantity right. Furthermore, she already swallowed the pill, it¡¯s impossible for her to makeparisons.

    Pharmacologist Qin diverted his attention away from Lu Mingshu and focused on making the pill.

    Now, Lu Mingshu had already entered the Heavenly Wheel.

    This was the first time that she had entered the Heavenly Wheel in public. Lu Mingshu did not dare to do it in the past as it would have decreased her ability to defend herself. However, it was totally safe this time around. She was on the elevated stage, and with so many pairs of eyes staring at her, who would dare to do anything to her? Time passed by extremely slowly in the Heavenly Wheel too, so it wouldn¡¯t really affect herpetition.

    Lu Mingshu spit out the pill. ¡°Xiao Sang?¡±

    ¡°Here.¡± Xiao Sang always replied quickly no matter what.

    ¡°Could you help me see what¡¯s in this pill?¡±

    As a responsible guardian, she answered anything with respect to points or limits to authority.

    A ray of colourful light flowed past Lu Mingshu. She could hear Xiao Sang list out the ingredients as if she were reciting Buddhist texts. ¡°There are three main ingredients. The root bark of a ten-year-old peony tree, a five-year-old fruit, twenty-year-old dates...¡± After she listed out all the ingredients, Xiao Sang added, ¡°The person who made this pill is still a novice, so the effects are limited. It¡¯s okay to take it, but you must get rid of the impurities.¡±

    Lu Mingshu quickly memorized the ingredients in her heart. ¡°Thanks a lot.¡±

    She opened her eyes and walked towards the table.

    To the crowd, she had just used ten seconds to finish the pill and she was done.

    ¡°No, not this way. She¡¯ll lose for sure.¡± Sighs could be heard. Ten seconds is definitely not enough to tell what¡¯s in the pill.

    Regardless of thements, Lu Mingshu wrote the ingredients on the piece of paper and handed it to the man. ¡°Sorry for the trouble. Could you please help me get those?¡±

    The man¡¯s eyes widened in shock after he saw the things that were written on the paper. ¡°Oh, sure....¡±

    The man then passed the paper to a clerk who returned with the ingredients in no time. Lu Mingshu tested the ingredients one by one before she measured them and put them into the stove.

    The man felt ill-at-ease as he kept eyeing the boss who was sitting in the corner.

    ...

    ¡°What the heck, are you mad?¡± Seeing An Tongchen bowing to him, Cao Lucun was gobsmacked. He had known An Tongchen for ages, yet he had never seen this ¡°iceberg¡± be so courteous.

    An Tongchen then stood up straight and looked into Cao Lucun¡¯s eyes. ¡°Senior Brother Liu¡¯s life is full of problems and misfortunes. This disciple of his is his only reason for staying alive until now. I can¡¯t let the Zhous ruin her!¡±

    Taoist Cao smiled bitterly at him. He sighed, ¡°You¡¯re really loyal to Liu Jizhen.¡±

    An Tongchen bluntly replied, ¡°How many in Nine Jade Pce are that clean? This few only.¡±

    ¡°Aish!¡± Cao Lucun shook his head. ¡°Actually, it may not be a bad thing for her. With her awkward identity, Nine Jade Pce is a burden for her. If somebody has her back, she might be able to draw out all of her potentials.¡±

    ¡°With the cost of selling oneself into very?¡± An Tongchen retorted.

    ¡°How is it selling oneself?¡±

    ¡°How is it not selling oneself?¡± An Tongchen remained unmoved. ¡°I know that kid quite well, this is a humiliation to both her and Senior Brother Liu.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you....¡±

    ¡°Brother Cao, put yourself into Senior Brother¡¯s Liu shoes. If she was your disciple, what would you do?¡±

    ¡°They dare?!¡±

    ¡°You see, even you wouldn¡¯t allow for this to happen. So why would Senior Brother Liu do so?¡± An Tongchen smiled at Cao Lucun.

    ...

    ¡°Such amazing speed!¡±

    The spectators were left in awe when they saw Lu Mingshu retrieve the medicine paste from the stove.

    On the after hand, Pharmacologist Qin was still measuring the ingredients!

    ¡°Do you think she can make it?¡± The youngsters whispered to each other.

    ¡°Her techniques look unskillful.¡±

    ¡°No different than a greenie.¡±

    ¡°But the steps are correct though.¡±

    They all stared nkly at each other.

    ¡°What on earth is going on?¡± One person muttered to himself.

    Nobody knew exactly what was going on......

    Lu Mingshu shaped the paste into the pill and popped one into her mouth.

    In the Heavenly Wheel, Xiao Sang gave herments. ¡°...The difference is too small to be identified by humans.¡±

    Lu Mingshu opened up her eyes and ced the remaining pills in the box.

    ¡°Miss Lu, you¡¯re done?¡± The man¡¯s eyebrows were raised as he looked at her in doubt.

    ¡°Yeap.¡±

    After getting confirmation, the man nodded and showed her to a seat. ¡°Please have a seat first.¡±

    On the other hand, Pharmacologist Qin was a bundle of nerves. The pills that he got were made ofmon ingredients, but the manufacturing process was hard. He couldn¡¯t seem to find any suitable ways to make this pill. ncing at Lu Mingshu, an idea popped up in Pharmacologist Qin¡¯s mind.

    He didn¡¯t believe that one could make a copy of the Hall of Immortals¡¯ secret pill in such a short period of time. As long as he could make the pill, even if effects werecking, he would be able to enhance the effect with his hands and win over hers.

 Chapter 118: Assembly of the Best

    <h4>Chapter 118: Assembly of the Best</h4>

    Divine Restaurant, which was situated near the hotel, ended their business early tonight.

    Restaurant passers-by were all green with envy as the harmonious music produced by the Chinese instruments slowly flowed into their ears.

    Divine Restaurant was widely known for its marvellous interior decor and top-quality dishes. Even their waiters and waitress were all graceful and good-looking. It was said that the banquet at Divine Restaurant was no worse than the pce¡¯s banquet. To amoner, a trip to Divine Restaurant was a thing worth boasting about for months.

    Which wealthy customer has booked the whole restaurant?

    Due to the Qilin festival, Tianyun City was currently filled with tourists, especially the hotel. Many eminent and mighty martial artists were staying there.

    Perhaps, it¡¯s one of them?

    At Divine Restaurant, the melodic music did not leave at the lobby. The private room was way quieter than what the passer-bys thought.

    More than ten differently-dressed youngsters were sitting together to chit-chat.

    A guy in a bright shirt who was in his twenties sat in the main seat. He had clear, fair skin, and a rtively thin figure. With the fan in his hand, he looked more like a schr than a martial artist.

    ¡°Brother Shao, I heard that there¡¯s a genius at the Nine Jade Pce. Eighteen wins in the Heavenly Door Competition! Why don¡¯t you introduce us!¡±

    ¡°Nah, not today. Junior Sister Lu went out early this morning.¡± Shao Zhengyang smiled as he replied to the guy in the bright shirt who was grinning at him.

    ¡°Oh really? Or is it because you are unwilling to let us have a look?¡±

    It seemed like a joke, but it was also an attempt to probe for more.

    ¡°Brother Kou is right! If she was here, would you have time for me?¡± Shao Zhengyang replied half-jokingly.

    The guy in the bright shirt burst outughing as he lifted up his cup. ¡°Ah, after hearing this, I¡¯m more interested in meeting her.¡±

    Both of them downed the wine and Shao Zhengyang went back to his seat.

    This guy in the bright shirt was Kuo Wei. He was the chief sessor disciple of the Heavenly Sea Pavillion. Since the Heavenly Sea Pavillion was one of the top three sects, thepetition was ferocious. Every title the sessor disciple gained was in exchange for their blood, sweat, and tears. Thus the title¡¯s valuableness ¡ª it was something that was far from the Nine Jade Pce¡¯s reach. Not mentioning the chief sessor disciple, which was their best from the Harmonization Realm, it also represented one of the top martial artists from the Harmonization Realm in the real world.

    Most of the ns had arrived at Tianyun City for the Qilin Festival. Kuo Wei booked the whole restaurant and invited disciples from different ns, and those disciples all felt proud for receiving an invite. Only a dozen or more were qualified to sit here.

    Shao Zhengyang knew in his heart that Kou Wei wanted to invite Lu Mingshu, not him. But Lu Mingshu had left the hotel early, and the invitation that was sent out could not be retrieved. That was why he was here right now. Would he even have a spot among the top dogs from each n? He didn¡¯t know.

    What a pity. Junior Sister Lu left the hotel early in the morning. Knowing people here will bring her benefits and even solve the problem that she will be encountering soon.

    ¡°...Where¡¯s Qi Sheng? Aren¡¯t you both inseparable? Why is he nowhere to be seen today?¡±

    Shao Zhengyang turned to look at the person who had spoken. It was Yue Lingyin from the Amethyst Phoenix Pavilion. During the previous Qilin festival, she who had just entered the Harmonization Realm stunned everyone with her weapon, Sky Zither.

    ¡°Him? He¡¯s more interested in bringing the juniors out than hanging out with me nowadays,¡± Kou Weiughed.

    Yue Lingyin giggled. ¡°Sounds like Qi Sheng. And he would bring trouble back with him after that.¡±

    ¡°Oh please, I hope not. Tianyun City is not Changzhou. I can¡¯t save him if he gets into trouble with some people that he shouldn¡¯t.¡±

    On the other hand, the topic of the Qilin festival was up in the air again. ¡°I heard that Wei Chunqiu of the Seven Truths tform will participate. With his ability, he will be one of the best!¡±

    ¡°He had swiftly breakthroughs to the spirit realm these few years. If he wants to be one of the best, this will be one of hisst few chances.¡±

    ¡°Ancient Jade Summit hasn¡¯t arrived yet. If Ling Wuxia was here, there would be a good show.¡±

    All of them turned their heads to look at Kou Wei.

    ¡°What? Why look at me? It¡¯s not my problem if shees or not.¡± Kou Wei burst out inughter upon seeing their reactions.

    Yue Lingyin giggled. ¡°A meeting between the chief sessor disciples from the top three ns, how exciting that would be?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m gonna be a party pooper then. I don¡¯t think she¡¯lle.¡±

    The rest looked at Kou Wei in shock, ¡°Brother Kou, what makes you say that?¡±

    Kou Wei smiled widely at them, but he didn¡¯t reply.

    ¡°Let me fill you all in with the gossip on Brother Kou¡¯s behalf to protect his image.¡± Yue Lingyin continued the topic. ¡°Are there a lot of female disciples attending this Qilin festival?¡±

    They all tried to recall...

    ¡°Most of those who havee have good family backgrounds, but they have ordinary abilities.¡± Yue Lingyin then turned to look at one of them. ¡°Han Guang, I remember that Elder Luo brought his niece here, am I right?¡±

    That person nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Yun, what about your Junior Sister Wu...¡±

    Yun furrowed his eyebrows.

    ¡°Senior Sister Yue, what¡¯s the big deal now?¡± somebody curiously asked.

    Yue Lingyin raised her hand. ¡°I have a condition here. What I have said here should be kept within these four walls. I will not acknowledge anything after I leave this ce.¡±

    ¡°Say it, say it!¡± The rest burst into a roar ofughter.

    Yue Lingyin yed with the cup on her hand and dragged her voice out. ¡°The Alioth Star-Lord of the Seventh Truths tform might be getting married.¡±

    All of them were taken aback by this information.

    So those female disciples came here for this?

    Some couldn¡¯t hold back their curiosity and asked, ¡°But Lin Wuxia... she¡¯s far from his reach.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget who has his back.¡± Yue Lingyin pointed out. ¡°If that person wants it, the Ancient Jade Summit would be hard to reject anyways.¡±

    So, Ling Wuxia wouldn¡¯t be here.

    It was not bad to have some connections with that person, but if it meant selling off one¡¯s disciple that was full of potential, then it wasn¡¯t worth it. Furthermore, the Ancient Jade Summit was not a small n. They couldn¡¯t afford it.

    Silence took over the dining table, followed by a disgruntledment. ¡°Who does he think he is? Wanting to get Ling Wuxia? ¡± Thement was filled with sarcasm.

    Kou Wei smiled. ¡°It¡¯s his problem that he wants it. What has it got to do with us? Come, drink up!¡±

    Laughter filled the dining table once again.

    ¡°I heard that there¡¯s a trend in Tianyun City right now. Something that has to do with the arena I guess? Should we try it out?¡±

    ¡°Let them live. If you participate, what would be left for others to y with?¡±

    ...

    The medicine paste had formed its shape, and Pharmacologist Qin was drenched in sweat.

    He had been working in this sector for fifty years, and he had never seen such aplex medicine. He tasted it for the umpteenth time, but he still couldn¡¯t find anything special about the pill. No matter what method he used to manufacture the pill, he couldn¡¯t get the same effect. He was a walking medicine, and yet the effect was not there.

    This disheartened Pharmacologist Qin, he had made himself a walking medicine to be able to manufacture good medicine, and yet he was unable to make such an easy pill. Was there really such a brilliant method in this world?

    Pharmacologist Qin checked his process once again, but since there was nothing much he could do, he stopped.

    ¡°Are both parties done?¡±

    Pharmacologist Qin nodded. Seeing that Miss Lu was so rxed, he couldn¡¯t help but panic.

    ¡°Okay! Let¡¯s have the official from the imperial pharmacy do the evaluation.¡±

 Chapter 119: A Good-looking Girl

    <h4>Chapter 119: A Good-looking Girl</h4>

    ¡°Senior Brother Qi, who do you think will win?¡±

    ¡°Miss Lu.¡± He answered firmly.

    ¡°So sure? Pharmacologist Qin is a walking medicine though!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, and Miss Lu looks like she¡¯s still new.....¡±

    ¡°We bet on her to win!¡±

    This reason shut all the youngsters up.

    The youngsters then diverted their attention towards the elevated stage. They realized that the official was having some difficulties.

    Since they were making copies of the given medicine, it was necessary for the official to have a sample forparison. Yet the one from the Hall of Immortals was in Miss Lu¡¯s stomach right now...

    They had no choice but to ask the clerk to bring one more box here.

    ¡°Miss Lu, please double check.¡± The man pointed to him.

    Lu Mingshu took one and popped it into her mouth. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s this one.¡±

    ¡°Official, please.¡±

    The best method for identification was taste. The official first ate the pill given by the Hall of Immortals, then the one that Lu Mingshu made. Under the witness of all the spectators, she then stated, ¡°... It¡¯s totally the same.¡±

    The crowd was surprised with the results and spectators started buzzing. This girl who manufactures pills like a newbie made a copy of the pill? The official stated that it waspletely the same. That means that she got all the correct ingredients and measurements!

    What kind of tongue does she have? Does this mean that, as long as she tastes it, she can determine one¡¯s secret recipe?

    The bunch of youngsters were taken aback by this. ¡°Really awesome.¡±

    Qi Sheng¡¯s mouth was wide open. He had been doing this for years and he knew the weight of the four words: ¡°It¡¯s totally the same.¡± Even if it were his own master, he did dare not say that his copy of the medicine was ¡°totally the same.¡±

    This sentence sent Pharmacologist Qin to the edge of his seat. He couldn¡¯t help but throw helpless nces at his boss around the corner.

    The pill that Lu Mingshu had taken out was cut into many small pieces. The official took one and popped it into his mouth.

    In an instant, the fresh mint taste flowed down his throat and entered his stomach like a warm current, immersing the official in an inexpressible nket offort.

    The official was startled by the effect as the raging waves filled his heart, but he remained emotionless. After the effect died down, he took the one that Pharmacologist Qin made.

    ¡°The ingredients are the same.¡± He started slowly, ¡°But there¡¯s only fifty per cent of the effect.¡±

    The spectators started discussing things amongst themselves.

    One was totally the same while the other one only had fifty per cent of the effect. The results were out.

    The man stered a smile on his face and sent the official back to his seat before he made the announcement. ¡°Miss Lu wins this round!¡±

    Those who bet on Miss Lu cheered and threw the rewards onto the stage.

    Eighty per cent of them had bet on Pharmacologist Qin. The twenty per cent that bet on Miss Lu got double the rewards.

    At the corner, the boss stood up in anger.

    Lose? Just like that? How could it be? We spent millions and years on the walking medicine Pharmacologist Qin and yet we lost to a teenage girl?

    Yet it had been proofed by the imperial pharmacy¡¯s official. It was a truth that could not be denied.

    The boss folded the fan in his hand and immediately came up with a countermeasure. He tidied his clothes and walked towards the elevated stage with a smile.

    ...

    The feast at Divine Restaurant was still ongoing.

    ¡°I heard that the barbarians are here for Qilin festival?¡±

    ¡°They should be. Ask Brother Shao. He should know the best. The Nine Jade Pce fought them.¡±

    All the attention was directed to him, and Shao Zhengyang nodded. ¡°Yeah, our Elder An got into a bit of a fight with the barbarians.¡±

    ¡°Oooh, so what was the result?¡±

    ¡°Just a shot, I couldn¡¯t really tell.¡± Shao Zhengyang shook his head.

    Someone asked, ¡°Brother Kou, did the queen really invite the barbarians?¡±

    ¡°Yea! The barbarians and mankind vow to never stand together, what the hell is she thinking?¡±

    Someone sulked, ¡°Sit with the barbarians? Over my dead body!¡±

    Kou Wei replied calmly. ¡°Based on our statuses, we shall not talk about this anymore. The elders know what they are doing.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Yue Lingyin nodded. ¡°The elders sure do have their ns.¡±

    ¡°The barbarians have been here for two days and nothing has changed. I¡¯m afraid it has already been set.¡±

    ¡°No way! The elders are willing to tolerate them?¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡± Kou Weiughed. ¡°Even though we swore that we would never interact with the barbarians again, how many have actually fought them? It¡¯s been a hundred years since the war, and only the older generation witnessed this. To us, they¡¯re just two races that are separated by a mountain and don¡¯t interact with each other. What¡¯s there to hate?¡±

    ¡°But....¡±

    ¡°But she¡¯s ambitious!¡± Yue Lingyin said something significant.

    That made everyone silent.

    She was none other than this generation¡¯s ruler of Zhongzhou. The ruler of this generation was the most special one in history. While the king of Zhongzhou was focused on learning martial arts, the queen held the authority.

    Zhongzhou was different from the other four countries. Dongyue Xizhou¡¯s royal family was vulnerable. They depended on the martial sects for survival, and they could only bow down to others. Nanze Beiming did not even have a royal family. Only the royal family of Zhongzhou had the ability and name to lead. Even one of the top sects was under their rule. The martial sects had no choice but to pay their respects.

    Otherwise, why would the selection of a wife for the Alioth Star-Lord bring so many girls here? It was not because he was handsome or whatnot. It was all because of the fact that the queen had his back. The marriage was equivalent to bing the queen¡¯s ally.

    ¡°She wants to have the barbarians in her territory as well?¡± Somebody cut off the silence.

    ¡°Why not?¡± Kou Wei clicked. ¡°This is the best type of business now, am I right?¡±

    However, somebody snickered, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that going out to shear for wool will lead the wolf into the house!¡±

    The rest were sent into deep thought. They admired her ns which were big and ambitious, and no other person would be able to conjure up such things. But wasn¡¯t she indulging in her own fantasy? Most of the people, including the guy who had spoken just now, felt that way.

    The barbarians were ¡°untamed¡±. Why would they let mankind control them?

    Noises could be heard from the entrance, and that signified that someone wasing to Divine Restaurant.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening? Didn¡¯t Brother Kou book the whole restaurant? Why are the outsiders entering?¡±

    Yue Lingyin shook her hand. ¡°It should be someone we know.¡±

    As soon as she finished the sentence, the person entered the room.

    It was a youngster around their age who was wearing the same bright shirt as Kou Wei. ¡°Senior Brother Kou, senior sisters, and senior brothers.¡± He bowed.

    ¡°Finally!¡± Yue Lingyin eximed. ¡°Rejected Brother Kou¡¯s invitation, huh? Are the girls in Tianyun City pretty?¡±

    ¡°Pretty!¡± He said, dimples showing in his cheeks. ¡°I saw a gorgeous girl today.¡±

    Yue Lingyin broke intoughter. She wanted to tease him, and she didn¡¯t expect this answer. ¡°Aiyo Gentlemen Qi~ Which girl caught your eye huh? Tell us about it! ¡±

    Shao Zhengyang believed that this guy was Qi Sheng.

    ¡°Today, Junior went into a pharmacy wanting to ¡®smash¡¯ their signboard. Who would have known that I would be scared by the pharmacologist? But the girl, what she did in front of all of us...¡±

 Chapter 120: Earned

    <h4>Chapter 120: Earned</h4>

    Yue Lingyin shrieked, ¡°Scared by a pharmacologist? Little brother, aren¡¯t you toome?¡±

    Qi Sheng bitterly smiled, ¡°Zhongzhou is a highly-popted ce, and that pharmacy is one of the best in Tianyun City. Of course I¡¯m no match for their pharmacologist.¡±

    The Heavenly Sea Pavilion¡¯s strength was their secret way of making medicine. They had the best of the best and the methods were passed down from generation to generation. What they had was certainly not anything that a pharmacy could overtake. However, considering Qi Sheng¡¯s youth and position in the Harmonization Realm, he was definitely not as experienced or as powerful as the older generation.

    Seeing Qi Sheng admit his shorings in front of everyone, Shao Zhengyang sighed. He¡¯s really a disciple from a top sect.

    ¡°What about the girl you mentioned? Yue Lingyin smiled. ¡°How did she sessfully win thepetition?¡±

    ¡°I was just about to fill you in with that information!¡± Qi Shengughed as he sat beside Kou Wei. ¡°I was out with a bunch of juniors to have a look at the beautiful Tianyun City. It was out of my expectations when we passed a pharmacy with g hanging...¡±

    Qi Sheng spoke well. Everyone¡¯s attention was on him.

    ¡°Uh huh? What happened after that?¡± Totally absorbed in the story, Yue Lingyin couldn¡¯t wait and hurried Qi Sheng to continue. ¡°Did the pharmacy deny the fact that they lost? Or did something bad happen to the girl?¡±

    Looking at her twinkling eyes, Qi Sheng sighed. ¡°Senior Sister Yue, why don¡¯t you be more optimistic? That girl look doesn¡¯t look that simple. I think that she¡¯s here to attend the Qilin festival. So even if the pharmacologist had support, they wouldn¡¯t have dared to offend her as they pleased.¡±

    This made Yue Lingyin pout. She expected something more exciting. ¡°No fight at the end feels so empty....¡±

    Qi Sheng ignored her and continued his storytelling, ¡°In fact, the boss of the pharmacy is generous. He granted her a huge reward and bought the recipe at a high price.¡±

    The rest nodded. The boss was indeed smart. Even though the signboard had been ¡°smashed¡±, he could earn more by doing so.

    ¡°Did that girl sell it?¡±

    ¡°Of course she wouldn¡¯t. Such a good pill and it¡¯s her secret recipe, why would she?¡±

    Qi Sheng shook his head. ¡°Nope, she mentioned that she could sell the recipe, but even with the recipe, they wouldn¡¯t be able to create the effect. She also said that she was telling them because she didn¡¯t want to lie.¡±

    Everybody was taken aback by the information. Even with the recipe, it wouldn¡¯t have the same effect? How is that possible?

    ¡°The boss refused to believe it and insisted on buying it, so she sold it... She even added that since there wouldn¡¯t be an effect, she would only take it at half the price.¡±

    The ending of the story left everyone in shock.

    Your secret recipe, either sell it or don¡¯t. Why would you only sell half?

    ¡°Sheng,¡± Kou Wei interrupted, ¡°Did you get her contact details?¡±

    Qi Sheng sighed. ¡°I wanted to, but when I went to look for her, she had already left.¡±

    ¡°Such a pity.¡± Yue Lingyin sighed in regret.

    Of course it was a pity. Not only because they didn¡¯t get to know this girl, but they also didn¡¯t know her master. Her skills looked no different than a beginner and yet she had such a strong recipe. She must have had an extremely good pharmacologist as her master.

    Silence engulfed the room for a moment before Shao Zhengyang cut it off. ¡°Brother Qi, you said that she¡¯s called Miss Lu, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Qi Sheng turned to him. ¡°Does this brother perhaps know her?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure though.¡± Shao Zhengyang started slowly. ¡°I only feel that your description matches one of my juniors.¡±

    This sentence enlightened Qi Sheng as he eximed, ¡°Oh yes, she wore clothes simr to yours! Brother, which n are you from?¡±

    ¡°Nine Jade Pce.¡± Shao Zhengyang squeezed a smile.

    Is Nine Jade Pce that small? Even the Heavenly Sea Pavilion disciple didn¡¯t recognize them.

    He sighed as he turned to look at Kou Wei. ¡°Brother Kou, if it is one of the disciples of my n, I¡¯m almost certain that she¡¯s that Junior Sister Lu.¡±

    ...

    When Lu Mingshu came out of the pharmacy, she made numerous turns and walked through a few alleys to make sure that she was not being followed. Then she made her way back to the main street.

    She shook the pouch on her wrist. The sound that the mystic crystals in her pouch made when they collided with one another made her feel cheerful.

    Lu Mingshu received more than what she had she expected.

    The pill that she had taken out was just a Congeal Constituent Pill. A few years back, she received from the Heavenly Wheel to develop pills herself. But after the incident where she was cheated on, she had given up on it. Yet she never expected to earn so much from her disappointment.

    The Congeal Constituent Pill was just a basic Elixir with ordinary ingredients and it was easy to make. It was something that was invaluable in Xianxia. However,pared to the other medicine here, it was superior.

    Since the Hall of Immortals wanted the recipe, she sold it. However, with the different methods, the effect wouldn¡¯t be there. Lu Mingshu made herself clear, but since they insisted, that was their problem.

    Anyway, if it couldn¡¯t be an Elixir, it was a better pill than the others out there in the Inner Breath Realm. The Hall of Immortals wouldn¡¯t be at a loss, because it still would have better effects and ordinary ingredients. It was worth the money.

    She went to the shop she visited with Tan Yubing yesterday.

    When she exited, her pouch was empty. She had a mustard seed pouch and a portable stable with her.

    The two ¡°musts¡± for a long journey.

    Lu Mingshu dashed back to the hotel and immediately went to the stable.

    Little Daze wanted to rush out upon seeing her.

    Lu Mingshu smiled and patted it. ¡°Okay, I bought the portable stable. You don¡¯t need to stay here anymore. Call me whenever you want toe out.¡±

    Little Daze swayed its head as if it were nodding.

    Lu Mingshu smiled and stroked it.

    Nine Jade Pce may be dependant on others, but they had the best beast. A light shone brightly and Little Daze was sucked into the portable stable.

    The light dispersed and Lu Mingshu put the stable on her hand, which turned into a bracelet.

    ¡°Can you feel anything, Little Daze?¡±

    She could feel that it was ted.

    ¡°From now on you will live here. I would bring you out if the conditions allow it.¡±

    Little Daze immediately sent a signal from the bracelet.

    Lu Mingshu looked helpless as she nodded. ¡°Yes, yes, yes, I will get your supper done in no time.¡±

    ...

    She entered the Heavenly Wheel as soon as she reached her room.

    After the Heavenly Door Competition, she owed eight hundred and ny-nine points. After three months of rest and the journey, it was a thousand and four hundred.

    But five points had been taken off, which put a smile on Lu Mingshu¡¯s face.

    Her guess was indeed correct. Sess in real life meant that she would gain points in Heavenly Wheel. But one round was only five points...

    She was going to continuepeting. This was just the beginning, the more she wins, the more famous she would be, which also meant more points. There were ten more days till the Qilin festival ¡ª enough for her toplete her n...

 Chapter 121: No Hurry

    <h4>Chapter 121: No Hurry</h4>

    Night fell. The Hall of Immortals was still bustling with life; it was even more crowded than yesterday.

    The long banner outside the shop had changed its contents; ¡°The best pill in the world ¨C one shouldn¡¯t not take it.¡±

    Compared to the previous message, it wasn¡¯t that attractive, but people were still strolling in.

    Kou Wei and the rest now stood in front of the pharmacy.

    ¡°Here?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± smiling, Qi Sheng scanned the g before he continued, ¡°Looks like they have other things to battle for.¡±

    Kou Wei fanned his fan up and down. He turned to Shao Zhengyang, ¡°Today, if you don¡¯t greet my sword, I won¡¯t let you pass!¡±

    Shao Zhengyang had a thin smile on his face, ¡°A little too frivolous.¡±

    Kou Weiughed out loud as he continued fanning himself, ¡°You only live once! If not when you¡¯re young, then when?¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Yue Lingyin added, ¡°She could afford to be frivolous, so why not?¡±

    This group of people were all young but capable ¨C the best of each n. Thus, they could make suchments.

    Shao Zhengyang smiled thinly at their reaction. He wanted to confirm with Lu Mingshu yesterday, but he didn¡¯t want to get backte. When he went over this morning, she had already left the hotel. After knowing that she had left, Kou Wei and the rest decided to juste over to the Hall of Immortals to double check and watch herpete.

    The aura that they gave off was way different from anyone else, so the clerk served them immediately after they entered.

    The bunch sat down near the arena.

    After a while, the announcer made his appearance on stage again, ¡°Good morningdies and gentlemen. It¡¯s nice to see you here. For those who are visiting for the first time, our previous host lost to an opponent yesterday, so today, she shall be the host. I¡¯ll now invite her on stage!¡±

    Everyone turned toward the direction he was pointing.

    A girl in white stood up from her seat and walked up on stage.

    The group all turned toward Shao Zhengyang, and Qi Sheng asked curiously, ¡°Well?¡±

    All sorts of feelings welled up in Shao Zhengyang¡¯s heart, ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s Junior Sister Lu,¡± he nodded. He totally had no idea what to feel.

    How weird. Why hadn¡¯t he ever realized that Lu Mingshu knew how to concoct medicine? She was cut off from the world when she was at Green Jaded Valley, where did she get such techniques?

    However, Shao Zhengyang hadn¡¯t been paying attention to what she was doing those few years, so even if Lu Mingshu met some alien or whatever that taught her how to produce medicine, he wouldn¡¯t know.

    Yue Lingyin eximed in admiration, ¡°So, it¡¯s really her! I believed that she must be talented at martial arts, being able to enter the Harmonization Realm at such a young age, but she¡¯s also good in this area!¡±

    ¡°More than good!¡± Qi Sheng interrupted, ¡°I dare say that none of the Heavenly Sea Pavilion juniors are better than her.¡±

    Because the best junior was him.

    Lu Mingshu went up on stage while they were busy chattering among themselves.

    The man pped his hands to gain attention, ¡°The host for today is Miss Lu, who will be setting the rules of thispetition,¡± he paused a while before continuing, ¡°Now, I¡¯ll be exining the rules; the challenger will choose a pill for Miss Lu to make a copy of. If she seeds, she¡¯ll win.¡±

    The spectators cheered.

    The things that this Miss Lu came up with yesterday were already so shocking, and yet she¡¯s using the same method again? She must be very confident in herself.

    But this world is so big, and there are so many different secret recipes. How can she be a hundred percent sure that she won¡¯t fail? She¡¯s too confident... she should be called arrogant instead!

    Somebody interrupted, ¡°So, under those rules, even someone who doesn¡¯t know how to produce medicine canpete?¡±

    The announcer smiled at him, ¡°Whatever the host says counts. As long as one follows the rules set by Miss Lu, it¡¯s fine.¡±

    As soon as the announcer finished his sentence, somebody stood up, ¡°I¡¯ll try!¡±

    A youngster jumped up on stage, ¡°I only need to provide the pill, right?¡±

    Composed, the announcer stuck up two fingers and waved them in front of the person, ¡°Wait. Firstly, it can¡¯t be a poison. Secondly, the pill shouldn¡¯t contain rare ingredients, unless you can provide them.¡±

    ¡°Ah, okay!¡± he sneered and threw a box to the announcer, ¡°Time to take my pill for a stroll then~¡±

    Even though he was rude and disrespectful, Lu Mingshu seemed to be unconcerned with his attitude.

    After the announcer verified the pill, Lu Mingshu walked toward it.

    As she took up the pill, the spectators held their breath. As the tension became more intense, she went up to the person, ¡°This gentleman here, if this is a rare pill, I won¡¯t pay for it if I eat it.¡±

    The youngster thought that she wanted to say something important, but it turned out to be just that. He held down his anger and nodded, ¡°Yes, yes, yes, just eat it. No need to pay.¡±

    Who cares about the pill when you¡¯re here to challenge?

    Lu Mingshu took the pill and sat down at the corner.

    Under everyone¡¯s witness, she popped the pill into her mouth and closed her eyes.

    After a few seconds, she opened her eyes and wrote something on the paper that was ced on the table.

    ¡°She¡¯s that fast?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, she was that fast yesterday too!¡±

    A recipe was quickly finished and handed to the announcer. After checking it and seeing that there were no rare ingredients, he handed it to the clerk to get the ingredients.

    During this time, Kou Wei whispered to Qi Sheng, ¡°How much time do you take to finish identifying?¡±

    ¡°Just identifying the ingredients would be done in a heartbeat, but to urately tell the exact amount of each ingredient... probably one or two hours?¡± Qi Sheng smiled awkwardly.

    ¡°That means Miss Lu is very outstanding.¡±

    Qi Sheng nodded, ¡°Even experienced pharmacologists take a long time to get where she is.¡± His master could do the same, but his master was the best in the Heavenly Sea Pavilion.

    In no time, the clerk came back, and Lu Mingshu started. It was obvious that she was new to production ¨C even Kou Wei could tell.

    ¡°Is she gifted?¡±

    ¡°I think so too,¡± Qi Sheng nodded, ¡°When I was learning, master said that, if one¡¯s tongue is very sensitive, it¡¯s beneficial to being a pharmacologist. I believe that Miss Lu had sensitive taste upon birth.¡±

    As time passed, the shape of the pills started to form. Lu Mingshu tasted a pill and handed one over to the official.

    ¡°...it¡¯s exactly the same,¡± the official from the Imperial Pharmacy gave the samement as yesterday.

    The challenger¡¯s eyes widened in shock as he screamed, ¡°What the hell, this must be a joke! I¡¯ll try it myself!¡±

    Since there were still some pills left, the announcer smiled and handed him one.

    The challenger popped the pill in his mouth. His face slowly turned as white as a sheet of paper.

    ¡°Gentleman, how is it?¡± the announcer asked, ¡°If there¡¯s any dissatisfaction whatsoever, just tell the official.¡±

    However, the guy just stomped off.

    Lu Mingshu was given a round of apuse.

    If a miracle urred a single time, there would definitely be doubts. However, if it keeps happening, doubts would turn into power.

    After that guy, two more went up to challenge, but they failed as well. They had no choice but to ept the facts.

    Thepetition ended, and Kou Wei stood up, ¡°Let¡¯s go back, guys.¡±

    Qi Sheng scrambled after Kou Wei, ¡°Senior Brother, aren¡¯t we going to get to know her?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t she going to be here for three days? There¡¯s no hurry.¡±

 Chapter 122: Rune-Carving Shop

    <h4>Chapter 122: Rune-Carving Shop</h4>

    Kou Wei just said, ¡°There¡¯s no hurry.¡±

    The next day, he was taken aback.

    The banner outside the Hall of Immortals had been taken down, there was nothing on the elevated stage, and the announcer and the boss were in a panic.

    The various spectators were in chaos too.

    The pharmacology arenas weren¡¯t as interesting as the martial art arenas, so it was hard to get an audience to watch. More than half of the spectators here today came after hearing about the miracle that happened yesterday, but nobody expected that the host wouldn¡¯t show up!

    ¡°Where does Miss Lu stay? ¡®I don¡¯t know¡¯? What the hell do you mean by ¡®I don¡¯t know¡¯!?¡± the boss shouted.

    Ever since their own Pharmacologist Qin lost, the boss nned to invest in Miss Lu and make her famous. She was young and incredibly powerful, so there was no doubt that she would attract a huge audience and make the Hall of Immortals famous just the way the boss wanted. That would be the best way to make up for the loss of Pharmacologist Qin.

    Even the boss was shocked at how fast he came up with a n to cover such a huge loss.

    But unexpectedly, after a mere day, a child came in the morning with a letter from Miss Lu saying that she was going to ditch the arena.

    ¡°But... she didn¡¯t tell me where she lives!¡±

    ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard of ¡®asking,¡¯ you idiot?¡±

    The announcer sighed in exasperation. How is this my fault? Why would I ask when I had no clue she would disappear after a single day? Besides, Miss Lu was in the Harmonization Realm, he didn¡¯t dare to offend her.

    On the other hand, Kou Wei and the rest were taken aback by this information.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t the rules say three consecutive days?¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Qi Sheng was also confused by this situation.

    ¡°What does she want? Who in the world would do such things?¡±

    ¡°I want to know too!¡±

    All eyes turned toward Shao Zhengyang.

    Shao Zhengyang smiled bitterly, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen Junior Sister Lu these past few days.¡±

    The best juniors of the various ns just stood there looking at each other, not knowing what to do.

    Meanwhile, at a rune-carving shop down the street, there were two children standing near the door.

    One of them sighed dejectedly, ¡°Haish, why do other arenas have customers, but we don¡¯t?¡±

    The other child pouted, ¡°Carving runes isn¡¯t as interesting as martial arts, that¡¯s why nobody wants to watch us.¡±

    Rune-carving was a skill lost to history. In the past, the making of medicine, weapons, and runes were the three biggest industries in China. But now, after many years, the medicine industry was on the rise, the weapon industry remained the same, while the rune-carving industry was basically gone.

    Rune-carving was the practice of carving a certain rune on a weapon to allow it to possess a certain ability. Back during the war between mankind and the barbarians, rune-carving was very popr. Even a basic amulet equipped bymoners could be used to fight in the war.

    As time passed, martial arts became more and more popr, and rune-carving slowly became more and more unpopr. Compared to martial arts, the ability of a rune varied depending on the day, and sometimes it might¡¯ve even hurt the user as well. Thus, people chose martial arts over rune-carving. To this day, the rune-carving shops all survived by carving basic runes on weapons, which all weapons had.

    Arenapetitions started to trend in Tianyun City these days, and the martial arts hall were the ones who started it. After that, the boss of some pharmacy jumped on the bandwagon, and soon, the metal shops did too.

    Seeing all that, the rune-carving shop jumped on the bandwagon too, but...

    How many rune carvers were even in Tianyun City? Not many; there were only a few people around that could carve runes. When the arena was first set up, it attracted quite arge audience who came out of curiosity. However, after all the rune carvers hadpeted with each other, there was no one left to actually have a contest anymore, so all the fun went down the drain. Thus, there was no audience nowadays.

    On the stage, there were just two people drawing. If one didn¡¯t know about rune-carving, it would look like watching two adults just doodling on stage.

    The martial arts halls and the pharmacies had earned a lot thanks to the arenas, but the rune-carving shop earned nothing from the arena.

    One of the children yawned, ¡°Why don¡¯t we just remove the arena? No one¡¯sing anyways.¡±

    ¡°Nah, boss wouldn¡¯t like that idea,¡± the other child wiggled his eyebrows, ¡°He loves his reputation quite a lot.¡±

    That sentence gave both children the giggles.

    ¡°May I-¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go get some Tanghuluter?¡± *

    ¡°Sure! Lend me two cents first.¡±

    ¡°Nah,¡± the other child stuck out his tongue, ¡°you still haven¡¯t paid me back what you borrowedst time.¡±

    ¡°May I-¡±

    ¡°What do you-!¡± the child snapped. Being in a heated discussion about food, the child was annoyed that he was being cut off, but he managed to calm down.

    A fifteen- or sixteen-year-old girl stood in front of them. She had a fairplexion and wore a white shirt. Her emotionless face made her look like an iceberg.

    The child immediately scrambled up, ¡°Yes, Miss?¡±

    Lu Mingshu pointed to the red paper stuck on the door, ¡°You have an arena here, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, we do,¡± the child nodded while yawning, ¡°but Miss, you might have to wait a while if you want to watch....¡±

    ¡°Because there¡¯s no one topete with the host?¡±

    The child stared nkly at her. What is she trying to say?

    ¡°I want topete.¡±

    As soon as she finished her words, the children looked at her as if she was their goddess.

    ¡°Miss, you want topete?¡± their eyes sparkled.

    ¡°The arena is about carving runes ¨C this is a rune-carving shop.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, do you want to reconsider?¡±

    Lu Mingshu smiled at them, ¡°Why, are you not weing me?¡±

    ¡°No, no, no, no such thing.¡±

    ¡°Of course not!¡±

    The children then bowed as an apology.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. Here, Miss.¡±

    ¡°Wee.¡±

    What a joke; this was their first customer after so many days, the boss would surely cut their heads off if they scared her away. Well, not literally, but still.... Moreover, she would bring them more money!

    However, this Miss here was so young, was she actually capable? Rune-carving was not easy; it was a skill that required years to pick up. Even then, it was soplex that, without a lot of talent, you wouldn¡¯t be able to get any good at it. All rune carvers that were famous were at least in their thirties due to the experience required and the amount of training they had to go through. Even after intense training, it was still possible to not get any harvest in the field of rune-carving, that¡¯s why there were less and less rune carvers these days.

    Ah, whatever, that¡¯s their problem. Just do my job and bring the customer in.

    ¡°Uncle Hai! Someone is here topete!¡±

    Following the children, Lu Mingshu scanned the shop upon entering.

    This was the best rune-carving shop she could find ording to the map, but looking at its interior, she thought otherwise. The martial arts halls attracted students with their fame and the Hall of Immortals was rather neat, but this ce...

    ¡°Customer, huh...?¡± Uncle Hai walked out and smiled widely, ¡°Miss, you¡¯re here topete?¡± He was then rooted to the ground upon seeing that the customer was Lu Mingshu.

    ¡°Yes,¡± seeing the shock on Uncle Hai¡¯s face, Lu Mingshu added, ¡°Why? Can¡¯t Ipete?¡±

    Uncle Hai shook his head immediately, ¡°No, of course not; we wee business from everywhere. It¡¯s just that, our rune carvers all have more than twenty years of experience....¡± he said, trying to hint that a beginner should just give up.

    Lu Mingshu nodded, ¡°I¡¯m here to learn from your excellent standards.¡±

 Chapter 123: An Industry Thatéˆ¥æªš Gone

    <h4>Chapter 123: An Industry That¡¯s Gone</h4>

    ¡°Starting! Starting!¡± the child shouted while striking a gong to attract attention.

    ¡°Aiyo, what¡¯s going on, huh?¡± the old man manning the grocery store walked out upon hearing the noise, ¡°Someone¡¯s here topete? Such a rare situation!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Uncle Zheng. Come and watch! It¡¯s a good-looking girl!¡± the child tried his best to get an audience.

    ¡°What? A girl?¡± Uncle Zheng looked at him in disbelief, ¡°Does she even know how to carve a rune?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but you don¡¯t need toe for thepetition; juste for her visuals,¡± the child wiggled his eyebrows yfully.

    ¡°Sure thing! I¡¯ming over right now!¡±

    As soon as Uncle Zheng was about to exit the shop, his ear was pulled forcefully by somebody, followed by a loud voice, ¡°Where the hell are you going, you goat!? You¡¯re so old, yet your eyes shine upon hearing ¡®pretty girl¡¯? Get your ass back here, right now!¡±

    ¡°Ah, stop it, my dear wife, stop it! I¡¯ll tend the shop, you can go and watch.¡±

    ¡°Hmph! Better.¡±

    After a few moments, the child brought in a dozen audience members.

    Lu Mingshu pointed to the tables situated in the hall and asked, ¡°This... is the arena?¡±

    Uncle Hai rubbed his palm as he put them in ce. ¡°We¡¯re a bit broke....¡±

    Not mentioning the grand arenas at the martial arts halls, even a simple and crude pharmacy¡¯s arena can at least hold a hundred people. However, this arena here... was just their hall with two wooden tables. Isn¡¯t it too skimpy?

    She was aware of the waning of the rune-carving sector was, but she didn¡¯t expect it to be this bad.

    ¡°Miss,¡± a gentleman with a long beard in a gown strolled toward her, ¡°our rune-carving master only needs a brush, everything else is just minor details.¡±

    Uncle Hai smiled at her, ¡°This is our chief.¡±

    Lu Mingshu stared at him in silence for a moment before continuing, ¡°So, what are yourpetition rules?¡±

    The chief stroked his beard as he answered, ¡°Simple ¨C just draw the rune, and we will decide the winner afterwards.¡±

    No wonder they rarely have an audience. What¡¯s there to even watch? The audience probably doesn¡¯t even understand the rules.

    ¡°Why? Is Miss dissatisfied with the rules?¡± the chief looked at her with panic.

    ¡°It¡¯s boring,¡± Lu Mingshu replied coldly.

    ¡°In what way should wepete then? We value your suggestions,¡± the chief added on immediately as if he was afraid that she wouldn¡¯t want topete anymore.

    Lu Mingshu walked around the hall and stepped out of the hall.

    The chief and Uncle Hai followed closely behind her with a tense mood.

    The arena had been closed for days already. If it remained closed, they would have to shut the arena downpletely.

    Lu Mingshu pointed to the rooftop, ¡°There¡¯s nothing up there, right?¡±

    Uncle Hai raised his eyebrows, ¡°The rooftop, you mean?¡±

    ¡°Mhmm.¡±

    ¡°Nope....¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go there.¡±

    Uncle Hai looked over to the chief.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± he nodded.

    The customer was always the king; if she said to go, then go.

    This shop was set up years ago, so there was nothing much on the rooftop except some grains. Due to them being so poor, they also sold dry goods.

    The tables were being moved up, and the dozen audience members followed behind the child.

    ¡°Eh, why did you all move the tables?¡±

    ¡°To the roof?¡±

    ¡°Rooftop? Good idea! The lighting there is better.¡±

    ¡°More spacious too, haha.¡±

    ¡°We should¡¯ve done that earlier, man. The hall is so small and warm.¡±

    ¡°I know, right?¡±

    The spectators ¨C neighbours of the shop ¨C walked up the stairs while chattering happily.

    As soon as the spectators were settled down, Lu Mingshu repeated her main point once again, ¡°It¡¯s boring to just draw a rune.¡±

    It¡¯s not like this was the first time he had heard such a thing, so it didn¡¯t hurt the chief. He looked at Lu Mingshu in confusion, ¡°So, what did you have in mind?¡±

    ¡°As a rune carver, one must have a good memory and knowledge of runes, so first, thepetitors should list out the effects and source of a rune upon seeing it. Secondly, one should know how to carve a rune ording to what the customer requests. Lastly, judge thepetition by the quality of rune made,¡± Lu Mingshu then turned to the chief, ¡°What do you think?¡±

    The chief pondered for a while before nodding, ¡°Good idea, Miss.¡±

    ¡°In that case, we will follow those three requirements,¡± Lu Mingshu pointed at her feet, ¡°I saw that there were some books on runes down there. For the first challenge, how about we pick some books and ask the tester to give us three runes, then we have to locate the runes in the books?¡±

    In reality, a fairerpetition would be that one must draw out all the runes in the reference book. Under Lu Mingshu¡¯s suggestion, the host would benefit the most, but their current conditions were too poor for something like that.

    ¡°This...¡± the chief looked at her, ¡°Isn¡¯t that too unfair to Miss?¡±

    ¡°If I can¡¯t do it, that just shows that I need to up my game,¡± Lu Mingshu answered unenthusiastically.

    Since that was what she answered, the chief had no reason to reject her suggestion.

    ¡°In that case, we shall not collect an admission fee from Miss.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°What about the other two requirements?¡±

    ¡°For the second one, get ten spectators as volunteers. Each one will give a request, and thepetitors will follow the request to draw a rune. The winner will be determined by uracy, the timing if need be.¡±

    ¡°Interesting,¡± the chief said, but before he could continue, he was interrupted by the spectators, ¡°Can we make a request?¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded, ¡°Yes.¡± It was best to use the spectators, but only because this arena had so few.

    The chief liked her idea. He looked at her in anticipation, ¡°Then... the third?¡±

    Lu Mingshu started slowly, ¡°Lastly... depend on the rune.¡±

    The chief raised his eyebrows, ¡°You mean...?¡±

    ¡°Martial arts arenas have fights, the weapon industry can fight... why can¡¯t runes?¡±

    The birth of medicine was to cure, but the birth of runes was to fight! Nowadays, the rune-carving industry had waned, and not many people remembered that this industry was made to fight. Back during the war, runes could allow an ordinary person to fight the barbarians but look at the industry now.

    The chief was speechless at her question, ¡°How do you fight with a rune without carving it into a weapon? The effect wouldn¡¯t be easy to...¡± he muttered to himself.

    Lu Mingshu smiled warmly at him, ¡°There surely must be a way! Where there¡¯s a will, there¡¯s a way.¡±

    The chief looked at her nkly.

    ¡°Chief, so in your opinion, is this method alright?¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes!¡± before the chief could answer, the spectators started cheering.

    ¡°Yeah, it will be way more interesting that way.¡±

    ¡°We didn¡¯t understand your previouspetitions anyway.¡±

    ¡°Just agree, chief!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s do it, boss!¡± Even his clerk supported Lu Mingshu¡¯s idea.

    The chief took a deep breath before nodding, ¡°Ah... okay, okay!¡± That sounds way more interesting than just drawing a rune.

    Lu Mingshu smiled thinly, ¡°Then, shall we invite the host on stage?¡±

    The chief hesitated. The best rune carver in the shop was him, but with his age, he would be taking advantage of Lu Mingshu if hepeted against her. However, after hearing her, he knew that she wasn¡¯t simple, so sending a mere student would most likely end in a loss. Who was he supposed to send?

    Just then, a young man stepped up, ¡°Chief, I¡¯ll go.¡±

    He heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing him, ¡°Okay, Chu, you will go.¡±

 Chapter 124: Fast

    <h4>Chapter 124: Fast</h4>

    The young man was in his twenties, and he was in the Harmonization Realm. At his age, being in the Harmonization Realm would guarantee a bright future in the martial arts industry, but he chose rune-carving over martial arts; it must¡¯ve been his passion.

    ¡°I¡¯m Jing Chu,¡± he smiled widely at Lu Mingshu and bowed.

    Lu Mingshu bowed to him too, ¡°My surname is Lu.¡±

    ¡°Ah, so it¡¯s Miss Lu,¡± Jing Chu smiled, ¡°So, what do we do for the first round?¡±

    Lu Mingshu picked a random aunty from amongst the spectators, ¡°Could you go to the bookshelves and pick out three runes?¡±

    Unprepared, the aunty started to panic, ¡°Me? I don¡¯t know how!¡±

    ¡°Better if you don¡¯t,¡± Lu Mingshu then pointed to Uncle Hai, ¡°Just pick any three and hand them to Uncle Hai.¡±

    ¡°Okay then,¡± the aunty rubbed her palms, ¡°Let me treat it as choosing vegetables!¡±

    Lu Mingshu gave her a warm smile, then turned toward Uncle Hai, ¡°Could you please take down the page and the name of the book, then copy the rune chosen for us to reference?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, sure.¡±

    Lastly, she turned to the chief, ¡°Could I trouble you to bring the bookshelf up? To let the spectators witness and have a totally fair game. It will also increase the intensity of thepetition.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    Three of them went down the stairs. When Lu Mingshu turned back, she saw that Jing Chu was staring at her.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Thanks for your trouble, Miss Lu. You had to help us think up a way topete and even act as the announcer. I¡¯m so sorry that we aren¡¯t doing our part.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re trying to say that it¡¯s an unfair game for you, huh?¡±

    ¡°No, of course not!¡± Jing Chu waved his hand in panic, ¡°I just feel guilty and sorry that you even had toe up with the rules. It¡¯s just too...¡±

    He looked down in guilt.

    Lu Mingshu looked at him apathetically. That¡¯s what everyone here is like ¨C idiots who only know how to carve runes, with no knowledge about business.

    In no time, the three of them came back.

    Uncle Hai had three pieces of paper in his hand, while the chiefmanded some of his disciples to put the bookshelf in ce.

    As martial artists, a bookshelf was just a small issue to them.

    ¡°Miss Lu, this-¡±

    Lu Mingshu put her hand up to stop him from walking over, ¡°Wait a minute. Me and Gentleman Jing will stand here, and Uncle Hai will sh us the rune. Five moments for one rune.¡±

    She then tapped her finger on the table to show how long one ¡°moment¡± would take, ¡°Just like that.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that too short?¡± the chief interrupted, ¡°I doubt someone could even get a good look at it.¡±

    Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t study with others, so she didn¡¯t know how much time others needed, ¡°Then how long do you think is needed?¡±

    The chief pondered for a while before answering, ¡°Ten moments ¨C that¡¯s enough for one to take a clear look.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded, ¡°Okay then; ten moments. Uncle Hai will sh the rune, while chief will time it. Then, me and Gentleman Jing will start looking for the rune and jot it down,¡± she pointed to the two tables, ¡°The winner will be determined by uracy, then time.¡±

    ¡°Good idea!¡± the chief pped, ¡°But we should add a time limit, otherwise thepetition would be meaningless.¡±

    ¡°Chief is right.¡±

    The chief looked over at the bookshelf. After scanning the bookshelf, which had about a hundred books, he gave a number, ¡°How about six hours?¡±

    Lu Mingshu shook her head, ¡°Too long. The spectators wouldn¡¯t have the patience for that. Besides, in order for thepetition to mean something, we should exceed the limits of ordinary people.¡±

    ¡°True,¡± the chief nodded, ¡°What does Miss suggest?¡±

    ¡°Two-quarters of an hour,¡± she said, ¡°If the shop provides some snacks and tea for the spectators, then time would fly by for them.¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡±

    After they had reached an agreement on the rules, Lu Mingshu and Jing Chu stood side-by-side.

    ¡°Start!¡± the chief announced.

    Uncle Hai immediately shed a paper with a rune on it while the chief timed it.

    ¡°Next!¡±

    As soon as the chief said ¡°Next!¡±, Uncle Hai threw the paper aside and shed a new one.

    ¡°Next!¡±

    After seeing the three runes, Lu Mingshu and Jing Chu both closed their eyes to recall what they just saw.

    The chief took out an hourss and put it on the table, ¡°You may start now. Stop when the sand finishes.¡±

    Both of them rushed to the bookshelf and started looking for the book.

    Two-quarters of an hour ¨C thirty minutes. The bookshelf had at least a hundred books in it; taking the time limit into consideration, they only had about ten seconds per book.

    Jing Chu had a few books in his mind from the start, and he started looking through the books selectively.

    However, Lu Mingshu used a different method. She started from her right-hand side and flipped through the books at a lightning speed, then ced them back immediately.

    The neighbours who came to watch initially felt that thispetition was going to be like watching paint dry, but seeing both of them get to work, they all felt nervous for both of them.

    ¡°Such a fast speed. Can they even read clearly?¡±

    ¡°I know, right? I doubt they can even see the words, man.¡±

    ¡°Nah, they are different from us ¨C they have a powerful memory!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s still too fast.¡±

    ¡°Hmm...¡±

    Jing Chu found what he wanted and, after confirmation, wrote down his answer on the paper provided.

    Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t even spare him a nce as she put all her attention on the books. One book after another, she looked through all of them at such a fast pace.

    When Jing Chu wrote down the second one, she was still looking through the books. However, she managed to catch up fast.

    Jing Chu was stuck on the third rune, so he had no choice but to flip through the books one by one. Actually, his reading speed was no slower than Lu Mingshu¡¯s, but in order to take a very clear look at the details of the rune, he purposely slowed down.

    The time flew by quickly.

    Lu Mingshu continued to flip through the hundred books. When she reached thest one, she closed the book and put it back on the shelf, then wrote down her answers.

    Under the eyes of all the spectators, she filled in three answers at once and folded the paper.

    As soon as she put down her pen, the time was up.

    ¡°Time¡¯s up!¡± the chief shouted.

    Jing Chu hesitated when he handed up the paper, his eyes filled with uncertainty.

    ¡°Miss Lu,¡± the chief turned to look at her, ¡°Time¡¯s up, but Chu has yet to write down the answer for the third one....¡±

    ¡°Then let him write the answer down,¡± Lu Mingshu replied dully.

    The chief heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing that, ¡°Chu,e and jot down your answer.¡±

    Jing Chu held his pen up, and after much hesitation, he wrote down a book title and page.

    And with that, the first round ended.

    ¡°Whew...¡± a few people let out a long breath and turned to look at each other. Thepetition was so intense that none of them felt like any time passed. Half an hour passed so quickly! Honestly, none of the spectators even understood runes, they only ever came for the chief. During previouspetitions, they would start to sleep by the time they started to judge.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s check the answers of thepetitors now.¡±

    Finally, Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t need to be the announcer herself. The chief took over that work as he let Uncle Hai bring over the real answers.

    ¡°<The Truth of a Rune>, page one hundred and seventy-eight.¡±

    ¡°<The Ji Lineage¡¯s Traditional Runes>, page thirty.¡±

    ¡°<Qingyang¡¯s Collection>, page ny-eight.¡±

    As soon as the answers were read aloud, Jing Chu turned as white as a sheet of paper.

    ¡°Let¡¯s check Miss Lu¡¯s answers first,¡± the chief took her answers out and started reading, ¡°<The Truth of a Rune>, page one hundred and seventy-eight, <The Ji Lineage¡¯s Traditional Runes>..., <Qingyang¡¯s Collection>....¡±

    ¡°All correct!¡±

    ¡°Wow!¡± a round of apuse was immediately given to her. She looked at the books at such a fast speed, and yet she could remember everything? What an astonishing memory!

    ¡°Chu, yours...¡±

    ¡°No need to check,¡± he cut the chief off dejectedly, ¡°My third answer... is wrong.¡±

 Chapter 125: Interesting Runes

    <h4>Chapter 125: Interesting Runes</h4>

    Jing Chu felt so ashamed that he wished the earth would open and swallow him up.

    These books had been here in the shop from the day he arrived. He had been reading these books since he was young, and yet he could only remember the first two runes and ended up losing to Lu Mingshu, who only stepped into this shop for the first time today.

    The first segment gave the host rune carver an unfair advantage and yet he still lost. That showed that he wasn¡¯t good enough.

    The chief nodded, ¡°Okay, the winner of the first round is Miss Lu!¡±

    ¡°Wow! Miss Lu, you¡¯re amazing!¡± one of the spectators shouted out. She was so amazed by Lu Mingshu that she actually forgot about Jing Chu¡¯s presence for a moment. After realizing, she smiled awkwardly at Jing Chu, ¡°Chu, it¡¯s not that you¡¯re bad, it¡¯s just...¡±

    Watching how Miss Lupeted, she could feel the difficulty and was amazed by her.

    Jing Chu stered a smile on his face, ¡°It¡¯s alright, Aunty Zheng.¡±

    He then turned to Lu Mingshu, ¡°Miss Lu, let¡¯s start the second round, shall we?¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded in agreement, ¡°Uncle Hai, could you please pass each of the spectators a piece of paper for them to write down their request? Me and Gentleman Jing will rest in the meanwhile. Call us when you have collected all the requests and chosen one.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Please, Miss Lu.¡±

    Both of them took a seat in the hall and rested for a while. Soon, the child came over and told them that the request had been chosen.

    Both of them made their way to the rooftop.

    ¡°Miss Lu, look....¡± Uncle Hai showed her the pile of papers in his hand.

    Lu Mingshu nodded, ¡°Announce the request after Gentleman Jing and I are ready.¡±

    Both of them took their ce in front of the table. Upon hearing the chief¡¯s ¡°Start!¡±, they took up the brush and started working on a piece of white paper.

    This round brought out Jing Chu¡¯s strengths. He could start drawing without much hesitation as soon as he read the request.

    On the other hand, Lu Mingshu seemed to hesitate a while after reading the request before she started.

    For example, that Auntie Zheng mentioned that, when the weather was warm, not many people would want to buy her dimsum, so she wanted a rune talisman that could help cool down the weather. Lu Mingshu read quite a number of books in the Heavenly Wheel, and she did know what all the runes did. However, she didn¡¯t actually practice drawing them, so it was hard for her to avoid having some difficulties here and there while drawing.

    On the other hand, it was a different story for Jing Chu. He had been here for ages, and everyone on this street knew him. He had been drawing rune talismans for them regrly, and, once in a blue moon, he would carve runes on some weapons. Proper rune-carving was a rare business that brought them a lot of money, but one couldn¡¯t expect people to constantlye get runes carved into their weapons, so they also made money with other jobs like making rune talismans.

    Both parties were engrossed in drawing their talisman. Time flew by quickly ¨C in the blink of an eye, Jing Chu put down his pen, ¡°Done.¡±

    Lu Mingshu paused for a while after hearing Jing Chu. She quickly started working again and focused on drawing the talisman, and soon, she was done too.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s check the answer now.¡±

    After the first round, the rune carvers in the shop all rushed up to see how well Lu Mingshu did.

    ¡°This is good. Smart tobine two runes.¡±

    ¡°This is also okay. It has great effects, but it requires more mystic force than a usual one.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve not seen such a talisman before. Chief, have you seen this before?¡±

    The rune-carvers were in a heated discussion about the two talismans drawn by Lu Mingshu and Jing Chu.

    ¡°So?¡±

    ¡°Well, nothing¡¯s wrong!¡±

    ¡°Mm-hmm. But hers is different from our style. It¡¯s way moreplicated, so it¡¯s not as feasible to draw. Nheless, the requirements are met.¡±

    ¡°Miss Lu¡¯s style is the one they used in the olden days!¡±

    ¡°All correct,¡± the rune carvers said after they unified their opinions.

    The chief nodded and took both drawings in his hands topare.

    ¡°Jing Chu¡¯s doesn¡¯t look as elegant as Miss Lu¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°But he met the requirements.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s way simpler.¡±

    ¡°Of course, it would be sold at a cheaper price too.¡±

    All the rune carvers knew Jing Chu¡¯s standard by heart. He had spent years with them. In unison, they announced Jing Chu correct without second thought, ¡°Chief, it¡¯s all correct.¡±

    The chief stroked his beard continuously as he went into deep thought. After a lot of thinking, he started, ¡°Well, even though Chu¡¯s is correct, Miss Lu wins on the aesthetic side, so-¡±

    ¡°Chief,¡± Lu Mingshu cut him off, ¡°since we already made the rules clear before starting, shouldn¡¯t we follow them? I don¡¯t believe that aesthetics was a requirement in drawing a talisman, right?¡±

    ¡°Miss, what do you...?¡± the chief was taken aback.

    ¡°Today, I¡¯m here as apetitor. I know that you¡¯re biased toward me because I¡¯m new, but rules are rules. Rules aren¡¯t something that should be mixed with emotions. Once emotions are involved, fairness is gone, and when that happens, we lose all meaning inpeting at all.¡±

    Her words startled the chief, who then bowed and apologized to her, ¡°Miss here is right.¡±

    He then stood up straight and announced the winner, ¡°The winner for this round is Jing Chu!¡±

    ¡°Yay for Chu!¡±

    ¡°Good job, Chu!¡±

    ¡°Chu,e over to my house to get somemb skewerster!¡±

    This sent Jing Chu intoughter, ¡°Auntie Wang, why are you bringing out yourmb skewers?¡±

    Auntie Wang replied in a forceful tone, ¡°Well, I heard that, at other ces, their spectators would reward the winner with something, so I¡¯m rewarding you!¡±

    This sent all the spectators into a roar ofughter, ¡°Yo~! People reward with treasure. Lamb skewers must be a rare treasure too!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with mymb skewers? Don¡¯t say it as if you all don¡¯t often eat them in big portions! Or do you all not want my delicacy anymore?¡±

    ¡°Then let me thank Auntie Wang for the reward!¡± Jing Chu smiled and bowed.

    Seeing Jing Chu¡¯s response, Auntie Wang smiled in satisfaction, ¡°See, look at Chu with his positive outlook. He will be sessful one day for sure!¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course Chu will be. What a pity you have no granddaughter to marry him.¡±

    With the spectators joking, thepetitors entered the third round.

    For the third round, the chief wasn¡¯t sure about how thepetition would go, ¡°Miss Lu, you talked about battling with runes. How do we do so?¡±

    ¡°Do you know how to carve runes?¡±

    The chief nodded, ¡°Of course.¡± Bullshit ¨C that was one of our biggest sources of ie! Even though the rune-carving industry was declining, people did still carve runes into their weapon to achieve a certain effect.

    ¡°You are also aware that carved runes can be triggered and used to attack, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it; just trigger the rune and use it to attack.¡±

    ¡°Chief, let¡¯s do it!¡± Jing Chu jumped up and down from excitement. Why can¡¯t runes just work by themselves? That question had been bugging him for ages, then he heard what Lu Mingshu had said; ¡°Martial arts arenas have fights, the weapon industry can fight... why can¡¯t runes?¡±

    ¡°Fine. Let the spectators watch from the first floor to prevent any idental injuries,¡± the chief pointed out.

    They moved everything away from the rooftop, leaving only Jing Chu and Lu Mingshu.

    ¡°Chu, if you win, I¡¯ll reward you with a te of m!¡±

    ¡°Just m? Not enough! Chu, uncle will buy you beer if you win!¡±

    ¡°Yeah! Do our rune-carving shop proud!¡±

    ¡°Miss Lu, if you win, I¡¯ll give youmb skewers too!¡±

    ¡°Yourmb skewers again... is it that you can¡¯t sell them?¡±

    The scene of his neighbours joking happily as well as seeing the number of spectators increasing as time passed moved Jing Chu deeply; ¡°Thank you, Miss Lu. Thank you very much.¡±

    ¡°Why thank me?¡± Lu Mingshu tidied the paper and brush on her table while looking at him in confusion.

    Jing Chu muttered, ¡°The rune-carving industry has almost died out. Nobody wants to watch orpete at our arena, and we always med that on the fact that there aren¡¯t many rune carvers. Our neighbours only came because of the chief, but thanks to you, they¡¯re enjoying it now even though they know nothing about runes or talismans. I just realized how narrow-minded we are.¡±

    Lu Mingshu gave a smile in response.

    ¡°I believe that our industry is useful, it¡¯s just too small. If our arena can get people to be interested in runes and learn more about them, we would soon have more rune carvers, and one day, our industry will rise again! If that day everes, it¡¯ll be all because of you, Miss. I¡¯m thankful.¡±

 Chapter 126: Another Method

    <h4>Chapter 126: Another Method</h4>

    ¡°Let the third round begin!¡±

    Lu Mingshu and Jing Chu just stood there. Fighting with a rune talisman is something that no one had ever done before, so there wasn¡¯t any reference for them on how to fight, leaving both of them not knowing how to start.

    ¡°Miss Lu, how are we supposed to do this?¡±

    Lu Mingshu bit her lips, ¡°Three moves to determine the winner; how about that?¡± she answered after some consideration.

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Both of them went back to their tables. They took up their pens and started drawing.

    Lu Mingshu pondered while ying with the pen. Soon, she recalled a suitable rune and got to work.

    On the other hand, Jing Chu didn¡¯t have to think much before he started drawing.

    Both of them stood in silence, each taking up a corner of the wide rooftop.

    The tension between them had unintentionally attracted some passersby who were idling around the street.

    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s going on over there?¡±

    One of the neighbors replied enthusiastically, ¡°The rune-carving shop¡¯s arena is having apetition!¡±

    ¡°Rune-carving shop¡¯s arena? What¡¯s there to see? It¡¯s just drawing a rune and deciding the winner, there¡¯s nothing to see,¡± the passerby rolled his eyes.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s different today ¨C they¡¯re having a rune fight!¡± the neighbor smiled widely.

    ¡°Rune fight? What¡¯s that?¡± the passerby asked curiously. ¡°Runes can be used to fight?¡±

    ¡°Erm... I¡¯m not really sure either,¡± the neighbor scratched his head awkwardly. How would I know? I¡¯m not a rune carver, and I know nothing about that industry.

    However, it still evoked the passerby¡¯s interest, ¡°Wow! I didn¡¯t know about that, I¡¯m gonna take a look!¡±

    After Lu Mingshu finished drawing the three runes, she put her pen down.

    Jing Chu did the same too.

    When he looked up, he saw that Lu Mingshu was done too; ¡°Miss Lu, you¡¯re done?¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded as she took the rune talismans and walked to the center.

    Jing Chu saw that she had stepped out and immediately followed as well.

    ¡°Shall we start now?¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded, ¡°Please.¡±

    After the first two rounds, Jing Chu was aware that Lu Mingshu¡¯s ability was no worse than his; thus, he did away with the modesty.

    ¡°I apologize for the offense.¡±

    Jing Chu wedged a rune talisman in between his fingers. Mystic force rushed to his fingertips and started to flow into the talisman.

    The mystic force flowed through the talisman and outlined the pattern of the rune, causing the rune to slowly light up.

    ¡°Talismans can be activated like that?¡± the passerby who came to watch out of curiosity said in awe.

    This passerby, who knew nothing about runes or talismans, was in awe. However, the chief, who knew them by heart, had a face that was as white as a sheet of paper.

    Anything in this industry that could be used to attack was considered to be a rune, which could also be carved on weapons and be activated automatically, giving the weapon a certain ability. For rune talismans, activation was possible as well. Being a rune carver for many years, of course the chief had tried it, but upon activation, the talismans tended to exhibit unstable effects, so they couldn¡¯t truly be used to fight.

    As for the talisman in Jing Chu¡¯s hand now... it was steady, and it looked more like magic.

    This child... he must¡¯ve been practising it secretly for a long time.

    The chief sighed.

    The talisman shone brightly as it turned into a ray of light and dashed toward Lu Mingshu.

    Lu Mingshu remained at her spot without dodging. She snapped her fingers, and a talisman shot up into the sky.

    The talisman was simr to Jing Chu¡¯s as it also shone brightly with mystic light. With a loud bang, the talisman turned into a ball of mystic light and dashed toward Jing Chu.

    The light that Jing Chu¡¯s talisman gave off was already blinding, but Lu Mingshu¡¯s was much greater!

    In no time, the mystic lights met.

    Boom!

    The mystic lights crashed and dissolved into smoke.

    Jing Chu never expected to win with one strike, but he was still unhappy that his talisman was broken in one strike. He bit his lip as he wrangled another talisman in between his fingers and got ready to attack again.

    This time around, the ray of light was even more steady.

    Lu Mingshu did the same thing as well; she only snapped her fingers, and the talisman did its job.

    Both rays of light crashed and turned into smoke once again.

    Jing Chu failed again. He gripped thest talisman and paced himself. This was hisst chance. Even after all his experimenting and all the remaining ws, it was still worth the try.

    Thest talisman lit up, and it was even brighter than the first two. A ball of mystic light shot up into the sky. It became bigger and turned into a light de before flying toward Lu Mingshu like lightning.

    The previous mystic lights were all just rays of light, but this one had an actual form.

    The chief stood rooted to the ground. This kid... he¡¯s been secretly practising until he¡¯s this good? It¡¯s no different from magic!

    The chief quickly calmed himself down. No, he¡¯s a martial artist; this much is easy. But in order to activate that talisman, Jing Chu had to waste a lot of his mystic force, so it¡¯s still quite difficult for him. The only way to make this method useful is to improve the efficiency of the mystic force.

    It was Lu Mingshu¡¯s turn to attack, and she still used the same strategy.

    When the mystic light shed with the mystic de, it was broken in no time.

    She lost! Such a pity. It¡¯s obvious that her way of battling with talismans is way better than Jing Chu. It¡¯s such a pity that she underestimated him... wait! What¡¯s happening?

    Everyone could see that Lu Mingshu suddenly raised her hand and used her fingertip to touch the mystic light lightly. She moved her fingers with great speed as if she was writing something, or rather... drawing a rune?

    Slowly, rays of mystic light started to form, and a rune could be seen floating in the middle of the air. After thest stroke, she lightly snapped her fingers.

    The rune made out of mystic light suddenly shot up into the air andbined with the mystic light that had been broken by the mystic de.

    The mystic light rose up slowly, and it became bigger and bigger. In the blink of an eye, it was wrapped around the mystic de.

    Boom!

    A loud sound could be heard as the mystic de was crushed into ashes by the mystic force.

    Silence took over.

    After a moment:

    ¡°Is that a talisman?¡±

    ¡°How can someone draw a talisman in the air?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s magic, isn¡¯t it? That¡¯s disobeying the rules!¡±

    ¡°How could you use magic here? This is a rune talisman fight!¡±

    Jing Chu was struck dumb like a wooden chicken.

    It wasn¡¯t because he lost. He knew what his talisman¡¯s ws were; it required a bunch of energy and it didn¡¯tst very long.

    What did Lu Mingshu do? Is that a talisman? Aren¡¯t talismans supposed to be on a paper and drawn with ink? Does such a method also work?

    ¡°This is a talisman,¡± Lu Mingshu turned around to look at the rune carver who used her of using magic, ¡°It¡¯s not a requirement that talismans be drawn on paper.¡±

    He muttered, ¡°So, what¡¯s the difference between that and magic?¡±

    ¡°What is a talisman then?¡±

    The rune carver answered, ¡°A talisman is a route drawn out for the mystic force to pass through. By following the route, it creates a cycle of energy that allows the rune to activate.¡±

    ¡°So, what¡¯s the difference between what I did and a talisman? I only took away the paper.¡±

    The rune carver was speechless.

    ¡°That is a talisman!¡± the chief announced and went up to the rooftop. ¡°Starting with the base, prities, consecration of the elements... no steps were left out.¡±

    The chief went in front of Lu Mingshu and bowed, ¡°Thanks, Miss Lu. We concede defeat.¡±

    As if he just woke up from a dream, Jing Chu rushed over to Lu Mingshu and asked, ¡°Miss Lu, how did you do it? Without paper, how can the talisman stay for so long and not crumble?¡±

    ¡°Chu!¡± the chief shouted. ¡°How disrespectful. How can you ask for her secret...?¡±

    ¡°Whatever,¡± Lu Mingshu cut the chief off, ¡°It¡¯s not a secret. It¡¯s just an old method that people in the past used. You can just make the air your base. It¡¯s more unstable without paper, but you just need to add more mystic force to the outline of your talisman to ensure that the energy stays and you¡¯re good.¡±

    ¡°Outline? But mystic light...¡± suddenly, an idea popped up in Jing Chu¡¯s head. ¡°Ah, I get it!¡± he burst with excitement.

    Jumping in joy, he ran back into the shop. Before entering, he turned back to Lu Mingshu and shouted, ¡°Thanks a ton! I will repay you soon!¡±

 Chapter 127: Keeper

    <h4>Chapter 127: Keeper</h4>

    Not being able to find Lu Mingshu, Kou Wei and the rest left the pharmacy and started to wander around the street.

    Disappointed that they were unable to find her, Qi Sheng kept pestering Shao Zhengyang, ¡°Where did she go? Brother Shao, was she in the hotel when you came out?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Shao Zhengyang sighed in his heart. He lost count of how many times he had answered Qi Sheng. ¡°If Brother Qi doesn¡¯t trust me, we can go back to the hotel right now to have a look.¡±

    ¡°Brother Shao, just ignore him,¡± Kou Wei added, ¡°He¡¯s like that. If he wants something, he will keep thinking about it until he gets it.¡±

    ¡°How foolish, eh?¡± Yue Lingyin added on.

    Shao Zhengyang and the rest burst intoughter.

    Qi Sheng pouted, ¡°I refused to believe that none of you are curious about her.¡±

    ¡°I am!¡± Kou Wei pointed his fan at the street, ¡°Aren¡¯t we looking for her right now?¡±

    Qi Sheng rolled his eyes at Kou Wei, ¡°Are you teasing me again? Tianyun City is huge; how are we supposed to find someone just by loitering around here?¡±

    Kou Wei was about to retort when Yue Lingyin suddenly pointed at something, ¡°Eh? It¡¯s so crowded; perhaps something interesting is going on?¡±

    Their group squeezed into the crowd, only to realize that people were crowding in front of a rune-carving shop.

    Kou Wei looked around and tapped on a spectator, ¡°Mister, may I know what¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°Oh, they held apetition at their arena just now.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s there to see? It¡¯s just rune carving,¡± Qi Sheng continued pouting.

    ¡°You¡¯re wrong, Mister,¡± the guy looked at him seriously. ¡°I had the same mindset as you, but just now, something weird happened...¡±

    The guy told the group what happened earlier on, and all of them were taken aback.

    ¡°Drawing a talisman in the air?¡± Yue Lingyin muttered in awe as she turned to a girl, ¡°Yun, have you learned that before?¡±

    The girl who was called out shook her head, ¡°Nope. Maybe I wasn¡¯t paying attention?¡±

    ¡°Drawing a talisman in midair!¡± Kou Wei fanned himself. ¡°Hmm... this is significant. If the rune-carving industry goes this way, rune-carvers would be very powerful...¡± he muttered.

    This bunch of people were all the best of their sects, and they had exceedingly good foresight. If what Kou Wei said came true, rune-carvers would be a necessity in the world.

    ¡°Mister, may I ask...¡± Shao Zhengyang suddenlymented, ¡°did you say that the girl was called Miss Lu? Was she wearing clothes that are simr to mine?¡±

    The guy scanned Shao Zhengyang and eximed in excitement, ¡°Ah, yeah! Do you happen to know her? What sect are you from, anyway? Tianyun City is so crowded nowadays, so it¡¯s hard to recognize...¡±

    After hearing that response, the group of people stared at each other in silence, faces turning pale.

    After a moment, Qi Sheng cut the silence. Softly, he asked, ¡°Brother Shao, is it your Junior Lu again?¡±

    Shao Zhengyang sighed and nodded, ¡°Among all the Harmonization Realm disciples in Tianyun City, she suits the description most.¡±

    Shao Zhengyang was currently having mixed feelings. Previously, when he first knew that Lu Mingshu went to the arena at the Hall of Immortals topete, he was taken aback by the fact that she even knew about that industry. Now, she was herepeting at a rune-carving shop, and he wasn¡¯t sure how to feel. How many more pleasant surprises would this junior of his, who had stayed in Green Jade Valley for eight years, bring him? Or should he say... shock?

    ¡°Since she¡¯s called Miss Lu, she should be your junior,¡± Kou Wei said in awe. ¡°This Miss Lu is really unpredictable, huh?¡±

    ¡°Hey, which arena do you think she¡¯ll visit tomorrow?¡± Yue Lingyin pointed out.

    ¡°Hah, interesting question right there,¡± Kou Weiughed. ¡°Let¡¯se back here tomorrow and see.¡±

    ...

    Lu Mingshu had just returned to the hotel and was preparing to feed Little Daze when somebody knocked on her door.

    ¡°Is Senior Sister Lu in?¡±

    Lu Mingshu opened the door to see an Inner Breath Realm disciple standing outside.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    The disciple heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing her, ¡°Senior Sister Lu, you¡¯re finally back! Elder Yin is looking for you. She¡¯s been asking for you.¡±

    ¡°Elder Yin?¡± Lu Mingshu furrowed her eyebrows. Yin Hong? Why would she ask for me? I have nothing to do with the line of Fluffy Clouds.

    ¡°Yeah! Please hurry, Senior Sister!¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded, ¡°Thank you so much. I¡¯ll make my way there now.¡±

    No matter what Yin Hong wanted, she was an Elder and one of the chaperons. Since she asked for Lu Mingshu, she had to go.

    As soon as she reached the ce where the chaperons stayed, Yin Hong and one other person walked out.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry that you had to wait for such a long time....¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. My duties...¡±

    Lu Mingshu went toward her, ¡°Elder Yin.¡±

    As soon as Yin Hong saw her, she looked more than pleased, but she pressed her lips tight immediately, ¡°Where did you go? It¡¯s sote, and you¡¯re a girl! Aren¡¯t you worried about your own safety?¡±

    Lu Mingshu found what she said strange. I am not an ordinary girl who couldn¡¯t protect herself, why would she be worried about my safety? However, Yin Hong was an Elder, and it would be disrespectful for Lu Mingshu to fight back, so she remained silent and listened to Yin Hong tell her off.

    After a while, Yin Hong regained her regr tone as she slowly exined, ¡°It¡¯s not like I enjoy telling you off, but Madame has informed me to take good care of you.¡±

    Lu Mingshu gave her a stiff smile.

    Yin Hong turned to the guest next to her, ¡°Sorry to act like aughing stock in front of Keeper Guo. This is our sect master¡¯s daughter. Our sect master wasn¡¯t at ease letting here so far, and he repeatedly nagged at me to take care of her.¡±

    The guest was a woman in a blue gown and full of smiles. Upon hearing Yin Hong, she giggled and nodded, ¡°Ah, parents are always full of worries when their child is bound for a long journey away from home.¡±

    Yin Hong introduced her to Lu Mingshu, ¡°This is Keeper Guo, greet her.¡±

    Lu Mingshu bowed, ¡°Nice to meet you, Keeper Guo.¡±

    ¡°Save the politeness,¡± Keeper Guo put her hand up. She looked at Lu Mingshu gently, but in an instant, she had scanned her from head to toe, then nodded with satisfaction, ¡°This Miss was born with an appearance as if it was God¡¯s creation, and she¡¯s so talented. I¡¯m sure she has a bright future ahead.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your praises and well-wishes, Keeper,¡± Yin Hong giggled before making eye contact with Keeper Guo, ¡°She will still need your care after all.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s all her own effort if she seeds.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re too polite. Please enlighten her with your knowledge and experience, I think it would be a great help.¡±

    Keeper Guo shook her head, ¡°I only work for Emissary Xiahou, I¡¯m not that capable.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re too humble. Who doesn¡¯t know that you¡¯re Emissary Xiahou¡¯s most valued right-hand woman?¡±

    Keeper Guo was only in the Spirit Realm, and Yin Hong was way more powerful than her, but when Yin Hong spoke to her, she was full of respect.

    Lu Mingshu had a small smile on her face as she listened to their conversation.

    ¡°...Miss Lu is a rare talent. I think that Emissary Xiahou may like to meet her.¡±

    Yin Hong smiled widely after getting that vague promise from Keeper Guo.

    ¡°Thank you for all the praises.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Anyway, I still have to report back, so I¡¯ll take my leave now,¡± she said, then gave Lu Mingshu a smile, ¡°Goodbye, Miss Lu.¡±

    Lu Mingshu bowed again, ¡°Have a safe journey.¡±

    Looking at Yin Hong sending Keeper Guo out of the hotel, Lu Mingshu smiled slyly.

    Examining the goods? Keeper Guo; Xiahou Shan¡¯s assistant... looks like my stepmother found a great buyer for me! But... doesn¡¯t she find it awkward to be so polite?

    She sneered and shook her head, then took her leave before Yin Hong came back.

    She has done her job, so there shouldn¡¯t be anything else for now.

 Chapter 128: Be the Best

    <h4>Chapter 128: Be the Best</h4>

    In the Heavenly Wheel, Lu Mingshu stared at the wheel nkly.

    After a while, she realized what happened and called for Xiao Sang, ¡°Xiao Sang, what is this?¡±

    The points she owed had been decreased by a hundred!

    Previously, when she battled at the pharmacy¡¯s arena, the debt only decreased by five points, and only by two when she went to the rune-carving shop. After seeing that, she gave up on trying anything in the other industries. Battling at the pharmacy didn¡¯t decrease her debt or increase her fame by very much. She might as well just gopete at a martial arts arena.

    ¡°The points came from the consequences of your actions,¡± Xiao Sang replied in monotone.

    She finally gave an actual answer instead of her usual, ¡°Your points are not enough.¡±

    ¡°Consequences?¡± Lu Mingshu pondered. ¡°The consequences for the world?¡±

    After the battle at the pharmacy, only a few people were even aware of her existence. She didn¡¯t gain much fame or do anything for the industry itself. However, she brought a bunch of benefits and changes to the rune-carving industry. She taught them lost skills, new ways to use talismans and runes, and changed their arena rules, which would bring the industry great benefits as time passed.

    ¡°So, it¡¯s that....¡±

    She suddenly heard a knock at her door.

    Lu Mingshu exited the Heavenly Wheel and went to open the door, ¡°Senior Aunt Tan.¡±

    Tan Yubing shed her a warm smile, ¡°Am I bothering you? It¡¯s gettingte.¡±

    Lu Mingshu shook her head and smiled at her before inviting her in.

    ¡°Save yourself the trouble,¡± Tan Yubing stopped Lu Mingshu who was about to serve some tea. ¡°I¡¯ll be fast,¡± she smiled.

    Lu Mingshu turned toward her.

    Tan Yubing started slowly, ¡°Today, Keeper Guo came, and the reason she came... is because of you.¡±

    Seeing that Lu Mingshu was just looking at her calmly, Tan Yubing continued, ¡°I guess you¡¯re already aware of it then.¡±

    ¡°Just a few guesses,¡± Lu Mingshu replied.

    Tan Yubing sighed, ¡°Recently, I heard some information. Do you know who Xie Lianzhen from the Seven Truths tform is?¡±

    Seeing that Lu Mingshu¡¯s face changed drastically upon hearing his name, Tan Yubing burst out inughter, ¡°You finally reacted to something! You¡¯re always so calm about everything that it makes me doubt myself as a Senior Aunt!¡± Tan Yubing joked before getting back to the main point, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t lower your guard. He and the queen of Zhongzhou have a very special rtionship. As for what the queen is like, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard.¡±

    After reaching Tianyun City, she heard stories about the queen. In the eyes of themoners, she was a wise and farsighted woman, but also tough.

    Lu Mingshu already roughly knew what was going on when she met Keeper Guo earlier, but this situation... is the worst possibility she anticipated.

    ¡°Okay, it¡¯s gettingte. I shall leave and let you rest.¡±

    Before Tan Yubing left, she looked at Lu Mingshu and she hesitantly added, ¡°If the queen really.... Maybe even Elder An is unable to save you from this mess.¡±

    Lu Mingshu walked over to the wall after Tan Yubing left and stared at three circles she had drawn on the map of Tianyun City.

    She pondered for a while before erasing one of the circles and recing it with another.

    If it was for the queen of Zhongzhou, the better Lu Mingshu should be!

    ...

    In the Divine Restaurant, there was a group of people in a small private room.

    After thepetition at the Hall of Immortals arena, this group of people not only practiced martial arts every day, they also sat here and waited for news every single day.

    Kou Wei kept making a rhythmic sound with his fan, which annoyed Qi Sheng, ¡°Senior Brother, can you stop?¡±

    Kou Wei smiled and stopped, ¡°Impatient, are we?¡±

    Qi Sheng was listless, ¡°I really don¡¯t get you guys. It¡¯s not like we don¡¯t know where she stays, why don¡¯t we just go to the hotel and find her?¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s the fun in that?¡± Yue Lingyin cut him off. ¡°Don¡¯t you feel that it¡¯s more fun this way?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t see the fun,¡± Qi Sheng had a poker face.

    ¡°Aiya, little Brother Qi, learn how to have fun! Or do you prefer to live a boring life with-¡±

    In the midst of Yue Lingyin¡¯s teasing, somebody rushed in; ¡°Senior Brother Kou, we found her!¡±

    The whole group simultaneously turned toward the disciple who spoke.

    Being stared at like that, the disciple became a bundle of nerves, ¡°Erm, Miss Lu ispeting at the House of Might.¡±

    Kou Wei nodded, ¡°How is it going right now?¡±

    ¡°Two wins,¡± the disciple answered. ¡°The third round should be fine as well.¡±

    ¡°Okay, sorry to trouble you. Go have fun with your friends.¡±

    As soon as the disciple left, Qi Sheng couldn¡¯t hold back his urge anymore, ¡°Is she going to focus on fighting now?¡±

    Afterpeting at the rune-carving arena, Lu Mingshu hadpeted at quite a number of martial arts halls, and up to now, she had already been to three.

    ¡°Should be,¡± Kou Wei nodded. ¡°The easiest way to gain fame is to go through the martial arts arenas.¡±

    ¡°Then why did she go to the pharmacy and the rune-carving ones in the first ce?¡±

    Kou Wei was unable to provide an answer to that. Gaining fame through battling in martial arts arenas was understandable; a few of them did that too. But going to the pharmacy and rune-carving arenas? Just to try new things?

    He turned to look at Shao Zhengyang, who was staring into space, ¡°Brother Shao, what¡¯s on your mind?¡±

    Shao Zhengyang bit his lips, ¡°I think... I might know why,¡± he said and sighed.

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    What Shao Zhengyang said had piqued everyone¡¯s interest, and they all turned to look at him.

    Shao Zhengyang smiled bitterly, ¡°What I¡¯m about to say... can you all please keep to yourselves?¡±

    ¡°Of course. You can trust us,¡± Qi Sheng assured him. ¡°Thest thing we are is a bunch of big mouths, right?¡±

    The others nodded in agreement.

    ¡°A few days ago, Brother Kou Wei mentioned something about the Ancient Jade Summit¡¯s Ling Wuxia not attending the Qilin Festival,¡± he sighed and continued, ¡°do you all remember?¡±

    Kou Wei nodded, ¡°It¡¯s true. The Ancient Jade Summit arrived yesterday, and Ling Wuxia was indeed absent.¡± Suddenly, something came to Kou Wei¡¯s mind, and he furrowed his eyebrows in displeasure, ¡°You mean...?¡±

    Shao Zhengyang nodded his head, ¡°Little Brother here heard some stories. I wasn¡¯t sure what was going on until that day. When I went back to the hotel, Keeper Guo from the emissary office came down, and I heard that she came to see Junior Lu.¡±

    ¡°Emissary office? Xiahou Shan?¡± Yue Lingyin asked. A thought suddenly popped up into her head, and she turned red with anger, ¡°What the hell is going on with the Nine Jade Pce, huh!?¡±

    Kou Wei held her down, ¡°Lingyin, calm down. Brother Shao didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡±

    Yu Lingyin processed her thoughts again. When she calmed down, she turned to Shao Zhengyang and apologized for her behavior, ¡°Brother Shao, I¡¯m so sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to me you for it.¡±

    Shao Zhengyang smiled in return, ¡°I know. Miss Yue doesn¡¯t need to take it to heart.¡±

    Yue Lingyin mmed her chopsticks onto the table forcefully, as if she wanted to break the table, ¡°This is ridiculous! They are treating their own genuine sessor disciple in such a manner? If they do not want her, then just give her to us, the Amethyst Phoenix Pavilion, for free!¡±

    The girl called Lan Ruoyun looked at her in confusion, ¡°Sister Yue, does the queen have her eyes on her?¡±

    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be the queen,¡± Kou Wei answered. ¡°Should be... the Nine Jade Pce is interested in the marriage.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s obviously the case! How long has Lu Mingshu been famous? I doubt she¡¯s so famous that the queen would have heard of her. She¡¯s doing all this because of the Nine Jade Pce!¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡± Qi Sheng cut them off, ¡°What do you all mean? What marriage?¡±

    But sadly, he was ignored by the rest as they continued their heated discussion.

    ¡°But isn¡¯t Lu Mingshu digging her own grave now by battling at the arenas? Wouldn¡¯t the queen be even more pleased with her?¡±

    Kou Wei looked at him and retorted calmly, ¡°But why has nobody forced Ling Wuxia? Even if the Ancient Jade Summit turned their back on her, even the queen wouldn¡¯t force her. Do you believe that?¡±

    Of course. Ling Wuxia was the best disciple of Ancient Jade Summit in this generation. She might even be in the Assimtion Realm already, who knew?

    ¡°Oh, so Brother Kou Wei means that Mingshu is fighting for her voice?¡± Lan Ruoyun¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°If she was as powerful as Ling Wuxia, then even if the Nine Jade Pce forced the marriage onto her, the queen would respect Mingshu¡¯s decision.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Kou Wei nodded. ¡°Her strategy is easy. Shepeted in some other sectors once each, but she chose the best shops. As for martial arts, she¡¯s choosing the best and most famous shops as well. She should be clear about what¡¯s ahead, that¡¯s why she¡¯s so hardworking.¡±

 Chapter 129: The Stronger, the Better

    <h4>Chapter 129: The Stronger, the Better</h4>

    ¡°Congrattions, Miss Lu! You¡¯ve seeded in the challenge!¡±

    Baisheng Martial Arts Hall¡¯s arena announcer announced the winner of thepetition.

    The spectators cheered and pped loudly for her.

    Tons of items were thrown up on stage ¨C jewelry, gold, silver, fruits, and more. The clerk from Baisheng Martial Arts Hall carried a bamboo basket up to the stage and started putting the items into the basket one by one.

    These were the rewards from the spectators. The martial arts hall would take twenty percent of the rewards, and the winner would get the rest.

    However, the newly appointed host did not look happy at all. She thanked the crowd with a straight face and stepped off the elevated stage.

    ¡°Miss Lu, you will be turning up tomorrow, right?¡± the boss smiled widely at Lu Mingshu, anxiously waiting for her answer.

    Looking at Lu Mingshu and her expression, the boss pointed at the two big baskets, which were full of rewards, ¡°If you turn up, we won¡¯t take any of the rewards. It would be all yours!¡±

    To no avail, she only replied with a single sentence, ¡°No need. I¡¯ll show up if I feel like it.¡±

    But the boss was unwilling to give up. He continued to pester her all the way to the exit, ¡°No matter what kind of opponent you desire, I¡¯ll get them here for you!¡±

    Lu Mingshu kept a straight face as she shook her head.

    The boss added, ¡°You really don¡¯t have to go to another martial arts hall. I can even get disciples from the Seventh Truth tform here for you!¡±

    Lu Mingshu gave him a tight smile and put her rewards into her pocket, ¡°Goodbye.¡±

    Over the past few days, she had gone to five martial arts halls consecutively.

    The martial arts halls she went to were the most famous and crowded in all of Tianyun City. When she won at the first arena, people took her as a minor hidden talent who got lucky and thus paid no extra attention to her. After the second arena, some people started to admire her. The third and fourth arena made her more famous... and now, she was the biggest topic in Tianyun City.

    All of the martial arts halls she went to were enough to prove one¡¯s ability because they were the best. Furthermore, Lu Mingshu went to many different martial arts halls, not just one!

    A powerful, young, icy beauty. Not only did she have the ability, she had the looks too. These past few days, every martial arts hall in Tianyun City hoped for her to turn up, for two reasons; one, if they could defeat her, they would be famous in no time, and secondly, even if they lost, she brought them lots of spectators, and thus lots of money.

    However, no martial arts halls had managed to convince her to stay for more than a day as a host.

    In the middle on Tianyun City, in the Imperial Amethyst Pce, a candlelight lit up the room and shone onto a woman who was sitting behind her desk with a list of names in her hand.

    She threw the list of names onto the desk and turned to the female officer next to her.

    ¡°Ling Wuxia still hasn¡¯t turned up?¡± she asked in annoyance.

    The official nodded, ¡°Correct.¡±

    The officer wore the same purple gown as Xiahou Shan, but the aura she gave off was way different form Xiahou Shan. Xiahou Shan always had a smile on her face, but not this woman ¨C she was petite, delicate, and pretty, and her eyes were full of worry.

    As for the woman behind the desk, she was an icy beauty. Her lips were covered in bright red lipstick, her eyebrows were arched, and she looked very mature.

    She pointed to the list of names on her desk and snickered, ¡°So these people think that they are good enough for Xing¡¯er, huh? Well they¡¯re just a bunch of ugly potatoes!¡±

    At that moment, somebody knocked on the door, ¡°Your Highness, Emissary Xiahou is here to see you.¡±

    ¡°Let her in.¡±

    ¡°Your Highness,¡± Xiahou Shan said as she was weed by the scowling queen.

    ¡°Is everything ready for the Qilin Festival?¡±

    ¡°Your servant has already gotten everything prepared. Please take a look, Your Highness,¡± Xiahou handed over the documents to her.

    The queen quickly looked through the documents and had a tight smile on her face, ¡°You¡¯re always reliable.¡±

    ¡°Your Highness has entrusted me with heavy responsibility, so your servant shall try her best,¡± Xiahou Shan said, then paused for a while, ¡°Is Your Highness perhaps unhappy?¡±

    The queen threw the documents in her hand to the official beside her in anger, ¡°Qingqing, tell her about it.¡±

    Ding Qingqing pointed at the list of names, ¡°Look at the people sent here by the ns ¨C none of them are good enough!¡±

    ¡°Ah, so it¡¯s that,¡± Xiahou Shan, ¡°These greedy people... they want to make a connection with royalty, yet they are unwilling to send their best.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so euphemistic,¡± the queen huffed, ¡°They just think that Xing¡¯er is not good enough because he has some physical defect, but they¡¯re the ones who aren¡¯t good enough!¡±

    Xiahou Shan shook her head, ¡°None of them are good enough. The only one that could barely pass is Ling Wuxia.¡±

    ¡°But she¡¯s not here!¡± the queen burst out in disappointment.

    Xiahou Shan pondered for a while before replying, ¡°Your servant thinks that there may be another girl who is suitable.¡±

    The queen waved her hand, ¡°Forget it if she isn¡¯t as good as Ling Wuxia. I would rather have nothing to do with that person in that case.¡±

    Xiahou Shan smiled in reply, ¡°Your Highness is so brilliant ¨C she¡¯s indeed as good as Ling Wuxia,¡± Xiahou Shan nodded, ¡°or maybe even better.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± the queen¡¯s eyes brightened up. ¡°Let me guess ¨C is it that Xue Yi from the Dengwen Xue family? Or Limpid Autumn Water n¡¯s Qiao Min? Oh wait, is it the Flying Star Door¡¯s Huo Jinxin?¡±

    Seeing Xiahou Shan shaking her head, the queen leaned back and waved her hand, ¡°If it¡¯s not one of them, then it¡¯s one of the ugly potatoes, so just stop.¡±

    ¡°Ha!¡± Ding Qingqing burst out inughter. ¡°Your Highness, Shan must have her reasons for saying such things. I¡¯m now curious... who exactly is she that you would promote her?¡± the second sentence was directed at Xiahou Shan.

    Seeing that the queen had run out of patience, Xiahou Shan got straight to her point, ¡°It¡¯s the eldest daughter of Fu Shangqing, the current Sect Leader of Nine Jade Pce.¡±

    ¡°Lu Mingshu?¡± Ding Qingqing raised her eyebrows. ¡°I remember that Fu Shangqing married the daughter of Zhou Jin, so why is his daughter¡¯s surname Lu?¡±

    ¡°The child is from his previous wife,¡± Xiahou Shan handed some documents to the queen, ¡°Her stepmother, Zhou Miaoru, wanted this marriage, and came to me. I once thought she was just like the other potatoes, but she¡¯s actually quite interesting.¡±

    ¡°The Zhou family sent you gifts, right?¡±

    Xiahou Shan smiled, ¡°You¡¯re the smartest.¡±

    The queen just casually flipped through at first, then she started to read it closely. She mmed the document closed and asked, ¡°Where is she?¡±

    Ding Qingqing looked at her in confusion, ¡°Your Highness wants to call her in?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± the queen bit her lips, ¡°Not to call in, but to observe.¡±

    Ding Qingqing looked at her in confusion.

    She clicked her tongue, ¡°If what is written in the documents is urate, she¡¯s a match for Ling Wuxia, but she must be very unwilling.¡±

    ¡°Your Highness is indeed smart,¡± Xiahou Shan replied. She did not dare to keep something so serious in the dark, ¡°She¡¯s not on good terms with the Zhou family since they killed her mother. Zhou Miaoru wanted to keep her in check by making use of Your Highness, but Lu Mingshu obviously isn¡¯t a puppet.¡±

    ¡°This...¡± Ding Qingqing raised her eyebrows, ¡°if she¡¯s unwilling, this marriage may not be easy.¡±

    Xiahou Shan smiled, ¡°She has never met His Highness before. She may be unwilling right now, but she might not be in the future.¡±

    Hear that, Ding Qingqing smiled, ¡°True. Young master is so talented. It¡¯s only thosemoners who do not see his value because they aremoners. Lu Mingshu might be willing after she meets him.¡±

    That Ling Wuxia that the queen was waiting for had the same mindset as well! All of them thought that he was unworthy just because his legs were paralyzed. Weren¡¯t they too superficial?

    ¡°You said that she¡¯speting at the arena?¡±

    ¡°Yes. She haspeted at many arenas. From the best pharmacy to the best rune-carving shop, then five of the best martial arts halls here in Tianyun City, and she has been winning every time. She¡¯s not the most powerful, but she¡¯s an icy beauty, and despite her young age, she has already aplished Physical Manifestation of Sword Intent. Even if someone is actually better than her, they¡¯ve already been scared off.¡±

    The queen smiled in satisfaction, ¡°Break the cauldrons and sink the boat.... Interesting.¡±

    But Ding Qingqing¡¯s face was filled with worry. ¡°If she¡¯s the way Shan described, then she must be a very firm woman. Are you sure that¡¯s okay?¡±

    Before Xiahou Shan could reply, the queen cut her off, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with being firm? Xing¡¯er is not weak! Shan, go and observe her. I don¡¯t mind her being too strong, I¡¯m only afraid she¡¯s not strong enough!¡±

 Chapter 130: Important Person

    <h4>Chapter 130: Important Person</h4>

    ¡°Which arena is she at today?¡±

    ¡°Peak¡¯s Martial Arts Hall! The one at Nan Da street.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go. Their seats will be full if we¡¯rete.¡±

    The bunch scrambled out hurriedly to rush to the martial arts hall.

    In a tearoom, a guy stood by the window and looked at them rush into the martial arts hall.

    Somebody came behind him and sneered at the bunch of people, ¡°Such idiots, have they not ever seen an arena before? It¡¯s just apetition. We would never waste our time there.¡±

    The guy at the window remained silent as he still had his eyes on the bunch.

    ¡°Senior Brother Wei!¡± the girl behind him pouted, ¡°Are you listening?¡±

    Still no response!

    ¡°Wei Chunqiu!¡± the girl stomped in anger.

    ¡°Now, now, who sent our younger sister into a fit, huh?¡± the door was pushed opened, and someone walked in, full of smiles.

    ¡°Senior Brother Yu!¡± seeing the person who came in, the girl was all smiles again, ¡°You finally came! I hate Senior Brother Wei; he ignores me!¡±

    The guy who walked in was a graceful teenager. There was always a smile on his face and he was rather lovable.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like you only just met Senior Brother Wei,¡± he answered. ¡°Stop bothering him, haha, juste and tell me.¡±

    The girl pointed to the building opposite of the tearoom, ¡°When are we going over?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the hurry?¡± Senior Brother Yuughed. ¡°The main character always makes their appearancest, right?¡±

    ...

    ¡°Miss Lu won the second round!¡±

    The spectators gave apuse and cheered loudly for her.

    Lu Mingshu took the handkerchief that the maid had handed her. She wiped the sweat on her head and sat down at a corner to rest.

    Competing at an arena was something that required a huge amount of energy, especially fighting consecutively. On top of that, as her reputation spread, her opponents were getting strong and stronger.

    The first few days, shepeted with the some of the better martial artists of Zhongzhou. After she got some more wins, the disciples from the visiting ns came topete with her too.

    However, Lady Luck was on her side. She still hadn¡¯t met up with any of the apex martial artists.

    Or maybe it was because they were conserving their energy for the Qilin Festival, which was the real deal.

    Others could wait, but not Lu Mingshu. She didn¡¯t have any power or fame, and she needed to get anything that she could.

    The arenas of Tianyun City all had simr rules ¨C three wins and you¡¯ll be the host. She had already won two rounds, so there was only one more to go and she could finish this.

    And then not turn up tomorrow, because the day after tomorrow was the start of the Qilin Festival.

    ¡°How should I address this gentleman?¡± the announcer asked.

    ¡°My surname is Yu,¡± the guy smiled.

    A new challenger had stepped up.

    Lu Mingshu opened her eyes to take a look. She wiped the sweat from her palm and went up on stage slowly.

    ¡°I have been looking forward to meeting you for a long time, Miss Lu,¡± Gentleman Yu bowed.

    ¡°I dare not ept such praise. Please guide me.¡±

    ¡°Shall we start?¡±

    Lu Mingshu answered by pulling out her sword.

    Seeing that, Gentleman Yu turned serious and pulled out his sword too.

    The austere aura had the spectators tense as well, and they all kept quiet as they look on in anticipation.

    In a split second, both of them attacked at the same time.

    Both rays of sword-light flew across the stage. In the blink of an eye, the sword-lights had filled the entire stage.

    Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!

    The sound of swords shing could be heard constantly, but the two fighters were too fast for humans to see. The only thing the audience could see were sword-lights.

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s heart fell as thepetition went on.

    Just before thepetition started, she felt like Lady Luck was on her side since she had never met a true expert, but now there was one right in front of her.

    This guy shouldn¡¯t be just any random martial artist. There¡¯s a high chance he¡¯s from the Seventh Truth tform, and perhaps he¡¯s even a genuine sessor disciple.

    But that could be a good thing for her too; it proved that she was now so famous that even a Seventh Truth tform disciple woulde just for her.

    And this was a perfect chance for her; defeating the disciples of the martial arts halls showed that she was better than some regr martial artists, but defeating a Seventh Truth tform disciple would mean much more.

    Lu Mingshu shook the thought out of her head and upped her game.

    The harder one party fought, the more beneficial it would be for the other party. Fighting in arena had a shoring, which was that there wasn¡¯t enough time to rest. In order to be the new host, one had to fight three rounds continuously. Lu Mingshu had alreadypleted two rounds, so she was physically and mentally drained, while the other party just waited leisurely for Lu Mingshu to exhaust herself. The fiercer she fought, the more advantage the other party gained.

    This Gentleman Yu was calm andposed. He focused on defending more than attacking, and he even pretended to mess up a few times in order to trick Lu Mingshu into stepping up her attack.

    Probably because of the sweat on her palms, Lu Mingshu missed an attack.

    Great chance! Gentleman Yu¡¯s eyes blinked upon seeing that. In no time, he gathered all his strength and attacked.

    Lu Mingshu squinted her eyes and immediately went up.

    Boom!

    The mystic light exploded.

    Smoke and dust covered the area. One party stood on top of a g pole while another one stood on the ground.

    Gentleman Yu smiled at her, ¡°Miss Lu, you¡¯re not the only one who has broken through to the ream of Physical Manifestation of Sword Intent.¡±

    Lu Mingshu eyed him coldly, ¡°Since you have as well, where are you from then?¡±

    ¡°Not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning.¡±

    ¡°I believe that it will be worth mentioning soon.¡±

    Sword-light appeared again, and both of them went against each other.

    ¡°What are they talking about?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but it¡¯s entertaining.¡±

    ¡°Yeah! Miss Lu is so powerful. Which n is Gentleman Yu from, that he can actuallypete with her?¡±

    ¡°His skills make it seem like he¡¯s from the Seventh Truth tform.¡±

    ...

    ¡°What? Yu Kuang went down topete?¡± Kou Wei was startled at this information.

    The disciple that he sent over to scout nodded, ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s him.¡±

    ¡°What does the Seventh Truth tform want?¡± Yue Lingyin pondered. ¡°Perhaps they find Lu Mingshu too arrogant and want to teach her a lesson?¡±

    Kou Wei shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s just a martial arts hall arena, the Seventh Truth tform isn¡¯t that narrow-minded.¡±

    Lu Mingshu picked a martial arts arena of Zhongzhou topete in, why would the Seventh Truth tform be worried? It¡¯s not like she went to battle at their arena. And even if she won at every arena in Zhongzhou, it¡¯s not like their name would be affected.

    ¡°Maybe Yu Kuang went out of curiosity?¡± somebody added. ¡°Miss Lu is famous now. If I wasn¡¯t with you guys, I would probably go down to have a battle with her to check things out.¡±

    ¡°Maybe....¡± Kou Wei nodded. He couldn¡¯t think of any reason other than that.

    ¡°Who will win?¡± Qi Sheng asked.

    The group remained silent.

    ¡°Lu Mingshu has proven that she¡¯s capable. Her eighteen-win streak wasn¡¯t just lucky. If she participates in the Qilin Festival, she will be a real opponent to me.¡±

    Kou Wei, the best Harmonization Realm disciple in the Heavenly Sea Pavilion, and one of the first few in China to see her as a real opponent had proven Lu Mingshu¡¯s ability.

    ¡°Yu Kuang¡¯s not bad either,¡± Yue Lingyin added. ¡°His foundation may not be as strong as Wei Chunqiu, but he¡¯s the best swordsman amongst all Seventh Truth tform disciples.¡±

    ¡°I lost to Yu Kuang before....¡± someone said solemnly.

    ¡°Interesting,¡± Kou Wei smiled. ¡°Lu Mingshu has exceptionally good skills, and Yu Kuang is the best swordsman in his sect. I wonder who¡¯s more of a genius?¡±

 Chapter 131: Motive?

    <h4>Chapter 131: Motive?</h4>

    They were so fast that it was hard to tell who was who.

    Sword-lights and sword-shadows filled the stage, blurring thepetitors. One could only barely tell who was who by the color of the shirt.

    Lu Mingshu felt like she was fighting Kuai Xin again.

    Method, angle, force... she couldn¡¯t find Gentleman Yu¡¯s weak point; he seemed to be wless. Compared to Kuai Xin, he had a weaker foundation, and he wasn¡¯t going to break through to the Spirit Realm anytime soon, but with his ability, he was a match for Kuai Xin.

    That was because his methods were simply marvellous! Lu Mingshu never knew that Physical Manifestation of Sword Intent could be used in such a manner.

    His methods weren¡¯t fixed; they were ever-changing. Sometimes they were predictable, and sometimes they weren¡¯t.

    She calmed down and tried to figure out his weakness. At the same time, she fought even harder.

    The other party chuckled, ¡°Miss Lu, this is not a smart move~ You just finished two rounds, but I¡¯m still full of energy. Trying to scare me with your sword will only tire you out even more.¡±

    Lu Mingshu remained still. She shook her wrist, and the ray of sword-light started to condense.

    ¡°What a nice move,¡± Gentleman Yu smiled. ¡°At your age, you¡¯re already doing such a thing? Impressive. When I was your age, I was still an immature kid. However, you have nothing on me.¡±

    After he finished his sentence, his sword lit up, and suddenly, a strong wind blew onto the stage and dispersed the sword-light.

    ¡°I told you, you can¡¯t do anything to me, yet you are unwilling to heed my advice. What a waste.¡±

    Some spectators cut him off, ¡°Shut up and fight!¡±

    ¡°Yeah! You¡¯re just intentionally trying to disrupt Miss Lu!¡±

    Gentleman Yu turned around and shouted at the spectators, ¡°What do you all know? If she¡¯s unable to concentrate because of my disruption, that just shows she needs more practice!¡±

    After that, he turned to Lu Mingshu and smiled like a Cheshire Cat, ¡°Miss Lu, you don¡¯t mind, right?¡±

    He¡¯s going overboard! the spectators were angered by Gentleman Yu¡¯s behaviour, ¡°Compete properly or get the hell down!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! Get down!¡± all the spectators jeered.

    Gentleman Yu smiled widely at her. ¡°Wow, Miss Lu, you have a lot of fans.¡±

    Beads of sweat trailed down Lu Mingshu¡¯s forehead. Her breathing also became heavy, and the grip on her sword loosened.

    ¡°You must be tired. To be honest, I wonder how you managed to defeat eighteen people in a row during the Heavenly Doorpetition if you¡¯re already like this after two rounds. What has Nine Jade Pce turned into...?¡±

    nk!

    The sword hit the ground, missing Gentleman Yu.

    Gentleman Yuughed out loud after seeing that, ¡°Girls should just stay at home and do embroidery. Why even bother toe andpete with us at an arena?¡±

    ¡°Go to hell, you idiot! Get down!¡± an uproar started among the spectators.

    ...

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to tell the result just by their skills,¡± Kou Wei used his fan to knock on the table. ¡°This is more psychological warfare than physical now.¡±

    ¡°Psychological? It¡¯ll be hard for Lu Mingshu then.¡±

    ¡°I totally agree! Yu Kuang is just a crafty old fox! When Ipeted with him previously, he lied that there was someone behind me....¡±

    The story had Yue Lingyin rolling on the floorughing, ¡°Bro, are you sane? Do you believe that? That¡¯s a trick for children, and you bought it?¡±

    The person looked at Yue Lingyin in grievance, ¡°I bought it because I never thought he would be so low!¡±

    Kou Wei interrupted them, ¡°Yu Kuang is always crafty, and Lu Mingshu¡¯s naive. I¡¯m only afraid that...¡±

    ...

    Gentleman Yu chose to turn a deaf ear to the spectators and continued, ¡°It¡¯s still early, so give up now. Thest thing I wanna do is put a scar on such a pretty little girl.¡±

    Lu Mingshu squinted her eyes. Mystic force started to rush from her body, and her sword lit up.

    The mystic force was so strong that it created a tornado of sword-intent, which rushed forward like a dragon.

    Physical Manifestation of Sword Intent!

    ¡°Wow, good!¡± gripping his sword tightly and transferring mystic force into his sword, Gentleman Yu jumped up and shed down.

    The windswept across the stage.

    Crack!

    The g pole on the stage was broken.

    The smoke that was created from the sh covered the spectators¡¯ view. When the smoke finally dispersed, the fight had already settled down.

    Both parties stood on the stage, facing each other.

    Bright red blood was flowing down Lu Mingshu¡¯s arm.

    Gentleman Yu smiled at her, ¡°You feigned weakness to your enemies at the Heavenly Doorpetition, tricking them into believing that you were out of mystic force before turning the tide at thest minute. Do you think I¡¯m so stupid that I wouldn¡¯t take that into ount?¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked at him with a straight face, ¡°So, you purposely incited me, making me think that I had sessfully tricked you. In reality, you wanted to beat me at my own game.¡±

    Gentleman Yuughed heartily, ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re someone who had eighteen wins in the Heavenly Doorpetition, so you must have your secret methods. Why would I let my guard down?¡±

    ¡°Since Gentleman Yu knows me so well,¡± Lu Mingshu replied slyly, ¡°are you aware that I am also trained in rune-carving?¡±

    Gentleman Yu paused. Suddenly, he felt that there was something under his feet, and a talisman shot up from the ground.

    He moved back to block, not noticing that Lu Mingshu moved forward to attack.

    He broke the talisman, but a sword suddenly tore his shirt and was ced in front of his chest.

    Lu Mingshu looked at him and smiled, ¡°I¡¯m a girl who¡¯s so insecure that I wouldn¡¯t leave my house without knowing more than eight or ten skills. Gentleman Yu, joke¡¯s on you.¡±

    The announcer ran on stage, ¡°Miss Lu wins!¡±

    ...

    Somebody rushed upstairs, ¡°Senior, Yu Kuang lost!¡±

    ¡°What? That fast?¡± Kou Wei¡¯s eyes widened in shock, ¡°Quick, tell me all about it.¡±

    Upon hearing the disciple¡¯s story, the bunch were left speechless.

    ¡°Erm...¡± Yue Lingyin hesitated, ¡°Something doesn¡¯t fit the picture?¡±

    The disciple¡¯s description was clear. Yu Kuang provoked Lu Mingshu, and Lu Mingshu feigned weakness. Both partiesid their traps.

    What Kou Wei said was right; it was more of a mental battle.

    Ultimately, Yu Kuang lost because he underestimated her.

    But...

    ¡°Did Yu Kuang lose on purpose!?¡± the guy who once fought him eximed.

    ¡°Yeah. Too fast. He¡¯s from the Seventh Truth tform; even if Lu Mingshu has never lost, he stands a better chance.¡±

    ¡°And he¡¯s too crafty to fall into a trap!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s he thinking?¡± Yue Lingyin muttered. ¡°Why didn¡¯t he use his full effort? What¡¯s beneficial to him if Lu Mingshu wins?¡±

    ¡°Today, the wine lover¡¯s heart is not in the cup,¡± Kou Weiughed.

    Qi Sheng furrowed his brows, ¡°Is he testing her for Wei Chunqiu? Wei Chunqiu has his eyes on taking first ce in the Qilin Festival.¡±

    Kou Wei cut him off, ¡°No. Wei Chunqiu is too strong for Lu Mingshu. He woulde for me instead of her if he wanted to test someone.¡±

    Yes, Lu Mingshu was powerful, but it¡¯s only been less than a year since she entered the Harmonization Realm. Kou Wei thought that she was worthy enough topete with him, but not enough to defeat him.

    If Kou Wei had this mindset, Wei Chunqiu would too. They had the same position as martial artists; neither of them had time for a newb.

    ¡°Let it be. Let¡¯s go back and take a rest. We will know during the Qilin Festival.¡±

 Chapter 132: The One Who Makes the First Move is the Cheap One

    <h4>Chapter 132: The One Who Makes the First Move is the Cheap One</h4>

    ¡°Miss Lu, please visit us soon!¡± the boss of the martial arts hall sent her off with bitterness like a young girl who was sending her lover off.

    Lu Mingshu put on her cloak and nodded before scuttering off.

    First step done. Now let¡¯s wait for the next.

    She stroked her arm, which was still in pain.

    She was unlucky today. Arenas were just the dessert, while the Qilin Festival was the main dish, yet she was injured before the festival even started. Luckily, it wasn¡¯t a serious injury, so she might be able to recover if she went to the Heavenly Wheel.

    The sun had gone to rest, and the moon took its ce, surrounding her with darkness and silence. Under the moonlight, Lu Mingshu went through an alley alone.

    The alley was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop, distinctively different form the streets of the city, which were constantly bustling with activity.

    All of a sudden, a figure shed by her, causing a chill to run down her spine.

    Clink! Clink! Clink!

    Mystic lights shed by her like lighting. Lu Mingshu swiftly moved away, and three throwing knivesnded at her feet.

    ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°Just like that?¡± a female¡¯s voice rang across the alley.

    Lu Mingshu turned around and realized there was someone at the other end of the alley, who started strolling over to her.

    The woman was about twenty. She had a beautiful face, and she had an aura that made her look proud. From her clothing, one could tell that she had a good family background, and her cultivation was in the Harmonization Realm.

    She looked at Lu Mingshu and scanned her, ¡°You¡¯re Lu Mingshu?¡± she asked in disdain.

    ¡°What do you want?¡±

    The woman rolled her eyes, ¡°Ah, look at you. An arrogant kid. What do I want? I came here just to look at you, of course.¡±

    Lu Mingshu kept quiet. It wasn¡¯t like her to waste her energy on arguing with some useless people.

    ¡°Look at you. What¡¯s so special about you? You¡¯re not very good. Looks-wise, you look like a sheet of paper... no, wait! A ghost! I really don¡¯t get what he sees in you....¡±

    Lu Mingshu took a step forward, ¡°Who?¡±

    Surprised at the abruptness of Lu Mingshu, the woman took a step back, ¡°What who?¡±

    ¡°Who sees what in me?¡±

    The woman took two steps back until she felt safe. She looked into Lu Mingshu¡¯s eyes and smiled at her slyly, ¡°Hey, you¡¯re a girl, aren¡¯t you ashamed that you¡¯re saying such things? Who sees something in you? You are not even worthy for anyone to see something in you.¡±

    Lu Mingshu sneered, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say it first? Now you¡¯re telling me a girl shouldn¡¯t say such things. Aren¡¯t you also a girl?¡±

    ¡°What on earth did you say!?¡± the woman did not expect for her own words to be used against her.

    ¡°Lady, I¡¯m busy. If there¡¯s nothing important, please leave and don¡¯t waste everyone¡¯s time,¡± Lu Mingshu straightened her cloak as she prepared to leave.

    ¡°Stop there! Did I say you could go?¡±

    Lu Mingshu ignored her and continued to walk forward. There was no point wasting her saliva with this missy out here.

    As soon as she took a step forward, mystic light shone behind her, and she could feel a force making a beeline for her.

    Lu Mingshu moved sideways and took out her sword.

    ng¡ª¨C!

    The heavy sh made the woman¡¯s hand numb. She was indigent and made another attack.

    Lu Mingshu did not try to escape. Instead, she turned to fight as well.

    The woman¡¯s skills were quite something, but seeing that she was so panicked while fighting Mingshu, it was obvious that she rarely fought seriously with others.

    Seeing that she was in such a panic, Lu Mingshu seized the opportunity, and after two more attacks, the woman was starting to get pushed back.

    Like a poisonous snake, sword-light moved toward the woman like it was about to kill.

    Ding!

    The swords shed again.

    In her shock, the woman moved backwards, far away from Lu Mingshu.

    ¡°Miss Lu, she just wants topare notes with you, why do you want to kill her?¡± a sloppy voice rang across the alley, and Yu Kuang jumped down from a wall.

    Lu Mingshu looked at him coldly, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Gentleman Yu. I see; you lost at the arena, and yet here you are trailing behind me. Is it that you like seeing blood so much that you want to give me another injury?¡±

    Yu Kuang burst out inughter, ignoring her sarcasm, then turned to the woman, ¡°My dear Junior, why did you find her for practice? You care aboutparing notes, but she only cares about killing.¡±

    ¡°What paring notes¡¯? It sounds so nice. I may only care about killing, but at least I don¡¯t kill innocents,¡± Lu Mingshu looked straight in their eyes, ¡°If you both choose not to leave, don¡¯t me me for attacking you.¡±

    Yu Kuang sighed and shook his head, ¡°Why are you so pessimistic?¡±

    Lu Mingshu asked in reply, ¡°Haven¡¯t your elders taught you?¡±

    ¡°Taught me what?¡±

    ¡°Please look in the mirror before giving others a lesson,¡± she sneered. ¡°You lost thepetition against me, yet here you are blocking me and trying to teach me a lesson?¡±

    ¡°Lu Mingshu! Shut your arrogant mouth up! Who the heck do you even think you are? He did not fight you with all his might because-!¡± the woman shouted.

    Yu Kuang cut her off, ¡°All you care about is winning, huh?¡±

    ¡°If I didn¡¯t win, why would you be here?¡± Lu Mingshu replied in monotone. ¡°If I didn¡¯t win, why are you here to humiliate me?¡±

    Yu Kuang looked at her in confusion, ¡°We are not here to humiliate you.¡±

    ¡°What a joke!¡± she let out a sardonic smile. ¡°I¡¯m not like your Junior Sister ¨C pretty and precious. I may be a wild grass, but I never provoked you guys, you know why? Because...¡±

    She let out a sly smile and spoke every word clearly, ¡°The one makes the first move is the cheap one.¡±

    ¡°You...!¡±

    ¡°Lu Mingshu!¡± Yu Kuang was taken aback by what she said, but the woman went into a fit. She fished out her sword, ready for an attack. ¡°We are cheap? You are the cheap one that sticks to Senior Brother Xie like a leech!¡±

    She attacked in her anger, but after two or three hits from Lu Mingshu, she was stopped.

    The woman was furious, yet she was stopped from attacking. In her anger, she started throwing any random thing she could find at Lu Mingshu.

    When Yu Kuang realized the situation, the situation had already gone sideways. Seeing the woman¡¯s action, he shouted in panic, ¡°Junior Sister, no!¡±

    What she had thrown was her self-defence weapon. If one wasn¡¯t careful, it might result in death.

    As soon as the item was out of her hand, a strong pressure appeared ¨C energy beyond their power.

    A fist rose up in the middle of the air and made a beeline for Lu Mingshu.

    Lu Mingshu quickly moved backwards, but the mystic force continued to surge, creating powerful sword-like energy.

    Yu Kuang¡¯s panic button had been pushed. He took his sword out and blocked in front of Lu Mingshu. If the fistnded on Lu Mingshu, she would either die or end up crippled.

    The fist¡¯s energy was so strong that Yu Kuang vomited blood.

    ¡°Senior Brother Yu!¡± the woman shrieked.

    However, the energy was so powerful that, even after Yu Kuang blocked it, it was still making a beeline for Lu Mingshu.

    Within no time, the fist would reach Lu Mingshu.

    Ding~~~~!

    A sound echoed across the alley. Rays of light came from nowhere and shot the fist down.

    At the same time, the lights shattered.

    Boom!

    The fist shattered into pieces.

    Yu Kuang, who was still in shock, looked at the sky nkly. He turned to the end of the alley and muttered, ¡°Senior Brother Xie?¡±

    A teenager sitting in a wheelchair appeared at the end of the alley. He looked at them and sighed, ¡°Are you done ying monkey?

 Chapter 133: Immature

    <h4>Chapter 133: Immature</h4>

    The Alioth Star-Lord looked exactly the same as how he did years ago.

    The only difference was that he had grown a bit older and looked more mature.

    In fact, Lu Mingshu could barely remember what he looked like in the past. When they first met, she was just a kid. The only impression she had of him was that he was a good-looking youngster.

    ¡°C-Cousin...!¡± the junior sister of Yu Kuang stuttered.

    ¡°Imperial Tutor didn¡¯t give you that item so you could use it in such a way.¡±

    The automatic wheelchair slowly came into the ally. Xie Lianzhen nced over them, ¡°Get back to the mountain and stay in the Red Fountain Cave for a month.¡±

    ¡°Cousin!¡± she moaned in despair. By the time she was released, the Qilin Festival would already be over!

    ¡°Senior Brother Xie-¡± Yu Kuang began.

    Before Yu Kuang could continue, Xie Lianzhen cut him off, ¡°You too. Jia Yan¡¯s still young, but what about you? You should be taking care of her instead of creating more trouble.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that, Senior Brother Xie...!¡± Yu Kuang tried to defend himself, but he couldn¡¯te up with an excuse. It was Jia Yan¡¯s own fault for trying to harass Lu Mingshu in the first ce.

    ¡°Don¡¯t me Senior Brother Yu!¡± Jia Yan interrupted. ¡°It was my decision. He only came because he was worried about me.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, sure. He was worried,¡± Xie Lianzhen nced at Yu Kuang. Even though he sounded calm, it was obvious that he was ming everything on Yu Kuang. ¡°If you were worried for Jia Yan, you should¡¯ve stopped her instead of joining the fight. The Qilin Festival is almost here, and yet you¡¯ve injured Lu Mingshu. How is she supposed to fight now?¡±

    ¡°Cousin!¡± even though Yu Kuang remained silent, Jia Yan felt indignant, ¡°Why are you siding with her? Yu Kuang didn¡¯t cause any serious injury; it¡¯s just a small cut.¡±

    ¡°Junior Sister!¡± Yu Kuang tried to interrupt.

    However, Jia Yan chose to ignore Yu Kuang, ¡°Am I wrong? We did all of this for you, yet you... I would¡¯ve ignored it if it was Ling Wuxia, but who is she?¡±

    Xie Lianzhen furrowed his eyebrows upon hearing that and bellowed, ¡°Shut up! Why are you spouting nonsense when you¡¯re not a kid anymore? Behave, and don¡¯t nder her!¡±

    ¡°Reputation? What the hell?¡± Jia Yan muttered, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m dumb? She doesn¡¯t appreciate you! The Nine Jade Pce is just making use of you!¡±

    She turned toward Lu Mingshu and gave a deadly stare, ¡°What, are you scared of getting exposed?¡±

    ¡°Shut the fuck up!¡± Xie Lianzhen bellowed. ¡°What does it have to do with you anyway? So what if I¡¯m your cousin? Who do you think you are?¡±

    ¡°You...!¡± Jia Yan burst into tears.

    ¡°Senior Brother Xie!¡± Yu Kuang burst out. ¡°How could you say such things to her? You may not be rted by blood, but she¡¯s done so much for you since you were kids. Why are you always so unappreciative?¡±

    ¡°Junior Brother Yu. You are always finding excuses for her when she gets into trouble; that¡¯s why she¡¯s getting more and more out of control. Your reason is that she¡¯s doing it out of goodwill for me, but what if she identally kills someone? Goodwill can¡¯t be exchanged for life ¨C what¡¯s wrong will always be wrong.¡±

    ¡°I never thought of it that way!¡± tears muffled her voice.

    ¡°And yet you keep repeating the same mistake again and again. Jia Yan, by doing this, you¡¯re just embarrassing me,¡± Xie Lianzhen sighed. He paused for a while before continuing, ¡°I know ¨C you did all of this for me, and I don¡¯t wish to see people hating you because of me. Besides, she may not be the one that wants to make use of me.¡±

    ¡°If not her, then who?¡± Jia Yan cried even more. ¡°I am so angry because everyone looks down on you!¡±

    Xie Lianzhen smiled at her warmly, ¡°Now, now, not having the intention to marry me does not mean that she looks down on me. Her parents forced her into this, so how could you me her?¡±

    ¡°Stepmother,¡± Lu Mingshu corrected, interrupting the heartwarming conversation between the cousins.

    The three of them turned to her.

    As soon as Xie Lianzhen appeared, she hadn¡¯t spoken, as if it had nothing to do with her.

    ¡°Nothing to do with my mother,¡± Lu Mingshu said firmly.

    Jia Yan¡¯s mouth widened in shock, ¡°Not your mother?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Silence took over.

    The happiness was all gone, and so were the heartwarming moments. Silence took over, and everyone just stood there.

    ¡°Erm,¡± Yu Kuang coughed slightly, ¡°Erm, Miss Lu, I apologize....¡±

    Silence once again took over.

    ¡°Miss Lu?¡± Yu Kuang called out.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°I heard you the first time.¡±

    ¡°Oh... then, shouldn¡¯t you respond?¡±

    ¡°Hell no!¡± Lu Mingshu rolled her eyes, ¡°What do you want me to say? ¡®It¡¯s alright, I don¡¯t mind¡¯? Sorry, but I do mind.¡±

    ¡°Uh...¡±

    Yu Kuang bit his lips. It wasn¡¯t a rule that an apology would be automatically epted.

    ¡°Heh,¡± Xie Lianzhen chuckled. ¡°Nevermind. You two aren¡¯t to me for being so impulsive anyway. It was his idea after all....¡±

    ¡°Is Junior Brother Xie talking about me?¡± a deep voice cut Xie Lianzhen off, as a man strolled into the alley.

    He was tall and buff, and he took heavy steps. Even though he was young, he gave off a mysterious aura.

    ¡°Senior Brother Wei,¡± Xie Lianzhen stered a smile onto his face, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be here. Aren¡¯t you busy cultivating?¡±

    ¡°The Qilin Festival is the day after tomorrow. I should have enough time to prepare,¡± he stopped right by Yu Kuang. ¡°What about you, huh? You rarely go out, yet you¡¯re here in Tianyun City today. I¡¯m surprised.¡±

    Xie Lianzhen nodded and smiled at him, ¡°It¡¯s merely a coincidence. I came because the queen called me. What about you? Are you here just to make things difficult for a young girl? Surely Senior Brother Wei isn¡¯t so petty, am I right?¡±

    Smiles were stered on both of their faces, but sarcasm filled their conversation.

    Lu Mingshu raised her eyebrows. This seems weird.

    The identity of this Senior Brother Wei was now abundantly clear to Mingshu.

    Wei Chunqiu! The top disciple of the Seventh Truth tform!

    Wow, interesting. Just bypeting in some arenas, I gained the attention of the disciples of the Seventh Truth tform, including Wei Chunqiu. How popr am I?

    ¡°Cousin, it¡¯s all my fault, I¡¯m too much of a busybody. Don¡¯t me it on Senior Brother Wei....¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Yu Kuang added on. ¡°We chose to do this. Senior Brother Wei even helped defend Lu Mingshu just now.¡±

    When that fist was broken, the sparkle was caused by Xie Lianzhen, but the sword energy was because of Wei Chunqiu.

    Xie Lianzhen turned to them and gave them a death-stare, ¡°Did I ask for your exnations? Go and reflect on what you¡¯ve done wrong!¡±

    Both of them lowered their heads in silence.

    ¡°Hah!¡± Wei Chunqiuughed out loud. ¡°It¡¯s not surprising that Junior Sister Shi would do something like this, but it¡¯s surprising that you would. Seems like you are very pleased with the girl chosen for you!¡±

    ¡°And it¡¯s surprising that Senior Brother Wei would poke your nose into somebody else¡¯s business. So, what brought you here?¡±

    ¡°You could say... curiosity,¡± Wei Chunqiu smiled. ¡°If everythinges to fruition, our Seventh Truth tform would definitely be affected, and to a rather great extent, no?¡±

    Xie Lianzhen burst outughing, ¡°Senior Brother Wei, are you not confident in me, or are you overly confident in her?¡±

 Chapter 134: A Promise That Canéˆ¥æª› Be Fulfilled

    <h4>Chapter 134: A Promise That Can¡¯t Be Fulfilled</h4>

    ¡°What are they talking about...?¡± Jia Yan looked at them in confusion.

    Yu Kuang pulled her back.

    ¡°Ignore them,¡± he whispered.

    ¡°But...!¡±

    ¡°You have no right to poke your nose into their matters.¡±

    One was the current Alioth Star Lord, and the other one was the soon-to-be Dubhe Star Lord. Jia Yan was just a low-level disciple of the Seventh Truth tform, so why would she have the right to intervene in their matters?

    When Xie Lianzhen and Wei Chunqiu ended the awkward situation, Xie Lianzhen turned to Lu Mingshu, ¡°Long time no see, Miss Lu.¡±

    ¡°Cousin, you know her!?¡± Jia Yan shrieked.

    Xie Lianzhen red at her.

    ¡°Sorry... I¡¯m just shocked,¡± she muttered. She knew that it was disrespectful to cut somebody off while they were speaking, but she chose to ignore that because she despised Lu Mingshu.

    Xie Lianzhen ignored Jia Yan and turned toward Lu Mingshu, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that we would meet again... and in such a situation.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it indeed has been a long time. It¡¯s my honour that the Alioth Star-Lord still remembers me,¡± Lu Mingshu smiled brittlely at him. ¡°It seems like we always meet when I¡¯m in a terrible situation.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my fault this time around,¡± Xie Lianzhen nodded.

    Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t reply. However, based on how she looked at him, one could guess the message she was trying to send; I¡¯m d you¡¯re aware.

    Jia Yan was riled up when she saw Mingshu¡¯s expression. She shouted at Lu Mingshu fiercely, ¡°Hey! What do you mean by that face? Even if it¡¯s not your mother, it¡¯s still partially your fault for wanting to make use of my cousin!¡±

    ¡°Jia Yan!¡±

    ¡°Junior Sister!¡±

    Being stopped by both of them, she turned her back on them, sulking, ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll just shut up.¡±

    After the silence once again took over, Xie Lianzhen continued, ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure to be able to meet you again and in Zhongzhou no less. I presume that Miss Lu hasn¡¯t forgotten about what happened back then?¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked down, ¡°Some things will never be forgotten as long as I¡¯m alive.¡±

    Yu Kuang eyes widened upon hearing that. Her sentence sounded very solemn. This Miss Lu seemed to have a different agenda, unlike what he previously thought. He used to think that she went to the battle arenas to raise her value so that she could sessfully marry Xie Lianzhen, and then make use of that to bring benefits to the Nine Jade Pce and herself. However, seeing how she reacted, it seemed that she had a different agenda.

    It was their fault that they jumped to conclusions too quickly without researching her life in the Nine Jade Pce. He somehow missed the fact that her surname was Lu, not Fu.

    Yu Kuang was submerged in guilt at the moment. I have wronged her. If she was really the Eldest Miss of Nine Jade Pce, why would she admit that she only cares about killing? When he said those words initially, he was just being sarcastic. But her response of ¡°I may only care about killing, but at least I don¡¯t kill innocents,¡± seemed a lot different now.

    ¡°So, what are you nning to do this time around?¡±

    Lu Mingshu smiled at him, ¡°Would the Alioth Star-Lord help me if I tell you my problems?¡±

    Xie Lianzhen paused for a while before replying, ¡°I¡¯ll try my best.¡±

    ¡°I want to get out of the Nine Jade Pce. Will you marry me for that?¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± Jia Yan interrupted, ¡°Are you trying to force my cousin into a marriage!?¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded as she raised another term, ¡°I hope to have a new sect leader in the Nine Jade Pce, would you help me?¡±

    Yu Kuang bit his lips, ¡°Erm... I believe that it isn¡¯t good for us to intervene in another n¡¯s matters.¡±

    Seeing that Yu Kuang was having such a hard time, sheughed. ¡°Alioth Star-Lord, don¡¯t make promises that you can¡¯t fulfil.¡±

    ¡°Wow!¡± Wei Chunqiu, who had been standing there silently for a long time,ughed out loud. He nced at Xie Lianzhen with a grin, ¡°My dear Junior Brother Xie, this is my first time seeing you tongue-tied! Today¡¯s trip here has definitely been worth my time.¡±

    After that, he turned toward Lu Mingshu, ¡°Miss Lu, since you¡¯ve said so much, I will be lenient to you if Ie across you at the Qilin Festival.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Wei Chunqiu being lenient to her would indeed be very beneficial.

    ¡°Hmm...¡± Xie Lianzhen started after pondering for a while, ¡°Is that what you really want?¡±

    Lu Mingshu raised her eyebrows in confusion. She didn¡¯t understand what he meant.

    ¡°If that¡¯s what you want, your first wish has alreadye true.¡±

    Silence took over the ce once again.

    ¡°Your second wish isn¡¯t difficult either,¡± he strummed his fingers on the armrest of his wheelchair. ¡°I would just need a bit of extra time.¡±

    ¡°Cousin!¡± Jia Yan interrupted, ¡°Do you really want to marry her? She¡¯s not even worth half of Ling Wuxia!¡±

    Yu Kuang whispered to her, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that even Ling Wuxia isn¡¯t good enough?¡±

    ¡°Shush!¡± Jia Yan chided him.

    ¡°Miss Lu,¡± Xie Lianzhen smiled at her, ¡°This is the best option for you and me. What do you think?¡±

    ¡°I know, right?¡± Wei Chunqiu smirked. ¡°With your innate skills, there¡¯s a high chance that you¡¯ll be able to reach the Assimtion Realm. Junior Brother Xie here has some physical defect that acts as a barrier for him. If you marry him, you would fill up that gap, and you would be able to leave Nine Jade Pce. You have the ability while he has the authority; you would be perfect for each other.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded, ¡°So, that¡¯s why you came.¡±

    Initially, she was confused ¨C how valuable was she that Wei Chunqiu would actually send people here to harass her? Now she knew why, and she knew what Xie Lianzhen meant when he asked whether Wei Chunqiu was overconfident in her; they were talking about the possibility of her getting into the Assimtion Realm.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s your choice?¡± Wei Chunqiu probed. ¡°Your wish would be granted with a single word from you.¡±

    Lu Mingshu shook her head, ¡°His Highness doesn¡¯t know what my wish is, and he couldn¡¯t fulfil it either.¡±

    Wei Chunqiu sighed jokingly, ¡°Oh, so it¡¯s a rejection then. Sorry, Junior Brother Xie.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Xie Lianzhen nodded, ¡°As expected.¡±

    It was clear why she was battling at all costs.

    ¡°If you ever change your mind,¡± he continued, ¡°you cane to me at the Seventh Truth tform.¡±

    Lu Mingshu retorted, ¡°So what Alioth Star-Lord means is that this case is settled then?¡±

    Xie Lianzhen grimaced, ¡°I¡¯ll try to change queen¡¯s mind.¡±

    ¡°¡®Try¡¯? So, you¡¯re still incapable after all.¡±

    ¡°Hah!¡± Wei Chunqiu burst outughing once again. ¡°Junior Brother Xie, it¡¯s time, to be honest with yourself. Promising something and failing to deliver will only make you seem untrustworthy.¡±

    He smiled bitterly, ¡°Thanks for the advice, Senior Brother.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m finally done. Time to go back now,¡± Wei Chunqiu turned to the two young kids, ¡°Are youing?¡±

    ¡°Duh!¡± Yu Kuang agreed in no time, dragging Jia Yan with him.

    Jia Yan hesitated in her steps, ¡°But cousin¡¯s alone....¡±

    ¡°Hey, this is Tianyun City; what could possibly happen? Let¡¯s go. See you, Senior Brother Xie!¡±

    Yu Kuang knew that he had gotten into trouble today. Thus, he dared not stay for long, and he hurried behind Wei Chunqiu.

    As the three of them strolled away, Jia Yan kept looking back worriedly.

    ¡°Miss Lu,¡± Xie Lianzhen fished out a small bottle and threw it to her, ¡°I sincerely apologize for what happened today. This is a secret medicine of our Seventh Truth tform. It will help in your recovery.¡±

    ¡°Is this only for the injury on the skin?¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Just now, when your cousin threw her secret item out, I received inner injuries from it even though you blocked it.¡±

    Xie Lianzhen was taken aback. He never expected her to say such things. He fished out a wooden box and threw it to her. ¡°Once per day. Three consecutive days.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Lu Mingshu put it into her bag swiftly.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving first then.¡±

    ¡°Wait.¡±

    Xie Lianzhen stopped in his tracks.

    Lu Mingshu fished out a piece of jade from her pocket and put it in front of him. ¡°I heard that, with this jade, I could get help from any Seventh Truth tform disciple; is this true?¡±

    Xie Lianzhen smiled upon seeing the piece of jade. ¡°So, you still have it. And yes, it¡¯s true.¡±

    ¡°So, will you help me?¡±

    Xie Lianzhen chuckled and nodded, ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°I need your help to find someone,¡± Lu Mingshu said.

 Chapter 135: Non-Existence

    <h4>Chapter 135: Non-Existence</h4>

    Xie Lianzhen nodded, ¡°Name? Is he in Zhongzhou?¡±

    ¡°He...¡± Lu Mingshu smiled upon remembering him. This was the first time she genuinely smiled tonight. ¡°He¡¯s called Yan Wugui, a disciple of the Seventh Truth tform.¡±

    Oh, so she has a dimple.

    Xie Lianzhen tried to recall, ¡°Any more information? Which n is he in? Or what¡¯s his cultivation, age, and appearance?¡±

    ¡°He said that he¡¯s from the fifth n. He should be twenty-four this year.... He was in the Harmonization Realm five years ago, and he has been to Jade West Mountain Forest before. He is good at using knives. Oh yeah! He had a big scar on his face, around here,¡± Lu Mingshu pointed on her face.

    Xie Lianzhen didn¡¯t speak for a long time. The shadow of the wall blocked his expression.

    After a while, Lu Mingshu called out to him since she didn¡¯t get any response, ¡°Alioth Star-Lord?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Xie Lianzhen was called back down to earth, ¡°From what I know, there¡¯s nobody in the fifth generation who¡¯s called Yan Wugui.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Lu Mingshu eyes widened in shock, ¡°That¡¯s not possible.¡±

    Yan Wugui said that he¡¯s a Seventh Truth tform disciple! He wouldn¡¯t lie to me.

    ¡°I¡¯m definitely sure,¡± Xie Lianzhen nodded. ¡°If you are just searching for an ordinary disciple, I would have to go back and flip through the name-list. However, if you¡¯re searching for someone in the fifth generation who was in the Harmonization Realm at the age of neen... as a n leader, I would have noticed him, and I have not seen anyone with such a big scar on his face.¡±

    The answer that she got was totally out of her expectations. Lu Mingshu stood rooted to the ground upon hearing that.

    ¡°Moreover,¡± Xie Lianzhen continued, ¡°the Seventh Truth tform focuses on swords, so not many would use a knife as their weapon. So far in the fifth generation, none of the disciples is skilled with knives.¡±

    Perhaps because Lu Mingshu looked so disappointed, Xie Lianzhen continued, ¡°Miss Lu, I think you might¡¯ve remembered wrongly.¡±

    Lu Mingshu shook her head violently.

    Remembered wrongly? How could that be possible? During the past eight years, there weren¡¯t many who gave her a helping hand or treated her nicely. Those short two weeks interacting with him were carved deeply in her memory.

    ¡°Alioth Star-Lord, is he perhaps some kind of external disciple who onlyes to the Seventh Truth tform to learn? You guys have a lot of such disciples, right?¡±

    Some rich kids had a ce in the Seventh Truth tform, but they didn¡¯t stay there. Yan Wugui¡¯s bodynguage told her that he probably wasn¡¯t from a wealthy family, but the rare treasure he had wasn¡¯t something that low-level disciples would have. She was afraid that he might have a special identity.

    Xie Lianzhen shook his head, ¡°If he was just with us to learn, then he wouldn¡¯t be considered part of the fifth n.¡± He raised his eyebrows as he looked at Lu Mingshu, ¡°Were you deceived?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Lu Mingshu shouted. ¡°He would never lie to me!¡±

    She sounded so angry that Xie Lianzhen kept quiet for a moment, ¡°Well, neither would I.¡±

    Lu Mingshu took a deep breath and looked at him awkwardly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t mean to doubt your credibility.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±

    After a while, Xie Lianzhen broke the silence, ¡°Could I ask... what¡¯s the rtionship between you two?¡±

    Rtionship? Lu Mingshu shook her head. They haven¡¯t rted at all... just two strangers who came together by chance.

    ¡°Alioth Star-Lord, could I change my request then?¡±

    Xie Lianzhen nodded, ¡°The pendant is still in your hands. What¡¯s your request?¡±

    ¡°Could I get the name-list of all the disciples who went to Jade West Mountain Forest five years ago?¡±

    Lu Mingshu was clear that this request was overboard. Name-lists weren¡¯t exactly some rare treasure, but they weren¡¯t something that outsiders could see. However, she couldn¡¯t ept the answer given by Xie Lianzhen.

    Maybe Yan Wugui had some hidden troubles that forced him to use some other identity. Or maybe Yan Wugui simply wasn¡¯t his given name. However, a human who went to the Jade West Mountain Forest alive and kicking wouldn¡¯t possibly vanish into thin air.

    Xie Lianzhen didn¡¯t agree or disagree. Instead, he questioned her, ¡°Since he¡¯s not rted to you, why do you care so much?¡±

    This sounded like an interrogation. Normally, Lu Mingshu wouldn¡¯t answer, or she would say something sarcastic. However, at the moment, she was too emotionally confused to be rude. She stroked the dagger that was tied to her waist and muttered, ¡°I need to give him something.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    Lu Mingshu bit her lip in silence.

    She looked at her feet. The moonlight created a long shadow.

    How can a living person not exist?

    She could hear the wheelchair moving further away, and Xie Lianzhen¡¯s voice rang across the alley, ¡°The name-list will be sent to Miss tomorrow.¡±

    Without even a farewell, he just left.

    ...

    In the hotel, Lu Mingshu sat on a stone and stared nkly into space while Little Daze munched on an apple in her hand.

    Munch. Munch. The apple was soon finished.

    After a while, Lu Mingshu sighed and stroked Little Daze¡¯s horn, ¡°Little Daze, do you remember the guy who picked you up with me?¡±

    Before Little Daze could react, she continued, ¡°Oh yeah, I forgot. You were only just born back then. How could you remember?¡±

    ¡°You know, today, I met the Alioth Star-Lord, but he said that there¡¯s absolutely no such person in the Seventh Truth tform. Even though five years have passed, I still remember it all clearly! I would have been dead by now if it wasn¡¯t for him.¡±

    ¡°The Alioth Star-Lord says that I may have been deceived, but that¡¯s impossible, right? There¡¯s no reason why he would do that, and besides, he mentioned things about the Seventh Truth tform too! If he wasn¡¯t a disciple of the Seventh Truth tform, why would he know so much about it?¡±

    ¡°Who is he actually? Why am I the only one who has seen him? Oh my god, is he just an imaginary friend?¡±

    Lu Mingshu hugged her head. She had never felt so confused in her whole life before.

    Over the years, she was a girl who received hardly any love, and she treasured any that she got. That teenager back then might¡¯ve just been a random stranger, but since he had saved her and took care of her, she would remember it for her whole life.

    She sighed.

    Little Daze seemed to sense that she wasn¡¯t in a good mood. It stuck out its tongue and licked her hand, attempting tofort her.

    Lu Mingshu fed it another fruit.

    ¡°There are two possibilities: one ¨C he used a fake identity. It¡¯s weird that he came to the Jade West Mountain Forest to train in the first ce. The Seventh Truth tform is not a small sect, so there should be plenty of ces for him to train. Perhaps he has some difficulties?¡±

    ¡°Two ¨C Yan Wugui isn¡¯t his real name. Is there some reason he couldn¡¯t tell me his real name?¡±

    Suddenly, a lightbulb lit up in her head, ¡°Oh yeah. Xie Lianzhen said that there¡¯s no disciple in the fifth generation who¡¯s a master with knives, but he is, which is why he didn¡¯t care about the sword skills on that stone wall. Is it that he wished to keep it a secret that he¡¯s a master in knives, which is why he was so far from his own sect? Was the scar on his face fake as well?¡±

 Chapter 136: Hero Ranking

    <h4>Chapter 136: Hero Ranking</h4>

    Xie Lianzhen kept his promise. The name-list was sent to Lu Mingshu the next day.

    The journey to the Jade West Mountain Forest was one of the conditions to cooperate with Nine Jade Pce. Not many disciples went ¨C less than thirty.

    The name-list that Xie Lianzhen sent had the personal details of every disciple.

    Name, sex, age, ce of birth, experience... it like a r¨¦sum¨¦. A name-list that told the life stories of the disciples who went.

    After studying the name-list in detail, there was no one whose information seemed out of ce.

    The name-list was perfectly normal. Even family history was written down, and there was nothing that seemed suspicious.

    Since the name-list couldn¡¯t help much, she could only investigate it herself.

    If Lu Mingshu could have a chance to talk to the disciples in-person, she might find some clues. However, Xie Lianzhen would never agree to that because it would be an invasion of the Seventh Truth tform¡¯s privacy.

    Xie Lianzhen gave her the pendant because he wanted to lend her a helping hand, not because he owed her anything. He could reject any request that was too unreasonable.

    Let me figure it out myself. If I owe him too many favours, I¡¯ll have to return them allter.

    ¡°Junior Niece Lu,¡± Tan Yubing knocked on her door, ¡°We have to get going.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Lu Mingshu folded the name-list and put it in her mustard seed pouch.

    The Qilin Festival started tomorrow, and the participants had to gather at the meeting ce.

    The Qilin Festival wasn¡¯t held at Tianyun City, but to the north of Tianyun City, on the Greatest Morning Mountain ¨C where the Seventh Truth tform was located.

    They left the hotel together. On the way, people were all staring at them and whispering.

    Tan Yubing chuckled, ¡°Junior Niece Lu, you¡¯re famous after your battles. All of them are looking at you!¡±

    Herpeting at the arenas every day wasn¡¯t a secret, and Lu Mingshu had no intention of hiding it from Tan Yubing anyway.

    However, Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t look pleased with what she saw; ¡°It¡¯s hard to tell if they¡¯re praising me or criticizing me.¡±

    Tan Yubing burst outughing.

    Indeed. Some were admiring her while some were talking nonsense about her. ¡°A person who is full of knowledge is generally quiet, but one who only has partial knowledge makes a lot of unnecessary noise,¡± or ¡°A genuine sessor disciple came here just to battle withmoners?¡± or ¡°Can¡¯t she have some moderation? Let¡¯s see how shepetes during the Qilin Festival.¡±

    She rarely even left the hotel, and yet word got around so quickly that even Yin Hong sent some people over to yell at Lu Mingshu.

    Lu Mingshu was toozy to give a damn. Whether she would be sold or not and for how much was out of Yin Hong¡¯s control anyway. Lu Mingshu still hadn¡¯t met the person who had the final say.

    When they arrived at the za, both of them were shocked.

    ¡°So many people!¡± Tan Yubing gasped in surprise.

    With the Kowloon Stage in the middle, this was the biggest za in Tianyun City. It could surely hold more than a million people.

    The corner of the za was filled with different vehicles. There were ships that were as tall as ten people, shining golden ships, and pavilions on the backs of the spirit beasts.

    Disciples from different sects could be seen going around making new friends, and servants were all busy helping settle the luggage.

    ¡°There should be around a thousand people here, right?¡± Tan Yubing muttered.

    Lu Mingshu scanned around the za and did some mental calction, ¡°Our group has thirty-four people and based on the vehicles, at least twenty ns are here for the festival. It¡¯s no doubt there are more than a thousand people.¡±

    The Qilin Festival was also known as the gathering of the best martial artists in China. If there wasn¡¯t at least a thousand people, then it wouldn¡¯t live up to its name.

    ¡°Hurry and follow!¡± somebody shouted.

    Both of them got on the vehicle of their n. When everyone boarded, the vehicle soared up to the sky.

    More than ten vehicles soared up to the sky at the same time, making such a big bustle that the Tianyun City citizens rushed out to have a look at this marvellous scenery that only happened once in a blue moon.

    The Seventh Truth tform and Tianyun City were interdependent, and they each formed one side; thus, the venue for the Qilin Festival was at the Greatest Morning Mountain, where the Seventh Truth tform was located.

    The Greatest Morning Mountain stretched several hundreds of kilometres. It was mighty and gigantic, and one of its peaks was named Qilin Peak.

    A few hundred years back, the king of Zhongzhou built a pce on Qilin Peak and invited the best of the different sects to a pageant. This became a tradition, known now as the Qilin Festival.

    ¡°Look! That¡¯s the Flying Immortal Pce!¡± Tan Yubing stood on the veranda, sighing in admiration as she pointed to the pce below them. ¡°It¡¯s such a marvellous creation!¡±

    Where Qilin Peak was located, there was arge river twisting around the peak, intertwining all around the mountain.

    This type of terrain was strange. Near the top, the river formed a ring, and it continued spiralling down the mountain, cutting it into different sections, as if it was a man-made pathway around the peak. To make it even more beautiful, in between the ring at the top, there was a lone bit of mountain in the center.

    And that¡¯s where the Flying Immortal Pce was located. Its steps were made out of white jade, and the roof was made of zed ceramic. It was surrounded by trees as if it was a heavenly temple.

    The lone peak was slightly trimmed into a sort of rooftop. On the rooftop, there was a stone tablet standing tall and mighty, and names were carved on the stone tablet.

    The Hero Ranking!

    The Hero Ranking that had such a famous reputation in China.

    Only the top ten of every Qilin Festival could leave their name on it.

    The top ten stood for the top ten of the Spirit Realm.

    The original Qilin Festival only allowed martial artists in the Spirit Realm to participate. As time passed, in order to encourage the younger generation, they allowed Harmonization Realm disciples to take part too. The Spirit Realms would be ranked in the Hero Ranking, while the Harmonization Realms were ranked in the New Generation Ranking. Members of the New Generation Ranking couldn¡¯t carve their names on the stone tablet, but they would still be famous.

    ¡°What about the Sky Ranking? Where¡¯s the Sky Ranking?¡± somebody asked excitedly.

    The Sky Ranking, which was also known as the Grandmaster List, wasn¡¯t something from apetition.

    As long as a Grandmaster emerged anywhere in China, their name would be carved on the Sky Ranking.

    Lu Mingshu could remember clearly that, years ago when Zhou Yinru sent the divorce letter, her servant girl Rui Xiang said that, if Fu Shangqing hadn¡¯t been held back by her family, he would¡¯ve been on the Sky Ranking already. What a joke. She sneered since she knew the truth.

    Even though Fu Shangqing had some talent, it was impossible for him to be a Grandmaster. He probably couldn¡¯t even make the Hero Ranking, let alone the Sky Ranking. So what if he cultivated a bit quickly? Did he have any actual ability?

    ¡°There!¡±

    Everyone looked over to where the guy was pointing. The disciples all sighed in awe at what they saw.

    A cliff was right beside the peak, and it had been cut to be as t and as shiny as a mirror. It had mboyant calligraphy on it, and each name belonged to someone well-known.

    Lu Mingshu saw a familiar name on the cliff: Xiang Hongfei.

    The pride of Nine Jade Pce. As long as one of their disciple¡¯s names was still engraved here, the Nine Jade Pce would never fall.

    It was a pity that my master¡¯s name couldn¡¯t be here. Lu Mingshu still remembered that her master became crippled shortly after he entered the Spirit Realm. There was no doubt that his name would be carved on the Hero Ranking if he hadn¡¯t been crippled.

    The vehicle descended toward the peak and stopped outside the pce.

    This pce could hold so many that, even with a thousand people inside, there was still enough room to spare.

    As Lu Mingshu settled down in her room, she heard a knock on her door; ¡°Junior Sister Lu.¡±

    ¡°Senior Brother Shao?¡±

    It had been a long time since they met. Lu Mingshu was busy battling at the arenas while Shao Zhengyang was busy socializing. They were both caught up with their own things, so they couldn¡¯t meet each other.

    Shao Zhengyang smiled warmly at her, ¡°We¡¯re having a gathering, do you want toe?¡±

    ¡°Gathering?¡± Lu Mingshu furrowed her eyebrows.

    Shao Zhengyang chuckled, ¡°With the best genuine sessor disciples of all the ns. They are interested in meeting you.¡±

 Chapter 137: Rare Kindness

    <h4>Chapter 137: Rare Kindness</h4>

    Greenery surrounded the area, hiding the pavilion among the trees.

    Shao Zhengyang guided Lu Mingshu to a courtyard.

    ¡°You¡¯ve constantly been going to the arenas these past few days, so I didn¡¯t inform you earlier because I didn¡¯t want to disturb you.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded in response.

    Being used to Lu Mingshu¡¯s quietness, Shao Zhengyang continued, ¡°Junior Sister Lu, your situation right now is tricky, and they might be able to help you get through it.¡±

    Only then did Lu Mingshu finally reply, ¡°Thank you, Senior Brother Shao.¡±

    Shao Zhengyang nodded, ¡°I was afraid you¡¯d think I¡¯m a busybody.¡±

    As soon as he finished, both of them stepped into the courtyard.

    ¡°I¡¯m so bored. I¡¯m so bored!¡± a young man sighed as he was sprawled on the table. He tapped his teacup with some chopsticks. Suddenly, Shao Zhengyang entered with Lu Mingshu. The young man realized how unsophisticated he looked and abruptly stood up, knocking the teacup over and spilling tea all over himself.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. Wee in,¡± he apologized profusely while trying to clean himself up. He jumped up in pain as he identally knocked into the table.

    Lu Mingshu bit her lips to control herughter. They hadn¡¯t even said anything yet and this guy was already putting on a one-man show.

    ¡°Hahahaha!¡±ughter could be heard from the stairs as a few people walked down.

    ¡°Aiyo, Little Brother Qi, thanks for sacrificing your image to lighten up the mood! I appreciate your sacrifice!¡± Yue Lingyin joked.

    Kou Wei fanned himself, ¡°That¡¯s because he has admired Miss Lu for too long. His image is nothingpared to her smile!¡± he added.

    ¡°Senior Brother, why are you spouting nonsense?¡± Qi Sheng turned red as a beetroot. He looked over to Lu Mingshu, and after seeing that she was smiling, he suddenly couldn¡¯t feel any pain.

    ¡°Why are you smiling like an idiot?¡± Yue Lingyin pinched him and turned toward Lu Mingshu. ¡°Hello, Miss Lu, I am Yue Lingyin from the Amethyst Phoenix Pavilion, and I have been looking forward to meeting you for a long time.¡±

    Lu Mingshu bowed in return, ¡°I have been looking forward to meeting Miss Yue for a long time too.¡±

    Yue Lingyin got into the top ten in thest Qilin Festival. She had only just entered the Harmonization Realm back then, so she was rather famous.

    Simr to Lu Mingshu, she became famous because of apetition. The difference was that Yue Lingyinpeted with the best of the best, and she had only just entered the Harmonization Realm when she achieved it. She could be considered the best martial artist in the Harmonization Realm.

    On the other hand, the Heavenly Doorpetition was just an internalpetition of Nine Jade Pce, so the results obviously weren¡¯t as valuable as the Qilin Festival. Lu Mingshu¡¯s result could only prove that she was above average, not that she was the best.

    ¡°I¡¯m Kou Wei,¡± Kou Wei introduced himself in a refined manner, then pointed to Qi Sheng, ¡°As for this idiot over here, he¡¯s Qi Sheng, my junior brother.¡±

    Lu Mingshu bowed politely.

    Kou Wei ¨C he didn¡¯t need much introduction. Any disciple in the same generation as him would know his name.

    To Lu Mingshu, Yue Lingyin was already considered part of a higher social ss. As for Kou Weiing to meet her, it was like he was lowering his own ss.

    ¡°This is Lan Ruoyun, and that¡¯s Zhu Hanguang.¡±

    One by one, she was introduced to all the people who were present.

    The gathering today had fewer people than their other gatherings. Since everyone only just reached the Flying Immortal Pce, not everyone was free toe over. Those who came were Kou Wei¡¯s close friends.

    ¡°Miss Lu, how¡¯s your injury?¡± as soon as Kou Wei sat down, he asked her this. So, they really have been watching me for a long time.

    ¡°I¡¯m okay. It¡¯s an external injury, so it will heal fast.¡±

    Kou Wei nodded, ¡°The Qilin Festival is going to be very intense, so please take good care of yourself. Even minor injuries may hinder your performance.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your concern.¡±

    Kou Wei chuckled, ¡°Spare the politeness. I¡¯m way older than you, so feel free to call me Senior Brother the way Yue Lingyin does.¡±

    Lu Mingshu paused for a while. She wasn¡¯t too aware of how each n operated, but she knew that the Amethyst Phoenix Pavilion and the Heavenly Sea Pavilion had close ties, so it was perfectly reasonable for Yue Lingyin to address Kou Wei as Senior Brother. For Mingshu to do it was a bit much.

    Ever since she entered Nine Jade Pce, nobody had treated her with so much kindness, and moreover, Kou Wei was just a stranger to her! Being used to keeping a distance from people, Lu Mingshu felt awkward at Kou Wei¡¯s kindness.

    Shao Zhengyang nudged her and smiled, ¡°Junior Sister Lu, Senior Brother Kou is very friendly, don¡¯t be so reserved.¡±

    He changed how he addressed Kou Wei from Brother Kou to Senior Brother Kou. It was a good chance for him to pull their rtionship closer.

    Kou Wei smiled warmly at her, ¡°It¡¯s okay. We will be closer as time passes.¡±

    After the conventional greetings, Qi Sheng couldn¡¯t contain his curiosity anymore, ¡°Miss Lu, how can you tell the recipe of medicine just by tasting it, could you please teach me?¡±

    Lu Mingshu smiled in reply.

    Yue Lingyin pulled Qi Sheng¡¯s ear, ¡°You idiot. Who asks such a question, huh? What do you expect her to say?¡±

    ¡°Hey! Senior Sister Yue....¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Lu Mingshu shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t answer anyway.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t answer?¡± Qi Sheng raised his eyebrows. ¡°So, it¡¯s a natural talent?¡±

    ¡°I suppose.¡±

    Qi Sheng pouted, ¡°Haish, a natural gift. I¡¯m jealous. Why do I not have such a gift?¡±

    It could be considered a natural talent, right? I¡¯ve lived with the Heavenly Wheel for such a long time now....

    A girl called Lan Ruoyun asked her another question, ¡°Miss Lu, I heard about yourpetition at the rune-carving shop. Is it true that talismans can be used to fight?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Lu Mingshu replied. ¡°I¡¯m not the one who came up with it; some rune-carvers of the past used talismans to fight back when humans were fighting the barbarians. The technique was no longer passed down when rune carving waned after the war.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Lan Ruoyun¡¯s eyes brightened up in excitement. ¡°I am researching rune-carving, but I have never seen any written ount about that. May I know where Miss Lu found this information?¡±

    ¡°Some ancient books have records on it. For example, <qingyang¡¯s collection>. Duke Qingyang has been investigating it for a long time. Also, the...¡±

    Lan Ruoyun sighed in awe and admiration, ¡°Miss Lu is extremely knowledgeable. I still have so much to learn.¡±

    Lu Mingshu learned about talisman fighting from some random ancient book that Lan Ruoyun hadn¡¯t even heard of. Even if she had heard about it, she never paid much attention to those books. This Lu Mingshu is younger than me, yet she¡¯s so good in so many areas. Wow!

    But Lan Ruoyun was unaware that Lu Mingshu had the Heavenly Wheel. With that, she had much more time to readpared to others. On top of that, during her childhood, she rarely left Green Jade Valley. She spent all her free time reading since there wasn¡¯t much for her to do. She finished all the books in the Heavenly Ascension Pavilion as well as various books she exchanged for in the Heavenly Wheel. She may not beparable to the best disciples of the ns in other ways, but knowledge-wise, even a Confucian schr may lose to her.

    ¡°Miss Lu, what about your fight with Yu Kuang...?¡± after she answered Lan Ruoyun¡¯s question, another question popped out.

    The gathering was in high spirits as they chatted until the sky darkened. They unwillingly prepared to leave.

    Before she left, Kou Wei called her, ¡°About Xie Lianzhen... may I know what your ns are?¡±

 Chapter 138: Boots

    <h4>Chapter 138: Boots</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    They only just met, and it was inappropriate to ask such question.

    However, the Qilin Festival was tomorrow, so there wasn¡¯t much time left.

    Kou Wei looked at her with worry, ¡°I know it¡¯s rude, but please tell me if you need any help.¡±

    Lu Mingshu was bbergasted. However, she calmed herself within no time and gave Kou Wei a stiff smile, ¡°Thank you very much for your concern, Senior Brother Kou.¡±

    Finally, her ¡°Senior Brother Kou¡± didn¡¯t sound awkward.

    It was funny how she had been in Nine Jade Pce for so long, yet the first person to really care for her like a brother was an outsider.

    ¡°We aren¡¯t rted to each other in any way, so I wouldn¡¯t have a say in your matter, but disrupting it would be possible. You could approach me or Junior Brother Qi. As long as you give the word, we will try to help.¡±

    Lu Mingshu stared nkly at him. Does he really mean that?

    ¡°Erm, Senior Brother?¡± Qi Sheng, who was standing beside them, turned as red as a beetroot, ¡°This is...¡±

    Kou Weiughed out loud. ¡°Of course... the queen¡¯s your elder. If you n to refuse, you¡¯ll need a good enough reason.¡±

    Lu Mingshu kept quiet for a moment before bowing to him, ¡°Thanks for your help, but I do not think I¡¯m currently at that stage yet.¡±

    Kou Wei nodded, ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re aware of what you¡¯re doing.¡±

    Kou Wei turned around to leave, but he was stopped in his tracks by Qi Sheng, ¡°Senior Brother!¡±

    Kou Wei turned and saw that Qi Sheng was rooted to the ground, and heughed, ¡°What are you doing now?¡±

    Qi Sheng hemmed and hawed. He didn¡¯t know how to start, but he was unwilling to give up on the matter.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious that she¡¯s stubborn?¡± Kou Wei sighed.

    ¡°I know! But...¡± Qi Sheng muttered, ¡°Isn¡¯t it better to help her? If we help her, she wouldn¡¯t need to go through so much trouble!¡±

    Kou Wei had thought that Qi Sheng was just fascinated by Lu Mingshu¡¯s talent, but listening to Qi Sheng now, he realized that it was infatuation. He has just started with his puberty. Kou Wei straightened his face.

    ¡°Junior Brother Qi.¡±

    Qi Sheng, who never cared about formality, got a shock.

    Seeing Qi Sheng¡¯s reaction, Kou Wei felt likeughing, but it wasn¡¯t an appropriate time.

    ¡°She should make her own decision, and you should change your mindset,¡± he sighed.

    ¡°What for?¡± Qi sheng pouted. ¡°I¡¯m just trying to help.¡±

    ¡°You should only help if she wants you to,¡± Kou Wei looked at him sternly. ¡°I don¡¯t give a damn about your crush on her. I just want to remind you that, no matter what you want to do ¨C court her or just notice her in silence ¨C never interfere in her business when she is unwilling. You won¡¯t help her that way, you¡¯ll just make things worse.¡±

    ...

    As soon as she got back to her room, a disciple came saying that Elder An was calling for her.

    ¡°Senior Uncle An.¡±

    An Tongchen sat by the window, looking at the river below. ¡°You¡¯ve already heard about it, huh?¡± He didn¡¯t even turn around to look at her.

    ¡°Does Senior Uncle mean the queen?¡±

    An Tongchen turned to face her. She¡¯s calm. He heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Xie Lianzhen is the queen¡¯s son.¡±

    This information was so sudden that Lu Mingshu just stood rooted to the ground, not knowing what to say.

    No wonder Tan Yubing said they had a special rtionship. She initially figured they were rtives, but they were way closer than she thought.

    ¡°Senior Uncle An...¡± Lu Mingshu hesitated. She was lost on what to do.

    ¡°A mother¡¯s love for her child is like nothing else in the world. It knows now, no pity. It dares to do all things and crushes down remorselessly against all that stands in its path. I am sure you are clear of this. Moreover, she owes this child of hers too much,¡± An Tongchen sighed. ¡°I have sent people to gather information about this, and I found out that the queen already has her eyes on you. The only way to solve this is for her to agree.¡±

    Lu Mingshu kept quiet.

    ¡°I heard that you went to meet Kou Wei?¡± An Tongchen changed the subject.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°The Heavenly Sea Pavilion could get a say.¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked up at him, raising her eyebrows.

    An Tongchen looked down and sighed, ¡°Sometimes, you will have to give in temporarily. Giving in temporarily doesn¡¯t mean that you will be stepped on for your entire life, it¡¯s just to help you get through one difficult part of your life if you¡¯re powerless.¡±

    Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t get it at first, but she recalled what the Grand Elder said; ¡°The strongest ones will break and the most powerful will be humiliated, just do your best and act appropriately.¡±

    Lu Mingshu suddenly saw red.

    She shut her eyes to calm herself down for a moment, ¡°Senior Uncle An, isn¡¯t Xie Lianzhen¡¯s father... the king of Zhongzhou?¡±

    An Tongchen shook his head, ¡°The queen remarried to the king.¡±

    No wonder. No wonder she ¡°owes this child of hers too much.¡±

    ¡°Senior Uncle, if I hadn¡¯te to Zhongzhou, what do you think the result would be?¡±

    An Tongchen looked at her in surprise.

    ¡°I know that the queen¡¯s initial target was Ling Wuxia, but she didn¡¯te. What about the others?¡±

    An Tongchen bit his lips as he was sent into deep thought, ¡°I know that she would prefer something over nothing.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded, ¡°I got it. Thanks, Senior Uncle, I¡¯ll excuse myself.¡±

    An Tongchen looked at her leave, but when Lu Mingshu reached the door, she turned back abruptly, ¡°Senior Uncle An, maybe some other people can give in, but I can¡¯t. When you give in once, there will be a second time, and it¡¯ll never end until, maybe one day, I would never be able to lift my head up again.¡±

    She bowed to him and left.

    An Tongchen sat down in silence and muttered to himself, ¡°Senior Brother Liu, I always thought you were the most stubborn thing I had ever seen, but your disciple is even more stubborn.¡±

    He smiled.

    ...

    Lu Mingshu pushed opened her room door. She was still steaming about what happened.

    She sat down in silence to calm herself down, and she saw something out of the corner of her eye.

    That¡¯s weird. All her belongings were in the mustard seed pouch, so why was there a package on the table? Who left it here?

    She went to open the package, and what was inside took her aback.

    It was a pair of boots ¨C boots made out of hide. They were tanned until they were soft and glossy, and the stitches were fine, but they looked like the tailor was new to this.

    She grabbed the pair of boots and rushed out.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Lu Mingshu identally bumped into Tan Yubing, who was walking to her room.

    ¡°Senior Aunt Tan!¡± Lu Mingshu grabbed her shoulders in panic, ¡°Did anyonee over to my room?¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Seeing her in this state, Tan Yubing was at a loss. ¡°I was just about toe and tell you that somebody sent you something, and I ced it on your table.¡±

    ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°A servant girl.¡± Knowing what she was going to ask next, Tan Yubing added on, ¡°Just an ordinary servant girl around here. There¡¯s nothing special about her. Wait, what happened? Is there something wrong with the package?¡±

    ¡°Where did she go? And when did she leave?¡± Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t answer any of her questions; she didn¡¯t have time to exin.

    ¡°She went that direction. Eh? Where are you going?¡±

    Lu Mingshu ran out without hesitation.

    When she rushed out, she was at a loss. The whole pce was filled with servant girls with the same clothing and the same hairstyle.

    ¡°Junior Niece Lu?¡± Tan Yubing followed, ¡°What happened?¡±

    Lu Mingshu hugged the boots tightly and shook her head, ¡°Nothing.¡±

    ...

    At a secluded area in the pce, a servant girl bowed, ¡°I have delivered it.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Were there any questions?¡±

    ¡°Your servant didn¡¯t meet her, Miss Lu wasn¡¯t around.¡±

    ¡°Very well, you may leave. Never speak anything about this and pretend it never happen.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    After the servant girl left, somebody else came out and left.

 Chapter 139: Opening Ceremony

    <h4>Chapter 139: Opening Ceremony</h4>

    Lu Mingshu went back to her room, hugging the boots tightly.

    ¡°This hide is not bad, I¡¯ll keep it to make you a pair of shoes.¡± That¡¯s what he once told her.

    However, the hide had to be processed first, and it couldn¡¯t be done in a day. Time was tight back then, so she never got it.

    She never expected that she would receive a pair of boots made out of hide five yearster.

    Was it Yan Wugui who gave the package to the servant girl? Other than him, there¡¯s no one else who would do this.

    Lu Mingshu stared nkly at the boots, and there was a strange sensation in her heart.

    Memories were always beautiful with time. Those short two weeks with him now seemed warm to Lu Mingshu.

    If he knew I¡¯m in Zhongzhou, why didn¡¯t hee to meet me? Is it that his identity cannot be known?

    She felt something bulging out slightly from the boots on her fingertips. Lu Mingshu slowly took out a paper ball from the boots.

    Safe and sound, do not worry.

    She looked at these six words. It must be Yan Wugui then. He knew that I was looking for him, so he sent someone over to deliver a message. Is it because he doesn¡¯t want me to continue looking for him? Or is it that he really can¡¯t meet me? Doesn¡¯t that mean I troubled him when I mentioned him to the Alioth Star-Lord?

    Lu Mingshu bit her lips and tore the paper into pieces.

    Since she didn¡¯t know about Yan Wugui¡¯s situation, the best thing to do was nothing.

    ...

    When Lu Mingshu woke up the next day, the Flying Immortal Pce looked totally different.

    In one night, the main pce was filled with a colourful canopy. Rare flowers, colourfulnterns, and spiritual birds decorated the Flying Immortal Pce. The spiritual birds made it look like the pce came out of a fairy tale.

    The younger disciples were in high spirits. They ran around, and theirughter filled the ce, bringing it to life. It was hard to witness such a scene elsewhere.

    When the sun had risen up, it shone on the Flying Immortal Pce, making the pce shine brightly. A long bell followed the sunrise.

    Everyone from Nine Jade Pce gathered at the courtyard. Upon hearing the bell, the chaperone Kang Tian stood up, ¡°Let¡¯s get going.¡±

    The peak was packed like sardines in a can as more than a thousand disciples from each sect went up with their leaders and elders.

    Even though it was packed, everyone was behaving in an orderly manner.

    When the bell stopped, everyone stopped as well.

    A ray of red light shone down on the peak in the direction of the main pce. The red light shot down onto the rooftop. Mist covered the rooftop, and the light disappeared. When the mist dispersed, there was a woman in a purple gown.

    ¡°Deardies and gentlemen, I¡¯m Xiahou Shan.¡±

    Xiahou Shan was dressed fancily in a pretty evening gown, and she wore a pearl crown on her head, giving off an aura that she was wealthy but earnest.

    She slowly prepared herself before she started her speech, ¡°The gathering of heroes ¨C the Qilin Festival. I¡¯m here representing the king and queen. We are sincerely thankful for your participation...¡±

    While Xiahou Shan was making her opening speech, Tan Yubing nudged Lu Mingshu.

    ¡°Look ¨C the barbarians,¡± she whispered.

    Lu Mingshu looked over. The barbarians were further away from the sects. They were all dressed in capes, and they had horns on their heads. It was a totally different stylepared to the rest of the area.

    ¡°That¡¯s weird; why did they invite the barbarians to the Qilin Festival?¡± Tan Yubingmented softly. ¡°Are theypeting with us too? I heard that they are unaware of what etiquette is, and they are hot-tempered. What if they suddenly go on a killing spree?¡±

    Something struck Lu Mingshu¡¯s mind, ¡°Wait, they don¡¯t stay at the hotel, do they?¡±

    ¡°Nope, they don¡¯t.¡±

    The barbarians arrived at Tianyun City at the same time as them, and they even got into a conflict with them. After that, Tan Yubing had no idea where they were arranged to stay.

    ¡°Since that¡¯s case, Zhongzhou should have taken precautions. Anyway, we have so many elders in the Spirit Realm here. If they really want to fight, our elders will most likely win, right?¡±

    Tan Yubing pondered for a while andughed, ¡°I have too many groundless fears.¡±

    While they were chatting, Xiahou Shan had finished her speech, and there were fireworks.

    Among the fireworks, there was a red cloud surging the pce. It stopped on top of the rooftop, dispersed, and turned into specks of mystic lights like pearls floating in the starry night sky that surrounded a couple who slowly descended to the rooftop.

    Everybody¡¯s eyes were on them.

    ¡°Wow!¡± Lu Mingshu heard some younger disciples gasp in awe.

    The guy wore a king¡¯s robe and had a crown on his head. There was no doubt that he was the king of Zhongzhou. To most people¡¯s surprise, he only looked about thirty, which was way younger than his actual age. Rather than having the look of a serious tyrant, he looked like a young martial artist who only cared about learning more to upgrade himself and nothing else that happened in this world.

    As for the woman, she was simply... beautiful. Even that word couldn¡¯t perfectly describe how good-looking she was. She had a babyface and eyes which shone brightly like stars. Her eyebrows were arched perfectly to match with her red lips. It was as if her face was made of magic. Even the fancy dress she was wearing couldn¡¯tpare with her face. She was beautiful just with her bare face.

    Now Lu Mingshu knew who Xie Lianzhen took after. With such a beautiful mother, it was hard to grow up to be ugly.

    Lu Mingshu was so starstruck by the queen that she didn¡¯t hear a single word that the king said.

    The queen¡¯s appearance was totally different from her strong character. She was smiling throughout and looked absolutely gentle, like the perfect wife and mother, always cooperating with her husband and smiling all the time.

    After the king made his speech, both of them settled themselves, and the opening ceremony began.

    Delicacies and fine foods were sent up to the tables consecutively, and performance had started, lightening the mood.

    Younger disciples were all in a good mood. None of them enjoyed the boring speech, but the current festivities lightened up their spirits.

    Lu Mingshu was distracted, so she didn¡¯t pay attention to a single delicacy that was sent up.

    Seeing that she had her eyes on the main pce, Shao Zhengyang smiled, ¡°Does Junior Sister Lu also think that the king is easy-going? I wouldn¡¯t know that he¡¯s in the Assimtion Realm if it wasn¡¯t mentioned.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded her head absent-mindedly. ¡°Ah, sure....¡±

    Suddenly a familiar figure entered her eyesight; ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°The one talking to the queen.¡±

    Shao Zhengyang looked over in that direction. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s State Master Jia Yan. She¡¯s the daughter of the king of Yijun ¨C the brother of the king of Zhongzhou.¡±

    No wonder she addressed Xie Lianzhen as a cousin, but not by blood.

    Shao Zhengyang seemed to be interested in the topic, since he continued on, ¡°The royal family doesn¡¯t have many people. The king of Zhongzhou only has one brother, and the king of Yijun only has a daughter. Counting the prince, they only have two for the next generation. The king of Yijun has been trying to find a son-inw, but this State Master is too spoiled, so it¡¯s hard to find one.¡±

    Of course, she¡¯s spoiled, Lu Mingshu thought. She came to harass me because of such a small thing. Looking at how she treats Xie Lianzhen, maybe she¡¯s interested in him? Wow. Their family is so messed up.

    ¡°And that¡¯s the prince.¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked over in the direction where Shao Zhengyang was pointing. A teenager was chatting happily with the queen, and both of them had smiles on their faces. The queen looked at him lovingly and adjusted the crown for him.

    Mingshu then looked over to where the Seventh Truth tform was seated.

    As one of the Big Dipper Seven Star Lords, Xie Lianzhen was right in front, which made him easily spotted.

    His clothing was formal today. He was dressed in dark blue, which made his pale skin stand out more. He seemed to be too absorbed in the performance on stage to even spare a nce toward the main pce.

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s heart squeezed upon seeing this scene.

    They were a family, and yet he wasn¡¯t rted to them... just like her in the Nine Jade Pce.

 Chapter 140: Provoke

    <h4>Chapter 140: Provoke</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    ¡°That¡¯s the Alioth Star Lord?¡±

    ¡°Wow, he¡¯s so good-looking!¡±

    ¡°Yes! I also heard that...¡±

    Two female Inner Breath Realm disciples whispered among each other, saying things like, ¡°The queen wanted to marry Ling Wuxia to the Alioth Star-Lord, but she didn¡¯t turn up.¡±

    So everyone has already heard about that? Then, Xie Lianzhen¡¯s reputation...

    ¡°So what if he¡¯s good-looking?¡± a young disciple sighed. ¡°The more good-looking he is, the more of a pity it is! He¡¯s like a pearl covered in dust.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s sad is that he looks perfect, but he has ws.¡±

    That¡¯s not ¡°a pearl covered in dust,¡± it¡¯s just a slight blemish....

    ¡°...Junior Niece Lu?¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Lu Mingshu was called back to earth.

    Tan Yubing pointed in a direction, ¡°Don¡¯t stare nkly into space, the king of Zhongzhou ising over.¡±

    As the hosts, he and the queen came to greet the guests personally to show that they valued the Qilin Festival very much.

    With a respectable grandmaster in their team, the Nine Jade Pce team was one of the first few to be weed.

    Along with the crowd, Lu Mingshu stood up and greeted them.

    The king of Zhongzhou had a short talk with the chaperone before heading to the next area.

    As they passed Lu Mingshu, the queen suddenly stopped in her tracks, ¡°Is this Miss Lu?¡±

    ¡°Your highness has good eyesight,¡± Yin Hong immediately replied. ¡°This is the eldest daughter of out Sect Leader, and the only disciple of Senior Brother Liu Jizhen. In thest Heavenly Doorpetition, she had an outstanding result by winning against eighteen disciples in a row and getting first ce.¡±

    Lu Mingshu gave her a death stare.

    Aren¡¯t you being too hardworking as an Elder of the Nine Jade Pce? The queen and king might be noble, but the sect isn¡¯t under their control.

    Even though that¡¯s what she really thought, Lu Mingshu still stered a smile on her face and bowed to the queen.

    The queen was very affectionate and held Mingshu¡¯s hand as she scanned her. She smiled warmly at Lu Mingshu, ¡°Such a pretty girl you are! Moreover, you¡¯re so outstanding even at such a young age. Your father is blessed to have you.¡±

    Yin Hong smiled happily, ¡°Your highness is too kind.¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked up, ¡°I dare not.¡±

    The alienated tone made Yin Hong¡¯s heart skip a beat. With that attitude, what if she angers the queen?

    But in no time, she heard Lu Mingshu add on, ¡°...In front of your highness, how could I dare to say I¡¯ve met the standard?¡±

    This made the King of Zhongzhou smile. He turned to the queen, ¡°This little girl here is sweet.¡±

    The queen turned and red at the king, ¡°How is she a little girl? Have you not seen how old she is?¡±

    The King of Zhongzhou burst intoughter. He scanned Lu Mingshu up and down andmented, ¡°Indeed talented, and she¡¯s able to keep herposure. If you work harder, you are sure to seed.¡±

    The praise was so good that even Kang Tian didn¡¯t dare to agree with it.

    The queen and king looked at each other and headed over to the next area.

    It was hard to hide the delight on Yin Hong¡¯s face. The queen praised Lu Mingshu in front of the crowd, showing that she was pleased with her. As long as nothing went wrong, Yin Hong¡¯s job would be done.

    ¡°Hmph!¡± somebody cut her off with a sneer. ¡°Senior Sister Yin seems to be very happy, huh? Are you perhaps from the Seventh Truth tform?¡±

    Yin Hong¡¯s face turned dark, ¡°You...!¡±

    The Seventh Truth tform was connected to the king of Zhongzhou directly, and the queen even had a say in what they did. An Tongcheng said what he did to mock that Yin Hong was bootlicking the queen so much that she was acting like her servant.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you too happy? Even if there¡¯s some benefit, I doubt you would be given anything, my dear Senior Sister.¡±

    What An Tongcheng said ticked Yin Hong off, ¡°Junior Brother An, what exactly do you mean? Benefits? I was sent here to build a good rtionship with the king of Zhongzhou; where the hell did I do anything wrong, huh?¡±

    An Tongcheng wiggled his eyebrows and asked yfully, ¡°Do you really want me to spill the beans?¡±

    Yin Hong¡¯s face turned even darker.

    An Tongchengughed at her expression, ¡°If you dare listen, I¡¯m more than willing to spill it!¡±

    Yin Hong was nning to murder this man in her heart. She tried her best to calm herself down, but seeing his smile from the corner of her eyes made her irritated. No wonder Zhou Yinru hates him. This freaking snake, biting people everywhere he goes. I wouldn¡¯t give a damn about him if not for Grandmaster Zhuo.

    However, Yin Hong seemed to forget that, among the three chaperones, Kang Tian was here to protect the group, Yin Hong was here because Zhou Miaoru sent her to handle some affairs, and An Tongchen was here because he was representing the Nine Jade Pce.

    ¡°Junior Niece Lu,¡± Tan Yubing nudged her softly, her eyes filled with worry.

    Lu Mingshu smiled at her, ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±

    ¡°But...¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s really okay. What shoulde, wille.¡±

    Lu Mingshu was calm. Meeting the queen was a good thing for her; only by getting to meet her would Lu Mingshu get to know her and make better ns.

    ...

    As the ceremony continued, a disciple suddenly shrieked, ¡°Look!¡±

    A man jumped onto the roof and stood on the stone tablet.

    This guy was tall and buff with horns on his head, he was obviously a barbarian.

    Arrogantly, he faced the people below and shouted, ¡°I heard that the Chinese martial artists are very talented, so we barbarians are curious. I am here to learn!¡±

    The crowd immediately went into an uproar.

    What ¡°here to learn¡±? His tone clearly told everyone that he was obviously here to fight.

    He was provoking them! Everyone had closed an eye since the barbarians arrived, yet now they were provoking them?

    ¡°Such an arrogant little bastard!¡±

    ¡°Who the hell do you think you are?¡±

    ¡°Get down from the Hero Ranking!¡±

    ¡°Behaving atrociously at Zhongzhou, do you think that there¡¯s nobody in China?¡±

    This barbarian was not only provoking everyone, but he was also even standing on the Hero Ranking, showing that he looked down on them.

    ¡°The barbarians are finallying out,¡± Tan Yubing heaved a sigh of relief.

    ¡°Harmonization Realm,¡± Shao Zhengyangmented calmly. ¡°He¡¯s being sent just as a test.¡±

    ¡°What do they want? Leave their name on the Hero Ranking?¡± Tan Yubing furrowed her eyebrows. ¡°If they really did leave their name there...¡±

    It would be like pping the humans right in their faces.

    Mankind and the barbarians had been enemies for a long time, and the Hero Ranking was the pride of China, so what would it mean if even barbarians got to leave their names there?

    Lu Mingshu shook her head, ¡°I doubt it. If that¡¯s what they wanted, the queen wouldn¡¯t have invited them.¡±

    Lu Mingshu was unaware of what the queen wanted, but she obviously wouldn¡¯t p her own species in the face. In addition, the king of Zhongzhou was present, and there were no Assimtion Realm barbarians present. If anything happened, the king would be enough to control the situation.

    Shao Zhengyang looked at her with praise.

    Hanging out with Kou Wei and the rest for such a long time, he obviously knew some inside information, but Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t.

    Amongst themotion, somebody stood up and shouted, ¡°This barbarian, how dare you act so arrogant? Let me teach you a lesson.¡±

    Within no time, the person leapt onto the roof.

    Looking at the person, Lu Mingshu widened her eyes in shock.

    Him? Yu Kuang? He¡¯s not someone who¡¯s impulsive; why did he jump out?

    Lu Mingshu nced over at the Seventh Truth tform. None of them seemed worried about Yu Kuang; all of them looked calm. Oh, so that¡¯s why.

    The opponent was here as a test, and so was Yu Kuang.

 Chapter 141: Crafty

    <h4>Chapter 141: Crafty</h4>

    As soon as Yu Kuang leapt up on stage, he pulled out his sword immediately. With lighting-speed, the sword-light turned into a dragon and a snake and dashed toward the harpy barbarian.

    Physical Manifestation of Sword Intent!

    The battle only just started and yet he was already taking out his unique skills, causing those watching to gasp in awe.

    ¡°Who¡¯s that? He¡¯s powerful!¡±

    ¡°What? He¡¯s in the Harmonization Realm yet he¡¯s already mastered Physical Manifestation of Sword Intent? No wonder he¡¯s the sessor of the Seventh Truth tform.¡±

    ¡°Yu Kuang! It¡¯s Yu Kuang!¡±

    Does he actually have so many fans? Lu Mingshu realized. As soon as Yu Kuang went up, the disciples from the Seventh Truth tform started to cheer loudly for him.

    The barbarian did not immediately attack back; he suddenly roared loudly, and a fist appeared out of nowhere, creating a surging gale.

    Yu Kuang stood in ce, not moving back. He shook his wrist lightly, and the sword-light turned into ten dragons that struck toward the harpy.

    Boom!

    There was a loud sound as the fist and the sword-energy shed, and both exploded into smoke and dissolved into the air.

    When the smoke was gone, both of them could be seen. The barbarian was no longer standing on the Hero Ranking ¨C Yu Kuang was so fierce that the barbarian couldn¡¯t take it and had to jump down.

    ¡°Bravo!¡±

    ¡°Powerful!¡±

    ¡°Good job, Senior Brother Yu!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Senior Brother Yu!¡±

    The area was filled with cheering.

    The barbarian had stood on the Hero Ranking as soon as he made his appearance, obviously mocking mankind and angering the disciples present. As soon as Yu Kuang made his appearance, the barbarian had no choice but toe down from the Hero Ranking, symbolizing that Yu Kuang was powerful enough to make the barbarian pay for his words.

    Yu Kuang¡¯s skills sent a shiver down Lu Mingshu¡¯s spine. He¡¯s able to change his sword-light into ten dragons at a time! This showed that, when Yu Kuang fought her, he wasn¡¯t fighting seriously and let her win on purpose. With his skills, if she wanted to defeat him at his full strength, it would be absolutely tough. There wouldn¡¯t be much of a chance of victory, and he wouldn¡¯t fall into any of her traps very easily.

    If she wanted to get a good ranking in the Qilin Festival, it wasn¡¯t going to be easy. Yu Kuang was already so hard to deal with, and there were still participants like Kou Wei and Wei Chunqiu ¨C the best of the best.

    Anyway, she had only entered the Harmonization Realm for a short time. Her basics were no match for those who had trained for years. If it was that easy to get a good ranking, why would Yue Lingyin be so famous?

    Thepetition on the roof was intense.

    The barbarian had been driven down from the Hero Ranking, but his fierce nature was unleashed. Even though he wasn¡¯t as skilful, every attack was able to create a surging gale. With this amount of strength, if Yu Kuang got hit, he would definitely be badly injured.

    As the barbarian got closer, Yu Kuang had no choice but to dodge and distract him with sword-energy.

    Everyone present was on tenterhooks while watching the fight. Even the Spirit Realm Elders were unable to take their eyes off it.

    There had been peace between the two species for a very long time, so none of the humans had ever fought a harpy barbarian before.

    ¡°Junior Sister Lu, who do you think will win?¡± Shao Zhengyang asked.

    Lu Mingshu shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    Tan Yubing added on, ¡°Gentleman Yu is indeed powerful, but we do not know much about the barbarians, so it¡¯s hard to tell.¡±

    ¡°The barbarians get their strength from their blood, and their strength is passed down from generation to generation, which is simr to demonic beasts,¡± Lu Mingshu then furrowed her eyebrows. ¡°His strength seems to be way stronger than a human Harmonization Realm martial artist.¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Shao Zhengyang looked over to where the barbarians were at. Being barbarians, they were screaming and shouting, and some even looked like they wanted to jump into the fight too. ¡°The barbarians¡¯ strength is a double-edged sword; if they don¡¯t know how to control it, it will cause a bacsh and they will suffer injuries.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nced at him, then at the main pce.

    The king and queen were smiling from ear to ear and chatting with each other as if they were watching a show.

    This sent Lu Mingshu into deep thought.

    Yu Kuang seemed like he had gotten hold of the harpy¡¯s methods. He changed the way he fought and started to attack again.

    Sword-energy shot across the sky like lighting. Before one beam disappeared, the second followed up, and slowly, the sword-energy congealed into strands. He ignored what the harpy was doing and simply continued spreading his sword-energy.

    After a few minutes, the roof was filled with his sword-energy.

    Some spectators were dumbstruck, ¡°What the hell? Does he think he¡¯s a spider?¡±

    Indeed. Yu Kuang was like a busy spider, making a web of energy on the roof.

    However, the harpy paid no attention to Yu Kuang spreading his sword-energy since he could break the strands with one punch.

    But as Yu Kuang created more and more strands, the harpy¡¯s range became smaller. No matter how he moved, he was limited by the sword-energy, and this sent him into a panic.

    ¡°Even something like this is possible?¡±

    In the Heavenly Sea Pavilion area, Qi Sheng did a doubletake at the scene unfolding in front of him.

    Kou Wei looked at him andughed, ¡°What do you expect? He¡¯s crafty after all.¡±

    Barbarians were very blunt, so Yu Kuang¡¯s method of fighting annoyed them.

    ¡°But fighting like this, he will lose a lot of mystic energy! Can he sustain it?¡±

    Kou Wei replied calmly, ¡°Look, his sword-energy threads are all very thin. Even though he¡¯s spreading out so much, he isn¡¯t actually using up much of his energy. Look at yourself ¨C he¡¯s so much better than you!¡±

    Qi Sheng pouted, ¡°I¡¯m a pharmacist, how could youpare me with a martial artist?¡±

    Kou Wei rolled his eyes, ¡°Is Miss Lu not a pharmacist then? In terms of martial arts, you¡¯re worse than her, and even in terms of pharmacology, you¡¯re worse as well.¡±

    ¡°Senior Brother!¡± Qi Sheng eximed.

    ¡°Why are you shouting at me?¡± Kou Wei smacked him with his fan. ¡°Would you be better than her if I didn¡¯t mention anything? She¡¯s not blind, you idiot!¡±

    Qi Sheng leaned back and kept quiet.

    Kou Wei shook his head and sighed. His junior brother was good in many ways, but hecked motivation. If he starts working harder because he got provoked, I will be so thankful to Miss Lu.

    On the roof, the fight had reached another stage, but it was a strange one.

    Being restricted by the sword-energy, the barbarian was unable to attack Yu Kuang, and he was running out of patience because Yu Kuang wasn¡¯t attacking him, but focusing on weaving his web as if he was here to perform some tricks instead of fight.

    Upon realizing what was happening, the barbarians were in an uproar and shouted across to the rooftop.

    ¡°Stupid human, y fair!¡±

    ¡°How dare you treat my son in this way!¡±

    Most barbarians couldn¡¯t speak Chinese, so to Lu Mingshu and everyone else, they were basically just babbling, but looking at their expressions and actions, it was pretty obvious that they weren¡¯t saying anything good.

    Seeing the barbarians getting agitated, the human disciples started an uproar as well. They shouted at the barbarians angrily.

    ¡°Rude! How dare you insult a human martial artist on ournd?¡±

    ¡°You barbarians, have you forgotten how we drove you out of China?¡±

    The fight was happening on the rooftop, and the spectators below were cursing at each other. What a strange scene.

    Lu Mingshu nced over at the main pce. The king and queen were grinning from ear to ear as if they were in a good mood.

    ¡°Stop, stop! I do not want to y anymore!¡± the barbarian who was fighting with Yu Kuang ran out of patience. Yu Kuang wasn¡¯t even really fighting him, he was just concentrating on weaving his ¡°web.¡± The barbarian was not only unable to move, but he was also unable to fight at all, so he felt vexed.

    ¡°You don¡¯t y fair! I look down on you!¡± the barbarian pointed at Yu Kuang angrily. He stomped and jumped down back toward the barbarians with a huff.

    Yu Kuang slowly put his sword away and turned to face the barbarians. He bowed, ¡°You let me win!¡±

    The disciples cheered loudly for Yu Kuang. On the other hand, the barbarians were about to blow their tops.

    The king of Zhongzhou stood up and smiled, ¡°It was just a spar, why get so upset about it? Let¡¯s continue.¡±

 Chapter 142: Bet?

    <h4>Chapter 142: Bet?</h4>

    The first segment of the ceremony had ended, and the king and queen took their leave. After they left, the second segment ¨C the disciples from each sect associating with each other ¨C began.

    Among all the Nine Jade Pce disciples, Shao Zhengyang was the most excited one. As soon as the king and queen left, he went around to mingle.

    Tan Yubing turned to talk to Lu Mingshu. She was itching to leave, but the chaperones were still around, and it wasn¡¯t polite to leave before them.

    Outside of expectations, Lu Mingshu was very easygoing. Other than chatting with Tan Yubing, she focused on the delicacies on the table.

    Zhongzhou had abundant resources, and they paid particr attention to their food. The opening ceremony was an important event, so the feast provided the best food in Zhongzhou. Exotic delicacies and mouthwatering dishes were everywhere.

    ¡°Tastes good, huh?¡± a familiar female voice rang in Lu Mingshu¡¯s ear.

    Lu Mingshu looked up.

    State Master Jia Yan was standing in front of her, crossing her arms.

    Lu Mingshu nodded, ¡°Yeah. The name is not in vain; Zhongzhou¡¯s delicacies are indeed excellent.¡±

    ¡°You...!¡± State Master Jia Yan saw red upon hearing Lu Mingshu. This country bumpkin, can¡¯t she tell that I¡¯m mocking her?

    Calming herself down, Jia Yan returned to her egocentric self, ¡°Lu Mingshu, it¡¯s important to know one¡¯s limitations. You have heard of this phrase, right?¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked at her silently, waiting for her to continue.

    As they made eye contact, State Master Jia Yan was once again fired up. As soon as she knew about Lu Mingshu, she disliked her. She¡¯s just a country bumpkin from Xichuan. What gives her the right to act big and look down on everything? So what if she¡¯s the Eldest Miss of Nine Jade Pce? Nine Jade Pce is just a tiny sect in China.

    State Master Jia Yan continued coldly, ¡°What¡¯s not yours will never be yours, so there¡¯s no point in forcing it, right?¡±

    Tan Yubing looked at her with worry, but Lu Mingshu smiled to reassure her, ¡°State Master Jia Yan, didn¡¯t we make things clear that night?¡±

    ¡°Make clear what?¡± State Master Jia Yan gave her a death re, ¡°Did you make a promise or something?¡±

    Lu Mingshu furrowed her eyebrows, ¡°State Master, I don¡¯t owe you anything, so why would I make any kind of promise?¡±

    ¡°Anyway,¡± Lu Mingshu continued, ¡°You should go find the one who actually has a say in this rather than me. I don¡¯t have a say in this matter.¡±

    ¡°Are... are you lecturing me?¡± State Master Jia Yan nearly blew her top. She increased her volume. ¡°What if I just want to find trouble with you? What are you gonna do about it?¡±

    ¡°I should be the one asking State Master,¡± Lu Mingshu smiled. ¡°What does State Master want?¡±

    State Master Jia Yan suddenly came to Nine Jade Pce¡¯s area and acted like she was here for a fight. The scene attracted the attention of a few other areas, and they were all staring at them as if they were watching a show. Jia Yan couldn¡¯t take the stare; ¡°Lu Mingshu, are you up for a bet?¡±

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°What does State Master wish to bet?¡±

    State Master Jia Yan once again had a proud look on her face. ¡°I heard that you¡¯re confident in your abilities, am I right?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m only average.¡±

    ¡°Aiming to get into the New Ranking, huh?¡±

    ¡°So?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s have a bet then,¡± Jia Yan finally got to her point, ¡°to see if you can enter the New Generation Ranking! If you lose, you should never leech onto Cousin. If you win, I¡¯ll never find trouble with you ever again.¡±

    Lu Mingshu kept quiet.

    ¡°Hey!¡± State Master Jia Yan shouted. ¡°What do you say?¡±

    Lu Mingshu sneered, ¡°Why should I ept this bet?¡±

    State Master Jia Yan looked as if she was about to kill, ¡°Why not? You don¡¯t dare?¡±

    Lu Mingshu remained unmoved, ¡°A bet should have corresponding stakes. If I lose, the State Master will benefit, but if I win, I get nothing. Since that¡¯s the case, why should I agree?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean you get nothing?¡± State Master Jia Yan pressed her, ¡°If you win, I will never find trouble with you ever again!¡±

    ¡°Heh.¡±

    ¡°Wipe that freaking smile off your face!¡±

    Lu Mingshu started slowly, ¡°In the past, I read a book about a bandit who lives in a dangerous forest. He forces every passerby to pay a toll, and if they disobey, he would rob them. The State Master has a simr way of acting!¡±

    State Master Jia Yan stared nkly at her for a while before screaming in her face, ¡°Did you just freakingpare me to a bandit?!¡±

    ¡°Eldest Miss!¡± Yin Hong shouted at her as soon as she heard this, ¡°Is that how you speak to the State Master?¡±

    Lu Mingshu turned to re at her.

    Yin Hong stered a smile on her face, ¡°State Master, our Eldest Miss is just making a joke. Please forgive her.¡±

    ¡°Joke? Who the hell asked for your opinion?¡± State Master Jia Yan sneered. She turned and screamed into Lu Mingshu¡¯s face once again, ¡°So what the hell do you want then, Lu Mingshu?¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked like she was in deep thought, then she slowly replied, ¡°I will ept this bet if...¡±

    ¡°If?¡±

    ¡°The stakes are changed to something that¡¯s fair.¡±

    State Master Jia Yan calmed herself down and replied calmly, ¡°Name your price.¡±

    Lu Mingshu smiled, ¡°If I lose, I¡¯ll do what State Master says, but If I win, I hope that State Master would kindly pay me a small gambling fee.¡±

    ¡°Gambling fee?¡± State Master Jia Yan furrowed her brows.

    ¡°State Master¡¯s a part of royalty, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s just a small thing to you, right? Or can State Master not afford it?¡±

    Seeing Lu Mingshu¡¯s smirk, Jia Yan was so fired up that she agreed without thinking, ¡°Whatever the hell you want! How much?¡±

    Lu Mingshu smiled, ¡°Since State Master raised this bet, the stakes should match your status, right? Gold and silver are too normal... how about mystic crystals?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡±

    Jia Yan owned plenty of mystic crystals.

    Lu Mingshu added on, ¡°One or two is too little. How about we bet a hundred?¡±

    Upon hearing that, the spectators all took a deep breath.

    A hundred mystic crystals was a huge sum of money! It was hard to get a single mystic crystal in the Harmonization Realm, even if one had a great fortune. Being able to gain ten and get your own mustard seed pouch was already good enough; a hundred was impossible for most, and it was enough tost a lifetime.

    Yin Hong looked at Lu Mingshu with envy. Mystic crystals in the Nine Jade Pce were only given to Elders, and her pay was only three or four per month. A hundred would take at least three years for her to achieve. Moreover, one required crystals for cultivation.

    ¡°This...¡± State Master Jia Yan hesitated. Yes, she was rich, but if she wanted to use such a huge amount of money, she would need her father¡¯s permission.

    Lu Mingshu acted as if she was concerned, ¡°If it¡¯s inconvenient for State Master, then we could lower the amount.¡±

    As they made eye contact, State Master Jia Yan agreed without demur. ¡°A hundred then ¨C so be it! It¡¯s chump change!¡±

    ¡°Awesome! The State Master is indeed generous,¡± Lu Mingshu held out her hand. ¡°A word spoken...?¡±

    ¡°...can never be taken back!¡± Jia Yan shook her hand.

    There was no backing out.

    On their way back, State Master Jia Yan¡¯s servant girl pouted, ¡°State Master, didn¡¯t you say that she rejected Alioth Star-Lord? Why did you raise this bet? If she loses, nothing happens, but if she wins, State Master would have to pay a hundred mystic crystals. State Master is at such a disadvantage!¡±

    ¡°Hah!¡± Jia Yan smirked. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m betting. Because she rejected Cousin, Cousin will still think about her even though he has no feelings for her. But what would Cousin think when he learns that she used herself as a stake? No matter how generous he is, he¡¯s sure to loathe her, so the result doesn¡¯t really matter, because I¡¯m the winner at the end of the day.¡±

    A hundred mystic crystals in exchange for Cousin to loathe her ¨C more than worth it.

    The servant girl suddenly saw the light. She looked at Jia Yan in admiration, ¡°So that¡¯s it! State Master is indeed something!¡±

    On the other hand, Tan Yubing looked at Lu Mingshu, eyes filled with worry; ¡°Junior Niece Lu, why did you make a bet with her? What if you lose?¡±

    ¡°If I don¡¯t bet, State Master Jia Yan would never leave me alone.¡± She smiled, ¡°And even if I lose the bet, there¡¯s nothing to lose in the first ce.¡±

    There was something else that Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t mention. When the Qilin Festival was over, she was nning to not head back to the Nine Jade Pce, and to travel around, what shecked the most was money. Moreover, State Master Jia Yan delivered herself on a silver tter ¨C why should Lu Mingshu reject?

 Chapter 143: Night

    <h4>Chapter 143: Night</h4>

    The sky dimmed, and the colorfulnterns around the Flying Immortal Pce revealed its beauty.

    The king stood outside of the pce, watching the river flow.

    The ce was so quiet that he could hear his wife and son chatting clearly.

    ¡°This is so tough!¡± the youngster threw a tantrum.

    ¡°Take it slow. It will be easy when you get the hang of it,¡± the woman¡¯s gentle and soft voice rang in his ears. She wasn¡¯t even forcing the child to learn.

    ¡°Mother Queen, doesn¡¯t Elder Brother already know all this? Just let him do it!¡±

    The woman kept quiet for a while before responding, ¡°Yu¡¯er, have you forgotten what I¡¯ve said? Elder Brother is Elder Brother, and you are you.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t we both your sons though?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but...¡± the queen lowered her voice, ¡°He¡¯s not your father¡¯s son.¡±

    Silence took over.

    ¡°Great, you have done your work. Go and take a rest now. There¡¯s much more to do tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Mother Queen....¡±

    After a few moments, someone walked in. Seeing that he only had a cloak on, the queen looked at him in displeasure, ¡°It¡¯s so cold outside, why don¡¯t you wear a bit more?¡±

    The king smiled at his wife, ¡°Should I be afraid of getting a cold?¡±

    Martial artists in the Assimtion Realm feared nothing in the world, let alone a bit of cold weather.

    The queen stared at him nkly for a while before bursting intoughter, ¡°Forgetful me, I mistook you for Yu¡¯er for a second.¡±

    The king smiled and held her hand.

    The couple sat together by the window, silently watching the river flow.

    The king then broke the silence, ¡°Qing¡¯er, I¡¯m so thankful for you. You have been working hard, helping me maintain Zhongzhou and even taking care of our family. It must have been tough.¡±

    The queen giggled. ¡°Isn¡¯t that my duty? Or does the king feel that he has mistreated me?¡± she asked yfully, sending the king intoughter.

    He then put his hand on her shoulder.

    ¡°Are you confident about the barbarians?¡± the king broke the warmth by mentioning this topic.

    Upon mentioning that topic, the queen put up a serious face.

    ¡°It¡¯s not our first time interacting with them. Seeing that they¡¯ve sent their men here, that¡¯s a good sign. As long as nothing goes wrong, everything should be fine.¡±

    The king nodded, ¡°This is extremely dangerous. If anything happens, tell me immediately.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± the queen nodded.

    The king sighed, ¡°I wanted to stop you, but I know you would never give up something you spent twenty years working on.¡±

    The queen remained silent for a while.

    ¡°Thank you for being considerate.¡±

    The sky turned darker, and the Flying Immortal Pce started to quieten down. Both of them sat at the window that was near the cliff, enjoying the breeze and scenery.

    ¡°What about Xing¡¯er? What are you nning to do?¡±

    The queen looked up at him.

    The king was expressionless. ¡°Is his condition worsening?¡±

    The queen bit her lower lip and sighed, ¡°It¡¯s that obvious, huh?¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s why you¡¯re rushing to get him a wife?¡± the king shook his head in disapproval. ¡°Qing¡¯er, you should be aware of what he¡¯s like. He¡¯s paranoid and wary of strangers. Forcing someone on him may not be good for him.¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll fall apart soon if this continues....¡± worry could be seen in the queen¡¯s eyes. ¡°If he had a family, a child... maybe he will be stronger for them ¨C the ones he loves.¡±

    ¡°Good idea,¡± the king nodded. ¡°What¡¯s his opinion though?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± the queen smiled bitterly, ¡°he¡¯s not willing.¡±

    ¡°Then what are you...?¡±

    ¡°I do not want to force him,¡± the queen replied. ¡°But being how he is right now is unhealthy for him. For at least six months out of the year, he¡¯ll lock himself up. I was afraid that he wouldn¡¯t even be willing to appear for the Qilin Festival.¡±

    The king remained silent.

    ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. I wasn¡¯t around when he was young, leaving him to be bullied. On top of that, Master lost his life because of him. Xing¡¯er lived all these years with burden and guilt. I shouldn¡¯t have let him seed as the Alioth Star-Lord.¡±

    ¡°You...¡± the king started softly, ¡°must hate me too, because I prevented you from spending time with him since I wasn¡¯t fond of him.¡±

    The queen stayed silent for a while, before shaking her head, ¡°It¡¯s no one¡¯s fault but my own. Maybe it¡¯s just that he wasn¡¯t that important to me after all.¡±

    She could only me herself for her decisions, and there was no turning back.

    ¡°What about that girl?¡±

    The atmosphere in the room was extremely tense, so the king diverted their attention byughing it off, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say only Ling Wuxia would be good enough?¡±

    ¡°She wasn¡¯t! She was just a substitute,¡± the queen giggled. ¡°However, I changed my mind two days ago.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    ¡°Jia Yan, that child.... Being impulsive and likes to make a big fuss over a minor issue, she went to make things difficult for that girl. At the same time, Xing¡¯er left and went over.¡±

    ¡°Then?¡±

    The queen put up a warm smile on her face, ¡°He told that girl himself that the marriage may not be a bad choice.¡± She then looked over to her husband, ¡°Xing¡¯er being stubborn is a well-known thing, so that showed that he¡¯s happy with this girl.¡±

    The king nodded, ¡°The most important condition is fulfilled then.¡±

    ¡°Indeed!¡± the queen smiled happily. ¡°Ling Wuxia probably wouldn¡¯t be able to meet this criterion.¡±

    ¡°But,¡± the king furrowed his brows. ¡°I heard that the girl is unwilling. Jia Yan went to make a bet with her and she agreed immediately.¡±

    Upon mentioning this, the atmosphere became tense again. ¡°Really? We are going to marry, not be enemies with her. We can¡¯t possibly force her just because of Xing¡¯er¡¯s plight.¡±

    The king grabbed her hand tightly, ¡°It¡¯s okay. There¡¯s still time.¡±

    ...

    At the other end of the imperial pce, the hazy candlelight shone onto Xie Lianzhen¡¯s wless face.

    In front of the crowd, a smile was always on his face, but now, he sat in a corner and stared nkly into space. He held a piece of jade in his hand tightly.

    The door swung open slowly, and a guy around his age came in; ¡°Young Master.¡±

    Xie Lianzhen remained silent as the teenager made his way to him and bowed, ¡°The queen has sent someone over to the barbarians. Looking at the view of her back, it should be Emissary Ding.¡±

    Xie Lianzhen looked up at the teenager. He stared at him for a moment before replying, ¡°Wow, such an important matter that she actually had to send Ding Qingqing!¡±

    Xie Lianzhenughed, his sentence filled with sarcasm.

    ¡°Young Master...¡±

    Xie Lianzhen raised his hand up as a gesture for him to stop, ¡°Whatever. Your job is done now, you don¡¯t need to keep an eye on them anymore.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    After a short pause, Xie Lianzhen asked reluctantly, ¡°The queen?¡±

    ¡°The queen has been in her room the whole day. She met no one other than Emissary Ding and Emissary Xiahou,¡± he reported.

    ¡°Did she send anyone to the Nine Jade Pce?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Xie Lianzhen remained silent. The candlelight cast a shadow on his face, blocking his expression.

    The teenager looked at him silently before starting softly, ¡°Young Master, are you really not going to see the State Master?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Xie Lianzhen said bluntly.

    ¡°But she¡¯s unwilling to leave until-¡±

    Xie Lianzhen sneered, ¡°Everyone says I¡¯m the sick one, but I think she¡¯s the one who¡¯s really sick! Does she think I¡¯m her property? Who does she think she is? Preventing me from talking to others or getting close to strangers. If I tolerate any more, the king of Yijun maye after me!¡±

    The teenager kept quiet.

    Xie Lianzhen looked at the piece of jade in his hand and sighed, ¡°Rtionships in this world are soplicated....¡±

 Chapter 144: Preliminary

    <h4>Chapter 144: Preliminary</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    Lu Mingshu entered the Heavenly Wheel.

    After the past few days at the arenas, the debt had decreased from a thousand to seven hundred points.

    ¡°Xiao Sang.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°The Qilin Festival is tomorrow. Can I exchange for something?¡±

    ¡°You still owe points, so the functions are temporarily out of service,¡± Xiao Sang replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m aware, but there should be some exclusions for special circumstances, right? You let me borrow points during the Heavenly Doorpetition, which is why I¡¯m in debt in the first ce.¡±

    Xiao Sang remained unmoved, ¡°You were at a disadvantage back then.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m at a disadvantage right now too,¡± Lu Mingshu tried to convince her. ¡°There are many powerful people at the Qilin Festival. Moreover, I¡¯ve only just entered the Harmonization Realm. Even if I¡¯m skilled, my basics aren¡¯t as strong as everyone else¡¯s. How will I be able to pay my debt if I¡¯m eliminated early? And if I am unable to pay, I will be banned ¨C in other words, all my benefits will go down the drain.¡±

    After a moment of silence, Xiao Sang¡¯s voice rang again; ¡°We have analyzed your situation, and you will be given a strengthening seal twice a day until you pay back your debts.¡±

    ¡°For free?¡± Lu Mingshu was pleasantly surprised.

    ¡°No, on credit.¡±

    Lu Mingshu sighed. ¡°Stingy.¡±

    Xiao Sang replied in a monotone, ¡°If you¡¯re unhappy, we can cancel this benefit.¡±

    ¡°Of course not! I¡¯m very satisfied!¡±

    A strengthening seal cost two points per seal. Competing at the arenas already earned her around two hundred points, and there will definitely be more during the festival.

    Lu Mingshu had gotten the hang of the Heavenly Wheel¡¯s point allocation during the past few days; the more impact she had on the real world, the more points she would gain.

    For example, during the Heavenly Doorpetition, she changed the structure of two ns of the Nine Jade Pce, which got a hundred points. She also led the rune-carving industry to a brighter future, which also earned her a hundred points. However, the arena at the pharmacy only gave her five points, which was rtively fewerpared to the martial arts arenas ¨C it seemed that the more spectators an arena had, the more points she would gain.

    If that was indeed how it allocated points, then she would earn quite a lot if she managed to get into the New Generation Ranking. The Qilin Festival was thergest martial arts festival in China. Getting into the New Generation Ranking would make her famous world-wide. For this, being in debt was nothing.

    During the Heavenly Doorpetition, she exchanged for a sturdy strengthening seal. Lu Mingshu initially thought it was useless, but it also increased her uracy, which was one of the main reasons she was better than all the others.

    After the Heavenly Doorpetition, there was a rumour going around in the sect ¨C¡±Don¡¯t everpete with Lu Mingshu if you want to keep your sword intact.¡±

    However, it was a pity that the strengthening seal onlysted for twelve hours, and it was a one-time-use item.

    The wooden wheel swivelled slowly. When the Misceneous Goods Section opened up, all the other items were grey expect for the strengthening seal.

    Lu Mingshu closed her eyes for a moment, and the strengthening seal was soon in her hand.

    Strengthening seal: increase one¡¯s defence.

    Strengthening seal: increase one¡¯s attack by 2%.

    Before she could ask, Xiao Sang started, ¡°The first strengthening seal can be used on tools to increase their defence, such as yourbat gear. The second one can be used on your weapon, and your own ability will rise too.¡±

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s eyes shone. The second strengthening seal¡¯s effects may seem negligible, but in reality, to achieve such a small increase otherwise would require blood, sweat, and tears. However, for the first seal, she didn¡¯t quite understand it.

    ¡°Xiao Sang, how much defense does it add? It can only be used on defensive tools?¡±

    ¡°The amount can¡¯t be quantified. You can also use it without a defensive tool, but the result won¡¯t be as good.¡±

    Lu Mingshu pouted and felt pity for herself. I¡¯m so poor, how could I afford a defensive tool? She had earned some money by going to the arenas for the past few weeks, and if she could get into the New Generation Ranking, not only would she get the prize from the officials, she would also get some money from State Master Jia Yan as well.

    ¡°These can be saved for the future, right?¡± she asked ast question.

    ¡°Yes. As long as they are unused, they won¡¯t expire.¡±

    Lu Mingshu exited the Heavenly Wheel, and she was on cloud nine.

    The next day, the various sects¡¯ tents were crowded.

    A spell had been cast on the roof; rings of mystic lights enclosed the rooftop.

    At seven in the morning, a middle-aged man in a red cloak jumped onto the roof. He turned to the audience and bowed, ¡°I¡¯m Lin Zixin, the pce¡¯s adjutant. I¡¯m honoured to be selected as the host of this magnificent event.¡±

    Lin Zixin was someone who the Nine Jade Pce disciples knew. He was the one who stopped the fight between themselves and the barbarians when they first arrived.

    After the opening ceremony, Lin Zixin started the briefing, ¡°Today, we¡¯ll have the Harmonization Realm disciplespete with each other. The top ten will enter the New Generation Ranking ¨C the best disciples in the world!¡±

    He then proceeded with the rules.

    The Qilin Festival was different from normal arenas; there were more rules, and it was much moreplicated.

    The first few days were the preliminaries. One could only proceed if he or she won at least one fight.

    A clerk was assigned to every tent. Disciples who were interested in taking part had to sign up with the clerk. The names would then be sent to the host and randomly chosen.

    Disciples who managed to get onto the New Generation Ranking during the previous festival didn¡¯t need to go through this procedure.

    The actualpetition duration was unlimited. One could choose their opponents freely, and the final result was determined by points. When thepetition starts, eachpetitor would be given ten points each. The winner would get 20% of the opponent¡¯s points. The ten people who umted the most points would be the New Generation Ranking.

    If someone just finished a fight, one couldn¡¯t issue a challenge. An hour of resting time was given after a fight.

    The preliminary wasn¡¯t the main deal. The actualpetition afterwards was difficult and challenging, and the most difficult part of thepetition was its freestyle nature. It challenged not only one¡¯s ability, but it also tested resilience and intelligence. In order to make the top ten, one must figure out the proper amount of fights and who to choose. One couldn¡¯t fight too little or they wouldn¡¯t get enough points, and one couldn¡¯t fight too much or they would be too fatigued and risk losing. You also couldn¡¯t fight only weak opponents or you wouldn¡¯t get enough points, so even if Lady Luck was on your side, you had to have true power to reach the top ten.

    In conclusion, it could be said that the first ce may not be the most powerful, but anyone who could reach the top ten would be truly capable. The New Generation Ranking was very prestigious, and it was recognized all around the world.

    As soon as Lin Zixin finished exining the rules, almost every disciple in the Nine Jade Pce signed up for it.

    Generally, everyone would have two chances to prevent any talents from being eliminated if they were just unlucky.

    If someone drew a strong opponent twice, then they would just be incredibly unlucky.

    After signing up, the clerk sent the name-list to the roof.

    ¡°The barbarians are participating too!¡± Tan Yubing whispered.

    A clerk was also sent to the barbarians¡¯ side, and the clerk came back with a name-list for them as well.

    Tan Yubing was filled with worries. After the fight between the harpy and Yu Kuang, she could see how strong they were. Even though Yu Kuang won, it was because he was crafty. Furthermore, what he did was something that only he could do because others didn¡¯t have such precision and control.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Shao Zhengyang reassured Tan Yubing. ¡°They do not have many people, while we have around two hundred. The probability of meeting one is small.¡±

    After half an hour, Shao Zhengyang wanted to p himself.

    Shao Zhengyang had jinxed himself ¨C he met a harpy!

 Chapter 145: The Unlucky Shao Zhengyang

    <h4>Chapter 145: The Unlucky Shao Zhengyang</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    The clerks transferred the names onto a set of cards and ced them inside a box.

    Lin Zixin would then draw out names for each round in front of everyone.

    In no time, the contestants for the first round were selected.

    Both went up to the roof and bowed to each other formally, but both contestants looked stiff.

    It should be their first timepeting in front of such a big crowd. The thought that every move of yours would be seen by a thousand people turn someone without experience into a bundle of nerves.

    Lin Zixin gave the cue and thepetition started.

    The round wasn¡¯t an interesting one. Both contestants were shaking from nervousness, and their moves were stiff. The Heavenly Sea Pavilion disciple won because of his better cultivation.

    The following rounds were the same too.

    The other disciples felt embarrassed watching the fights. This kind of standard is even worse than our sect¡¯s internalpetition!

    Disciples who had participated in the Qilin Festival previously felt nothing at all. ¡°It¡¯s always this way during the preliminary. The only interesting part is the challenger¡¯s fight, which is held after this. Only then will rarely-seen experts emerge.

    For the Nine Jade Pce, the person to be called up first was Shao Zhengyang. The other disciples all cheered for him.

    Shao Zhengyang went up confidently, but as soon as he heard his opponent¡¯s name, he was dumbfounded. The confidence that he had was long gone.

    It was a harpy, a barbarian.

    Dear Lord, are you kidding me? I just told Tan Yubing that it¡¯s almost impossible to get a harpy as an opponent, and now... what is this nonsense?

    However, Shao Zhengyang had no choice but to fight.

    He braced himself and went up the roof.

    However, before he could start with the formal greetings, the harpy threw his stone hatchet at Shao Zhengyang.

    Shao Zhengyang was thunderstruck. He hurriedly pulled out his sword.

    What the hell? Don¡¯t they do formal greetings? Oh, wait ¨C they¡¯re barbarians, of course, they don¡¯t.

    The harpy ignored Shao Zhengyang¡¯s internal roasts. As soon as thepetition started, he immediately showed his true colours. The harpy shed toward the ground, and shockwaves dashed toward Shao Zhengyang.

    This sent chills down Shao Zhengyang¡¯s spine. Just a simple movement of shing his sword could create shockwaves as if it was an explosion. The brutal strength of the harpy created several mini-tornadoes in the surrounding area.

    Met with such a crisis, Shao Zhengyang did not have time to think. He used his sword-light to try to block the shockwaves.

    Seeing that, the harpy roared and proceeded to sh his hatchet to the ground continuously. Shao Zhengyang dodged the attacks with lightning-like speed and asionally blocked the shockwaves when he couldn¡¯t dodge. He even attacked the harpy¡¯s weakness when he could.

    The spectators¡¯ attention was fully on the fight.

    After so many rounds, there was finally a fight worth watching.

    ¡°Junior Nephew Shao is in an unfavourable situation!¡± Tan Yubing whispered to Lu Mingshu.

    The barbarians lived in the Yin Mountains, which was a huge deste wastnd. The ce was surrounded by powerful demonic beasts. If one wanted to survive in such a ce, they had no choice but to fight for their life every day.

    Within the harpies¡¯ blood was a powerful force that would only ignite when they reached a certain age. As soon as it was ignited, they would be able to cultivate, and they would possess extraordinary strength. Mankind was always at a disadvantage when fighting with them. Back during the war, many people lost their lives because a single harpy could only be killed with teamwork.

    At the moment, Shao Zhengyang was being controlled by the harpy. If he were to fight directly, the harpy would be too strong for him, but he couldn¡¯t properly counterattack because the shockwaves were limiting his actions.

    A thought popped up in Lu Mingshu¡¯s mind as she observed the fight closely. What if this happened to me? She then put herself in Shao Zhengyang¡¯s shoes and started to think of strategies.

    ¡°Too strong....¡± she mumbled. Putting herself in Shao Zhengyang shoes, she marked out a huge area to represent the range of the harpy¡¯s strength. If this continued and Shao Zhengyang couldn¡¯t find a good weak point, then he would definitely lose.

    It had only been four years since Shao Zhengyang entered the Harmonization Realm. His basics were nowhere near profound and he had no particr advantage against the opponent. Shao Zhengyang was good at continuous sword attacks, but as soon as the harpy attacked, Shao Zhengyang was under the harpy¡¯s control and was unable to utilize such a skill.

    ¡°Such a pity.¡± If Shao Zhengyang had attacked first and gained control, it would have been an easier fight.

    ¡°Junior Niece Lu, if it was you, how would you get out of this mess?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d break apart his continuous shockwaves, then seize a chance to take control. Even though the barbarians are extremely strong, they aren¡¯t very skilful. Once they lose the upper hand, it¡¯s hard for them to get it back.¡±

    That was the way Yu Kuang fought and it worked.

    ¡°But how do you break the shockwaves?¡± Tan Yubing thought long and hard, but she still couldn¡¯t figure out a method.

    ¡°Use his own spear to attack his shield,¡± Lu Mingshu said without even considering.

    Tan Yubing stare at her nkly. What¡¯s that supposed to mean?

    On the roof, Shao Zhengyang had already been forced into a corner. Seeing that he was going to be defeated, he counterattacked anyway even though it would put him in a dangerous situation.

    The audience could only see him rush toward the shockwave with his sword pointing at the harpy.

    Despite being hit by the shockwaves, he gritted his teeth and dashed at the harpy. The harpy once again shed his hatchet on the ground and shed with Shao Zhengyang¡¯s sword-light.

    Mutual destruction? This popped up in Lu Mingshu¡¯s mind. No, it shouldn¡¯t be.

    It wasn¡¯t necessarily impossible, but the price would be too high. He still had a second chance even if he lost. If I was in his shoes, I¡¯d just change the direction of the shockwaves back toward the harpy so that they would cancel out. Shockwaves weren¡¯t like mystic light; they were harder to control, and anyone could control them regardless of who created them. This was what she meant by ¡°Use his own spear to attack his shield.¡±

    But Shao Zhengyang did not have the ability to calcte things like her, so his current action was the best option for him. However, regardless of the oue, he¡¯d end up injured.

    After forcefully taking on the attack from the shockwaves, Shao Zhengyang finally seized the chance to disy his strength. The continuous sword attack trapped the harpy.

    Tan Yubing finally smiled, ¡°There¡¯s a fifty per cent chance he¡¯ll win now.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded. This was the first harpy that came up to fight; if Shao Zhengyang lost, he¡¯d lose face for humanity.

    Sword-light shone brightly as he dashed toward the harpy. The shockwaves also dashed at Shao Zhengyang again. They shed and exploded.

    When the explosion dissipated, neither of them could stand up straight.

    Lin Zixin came up and checked on both of them. He smiled widely and turned to the audience.

    ¡°Both of them are exhausted, so we¡¯ll stop here. It¡¯s a draw then.¡±

    The Nine Jade Pce members heaved a sigh of relief. It¡¯s fine as long as he doesn¡¯t lose. Yu Kuang had already won a round, so if Shao Zhengyang lost, he¡¯d lose face for his sect as well as humanity.

    When Shao Zhengyang got back to the tent, his face was pale.

    Kang Tian went forward to check his injuries. ¡°There are internal injuries. Please go and get some rest,¡± he instructed.

    A disciple came up and escorted Shao Zhengyang away.

    ¡°He can¡¯t attend the challenger¡¯s fight if he doesn¡¯t get a win, right?¡± Tan Yubing asked.

    ¡°Yeah, but he still has one chance left....¡±

    Lu Mingshu felt sad for Shao Zhengyang. He was just in unlucky with his draw, and he had no choice but to fight. Now he had to fight the next round with injuries, and it was hisst chance.

    The fights continued.

    Quite a number of disciples from Nine Jade Pce had gone up, and the results were mixed.

    Tan Yubing was the first to score a win for Nine Jade Pce.

    Lu Mingshu still hadn¡¯t been called up yet. The preliminary would take up to three days before proceeding to the next stage.

    When night came, Lin Zixin announced the end of day one.

 Chapter 146: Easy Game

    <h4>Chapter 146: Easy Game</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    The next day, Lu Mingshu drew out two strengthening seals again.

    They were both meant to be used on weapons. The first could increase the weapon¡¯s resonance with mystic force, while the second one had the ability to freeze things.

    Lu Mingshu grinned from ear to ear upon seeing the first. How well one¡¯s weapon could resonate with mystic force represented the quality of a weapon. The better the resonance, the less mystic force one would lose during a fight, and the more powerful the attack. This seal was perfect toplement her weak basics.

    As for the second seal, she couldn¡¯t quite understand what it meant. She went to ask Xiao Sang, who replied with a, ¡°Figure it out yourself.¡±

    Lu Mingshu pondered for a while. Let¡¯s just use it today and find out. Seeing how many participants there were in total, it should be my turn today.

    The preliminary continued at seven in the morning.

    ¡°Ancient Jade Summit, Xing Kun,¡± Lin Zixin announced the first party.

    A guy in ck clothes walked out from Ancient Jade Summit¡¯s area. He was somewhere in his thirties, and he had a huge scar on his forehead that went from the top of his head to a few centimetres away from his eyes, showing his ferocity.

    ¡°It¡¯s him!¡± Tan Yubing gasped.

    Lu Mingshu raised her eyebrows. What about him?

    ¡°Xing Kun was once a bandit who deemed the north part of China as his territory, and he killed many innocents. An elder from Ancient Jade Summit took him in, and from then on, he turned over a new leaf. When I first entered the Harmonization Realm, I went travelling to Beiming and heard about that. As someone whose hands are covered with blood, his true ability is way higher than his cultivation. His opponent is very unlucky!¡±

    Right after speaking, Tan Yubing got a taste of what it was like to be a crow beak, the second victim after Shao Zhengyang.

    ¡°Nine Jade Pce, Lu Mingshu,¡± Lin Zixin announced the name.

    ¡°Junior Niece Lu...!¡± I should have just kept my mouth shut! Tan Yubing wanted to p herself hard.

    Lu Mingshu smiled at her and leapt up onto the rooftop, ignoring the worried looks that everyone was giving her.

    There¡¯s a slight uproar in the canopies.

    ¡°Lu Mingshu? Isn¡¯t she the one who fought at all the arenas in Tianyun City?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s her.¡±

    ¡°Woo~ Showtime! I heard she¡¯s arrogant, huh? Let¡¯s see how arrogant she can be when facing Xing Kun.¡± The guy rejoiced in her misfortune.

    ¡°She¡¯s good though; she has defeated many experts!¡±

    ¡°True gold fears no fire. If she¡¯s that good, she¡¯ll prove it!¡±

    On the other hand, some people worried for her.

    ¡°This girl is at a disadvantage, she¡¯s still so young!¡±

    ¡°Yeah! When Xing Kun became famous, she wasn¡¯t even born yet!¡±

    Thesements went unheard by Lu Mingshu. Or rather, maybe she heard them, she just chose to turn a blind eye to them.

    She bowed toward Xing Kun. ¡°Lu Mingshu from the Nine Jade Pce. Please guide me true.¡±

    Xing Kun grinned at her. ¡°Little girl, seeing that you¡¯re still so small, the great me can¡¯t bear to sh you. Why don¡¯t you just give up now?¡±

    ¡°Sir¡¯s hands have been covered with blood, but you finally got your life back on track after so many difficulties; I also can¡¯t bear to fight you. Why doesn¡¯t Sir give up instead?¡± Lu Mingshu replied coldly.

    ¡°Yo, quite an attitude you have! Then don¡¯t me me for being rough!¡± he shouted, and in the blink of an eye, Xing Kun appeared in front of her with his mystic light.

    Xing Kun¡¯s weapon was a huge and fine sword that was customized specifically for him, and it was suited for shing.

    This sh was a simple one; he didn¡¯t add any tricks. He did it quickly and urately, and this fight was all about pure ability.

    Lu Mingshu darted to the side and unsheathed her sword.

    Both of their movements were like lightning. In no time, they had already made more than ten moves.

    Some spectators couldn¡¯t take it anymore.

    ¡°What the heck is wrong with her? If you don¡¯t wanna attack, then what¡¯s the point ofpeting? You might as well give up from the start!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! Everyone knows how good Xing Kun is. It¡¯s nothing embarrassing to give up against him!¡±

    ¡°Where are your brains at? She only just became famous, why would she give up on her first fight at the Qilin Festival? No matter what, she must fight!¡±

    ¡°Tsk! So young, so impatient! Yes, she may have been good in the arenas, but who are her opponents here at the Qilin Festival? The standard is way different!¡±

    ¡°Youngsters these days ¨C small body, big heart.¡±

    ¡°Ha, I bet you all don¡¯t know the reason why she wants to be famous so badly! Let me spill some tea...¡±

    State Master Jia Yan was sitting in the Seventh Truth tform area watching the fights. Martial artspetitions are always better when watching with your sect... why are those bums looking over here? She fished out her sword, ready to fight them, but she was stopped by Yu Kuang.

    ¡°Annoying bumpkins!¡± she mumbled. ¡°What are they looking at? Are they looking at Cousin!?¡±

    Yu Kuang patted her shoulder to pacify her. ¡°Calm down. That¡¯s the only thing those boring people can do. Ignore them.¡±

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Jia Yan sat back and pouted. ¡°All because of that girl!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, yeah. All because of her.¡±

    Lu Mingshu continued testing her opponent while doing some mental calctions. Xing Kun is indeed suited for actualbat. His cultivation is normal, and his physical aspects aren¡¯t very good either. However, his methods are all practical, and he has enough strength and speed to execute them.

    However, Xing Kun wasn¡¯t perfect. His big shoring was that, every time after he attacked, he would subconsciously dodge to the right. The left part of his body must have been badly injured before.

    After probing Xing Kun¡¯s patterns, Lu Mingshu suddenly stopped moving. She turned her sword, and mystic light shed out.

    Both mystic lights shed, creating a loud boom. Both parties moved back to avoid the impact.

    ¡°You¡¯re finally attacking!¡± Xing Kunughed out loud. ¡°Come on! It¡¯s boring fighting alone.¡±

    ¡°Sir, be careful,¡± Lu Mingshu said softly.

    As soon as she said that, a sword-light dashed toward Xing Kun.

    Xing Kun bellowed and shed it apart. ¡°You¡¯re so weak, yet you want to take the great me down?¡±

    Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t manage to hit Xing Kun at all. She then swiftly moved behind Xing Kun and attacked again.

    After that, she changed her pattern. Her attacks were swift and meticulous.

    The spectators were in awe upon seeing how she fought. Attack after attack, she kept attacking nonstop, and within no time, she gained the upper hand.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on!?¡± a spectator gasped.

    A minute earlier, they were all dissing Lu Mingshu for just dodging. Who would have guessed she would change her style all of a sudden?

    Fine skills, rising sword power, and strong sword qi. She was just showing off her skills!

    ¡°She¡¯s so freaking vain! Why can¡¯t she just focus on the fight? Is boasting more important than winning?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that,¡± someone spoke up for her. ¡°Considering where Xing Kun is from, basics are his weakness, so to win, that¡¯s the only way ¨Cpete on basics.¡±

    ¡°Hmph, bullshit. Where is Xing Kun from? He literally came out of the Grim Reaper¡¯s backyard, he¡¯s just probably ufortable with this way of fighting. Once he gets used to it, we¡¯ll see how arrogant this Lu Mingshu can be!¡±

    Most of the spectators were thinking the same way. However, as time passed, Xing Kun couldn¡¯t get the upper hand back; in fact, he only became slower and slower.

    When the sword pointed at Xing Kun¡¯s throat, Lin Zixin announced Lu Mingshu as the winner, and she took back her sword.

    ¡°You let me win.¡±

    The spectators were all rooted to their seats.

    ¡°Ended...?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Did Xing Kun actually let her win?¡±

    ¡°Yeah! That wasn¡¯t how he fights! He never ends without even trying to fight back, not to mention his ability!¡±

    When Lu Mingshu was heading back to her sect¡¯s tent, Xing Kun called her, ¡°Wait!¡±

    ¡°Yes, Sir?¡±

    Xing Kun was shivering for no reason. ¡°Miss Lu, are you perhaps cultivating some unique skills? Why do I feel like I was being frozen and my mystic force wasn¡¯ting out?¡±

    ¡°Sir¡¯s scar should be after a hard battle, right?¡± Lu Mingshu asked. Seeing Xing Kun nod his head, she continued, ¡°Even though your injury has healed, you are still scared when I attack from the left. Because you felt ufortable, that¡¯s why you feel that way.¡±

    Xing Kun raised his eyebrows; Is it really that simple?

    Lu Mingshu bowed and went back to the tent.

    In actuality, the reason was because of the strengthening seal.

    Wow, it¡¯s so powerful. It can freeze one¡¯s mystic force. Such a pity I used it during the preliminary. Xing Kun may have been extremely powerful, but she was perfectly capable of defeating him without the seal.

 Chapter 147: Difficulty is What Makes it Interesting

    <h4>Chapter 147: Difficulty is What Makes it Interesting</h4>

    Seeing here back, the three chaperones were filled with smiles. Of course, for different reasons.

    Kang Tian gave her a few words of encouragement; ¡°Good job. You made us proud. Continue to work hard and strive to win the challenger¡¯s fight.¡±

    On the other hand, An Tongchen gave her criticism; ¡°It was a mistake showing off your skills. Take note of that. All the participants are good.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Lu Mingshu nodded and went back to her seat.

    She understood where he wasing from. Revealing her ability now would make it harder for her to fight in the uing rounds since the opponents would be on guard against her, making it harder for her to win.

    However, Lu Mingshu had already prepared for what was going to happen ever since she went to fight in the arenas. No pain, no gain, and this will get me to my goal.

    Thepetition during this second day was much more interesting. Some participants were secretly taken note of.

    The third day was the start of the second round. Anyone who didn¡¯t win the first round but was confident in their ability would be given a chance to fight again.

    Lady Luck finally stood on Shao Zhengyang¡¯s side. His opponent in this round was just so-so, and he won the round and managed to advance to the challenger¡¯s fight.

    ...

    In the Heavenly Wheel, Lu Mingshu picked out two strengthening seals from the wooden wheel.

    The first seal allowed her to see through invisibility, while the second one increased the power of illusions.

    She sighed. These two seals have preconditions in order to activate them.

    For example, she could only use the first seal when her opponent became invisible. In China, most martial artists would only focus on martial arts. Invisibility was not part of martial arts, and only some remote sects would practice it. This strengthening seal was totally useless if the opponent didn¡¯t turn invisible.

    For the second one, one would need to know illusion-rted skills to be able to use it, and Lu Mingshu obviously didn¡¯t know any.

    The challenger¡¯s fight starts tomorrow, should I use the strengthening seal? But ording to those who have participated before, thepetition usuallysts around five or six days, and the seal onlysts for one.

    Somebody then knocked on her door.

    Lu Mingshu exited the Heavenly Wheel and went to open the door.

    A servant girl was standing outside. ¡°Miss Lu.¡± She stretched her hands out and showed a piece of jade. ¡°Someone requests to see Miss.¡±

    ...

    Under the moonlight, the Flying Immortal Pce looked like a pce made out of ss ¨C clear like crystal. Nothing more beautiful could be imagined.

    However, Lu Mingshu wasn¡¯t in the mood to admire the scenery. She followed the servant girl like a zombie. After passing by many gardens, they went into a greenhouse that was filled with flowers.

    ¡°Please wait here, Miss. This one will get back to you soon.¡±

    The servant girl left, leaving Lu Mingshu alone.

    Lu Mingshu scanned the surroundings. The greenhouse was built in a very special position ¨C it was on the protruding part of the cliff, and three of its walls were part of the cliff. The roof was made out of coloured ss. One could see the starry sky, the mountains, and the river from the greenhouse, and it made one feel like they were suspended in midair. The greenhouse was well-built, and it was the perfect destination for scenery viewing.

    ¡°Miss Lu, it¡¯s the dead of night, and yet you are at such a ce. How can you leave your guard down?¡± A low voice came from the back.

    Lu Mingshu turned around to see a man in a wheelchair slowlying into the greenhouse.

    Thenterns at the side shone on him under the reflection of the ss. The guy had a beautiful face, and his skin was as smooth as jade. If this wasn¡¯t Xie Lianzhen, then who else could it be?

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to fear when you¡¯re not guilty of anything,¡± Lu Mingshu replied.

    ¡°Hah,¡± Xie Lianzhen chuckled. ¡°Miss Lu always makes me feel ashamed of myself.¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked at him coldly. ¡°Did the Alioth Star-Lord call me over just for this?¡±

    Her reply made Xie Lianzhen mock himself. ¡°Miss doesn¡¯t seem to be very patient with me.¡±

    ¡°Just as you said, it¡¯s the dead of night and in such a location, so let¡¯s cut to the chase.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Xie Lianzhen fished a book out of his sleeves. ¡°I thought that you might need this.¡±

    Lu Mingshu raised her eyebrows and took the book. She flipped open the book to see an entire page about Kou Wei. From his full name, sect, and age, to his unique skills, strengths, and fighting style. It then ended with an evaluation of his total capability.

    She continued flipping to realize the other pages had the same content for different people.

    Lu Mingshu closed the book. ¡°May I know, what is Alioth Star-Lord¡¯s intention in giving me this book?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you need it?¡±

    Of course, she did. After the preliminary, every participant who managed to get into the challenger¡¯s fight was now an enemy. Who to take on next and how to fight was an important strategy that one had to take note of. The Nine Jade Pce had prepared simr material for her, but it was very rough.

    If Lu Mingshu wasn¡¯t wrong, this should be a top secret file of the Seventh Truth tform that shouldn¡¯t be leaked to outsiders, especially with this timing.

    ¡°What does Alioth Star-Lord want then?¡± Lu Mingshu got right to the point. ¡°I doubt it¡¯s money. Why would the Alioth Star-Lord need money from me? I couldn¡¯t afford it anyway. So, what do you need me to do?¡±

    Xie Lianzhen¡¯s eyes widened; ¡°You think I¡¯m selling the information?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not?¡±

    Xie Lianzhen sighed and answered gloomily, ¡°Can¡¯t it just be that I¡¯m nice?¡±

    Lu Mingshu smiled. ¡°You¡¯re the Alioth Star-Lord, one of the Big Dipper Seven Star Lords... are you sure this is something you should be doing?¡±

    Why do I feel that she¡¯s taunting me...?

    Xie Lianzhen tried to hide his disappointment. ¡°You said to not promise something if I can¡¯t do it, right?¡±

    ¡°So what?¡±

    He then sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t want to break my promise, so I¡¯m here trying to help you as much as I can because this is what I promised.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded, ¡°Good reason.¡±

    Xie Lianzhen let out augh. ¡°So, is Miss still worried?¡±

    ¡°I only know that I would have to pay back anything I owe.¡±

    ¡°So you just don¡¯t want to owe anything to someone else?¡±

    Upon hearing that, Lu Mingshu started to think hard for a while. She then kept the book in her sleeves. ¡°I will owe when I need to.¡±

    Xie Lianzhen smiled.

    ¡°Normally, the challenger¡¯s fight willst for about five or six days. The best strategy is to not fight for the first three days. Since you did well during the preliminaries, people will take more notice of you, and the people who want to get into the New Ranking will try to avoid you for a while. You should start during the fourth day or else your points will be toocking. As for how to choose an opponent, I believe you are clearly aware.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded. ¡°Thanks a lot for the information.¡± She paused a while before continuing, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡±

    The wheelchair moved back silently.

    When she reached the entrance, Xie Lianzhen suddenly shouted for her, ¡°Miss Lu!¡±

    Lu Mingshu turned back to look at him. The reflection of the dim lights shone onto his face, making his eyes look brighter than before.

    The beautiful face under the starry night was so gorgeous that it would shake one to the core.

    ¡°Do you want to reconsider it?¡±

    He didn¡¯t explicitly say what ¡°it¡± was, but Lu Mingshu immediately knew.

    Maybe because of the atmosphere, she suddenly felt that her heart had stopped. However, she regained her consciousness quickly and shook her head. ¡°Sorry, but thanks.¡±

    ¡°Sorry¡± for rejecting, and ¡°thanks¡± to show her gratitude.

    Xie Lianzhen looked down. ¡°Sorry for asking too much.¡±

    Lu Mingshu then bowed to him before leaving.

    She then disappeared into the dark, no longer visible to Xie Lianzhen.

    A teenager wearing the Seventh Truth tform uniform came into the greenhouse.

    ¡°Young Master.¡±

    The smile on the pulchritudinous face was long gone, reced with a gloominess that did not go well with the beauty.

    He gently stroked the jade in his hand and started thinking aloud; ¡°She¡¯s not reconsidering even under such a situation. Am I really that bad that I can¡¯t even get a young girl¡¯s heart?¡±

    The teenager then slowly pushed the wheelchair out of the greenhouse. ¡°No ordinary girl would be able to move you.¡±

    This put a smile back on Xie Lianzhen¡¯s face, and he regained his grace.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. The difficulty is what makes it interesting!¡±

 Chapter 148: Simple

    Chapter 148 - Simple

    Before Lu Mingshu could settle down when she got back, somebody came to her door again.

    It was Shao Zhengyang.

    "Junior Sister Lu, Brother Kou Wei wants to see us. Shall we go together?"

    Since it was Kou Wei, it should be something important.

    Lu Mingshu quickly kept her stuff and followed behind Shao Zhengyang.

    Lanterns lit up the courtyard brightly. When they arrived, everyone else had already arrived, and they were all bustling with noise and excitement.

    "Ah, Miss Lu, you guys are finally here!" Yue Lingyin, being the most observant, noticed them first and signaled for them toe in.

    Silence took over the courtyard, and everyone''s eyes were on them.

    "We''rete." Shao Zhengyang smiled and bowed to the rest. "Sorry."

    Lu Mingshu followed and bowed too.

    "Nah," Kou Wei smiled. "We haven''t even gotten to the main point yet."

    On the other hand, Qi Sheng had already grabbed seats for them. "Brother Shao, Miss Lu, here."

    "Come here, sit with me." Yue Lingyin pulled Lu Mingshu over affectionately.

    Both of them got into their seats, and Kou Wei started, "Junior Brother Shao, have you recovered? You''re okay, right?"

    Saying that, Kou Wei created a better image of himself in Lu Mingshu''s heart. Even though Shao Zhengyang wasn''t badly injured, but just the act of asking made her feel warm.

    "I''m okay." Shao Zhengyang smiled. "My master is a medical expert. He gave me quite a number of medicines before we came. I will heal soon."

    "That''s good." Kou Wei smiled and diverted the attention to Lu Mingshu. "I believe I don''t need to introduce her, right?"

    Laughter and lively discussion filled the courtyard; "Of course there''s no need to, she''s so well known."

    "Yeah, Miss Lu doesn''t know us, but we know her."

    "I''ve been wanting to meet you for a long time!"

    "Miss Lu, I''m¡­"

    This was the first time in her life that people were fighting just to get to know her so enthusiastically, not treating her like a pest and avoiding her as soon as they saw her.

    "Hey, slow down, people!" Qi Sheng shouted. "How is she even supposed to catch up with you guys when you are so noisy? Don''t have a cow!"

    "''Yeah, yeah, yeah, you''re very considerate, okay?"

    After the long introduction, Kou Wei cut to the chase; "Okay, it''s gettingte, and there''s still apet.i.tion tomorrow. Let''s get to the point."

    With his prestige, as soon as he spoke, silence took over the courtyard.

    "The Qilin Festival is only held once every decade, and to the Spirit Realms, that''s just right for them. But for us, we only have two chances, and I doubt anyone wants a third chance, am I right?"

    Everyone burst outughing.

    Everyone present was a well-known figure from their respective sects. The optimal age to enter the Spirit Realm was around thirty. If one was above thirty-five and still couldn''t break through to the Spirit Realm, they would not even have enough face to go out. That''s why this group would only partic.i.p.ate in Qilin Festival twice at most, and for some, only once.

    "Among us, there aren''t many who have partic.i.p.ated in the Qilin Festival. It''s the first time for most of you." Kou Wei then pointed to himself. "I am older than you guys and have obviously partic.i.p.ated in thest Qilin Festival, so let me be thick-skinned and share my thoughts."

    "Senior Brother Kou, save the humility; you got into the top five after being in the Harmonization Realm for only three years. I would have begged you to tell me even if you hadn''t said anything!"

    "That''s right! Just say something if you want ourpliments!" Qi Sheng jeered.

    Qi Sheng was immediately hit hard on his head.

    "Don''t joke. Be serious."

    "Okay, I''ll shut up¡­."

    Kou Wei started again, "I''m sure every one of you is clear on the rules for the Qilin Festival. There are three things to take note of if you want to win: Firstly, you must have enough fights. Secondly, pick the correct opponent. Thirdly, never lose. ording to the points deducted when you lose, you shouldn''t fight if there isn''t at least a fifty percent chance of winning."

    "He''s right," Yue Lingyin added on. "It''s okay to lose when one has fewer points, but as your points get higher, a single loss can be equivalent to waving goodbye to the top ten."

    Everybody nodded. That was an important point.

    "The next thing would be choosing an opponent." Kou Wei wet a chopstick with some tea and started scribbling on the table. "Two things to take note of while choosing an opponent - First, their marks. Second, their ability. Overlooking either will get you caught up in trouble. Ability-wise, I believe everyone here knows how to determine that. As for points, the earlier you fight, the more you lose out."

    Everyone turned to look at Kou Wei''s scribble. Fighting a ten-mark opponent only got you two marks, while fighting a twenty-mark opponent got you four marks. With simple math, it was easy to tell that, the earlier you started, the less efficient it was.

    "But Senior Brother Kou, if we start toote, won''t we not have enough points?"

    Kou Wei smiled widely. "Indeed. So, we must get the hang of the timing." He ced his chopstick down and turned to the group. "Everyone here is the best from your respective sect, so I''m just going to be frank; there''s no doubt that we will meet each other during thepet.i.tion, and then¡­ we are all opponents."

    Everyone nodded. Personal rtionships were one thing, but things were different on the battlefield. Who would be willing to be someone else''s stepping stone? Everyone wanted to get on the New Generation Ranking.

    "However," Kou Wei paused for a moment. "If we go against each other too early, it would only benefit others."

    This was easy to understand.

    "Senior Brother Kou, are you saying we should wait to fight?"

    Kou Wei smiled. "When thepet.i.tion just starts, the disciples who know they have no chance for the top ten and just want to get famous will take the first step. When they have finishedpeting, that''s when we wille in, and they are the key to us winning."

    "Senior Brother Kou!" He was being so mild and indirect that Yue Lingyin couldn''t take it anymore. "I''ll do it, okay?"

    "Sure thing." Kou Wei burst intoughter. "You can take over."

    Yue Lingyin cleared her throat before she started; "Let''s split this into three stages. First stage - let thempete with each other. When they be fatmbs, that will be the second stage, where we go up and eat thembs. After eating thembs is the third stage - cannibalism!"

    The way she said it sent Kou Wei intoughter. "What ''fatmbs''? Where is your respect?"

    "Oh my G.o.d, don''t act like you aren''t thinking the same thing, you hypocrite." Yue Lingyin rolled her eyes before turning to the rest. "Clear?"

    "Yes!" the rest answered.

    Compared to Kou Wei''s decent exnation, Yue Lingyin''s was much more understandable.

    "Good." Yue Lingyin pped. "So, that is the summary of the challenger fight. We will lose if we go against each other before stage three."

    The rest nodded.

    "Yay!" Yue Lingyin pped. "Then that''s it."

    She looked at Kou Wei proudly. "Senior Brother Kou, anything to add?"

    Kou Wei touched his nose. "You took my lines, what''s left for me to say? Anyway, even if we don''t fight each other tomorrow, we cannot ensure that no one else will challenge us. Let''s go back and rest."

    Everyone nodded.

    "Also," Kou Wei added on, "Not all of the best fighters are here to join this n, so everyone should still have your guards up."

    For example, the Seventh Truth tform and the Ancient Jade Summit weren''t here. Kou Wei may have been prestigious, but not everyone gave him face.

 Chapter 149: What on Earth does he want?

    <h4>Chapter 149: What on Earth does he want?</h4>

    Under the candlelight, Lu Mingshu went through the book that Xie Lianzhen gave her.

    The book was thick, with detailed records about a wide collection of people. It was hard to believe that such a book on the participants existed.

    There¡¯s a very high chance that this is one of the most important secrets of the Seventh Truth tform. A normal Seventh Truth tform disciple might not even have ess to this information; only those with enough potential to do well would be able to see it.

    Despite that, Xie Lianzhen gave it to her unconditionally.

    This action sent Lu Mingshu thoughts spinning.

    She remembered the piece of jade he gave her, and she remembered how Yan Wugui once said that whoever Xie Lianzhen had his eyes on, he would give him or her a piece of jade as an investment, and then when he or she grew up, he would start collecting interest. Is it the same in my case too?

    She didn¡¯t know why, but the eye contact they made before she left reyed in her mind.

    The starry night and the fresh flowers wereplements to his looks. Especially when thentern light shone on his face, which showed his charm even more. Under the pretty night sky, it turned his elegance into an enticing gloominess.

    To have a fleeting glimpse... a magnificent style unmatched in his generation. Such a scene could only be seen by those who were fated.

    She felt a weird feeling in her heart, as if she had a unique privilege to pry into some secret, and that she was the only one able to do so.

    And what he said reyed in her mind as well.

    ¡°Do you want to reconsider it?¡±

    When he initially suggested it a while ago, he was cool and easygoing about it, like he was merely suggesting coboration. However, today, his tone was way different; he sounded warm and soft as if he was... pleading with her? It made her waver.

    An absurd thought popped into her mind. Does he actually have feelings for me?

    No way. She shook her head and mocked herself. How many times had they even met? And like what Yan Wugui said, she was as stubborn as an ox and unfeminine, unlike other girls of her age ¨C affectionate and soft. What¡¯s there for him to like? If he does like me, he must have weird tastes.

    Nevermind. Even if he does, I can¡¯t afford to put my heart into a rtionship, so stop thinking about it.

    Lu Mingshu continued to flip through the book.

    All the people she met earlier tonight were in the book. From the amount of information they had in the book, it was obvious that the Seventh Truth tform had been keeping an eye on them for a long period of time.

    She stopped when she got to the Nine Jade Pce page.

    ¡°Lu Mingshu: eldest daughter of Fu Shangqin. A family destroyed by the Nine Jade Pce¡¯s Zhou family. Entered Nine Jade Pce at seven, when her mother died, and had Liu Jizhen as her master. All her resources were cut off. Got into the Inner Breath Realm at eleven, Harmonization Realm at fifteen. After three months, she fought eighteen disciples during the Heavenly Doorpetition and became a genuine sessor disciple.

    ¡°Expert in the sword. Skills passed down from Xiang Hongfei. Mastered Physical Manifestation of Sword Intent, and good uracy. Character does not match her age ¨C firm and cold, would do anything to win. Don¡¯t get cheated by her appearance.¡±

    After that, there was a long description of her ability: ¡°She¡¯s good at finding ws since she has been fighting for many years. She¡¯s much fiercerpared to other martial artists of her age.¡±

    Thest sentence was, ¡°Skilled at rune-carving, and can use it to freeze the opponent¡¯s mystic force.¡±

    They graded her as grade A, a grade just below the top fighter Kou Wei, and on par with Yue Lingyin and Bo Zhong.

    She never expected herself to be valued so highly in the eyes of the Seventh Truth tform. However, Lu Mingshu felt a tinge of worry; if she was thought of so highly in the eyes of an opponent, it would be harder for her to win since they would have their guards up. Let¡¯s just hope that the other sects don¡¯t have such information.

    When she reached thest page, she was shocked.

    The ink on thest page looked new, and the font looked different.

    It was the name list for the challenger¡¯s fight. The name list was split into different rows. The first was for the best, or in other words, the ones trying to get on the New Ranking. The second was for the people with ordinary abilities, but who still stood a chance of being on the New Generation Ranking. The third was for the weakest, or to put it simply, people that one doesn¡¯t need to worry about.

    The name list was followed by a detailed strategy on when to start and how much to fight, information that shouldn¡¯t be made known to outsiders.

    A weird feeling rushed up in her heart. Lu Mingshu bit her lips while trying to figure it out.

    It wasn¡¯t as if nobody had ever treated her this way before. However, the way Liu Jizhen and Gao Xiang treated her felt different. Kou Wei, who she only met recently, treated her like a younger sibling that he needed to take care of. They weren¡¯t as patient and caring as Xie Lianzhen... as if he was trying to make her happy.

    What the hell does he want? Asking me to meet him at such ces, saying those kinds of words, and even arranging this book. Does he really...?

    The more she thought about it, the more frustrated she became. Lu Mingshu just shut the book and went to rest.

    Who cares what he wants? I¡¯m not going to change my decision!

    ...

    In the pce of the king of Zhongzhou, the queen sat in front of the dressing table, brushing her hair and removing her makeup.

    Ding Qingqing walked in. ¡°Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ste. What¡¯s wrong?¡± the queen asked impatiently.

    Ding Qingqing nced at the servants, and they left the room shortly.

    When they all left, Ding Qingqing then started, ¡°Young Master invited Miss Lu to the greenhouse.¡±

    The queen stopped in her tracks. She made eye contact with Ding Qingqing through the mirror.

    ¡°What did they say?¡±

    ¡°Young Master didn¡¯t let anyone get close.¡±

    The queen nodded. She knew her eldest son well. There was something strange about him; he may look gentle, but when he was upset, it was a different story. Even Ding Qingqing and Xiahou Shan dared not anger him.

    ¡°But,¡± Ding Qingqing continued, ¡°Miss Lu left the greenhouse first, and when Young Master left, he was smiling.¡±

    Ding Qingqing said that he was smiling, which was something hardly seen.

    The queen shut her eyes and sighed. She threw theb on the dressing table and sneered, ¡°That kid only knows how to worry me.¡±

    ¡°Your Highness...¡±

    ¡°As soon as he starts ying mind games, that means he really has his heart on this.¡± The queen had a thin smile. ¡°I don¡¯t want to force anyone, but I have no choice. I saw this! Does he want me to be an evil person?¡±

    Ding Qingqing remained silent. She did not have any rights toment at this point.

    ¡°Whatever.¡± The queen picked up herb again and started tob her dark and long hair. ¡°What can I do? He¡¯s my son. For her son, a mother can even cut her own flesh to feed him just so he doesn¡¯t starve.¡±

    Ding Qingqing lowered her head, listening to rants that nobody else would.

    ¡°Back then, I gave him whatever I felt was best for him, but he proved to me with his illness that he didn¡¯t value any of that. Since that¡¯s the case, just let him be. I¡¯ll give him whatever he wants, as long as it makes him happy.¡±

    ¡°But, Miss Lu...¡±

    The queen sneered. ¡°Do you think he isn¡¯t aware? I know my son well. He knows for sure, he just wants what he wants.¡±

    Ding Qingqing kept quiet. She felt sorry for that girl. When Young Master didn¡¯t want something, her view was the most important, but when he wanted something, her views were absolutely nothing

 Chapter 150: Unforeseen Circumstances

    <h4>Chapter 150: Unforeseen Circumstances</h4>

    It was seven in the morning, but the tents were already filled.

    Lin Zixin appeared on the rooftop. He looked at the crowd and started, ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, today, we are going to carry out the challenger¡¯s fight. The rules are as follows...¡±

    All participants would submit his or her name along with the name of the opponent that they had selected to the clerk. If the prerequisites were met, the match would be set up. The prerequisites were as follows: firstly, the opponent should have rested more than an hour after his or her previous fight. Secondly, one can¡¯t challenge someone twice. Thirdly, opponents could reject a fight afterpeting twice in one day.

    After reading out the rules, Lin Zixin announced, ¡°If there¡¯s no objection, thepetition will begin now.¡±

    One after another, a few disciples went up to submit names.

    After a few moments, Lin Zixin announced the first two names; ¡°Miao Yi from the Door of Refinement, challenging He Zhangfeng from the Cranes of Heaven Sect.¡±

    Both parties went up on stage. They started immediately after the opening etiquette.

    Lu Mingshu observed in silence.

    Looking at their abilities, it was obvious they were B-ss. It was indeed just like what she heard from Kou Wei andpany; the challenger¡¯s fight always started off with the disciples who knew that they didn¡¯t have a chance to get onto the New Ranking, but they wanted to be famous. To these types, the earlier they fought, the better. As time passed, more participants woulde up, and it would be harder and harder to remember everyone¡¯s names.

    Both parties fighting had the same motive. They weren¡¯t trying to get a rapid victory, they were focused on disying their abilities. Since they were evenly matched, the match was way more interesting than the preliminaries.

    The spectators were all supportive as well. They cheered and pped for them.

    In the end, the challenger had a close win.

    When both of them left the rooftop, warm apuse was given to them.

    Lu Mingshu suddenly realized that Tan Yubing was preparing paper and pen. ¡°Senior Aunt Tan, are you going up for a match?¡±

    Tan Yubing gave her a smile as she continued searching for a target on the name list. ¡°I¡¯m still looking for someone to try.¡±

    ¡°But you will lose out if you start too early.¡±

    Tan Yubing found a target and wrote the name down on the paper. ¡°Junior Niece Lu, I¡¯m different from you.¡±

    Lu Mingshu stared at her nkly.

    ¡°You¡¯re capable enough to stand a chance of getting onto the New Generation Ranking, so of course you¡¯ll wait. The New Generation Ranking might be a little farfetched for me, but I don¡¯t want to give up yet, so I¡¯m going to test the waters first. Two or three matches a day, and if it¡¯s smooth, I¡¯ll continue. If it¡¯s not, then I¡¯ll stop.¡±

    Lu Mingshu never expected Tan Yubing to think that way. However, after much thought, she realized that Tan Yubing was right. In the book that Xie Lianzhen gave Lu Mingshu, Tan Yubing¡¯s name was ced in the second group, almost in the A-ss but not quite. Yes, she could fight, but whether she could get onto the New Ranking was another thing.

    It was just that Lu Mingshu had always thought that Tan Yubing and Shao Zhengyang, who were also genuine sessor disciples of Nine Jade Pce, would have the same goal as her.

    Since this was Tan Yubing¡¯s goal, what about Shao Zhengyang¡¯s?

    Feeling her stare, Shao Zhengyang knew what she was thinking and replied, ¡°I¡¯m not as good as Senior Aunt Tan, but I have a big heart. I won¡¯t feel content if I don¡¯t try my best.¡±

    Tan Yubing smiled. ¡°Junior Nephew Shao is too humble. I only entered the Harmonization Realm a few years earlier than you, and my basics are only stronger than yours by a bit. If we were to fight, I might lose.¡±

    Cultivation was a big part of how capable one was, but it wasn¡¯t everything. Two people may be in the same realm, but if there was a difference in their basics, they would have different levels of strength. However, strong basics didn¡¯t necessarily mean that one would be better either. If that was the case, then Lu Mingshu would stand no chance of entering the New Ranking. She only entered her current realm about a year ago. No matter how hard she trained, she was no match for those who have trained for seven or eight or even more years.

    In the Seventh Truth tform book, Shao Zhengyang was also listed in the second group, simr to Tan Yubing.

    Tan Yubing sent her challenge up.

    After a while, the clerk sent a message back to say that the match was set.

    Li Zixin then announced Tan Yubing¡¯s name.

    The opponent she chose was a female disciple who had a simr level of ability.

    The match was interesting. Not only were they skilled, but they also looked aesthetically pleasing too.

    The match ended with warm apuse from the spectators.

    Tan Yubing came back with a win, and people rushed to congratte her.

    Tan Yubing was feeling happy about her win. ¡°That fight was close! I don¡¯t think I¡¯m fated for the New Ranking.¡±

    Lin Zixin announced the participants for the next match.

    ¡°Huo Jiang from the Sapphire Blood Sect, challenging Lu Mingshu from the Nine Jade Pce.¡±

    Hearing the announcement, not only was Lu Mingshu taken aback, Kou Wei and the rest were rooted to the ground.

    During the preliminary, Lu Mingshu had already shown off her ability by dominating Xing Kun, who was B-ss at the minimum. That should have been enough to put ordinary people off from challenging her.

    This Huo Jiang, his match during the preliminary wasn¡¯t anything outstanding, so hardly anyone even remembered him. Is Huo Jiang mad? Can¡¯t he see the difference between their abilities?

    Huo Jiang jumped onto the stage and looked over at the Nine Jade Pce¡¯s tent.

    Since Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t have any reason to not fight, she got up and went on stage.

    The Sapphire Blood Sect was an average sect. It was even weaker than Nine Jade Pce. Huo Jiang was also an average disciple even in his sect. Not only his ability but his looks and manners as well. He was the type that no one would be able to recognize in a crowd.

    And yet, such an average person was out here doing something that shocked everyone.

    ¡°Miss Lu, please advise me.¡± Huo Jiang bowed.

    Lu Mingshu bowed back. ¡°I do not dare.¡±

    After the starting etiquette, she immediately fished out her sword.

    The weapon that Huo Jiang was using was one that not many disciples would use. He was using a sort of giant two-pronged throwing star type weapon, which looked like two machetes joined together on either side of a circle.

    Seeing Lu Mingshu¡¯s sword-light, Huo Jiang swung his weapon and went up against her.

    Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t start slow. Huo Jiang¡¯s ability was just as she had calcted ¨C average. In no time, the stage was filled with Lu Mingshu¡¯s sword-light, and he had no choice but to dodge.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Qi Sheng couldn¡¯t figure out what was happening. ¡°Is he here to give away free points?¡±

    Kou Wei tapped his fan as he furrowed his eyebrows, trying to figure out what was going on.

    Suddenly, he screamed, ¡°Oh no!¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Qi Sheng was shocked by Kou Wei¡¯s scream, then he heard the other tents gasping in surprise.

    He looked over to the rooftop to see that both parties had stopped, and Lu Mingshu was grabbing her arm.

    Her clothes had been cut apart, and blood was dripping from a cut.

    Nine Jade Pce¡¯s uniforms were white, so the blood was quite obvious.

    ¡°Why is she injured?¡± Qi Sheng asked.

    ¡°So that¡¯s it!¡± A light bulb popped into Kou Wei¡¯s head.

    Qi Sheng had ants in his pants because he was still confused by the situation. ¡°Senior Brother, what is it? Tell me, tell me!¡±

    ¡°Behave yourself!¡± Kou Wei hit Qi Sheng on the head with his fan. ¡°Huo Jiang¡¯s ability might be average, but his weapon is special. There¡¯s a concealed weapon inside it. He once showed it, but I didn¡¯t realize.¡±

    ¡°Concealed weapon?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Kou Wei furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°I guess somebody wants to take down Miss Lu so she doesn¡¯t take a spot on the New Ranking.¡±

    Lu Mingshu had only be famous recently, but the invitations for the Qilin Festival had been sent out long ago. It took a lot of effort and resources for an average sect to train a disciple who had potential to get on the New Ranking, so why would they let that all go down the drain just because of Lu Mingshu¡¯s sudden appearance? Of all the potential New Ranking candidates, Lu Mingshu was obviously to easiest to deal with.

    It wasn¡¯t important who Huo Jiang was, what was important was that he managed to injure Lu Mingshu when she let her guard down.

 Chapter 151: The Blind Know More

    <h4>Chapter 151: The Blind Know More</h4>

    A cut appeared on Lu Mingshu¡¯s left arm, and it was dangerously close to her joint. If Lu Mingshu had not been alert, her left arm¡¯s mobility would have been badly affected right now.

    She turned a blind eye to the cut. What¡¯s new?

    She stared intensely at the weapon in Huo Jiang¡¯s hand and tried to rey that moment.

    As soon as the match started, she nned to fight fast and end it fast in order to prevent wasting too much energy. She started out fiercely, and the match was going as she wanted; Huo Jiang was trapped under her sword-energy, unable to do much.

    Strangely, she suddenly felt a great threat one second, and the next, she was cut.

    She couldn¡¯t feel anything about where or how the concealed weapon was shot out.

    This was unusual. All martial artists were very sharp, and she was always working on her senses. Even if she was fighting blindfolded, she would still be able to figure out what was going on and fight normally.

    How did Huo Jiang do it without me noticing? Weapons that could injure a martial artist would have mystic light. How could mystic light go unnoticed?

    After pausing for a while, Lu Mingshu attacked again, driving Huo Jiang into a corner.

    Huo Jiang frantically raised his weapon up to block the attack, but it served no purpose since his defence was crushed by her sword-energy.

    Swift and fierce sword-energy nearly materialized in the air. Mild gold mystic light hung mid-air distinctively, the murderous spirit filling the stage.

    ¡°She wants to finish it quickly,¡± Kou Weimented. ¡°It¡¯s risky, but it may work.¡±

    Putting Lu Mingshu aside, even Kou Wei, a spectator, couldn¡¯t tell where the concealed weapon came from. He could only guess that it had to do with Huo Jiang¡¯s special weapon. Being trapped in such a scenario, the best method was to get it over with as quickly as possible before he seized another chance to use the concealed weapon against her.

    ¡°What on earth!?¡± As soon as Kou Wei finished speaking, he was taken aback by what he saw.

    Lu Mingshu suddenly stopped her attacks.

    This time, her waist was injured.

    Bright red blood couldn¡¯t stop flowing out. Since she was wearing white, it was very obvious, and it stained a big part of her clothes.

    The spectators all gasped in surprise.

    ¡°What happened? Where did that cute from?¡±

    ¡°Concealed weapon! It must be a concealed weapon! It¡¯s weird that he managed to do it so stealthily. He must be extremely skilful. Looks like he might have a chance to be part of the New Generation Ranking.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not right. If he¡¯s so capable, why would he be out to fight so early?¡±

    ¡°Tsk, this Huo Jiang, doesn¡¯t he have any protective feelings for girls? Look, she¡¯s just a young beauty. How can he bear to make her bleed some much? I would love her dearly, man!¡± someonemented carelessly.

    But he was immediately spat at. ¡°If he doesn¡¯t bear it, he would just be waiting to die. Look at that girl; could you live after ten attacks?¡±

    On the seats of the Seventh Truth tform, somebody was more than happy to see Lu Mingshu in this state. ¡°Well, isn¡¯t she powerful, eh? It¡¯s only day one and she¡¯s already down!¡±

    Yu Kuang nudged State Master Jia Yan softly. ¡°Little Junior Sister, lower your volume. You¡¯re embarrassing me!¡±

    State Master Jia Yan rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not even talking about you!¡±

    ¡°But I lost to her....¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t count.¡±

    After arguing with State Master Jia Yan for a while, Yu Kuang started focusing on the match. He could see Xie Lianzhen from the corner of his eye. Xie Lianzhen¡¯s eyes were glued to the match, and he looked gloomy. I wonder what¡¯s on his mind?

    ¡°Senior Brother, what should she do?¡± Qi Sheng was on pins and needles. ¡°Miss Lu¡¯s injuries are serious!¡±

    ¡°No, they¡¯re minor injuries.¡± Kou Wei pushed Qi Sheng¡¯s forehead. ¡°They¡¯re just flesh wounds. It only looks gory. As long as she does something to the wounds after this match, it won¡¯t affect things much.¡±

    ¡°But she can¡¯t continue on like this! What if she loses too much blood?¡±

    Yes. She can¡¯t continue on like this. To any apex martial artist, even a minor problem could affect the oue. The injury may be minor, but it would still more or less affect the result of the match.

    Kou Wei knocked on Qi Sheng¡¯s forehead. ¡°Two ways. One, try to defeat him as soon as possible while umting even more injuries. Secondly, find a way to destroy the concealed weapon.¡±

    ¡°What kind of stupid ideas are those?¡± Qi Sheng rolled his eyes. ¡°The first one is like digging your own freaking grave. And why would someone make a concealed weapon that is easy to destroy? You idiot Senior Brother!¡± The longer she takes, the more injured she¡¯ll be, and that¡¯s exactly what the opponent wants!

    Kou Wei stared at him coldly, unlike anything Qi Sheng had experienced before. ¡°There¡¯s no free lunch in this world, my dear Junior Brother.¡±

    On the stage, Lu Mingshu moved. She stabbed her sword into the ground and fished out a handkerchief from her sleeve.

    Everybody thought that she was going to use it to stop her bleeding. However, she blindfolded herself.

    ¡°What the hell?¡± There was an uproar in the tents.

    ¡°She¡¯s in such a state and she¡¯s blindfolding herself? She can¡¯t wait to die, eh?¡±

    ¡°Senior Brother!¡± Panicking, Qi Sheng screamed into Kou Wei¡¯s ear.

    Kou Wei was taken aback by her actions at first, but after realizing what was going on, he turned and smiled at Qi Sheng. ¡°As expected. She¡¯s Lu Mingshu indeed.¡±

    She¡¯s choosing the second way. It¡¯s not a smart one... if she doesn¡¯t seed, she will be digging her own grave.

    But that¡¯s what Kou Wei admired about her. For example, before the Qilin festival, she went topete at every arena in Tianyun City without fail just to get closer to her goal.

    The handkerchief blocked all light, and without her sight, her other senses became much more powerful. She had already nned out the exact scenario in her mind without leaving a single detail out.

    Lu Mingshu started to attack again. This time around, her sword-light shone even brighter, and the mystic light almost turned solid.

    Huo Jiang was still being pushed into the corner, with no way to counterattack.

    However, new injuries kept appearing, on her thighs, back, hands, and more.

    ¡°Just give up!¡± someone shouted. ¡°What¡¯s the use of fighting on? Yes, you have powerful skills, but just admit defeat if you are going to lose anyway!¡±

    ¡°What do you know? She¡¯s doing all this because she knows that she¡¯s going to lose!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right....¡±

    Qi Sheng looked at the match anxiously. He nudged Kou Wei softly. ¡°Senior Brother...¡±

    ¡°Shut the hell up!¡± Kou Wei was trying to focus on the match and Qi Sheng kept interrupting him. He smacked his fan on Qi Sheng¡¯s head hard. ¡°Can¡¯t you just keep your mouth shut-¡±

    Ding! A noise cut him off, and they both looked at the stage. The mystic light of Lu Mingshu¡¯s sword was still shining brightly and swirling around the sword like a dragon.

    The sword-light flickered and burst into sparks, which fell to the ground like snow. She removed the handkerchief and pointed to the tip of the sword. ¡°This is it, huh?¡±

    What is it?

    Kou Wei squinted his eyes to get a clearer look. An item was stuck to the tip of her sword. It was as thin as a cicada wing, and it was so transparent that one could hardly see it. Kou Wei wouldn¡¯t have seen it if Lu Mingshu hadn¡¯t grabbed it and flicked it, which caused it to make some noise.

    That¡¯s the concealed weapon?

    ¡°And here I thought it was something powerful. Who knew it was just because of its material.¡± Lu Mingshu cleaned it up before putting it in her pocket. She started attacking again before Huo Jiang could react.

    The mystic light shone brighter, pushing Huo Jiang down. This time around, Huo Jiang didn¡¯t even get to stand up. All the spectators could see was the sword manifesting into a dragon, swimming toward Huo Jiang.

    Ding¡ª¨C! Another concealed weapon was stuck on the tip of the sword.

    Huo Jiang¡¯s main weapon flew away as well.

    Lin Zixin then announced, ¡°Nine Jade Pce, Lu Mingshu wins!

 Chapter 152: Medication

    <h4>Chapter 152: Medication</h4>

    As soon as Lu Mingshu got off the stage, Tan Yubing rushed over to hold her.

    Lu Mingshu bowed to the three chaperones before making her way back to get treatment.

    ¡°Who¡¯s plotting against you? That was too dirty!¡± Tan Yubing yelled as she put Lu Mingshu down and shut the door.

    Lu Mingshu smiled at her while untying her belt. ¡°Kou Wei was plotted against more than ten times. This is just a small thing.¡±

    ¡°Let me.¡± Tan Yubing took over and carefully took off the clothes that were sticking to Lu Mingshu¡¯s wound. ¡°There were such matters?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Kou Wei said it during one of their meetings. It¡¯s just that he was so skillful and daring that nobody had ever seeded against him, so it wasn¡¯t well remembered.

    After checking all of Mingshu¡¯s injuries, Tan Yubing heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°It¡¯s not serious, you¡¯ve just lost too much blood. You should take some medicine to enrich your blood.¡±

    Just then, somebody knocked on her door.

    Tan Yubing let Lu Mingshu rest while she went to get the door.

    A servant girl was at the door. Upon seeing Tan Yubing, she bowed and showed the items in her hand. ¡°Miss, this servant has received orders to send Miss Lu some medicine.¡±

    ¡°Received orders? Whose orders?¡± Tan Yubing was still shocked by the story about Kou Wei being plotted against, so she was more alert now.

    ¡°Young Master said that Miss Lu would know who he is after receiving the medicine.¡±

    Tan Yubing hesitated and looked at Lu Mingshu.

    ¡°Is there a token?¡± Lu Mingshu¡¯s voice rang from the room.

    The servant girl stared nkly at Tan Yubing. ¡°This... Young Master was so worried about Miss that he rushed me here, so he must have forgotten to pass me the token.¡±

    ¡°Miss, please leave,¡± Lu Mingshu replied coldly. ¡°Nine Jade Pce may be poor, but we still have medicine.¡±

    ¡°Miss Lu...!¡±

    ¡°Senior Aunt Tan, please send her off.¡±

    Hearing Lu Mingshu, Tan Yubing hesitated no more. ¡°Please leave.¡±

    Bang!

    The door closed right in the servant girl¡¯s face.

    Tan Yubing walked toward her. ¡°Junior Niece Lu, are you sure it¡¯s alright?¡±

    Lu Mingshu fidgeted with the concealed weapon from her earlier fight and shrugged. ¡°Who cares. She was clearly hiding the head and showing the tail.¡±

    (Idiom meaning ¡°to tell a half-truth¡±)

    She didn¡¯t suspect anything at first, but after seeing the servant girl acting suspicious in front of Tan Yubing, Lu Mingshu asked a question to the servant girl. Who knew she would get such an interesting answer?

    ¡°This... Young Master was so worried about Miss that he rushed me here, so he must have forgotten to pass me the token.¡±...if I was actually interested in Xie Lianzhen, I would be on cloud nine. However, Xie Lianzhen wouldn¡¯t act in such a heavy-handed way. That day when we met at the greenhouse, he only hinted at it, so why would he let a servant girl say something so tant?

    Tan Yubing nodded and got somebody to send some water over.

    As soon as the water was sent over, somebody knocked on the door again. Tan Yubing went to open it and saw another servant girl standing outside.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± The constant knocking on the door annoyed Tan Yubing.

    This servant girl took out a few bottles of medicine as well. ¡°This servant received orders to send Miss some medicine....¡±

    ¡°Token?¡± Tan Yubing tried not to snap at her.

    The servant girl took a piece of jade out of her pocket.

    Seeing that she really did have a token, Tan Yubing hesitated for a while before taking the jade to Lu Mingshu. ¡°Junior Niece Lu, take a look.¡±

    Lu Mingshu took a look at the jade and nodded her head. ¡°ept it.¡±

    Tan Yubing nodded and epted the medicine.

    The servant girl continued, ¡°This is Coagtion Cream, to be applied on the wound.¡± The servant girl then pointed to another box, ¡°This is a Yiyang Pill, for enriching one¡¯s blood. And this is a patch that you can bring with you anywhere. The next time Miss Lu is injured, she can just apply it without having to bandage.¡±

    Tan Yubing went back to the room to continue cleaning Lu Mingshu¡¯s wounds.

    Lu Mingshu suddenly pointed at the medicine that was sent to her. ¡°Just use this.¡±

    Tan Yubing looked at her in shock, but she did as she was told and bandaged it for Lu Mingshu.

    After changing, Lu Mingshu took the other medicine. Seeing that she still looked pale, Tan Yubing advised her to stay in. ¡°Junior Niece Lu, stay in today. Anyone who still wants to have a match with you today would be way too thick-skinned.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded. ¡°Thanks, Senior Aunt Tan.¡±

    Tan Yubing smiled at her. ¡°We are from the same sect, what¡¯s there to thank?¡±

    But Tan Yubing never expected Lu Mingshu to reply with, ¡°Yes... the same sect. It¡¯s hard for me to be able to thank someone from the same sect.¡±

    Tan Yubing thought of Lu Mingshu¡¯s situation and sighed. The line of Golden Door may be almost insignificant in Nine Jade Pce, and they didn¡¯t have many resources either. However, Tan Yubing¡¯s Senior Sisters and Brothers showered her with love, unlike Lu Mingshu, who only had Gao Xiang by her side.

    To Lu Mingshu, Nine Jade Pce wasn¡¯t a shelter over her head; it was more like a jail. To her, leaving Nine Jade Pce may be the best solution.

    Tan Yubing sighed. Suddenly, a thought appeared in her mind.

    ¡°Junior Niece Lu...¡±

    Seeing her hem and haw, Lu Mingshu just spoke up, ¡°Senior Aunt Tan, feel free to say anything that¡¯s on your mind.¡±

    ¡°Sorry for poking my nose into your business.¡± Tan Yubing asked cautiously, ¡°Is it the Alioth Star-Lord who sent the medicine over?¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded. ¡°Thest one was.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve met before?¡±

    ¡°By chance.¡±

    ¡°Is he...¡±

    ¡°Senior Aunt Tan,¡± Lu Mingshu cut her off. ¡°Since thest one was from him, who do you think the first one was from?¡±

    Tan Yubing stared at her nkly. She realized howplicated all this was.

    Lu Mingshu sighed. It was obvious who the first sender was. Other than that crazy State Master Jia Yan, who would pretend to be the Alioth Star-Lord? She just couldn¡¯t understand what this State Master had in her mind. If you like somebody, why don¡¯t you just go for it? What¡¯s the point ofing after me? Moreover, me and Xie Lianzhen... it isn¡¯t even like what she thinks, and even if it was, she should go after him and capture his heart, not me! Finding trouble with me is just a waste of her time.

    She heard Tan Yubing continue, ¡°I just wanted to suggest that, if he¡¯s really interested in you, maybe you could take this chance to leave Nine Jade Pce. However, the Seventh Truth tform is also a mess....¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked at her andughed sarcastically. ¡°Why... why does everyone say such things?¡±

    ¡°What things?¡±

    ¡°Must I do that in order to leave the Nine Jade Pce?¡± she asked softly. ¡°The only way to leave my prison is by marrying someone?¡±

    Tan Yubing sighed. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. There are other ways, of course. It¡¯s just that this is the best choice for you given your current situation.¡±

    ¡°But what am I if I do that?¡± she mumbled as if talking to herself. ¡°Using marriage to escape trouble... isn¡¯t that like selling myself? Is it because the reason is much more noble, that¡¯s why it isn¡¯t considered selling myself? Why does everyone give me the same suggestion?¡±

    Tan Yubing was taken aback by her answer. After realizing Mingshu¡¯s thoughts, Tan Yubing sighed. ¡°Junior Niece Lu, we are all justmoners. What else can we do? We can¡¯t avoid all this. The world has its own rules, and we are just like dust. All we can do is follow the rules.¡±

    Lu Mingshu smiled and shook her head. ¡°But that¡¯s boring. I do not want to live a life like that.¡±

    ¡°Junior Niece Lu...¡± Hearing her answer, Tan Yubing started worrying for her. ¡°Your mind is a bit scary....¡±

    ...

    ¡°Token!?¡± State Master Jia Yan screamed. ¡°She and Cousin have a keepsake? I knew it! It¡¯s all fake! Thick skin, I must...¡±

    Suddenly, the door was kicked open, revealing Xie Lianzhen on his wheelchair and the teenager who kicked the door open.

    Xie Lianzhen smiled mirthlessly at her, ¡°You must what? Come, share with me. I want to know too.¡±

 Chapter 153: Stranger

    <h4>Chapter 153: Stranger</h4>

    ¡°Cousin...¡± State Master Jia Yan mumbled, staring nkly at him. She still hadn¡¯t recovered from the shock.

    Xie Lianzhen continued to smile at her brilliantly. ¡°Hmm?¡±

    State Master Jia Yan looked at him, then back to the teenager who kicked open her door. As if she had found a target to get angry at; ¡°Xie Zhanghui! How dare you trample on my door!¡±

    The teenager who trampled her door went back to stand behind Xie Lianzhen. He looked around as if it had nothing to do with him.

    ¡°Xie Zhanghui-!¡±

    ¡°Jia Yan,¡± Xie Lianzhen cut her off. He sounded calm, as if nothing had happened. However, from his tone, one could tell that he was just acting calm.

    ¡°Cousin!¡± State Master Jia Yan panicked. ¡°I... I¡¯m not nning anything....¡±

    Xie Lianzhen looked at the teenager behind him. ¡°Zhanghui.¡±

    The teenager behind him answered, ¡°Yes,¡± as he made his way forward.

    Not only was Xie Zhanghui tall, he had long limbs and an expressionless face. State Master Jia Yan felt oppressed by him and kept retreating while screaming. ¡°Xie Zhanghui! What are you trying to do?¡±

    Xie Zhanghui didn¡¯t even spare her a look. He snatched the box of medicine over from the servant girl and poured the medicine out to have a sniff. ¡°Young Master, there¡¯s Fire Fox Vine¡¯s powder added to it.¡±

    ¡°Fire Fox Vine...¡± Xie Lianzhen smiled with exaggeration. ¡°The best medicine to improve blood flow. Wow. Perfect for someone covered in cuts.¡±

    His smile gave State Master Jia Yan goose bumps. ¡°Cousin...¡±

    ¡°I heard you made a bet with her, huh?¡±

    State Master Jia Yan lowered her head in silence, not daring to look into his eyes.

    ¡°And you used my name to send her a special medicine, huh? If she really used it, not only today, she wouldn¡¯t need to go for any of the remaining matches because there¡¯s no doubt she would lose.¡± Xie Lianzhen looked into her eyes and smiled. ¡°Jia Yan, you¡¯re really something!¡±

    He spoke without any emotion, as if he was an iceberg.

    This wasn¡¯t the first time State Master Jia Yan heard him speak like this. However, in the past, he only spoke like this to outsiders, not her. Back then, she felt satisfied to see it, but when the arrow was pointed at her, her heart sank. It was as if the whole world had crashed down on her.

    ¡°Cousin...¡± she pleaded. ¡°I, I don¡¯t like her, can you not...?¡±

    ¡°Have you ever liked anyone?¡± Xie Lianzhen looked into her eyes coldly. ¡°Ever since the queen started picking out a bride for me, how many have you liked?¡±

    ¡°I... I didn¡¯t do anything to her, just that...¡±

    ¡°Just that she wouldn¡¯t be able continue the matches.¡± Xie Lianzhen continued in monotone. The smile on his face was soon gone. ¡°Jia Yan, you were born under a lucky star, with a golden spoon in your mouth and everyone doting on you. Everything has gone as you wished your entire life, and now you think my life should be as you wish too?¡±

    ¡°So what if she can¡¯tpete!?¡± State Master Jia Yan retorted in anger. This was the first time in her life that she had been chided. ¡°Not like she would die! And getting into the New Generation Ranking is just to feed her ego, what¡¯s the big deal?¡±

    Xie Lianzhen sneered. He gave her a cold stare. ¡°Of course it¡¯s no big deal to you. You¡¯re the only State Master in a royal family; you can have whatever you want. As soon as you started cultivating, you were given everything that could help you and anything that you asked for no matter how rare or expensive the things were. But some people don¡¯t even have ess to any resources. Even basic resources are difficult for her to get. Even an ordinary weapon costs an arm and a leg for some people.... The New Ranking may just be chicken ribs to you, but it may be an important step to some in their lives.¡±

    Xie Lianzhen paused for a while before continuing. ¡°You¡¯re also wrong. Notpeting will kill her by changing her fate. She¡¯s trying hard to get out of the mess that she¡¯s being forced into, and here you are trying to take away her only chance.¡±

    State Master Jia Yan¡¯s eyes were dripping with tears. She trembled, but she didn¡¯t dare to say anything else. She only looked at him with grievance.

    ¡°Even I have my limits,¡± Xie Lianzhen continued calmly. ¡°Yes, I remember all that you¡¯ve done for me and all the care you¡¯ve shown me. But that doesn¡¯t mean that I have to tolerate all your actions. There are many powerful people in this world. You may be from a royal family, but so what? Even I, an Alioth Star-Lord that¡¯s not even fit for my position, can decide to not tolerate you, let alone people with actual power. This is myst warning; if you choose to ignore it, then don¡¯t me me for being unkind.¡±

    Xie Lianzhen signalled Xie Zhanghui to push him out.

    ¡°Cousin!¡± State Master Jia Yan¡¯s tears burst forth like water from a dam as she called out to him. In her entire life, she had never been treated this way before.

    But that didn¡¯t stop Xie Lianzhen. He went further and further until he could no longer be seen.

    ¡°State Master...¡± The servant girl was at a loss. She wanted to calm her down, but she did not dare.

    ¡°Get lost!¡± State Master Jia Yan pushed her away and ran away sobbing.

    ¡°State Master, State Master!¡± The servant girl hurried after her.

    ...

    The matches were still in progress on the rooftop.

    ¡°Young Master, should we go back and watch the matches?¡±

    It was inappropriate for a Star-Lord to just leave during the middle of a match, but if State Master Jia Yan hadn¡¯t suddenly left, Xie Lianzhen wouldn¡¯t have left either.

    Xie Lianzhen didn¡¯t respond. He then pointed to another direction after a few moments. ¡°Let¡¯s go there.¡±

    Xie Zhanghui looked at him in shock, but he remained silent and pushed the wheelchair.

    As they were reaching the courtyard where the Nine Jade Pce team was temporarily staying, Xie Lianzhen held his hand up, and both of them stopped under a tree outside the courtyard.

    Xie Lianzhen kept quiet, and Xie Zhanghui kept quiet too.

    Silence then took over the area. If someone saw this scene, it was just two guys staring into space, one standing and one sitting.

    After a few moments, Xie Lianzhen suddenly started, ¡°Am I a disgusting person?¡± It was a bit soft, so Xie Zhanghui couldn¡¯t tell if he was just mumbling to himself or asking. ¡°In front of Jia Yan, I said all that as if I am devoted to righteousness, but honestly, what¡¯s the difference between me and her? Jia Yan keeps suppressing Lu Mingshu because she doesn¡¯t like her, while I kept teasing her because I find her interesting, and I even tried to help and protect her without her consent. In the end, I am just as disgusting as Jia Yan. A selfish human being who only cares about himself.¡±

    Xie Zhanghui kept quiet.

    ¡°Why is there a person like her in this world?¡± Xie Lianzhen lowered his head and looked at the piece of jade in his hand. ¡°Her father remarried, biting the hand that fed him. Her family members were all dead, but she still wasn¡¯t treated properly. She had an even-tougher life than me, so why can she still... shine so brightly? Zhanghui, why am I so bad?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Xie Zhanghui answered without hesitating. ¡°You¡¯re shining brightly too.¡±

    ¡°Hah...¡± Xie Lianzhen sneered. ¡°Why do you even bother trying to make me feel better...? Xie Xingchen... Xie Xingchen.... She must have great foresight to give me such a name.¡±

    (Xing means ¡°star¡± and Chen means ¡°drown¡±)

    ¡°Young Master...¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m such a despicable person.¡± He smiled, but his eyes are dull. ¡°No wonder she likes him, not me.¡±

 Chapter 154: Itéˆ¥æªš All Fine?

    <h4>Chapter 154: It¡¯s All Fine?</h4>

    Tan Yubing¡¯s guess was correct; nobody challenged Lu Mingshu after her fight. She was injured under the eyes of every participant. Whoever dared to challenge her despite that would be seen as the epitome of shameless.

    The games of the world indeed had their own rules and regtions, and the Qilin Festival was no exception. No matter how many dirty secrets were hidden below, they should at least remain magnificent on the surface. Otherwise, how could the New Generation Ranking mean anything?

    The skies soon darkened, and the chaperones sent someone to check on Lu Mingshu, except for An Tongchen, who came down personally.

    ¡°You should work on your defense,¡± An Tongchen started. ¡°It¡¯s good to be an elite in one area, but it probably won¡¯t get you to the top.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Senior Uncle An.¡±

    All sorts of feelings welled up in Lu Mingshu¡¯s heart. In other people¡¯s eyes, An Tongchen was someone cold and nasty, but to her and her master, it was a totally different story.

    An Tongchen didn¡¯t stay for long. ¡°Rest early. There¡¯s a high chance that someone will challenge you tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    An Tongchen waved his hand to indicate that she didn¡¯t need to send him off, then left.

    Lu Mingshu took a pouch that An Tongchen left behind. She opened it up to reveal a box of ointment and a thin disk

    She took it out to have a better look. The disk was smaller than her palm, and it was dark green with aplex rune on it.

    ¡°Spiritual Tool...¡± she murmured.

    Spiritual Tool ¨C a tool that arose during the war between mankind and the barbarians when mankind¡¯s development was at its apex. Back then, with a Spiritual Tool, one could demonstrate extraordinary skills without using much mystic force. Spiritual Tools were a heroic contribution to mankind winning war. As time passed, the rune-carving industry started to wane, so Spiritual Tools were hardly seen anymore.

    This Spiritual Tool was definitely not newly made. Looking at its condition, it must have been at least a hundred years old.

    Mystic force rushed forth from her palm, and gold rays of light surrounded the disk. This inconspicuous Spiritual Tool shone brightly on her palm. Lu Mingshu flicked it lightly, and as if it was alive, the disk jumped on her palm like a paper frog and blinked continuously.

    Such a treasure! If I had this with me earlier, I wouldn¡¯t have been injured.

    ¡°I owe him so much!¡± Lu Mingshu sighed and grabbed the disk in her hand.

    If she was An Tongchen¡¯s disciple, it would be a different story, but she wasn¡¯t.

    ¡°Whatever. When there are too many debts, one stops worrying.¡± Lu Mingshu ced the disk back into the pouch.

    As she was about to go into the Heavenly Wheel, someone came to her door.

    When she opened the door, the servant girl who came over that day was standing outside. ¡°Miss Lu, someone instructed this servant to pass you something.¡±

    She passed a roll of silk to Lu Mingshu and left hurriedly after bowing.

    Lu Mingshu closed the door and opened the silk.

    It was filled with writings that had the same font as the one on the back of book she received a couple of days ago. Each and every stroke was clearly and neatly written. One could tell that the owner of this text had great patience.

    The things written on the silk got straight to the point. It was about the situation that Huo Jiang was in, and who he had met before and during the Qilin Festival.

    Lu Mingshu blinked her eyes.

    Should she consider herself lucky? Even though she had always been in desperate situations, there was always someone there for her. An Tongchen was helping her because of her master, while the other one was someone whom she wanted to avoid but couldn¡¯t.

    Whatever. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m forcing him to do this. He can do whatever he wants. She crushed the silk and went into the Heavenly Wheel.

    ¡°Xiao Sang.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Do you know what this is?¡± Lu Mingshu took out the concealed weapons.

    The concealed weapons were the ones that Huo Jiang injured her with earlier. To say that they were concealed weapons though... they were rough and looked cheap. They didn¡¯t look like plum blossom darts nor money darts. They just looked unfinished.

    ¡°Golden Crystal Extract,¡± Xiao Sang replied in monotone. ¡°Extremely good at conducting mystic force; the energy loss is almost zero. The material is extremely durable. It¡¯s the best quality material.¡±

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s eyes widened. Xiao Sang had high standards; herments took into ount everything in the world. This was the first time that she had said that Lu Mingshu¡¯s item was something more than a basic material.

    ¡°Xiao Sang, could I use it to craft a sword?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but you need to have at least a middle-ss tool refining technique.¡±

    ording to Xiao Sang¡¯s standard, ¡°middle-ss tool refining technique¡± referred to the grandmaster level of tool refining. Finding a tool refining grandmaster to craft a sword for her? Maybe even Fu Shangqin couldn¡¯t get one to do it.

    ¡°And you don¡¯t have enough of it. If you want to craft a sword, you need at least three of those things in your hand.¡±

    Lu Mingshu bit her lips. ¡°Xiao Sang, is this hard to get? How many points are needed to exchange for this in the Heavenly Wheel?¡±

    ¡°Best quality stuff is rare. You will need up to thirty million points to be able to exchange for it.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Lu Mingshu kept quiet. She had already spent more than six months trying to pay off her debt of one thousand. Thirty million was obviously impossible for her.

    From this information, it was obvious that this Golden Crystal Extract was a high-ss material, and only someone with high cultivation would have ess to it. Adding on what Xiao Sang said about the tool refining standard, if it was sessful, it would be the best quality weapon.

    Lu Mingshu bit her lips. ¡°Could I find someone to craft a sword through the Heavenly Wheel?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Xiao Sang replied. ¡°You could use your points and set it up on the forum as a task for someone to pick up, or you could wait for the Heavenly Wheel toe out with a new recipe for crafting a sword that can increase your percentage of seeding. ¡±

    ¡°How many points are needed?¡±

    ¡°The forum is a ce for those who have ess to the Heavenly Wheel tomunicate with each other. One can do a deal with points or objects there. A crafting recipe will cost about a thousand to a million points.¡±

    Way cheaper than I thought it would be.

    She was definitely going to craft a sword. Her current weapon was still usable, but it couldn¡¯t bring her very far. A weapon was a martial artist¡¯s life. Anyone who aspired to break through the Spirit Realm would have a good weapon, regardless of whether it was the sect that gave them a precious tool or whether they collected the materials themselves like Kou Wei, who started immediately when he entered the Harmonization Realm.

    After setting her goal, Lu Mingshu spent half a night in the Heavenly Wheel and went out to rest after she recovered.

    The next morning, when she took off the bandage, the wound was gone, and not even a scar was left.

    Tan Yubing came over early to help her clean her wound, but she was taken aback by what she saw.

    ¡°Wow...! What kind of medicine did you take? It¡¯s so powerful.¡±

    ¡°Secret medicine of the Seventh Truth tform.¡± Lu Mingshu smiled.

    Tan Yubing bit her lips. Lu Mingshu changed and walked toward the door, ignoring Tan Yubing¡¯s looks. ¡°Senior Aunt Tan, let¡¯s get going.¡±

    ¡°Oh, okay....¡±

    On the second day of the challenges, the matches were still interesting. After a few rounds, Lin Zixin flipped open the name list that was just sent to him and looked at the clerk in shock. ¡°Are you sure this is what was sent?¡±

    The clerk nodded. ¡°Sir, I¡¯ve asked, and she said that it¡¯s not against the rules....¡±

 Chapter 155: Another Round

    <h4>Chapter 155: Another Round</h4>

    After the match ended, Lin Zixin took a deep breath and looked over at the Nine Jade Pce¡¯s tent.

    ¡°The next match ¨C Lu Mingshu from Nine Jade Pce challenges Huo Jiang from the Sapphire Blood Sect.¡±

    There was an uproar among the tents.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? They just fought yesterday!¡±

    ¡°This is going against the rules!¡±

    ¡°How can you go against the same person twice?¡±

    ¡°But if it¡¯s against the rules, why didn¡¯t Mister Lin stop it?¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡± somebody eximed. ¡°The rules say that participants can¡¯t challenge the same person twice, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°The previous time, it was Huo Jiang who challenged Lu Mingshu... but now, it¡¯s the other way around.¡±

    Everyone looked at each other in confusion. Can you actually do that? Wow, I never would¡¯ve thought of it.

    Generally speaking, upon reaching the challenger round, there was rarely anyone who would let emotions affect their decision-making. If two people had a rematch, the losing party would have an 80% chance of losing again, and the winning party had already gotten the loser¡¯s points. Even though it wasn¡¯t against the rules, no one had ever done it in the history of the Qilin Festival.

    Lu Mingshu jumped on stage and looked toward the direction of the Sapphire Blood Sect.

    Her eyes were cold. Combined with her fair skin, she looked like an iceberg.

    In the eyes of others, this Eldest Miss of the Nine Jade Pce was a weirdo. She had the ssic Dongyue woman¡¯s look ¨C defined facial features and fair skin. Dongyue women were well-known for being lovable and delicate; they reminded people of the apricot flowers that bloomed in spring. However, looking at Lu Mingshu, one couldn¡¯t see any signs of her being lovable or delicate. She stood there like an ice sculpture; beautiful and clean, but chilly as well.

    After a while, Huo Jiang jumped up on stage.

    ¡°Miss Lu, isn¡¯t it obvious that you already won yesterday? What do you still want?¡± Huo Jiang bit his lips. The calm he had yesterday was long gone. One could easily tell that he was scared.

    Under Lu Mingshu¡¯s attacks the day before, he totally had no chance of counterattacking. Without his concealed weapons, it would not even be possible to injure her. Speaking of which, she stole his concealed weapons in the end. Recalling the scene yesterday, her precision and concentration scared him.

    To summarize it; the confidence that he had yesterday was long gone, and he was now afraid of Lu Mingshu.

    ¡°Sir is unwilling to fight?¡±

    Huo Jiang shook his head and smiled bitterly. ¡°It¡¯s obvious I¡¯m no match for you.¡±

    ¡°Oh, well that¡¯s fine. We don¡¯t have to fight.¡± Before Huo Jiang could thank her though, she added, ¡°I¡¯m interested in your concealed weapons. Could Sir let me try them out?¡±

    ¡°Miss Lu...¡±

    She had already stolen his concealed weapons yesterday, what was left for her to even try out? She stole his weapons and didn¡¯t return them, and since he was at fault in the first ce, he didn¡¯t dare to ask for them back. He felt his heart drop. What the hell, does she want me to give her all of my concealed weapons...? Wait... is she serious?

    Huo Jiang looked at her, eyes widening in shock. ¡°Miss Lu! Why...? Would you stop pestering me?¡±

    Lu Mingshu put on a thin smile. ¡°Me pestering you? Sir is making no sense. You can challenge me, but I can¡¯t challenge you?¡±

    ¡°What...¡± the hell? Who cares about the fight? I¡¯m talking about you stealing two of my concealed weapons already and yet you still want more? Greedy!

    However, Huo Jiang did not finish his sentence. Using concealed weapons against her in the first ce wasn¡¯t something to be proud of.

    ¡°What¡¯s Miss Lu doing?¡± Qi Sheng asked.

    Kou Wei scratched his chin. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but she sounds just like you when you¡¯re trying to extort me.¡±

    ¡°Senior Brother!¡± Qi Sheng protested.

    Kou Wei smiled at him. ¡°Let¡¯s just watch.¡±

    On the stage, Huo Jiang went into a fighting stance. ¡°Since Miss Lu is so persistent, then I shall fight you.¡±

    Lu Mingshu started to attack immediately after he finished his sentence.

    Ding! Ding! Ding!

    Their weapons shed against each other.

    The match was nothing but boring. Huo Jiang didn¡¯t even try to fight back, and he didn¡¯t use his concealed weapons either. He just took her attacks silently.

    Many people were shaking their heads.

    ¡°This Lu Mingshu is going overboard! Huo Jiang has basically surrendered, and yet she still wants to fight?¡±

    ¡°This is the most atrocious thing I¡¯ve ever seen in all my years of attending the Qilin Festival.¡±

    ¡°Such a petty girl! What¡¯s the use of being so powerful when you have such a bad attitude?¡±

    ¡°Indeed....¡±

    She forced Huo Jiang to the corner, not giving him anywhere to go. As he was about to surrender, Lu Mingshu started speaking; ¡°Sir doesn¡¯t have a good life in the Sapphire Blood Sect, am I right?¡±

    Upon hearing that, Huo Jiang stood rooted to the ground.

    Lu Mingshu attacked again and spoke, ¡°I heard that youpeted for a genuine sessor disciple spot three times and never once seed. That¡¯s sad.¡±

    Huo Jiang had fire in his eyes. Yes, he sucked; he couldn¡¯t be a genuine sessor disciple even in such a small n. But...!

    ¡°A day before the Qilin Festival, somebody approached you....¡±

    Huo Jiang¡¯s eyes widened, and he looked at her in shock.

    Lu Mingshu remained calm. She eyed the spectators and was assured that the rooftop was too far for others to know what they were talking about.

    The sword-energy enveloped both of them. From afar, one would think that they were fighting furiously when, in reality, Huo Jiang wasn¡¯t even counterattacking.

    Huo Jiang was feeling confused.

    ¡°You...¡±

    Lu Mingshu attacked again, smiling. ¡°You don¡¯t have much time left, right? If you don¡¯t do well soon, you might be abandoned by your sect.¡±

    Huo Jiang was speechless.

    The person who came to him said the exact same thing too.

    Indeed, he didn¡¯t have much time left. The Sapphire Blood Sect was a small sect, so they didn¡¯t have many resources to provide for all their disciples. If he didn¡¯t prove that he was worthy, he would be abandoned. If not for this, why would he take so many risks?

    ¡°Actually, your concealed weapons don¡¯t do you much good anyway.¡± Lu Mingshu smiled thinly. ¡°You didn¡¯t beat me with them, and you won¡¯t beat anyone else that¡¯s way above your skill level, right?¡±

    Huo Jiang gave her a death stare. ¡°So what the hell do I get if I give them to you?¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t expose you!¡± Lu Mingshu smiled. ¡°That person gave you more than some weapons, am I right?¡±

    Lu Mingshu had a sweet and melodious voice, yet it sounded like the devil in Huo Jiang¡¯s ears. ¡°Sir, either you gain a chance to break through to the Spirit Realm, or you can continue to be who you are. Choose for yourself.¡±

 Chapter 156: The Taste of Oneéˆ¥æªš Own Medicine

    <h4>Chapter 156: The Taste of One¡¯s Own Medicine</h4>

    Huo Jiang couldn¡¯t wrap his head around what he was hearing.

    In order to convince him, that other party gave him a price that was high enough to make him willing to take risks. The price was something that a disciple of a small n would never get in their life.

    But Lu Mingshu? She was forcing him to give her all his treasures without any reason.

    No, not just ¡°without reason¡±... she was robbing him!

    But did he have a choice? From what she said, it proved that she was aware of the story. Once it got out, the reliability of the Qilin Festival would be affected, and, without a doubt, the king of Zhongzhou would definitely punish everyone involved. Not only would he get punished, he would drag his entire sect down with him. Between the sect¡¯s reputation and an ordinary disciple like him, it was obvious how the elders would react.

    The sword-energy was wrapped around him. Huo Jiang felt chills run down his spin, and he sighed.

    Asking him to give away these treasures was like forcing him to cut his own flesh. As an ordinary disciple, being able to get his hands on such a thing was like gold falling from the sky. He nned to use these items to craft a treasure tool, or at least exchange them if he was unable to do it himself.

    If he had known this is what would happen, he would have changed the deal and exchanged these items for resources instead.

    But what could he do at this point? He was already at this stage, so he had no other choice.

    Huo Jiang took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He slightly moved his weapon.

    Clink¡ª-!

    The sword-light shone, and the concealed weapon attached to the sword.

    Lu Mingshu gave Huo Jiang a smile and put it into her mustard seed pouch.

    ¡°Could you tell me how you discovered them in the first ce?¡± Huo Jiang asked

    ¡°Easy.¡± Lu Mingshu looked at him. ¡°This concealed weapon is quiet and hard to see, but since it goes after the target automatically, it would make some noise by vibrating when I change my direction because of the air resistance. As long as I was fast enough, I would hear it.¡±

    Huo Jiang remained silent. It had been a few years since he first received the concealed weapons, yet he had never realized its true value. However, Lu Mingshu realized after one match with him.

    I¡¯m not as good as her. He was convinced in his heart.

    Huo Jiang leapt off of the stage. ¡°I concede.¡±

    The match ended just like that. Most spectators were baffled and found the match boring.

    It was a one-sided fight, with Lu Mingshu attacking furiously and Huo Jiang just dodging. There wasn¡¯t any suspense.

    It was hard to even count the number of spectators mumbling under their breath,ining about the match being pointless. Huo Jiang already lost the previous match, so Lu Mingshu wouldn¡¯t gain many points, and if she wanted to take revenge, hadn¡¯t she had enough yesterday? Huo Jiang was already in such a poor state yesterday.

    In the main tent, the king sighed. He then turned to the queen. ¡°That child is really stubborn. She could be the next you.¡±

    The queen smiled at him sweetly. ¡°What, doesn¡¯t the king think its a good thing?¡±

    The king smiled at her with love. ¡°In my eyes, my queen is the best.¡±

    The queen blushed and giggled.

    Lu Mingshu went back to her seat, and the matches continued.

    Huo Jiang had given her four more concealed weapons today, so there was now a total of six weapons. ording to Xiao Sang¡¯s prediction, it was enough to craft a sword.

    Whether Huo Jiang had left some for himself, she didn¡¯t want to know. Even if it was extortion, one should still leave some leeway. Extortion wasn¡¯t something to be proud of, to begin with.

    During the afternoon, the announcement once again shocked everybody. ¡°Cai Zheng from the Celestial Pole Mountain, challenging Lu Mingshu from Nine Jade Pce.¡±

    After hearing this, there was mumbling across all the tents. No matter how stupid one was, they would realize that something was off.

    Celestial Pole Mountain¡¯s Cai Zheng... another disciple from a small sect.

    For Huo Jiang, one could argue that he was trying to gain fame and simply underestimated Lu Mingshu. However, in that match, Lu Mingshu disyed her abilities, so nobody would still be so stupid as to challenge her unless they had confidence.

    ¡°Did she offend somebody?¡± a spectator asked.

    ¡°Maybe.¡±

    ¡°Interesting, huh? Seems like somebody doesn¡¯t want her in the New Ranking.¡±

    ¡°Hey! Who asked her to be so ambitious? Going around all the arenas topete before the Qilin Festival? She ruined the reputation of many martial arts halls, there¡¯s no doubt she offended someone!¡±

    ¡°True, it¡¯s normal that people would hate her.¡±

    ¡°Huo Jiang had concealed weapons. I wonder what this Cai Zheng has?¡±

    Cai Zheng jumped onto the stage, looked toward the Nine Jade Pce tent, and sneered.

    ¡°Miss Lu is such an outstanding person. I look forward to your generous teachings!¡± Unlike Huo Jiang, Cai Zheng provoked her immediately.

    Lu Mingshu leapt up to the stage. ¡°Shut up and start.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Cai Zheng sneered. ¡°Be careful, Miss!¡±

    As soon as he finished his sentence, Cai Zheng dashed toward Lu Mingshu.

    His weapon was a long whip. It was silver, and it shone brightly under the sunlight. When it moved, it was like a silver snakeing for Lu Mingshu as it created huge waves of wind.

    ¡°Eh?¡± In the Heavenly Sea Pavilion canopy, Kou Wei strummed his fingers. ¡°This Cai Zheng isn¡¯t bad!¡±

    Other than some unique weapons, Huo Jiang was nothing more than ordinary. However, Cai Zheng¡¯s ability wasparable to the A-ss people. If he was lucky, he could be a dark horse.

    It was such a pity to use an opponent like that to stop Lu Mingshu.

    ¡°So what if he¡¯s good?¡± Qi Sheng huffed. ¡°Miss Lu will surely win.¡±

    Kou Wei sighed. ¡°Of course she¡¯ll win, but we don¡¯t know what price she¡¯ll have to pay this time around.¡±

    He was starting to suspect his earlier guess. When Huo Jiang challenged Mingshu, he thought that somebody wanted to take Lu Mingshu down because her presence would take up a spot on the New Generation Ranking, but now, it didn¡¯t seem like that was the case.

    Cai Zheng wasparable to Shao Zhengyang. Every Qilin Festival, one or two people at their level would make it into the New Generation Ranking and gain plenty of fame and generous rewards. Convincing someone like Cai Zheng, who had a good chance to make it into the New Ranking, to throw that away to take down Lu Mingshu... it would cost much more than convincing Huo Jiang.

    What small or medium sect could afford such a thing? Topletely stop Lu Mingshu, they would have to bribe way more than just two people.

    On the rooftop, the fight started after some probing.

    Lu Mingshu held her chest. ¡°Using my own method against me?¡±

    Cai Zheng grinned. ¡°Miss Lu, could you show me the techniques you used to fight Xing Kun? I came to challenge you because of that! Please satisfy my curiosity, Miss. I want to know how you did it.¡±

    When she fought Xing Kun, Lu Mingshu used a strengthening seal to freeze his mystic energy, and that seal onlysted for one day.

    As for this Cai Zheng... he had mastered a special technique that could freeze his opponent¡¯s mystic force!

 Chapter 157: Inappropriate

    <h4>Chapter 157: Inappropriate</h4>

    ¡°Lu Mingshu from Nine Jade Pce wins!¡±

    Everyone heaved a sigh of relief when Lin Zixin announced the result.

    It was rare for a match to be so intense during the first few days of the challenger fights.

    Cai Zheng was powerful, and with his techniques, he was a match for Lu Mingshu. Most predicted that the match would end in a tie.

    In thest few minutes, Lu Mingshu used her Physical Manifestation of Sword Intent to defeat Cai Zheng. It was a close shave.

    In the Seventh Truth tform¡¯s area, Yu Kuang heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Cai Zheng is really good at hiding his ability.¡±

    He was relieved because the booklet that the Seventh Truth tform handed out didn¡¯t mention anything about Cai Zheng knowing how to freeze the opponent¡¯s mystic force. The Seventh Truth tform had been observing the participants for more than a year or two, and Yu Kuang dared to say that the Seventh Truth tform had the most urate and detailed information about all participants. The Seventh Truth tform not finding out about Cai Zheng¡¯s secret technique showed how good he was in concealing his ability.

    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that he used it on Lu Mingshu,¡± Wei Chunqiu, who rarely spoke,mented.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Yu Kuang observed. ¡°If it was me, I can¡¯t guarantee that I would win.¡±

    Freezing one¡¯s mystic force was like taking away a part of their cultivation. There was no doubt that such a thing would ruin their normal way of fighting. Looking at how Lu Mingshu was forced into a corner until thest few minutes was a good example. Every martial artist took years and years toe up with their own pattern, which consisted of the skills and techniques they usually used and even how they dodged. Once that pattern was broken, one would be forced to change it, resulting in a huge performance drop.

    Who exactly is going after Lu Mingshu? Yu Kuang bit his lips as he pondered. She came all the way from Xichuan, and she only became famous recently. Moreover, Nine Jade Pce is just a middle-tier sect. Who would pay such a high price just to take down a newb like her? It would make more sense for somebody toe after Kou Wei or Senior Brother Wei....

    As he was in deep thought, Wei Chunqiu cut it off by adding, ¡°Junior Sister Shi has been gone for quite a while, huh?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Yu Kuang looked at him abruptly.

    Yu Kuang didn¡¯t really take note of when Sect Master Jia Yan left her seat. She¡¯s a girl, so that¡¯s normal. But... it¡¯s been two hours and yet she¡¯s still nowhere to be seen?

    ¡°Junior Brother Xie isn¡¯t around either!¡±

    Yu Kuang looked toward where the Alioth Star-Lord should¡¯ve been sitting. There was an empty chair.

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave first. I have something to do.¡± Yu Kuang stood up frantically and ran off.

    Seeing him run off, Wei Chunqiu chuckled.

    ...

    Tan Yubing rushed over to Lu Mingshu as soon as she got down from the stage. ¡°Junior Niece Lu, are you okay?¡±

    She shook her head and bowed to the chaperones. ¡°Elders, this disciple will leave first.¡±

    Kang Tian nodded. ¡°Go and get some rest. Healing is important.¡±

    Under the worried looks of the elders, Tan Yubing sent Lu Mingshu back.

    Tan Yubing put Lu Mingshu down before mming the door in anger. ¡°Who the hell is doing all this? Are they mad?¡±

    Lu Mingshu kept quiet and took a pill.

    ¡°Junior Niece Lu, are you okay?¡± Tan Yubing asked worriedly.

    The previous time, it was just a flesh wound. This time, it was internal. Cai Zheng had control over Lu Mingshu¡¯s mystic force, and she got whipped a few times.

    ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± Lu Mingshu coughed. ¡°No matter who it is, the other party has shown that they aren¡¯t going to let me off. I may need to fight again today.¡±

    ¡°Haish.¡± Tan Yubing sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye out for you. Go and get some rest.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Thank you, Senior Aunt Tan.¡±

    There was no time for her to talk about being polite. Tan Yubing went out to keep an eye, and Lu Mingshu entered the Heavenly Wheel to heal.

    Compared to yesterday, where she was dripping with blood, she looked way better today. However, the injury today would actually take much longer to heal. Her mystic force was still frozen even now. If she didn¡¯t recover in time, it would affect her next match.

    In the blink of an eye, an hour passed. Lu Mingshu could hear sounds outside her door.

    ¡°Senior Aunt Tan, how¡¯s Senior Sister Lu now?¡±

    ¡°Still resting.¡±

    ¡°B-but... oh my god, what do we do? Somebody has challenged her again!¡±

    ¡°That fast? Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, ask Senior Sister Lu to hurry up!¡±

    When Tan Yubing entered her room, Lu Mingshu had already exited the Heavenly Wheel.

    ¡°Senior Niece Lu...¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s get going.¡± Lu Mingshu stood up.

    ¡°Are you okay now?¡± Tan Yubing looked at her in worry.

    Lu Mingshu gave her a stiff smile. ¡°Whether I¡¯m okay or not, I still have to fight, right?¡±

    Tan Yubing hesitated for a while before replying. ¡°Junior Niece Lu, you could concede. You don¡¯t have many points yet, so you wouldn¡¯t lose out that much. The rules also state that you can reject a challenge after having two matches in one day.¡±

    Lu Mingshu shook her head as she tidied her clothes. ¡°I can reject, but would that person stop?¡±

    ¡°Erm...¡±

    Indeed, Lu Mingshu could dy the match ording to the rules. However, since somebody was obviouslying after her, they wouldn¡¯t stop even if Lu Mingshu dyed. Dying would only cause her to get caught up in an unwanted situation, where she didn¡¯t have enough points and had to keep fighting.

    Besides, she was unwilling to back down anyway. Not even a single step!

    As expected, Lu Mingshu epted the challenge.

    In the Heavenly Sea Pavilion¡¯s tent, Qi Sheng had ants in his pants.

    ¡°This is stupid! Why would she ept a challenge when she knows that person has ill intentions?¡±

    ¡°Mhmm,¡± Kou Wei mumbled. The most suitable option was to reject ande back in two days when she fully recovered. He figured that Lu Mingshu would choose that option. If it was him, that¡¯s what he would do. After all, the opponent hade prepared while Mingshu was in a passive position. The best method was to maintain her strength properly.

    ¡°Haish....¡± Qi Sheng frowned in despair when the match started. ¡°Why is she so stubborn?¡±

    Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t seem to understand ¡°at the right moment¡± meant. Why not moderate yourself appropriately and only attack at the right moment? Compared to just epting every challenge like this, she would gain much more. To some people, she was just in idiotic.

    However, Kou Wei didn¡¯t want to call her stupid. From the amount of time they had spent with each other, he was aware that Lu Mingshu was nowhere near idiotic. She was smart. She was clear about what was happening, and yet she chose the stupidest way she could to deal with the situation. That wasn¡¯t idiotic, it was...

    ¡°Silly!¡± Kou Wei sighed. ¡°Such a silly girl.¡±

    She was in a battle... a battle with the world and its rules. Looking at her life, it had always been like that. She had been rebelling against everything she could.

    What was the big deal with her father remarrying? He was a Spirit Realm martial artist; why would he want to spend the rest of his life with an ordinary Dongyue woman? Almost everyone supported Fu Shangqin marrying the Zhou family¡¯s eldest daughter. To them, they were a match made in heaven. Meanwhile, the Lu family should have just given up on Fu Shangqin and focused on their lives, where they could have lived a good life.

    For the Nine Jade Pce¡¯s internal strife, the easiest method for Lu Mingshu to get her way was to make an alliance with the Zhou family¡¯s enemy.

    For the Qilin Festival, the best solution to counter her current situation was to make good use of the rules to take it slow and steady. In that way, she would surely get into the New Ranking.

    However, she didn¡¯t want to.

    She always rejected the ¡°best and most appropriate¡± solution.

    It suddenly hit Kou Wei that he didn¡¯t fully understand this girl.

    He always thought that she was just resisting those who oppressed her, but now he realized that it was way more than that.

    She was going against the whole world and its unwritten rules.

 Chapter 158: The Only Thing Thatéˆ¥æªš Important

    <h4>Chapter 158: The Only Thing That¡¯s Important</h4>

    ¡°Nine Jade Pce, Lu Mingshu wins.¡±

    Everyone lost track of how many times they had heard this.

    As expected.

    It was the third day of challenger¡¯s fight. Over the first two days, she was challenged quite a few times. There was quite a variety of people who challenged her; people from different sects and all different standards of ability.

    Even now, it was still a mystery whether somebody was trying to make her life difficult or whether she had just angered the entire crowd.

    ¡°Senior Brother, are you okay?¡± Qi Sheng nudged Kou Wei, who was deep in thought.

    ¡°It¡¯s faster.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°I meant the time she took to defeat the opponent.¡± Kou Wei pointed at the stage. ¡°The opponent this time was no weaker than Cai Zheng, but she took less than half the time she took to defeat Cai Zheng.¡±

    Qi Sheng raised his eyebrows. ¡°So?¡±

    Kou Wei sounded like he was deeply moved. ¡°She... is getting stronger every day. I can see her improving every match.¡±

    As a disciple of the Heavenly Sea Pavilion, Kou Wei had seen many talents, but it was his first time seeing somebody like Lu Mingshu. She wasn¡¯t that good in terms of her skills, but her learning speed was surprising.

    A mistake was never repeated twice. A barrier would not stop her twice. She was able to learn from her mistakes each fight and correct them as soon as possible. Her ability to judge and control the situation was something that one would hardly ever see in their lives.

    Once, he foolishly thought that her biggest disadvantage was her age. She was only sixteen and she still had a long way to go. Looking at her fight now, Kou Wei felt like he had been underestimating her potential.

    If one were to look at her after seven or eight... no, three or four years, and maybe she will be one of the best Harmonization Realm martial artists? By then, all the Harmonization Realm martial artist in China may have to keep their mouth shut.

    Kou Wei heaved a sigh of relief. I probably will have broken through to the Spirit Realm by then, otherwise it would be a headache to meet such opponent.

    On the other hand, Qi Sheng looked extremely happy to see Lu Mingshu being so powerful. Kou Wei couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that you won¡¯t be able to get her if she¡¯s too strong?¡±

    Kou Wei had known for a while what Qi Sheng was thinking since the start. When Qi Sheng saw her for the first time, he was love-struck. Now, the more Lu Mingshu fought, the more he liked her.

    ¡°I like her because she¡¯s powerful! Getting her is not that important anyway. It¡¯s just admiration. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to woo her or want her to be my partner,¡± Qi Sheng answered without much consideration.

    Kou Wei was taken aback by Qi Sheng¡¯s answer. He smiled in relief. ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re aware.¡±

    The third day ended. Thepetition that seemed rtively peaceful had dirty secrets underneath.

    After three days of the challenger¡¯s round, a group of disciples had managed to get at least twenty or thirty marks.

    Thembs are almost fat enough to be ughtered, eh?

    Slowly, Lu Mingshu took a cloth and wiped her sword clean under the candlelight.

    There was a book on the table. It listed down the points that every disciple had umted so far.

    Obviously, Lu Mingshu had the highest amount at thirty-six points.

    Somebody then knocked on her door. Lu Mingshu went to open the door and, as expected, the servant girl who always came by was standing at her door.

    ...

    The same greenhouse, with the same people.

    ¡°Alioth Star Lord, what can I help you with?¡±

    The wheelchair slowly turned around, and Xie Lianzhen¡¯s face could be seen.

    ¡°Miss Lu, are you sure you still want to fight?¡± he started slowly.

    ¡°Why does the Young Master ask? Why shouldn¡¯t I fight?¡±

    Xie Lianzhen looked at her and started slowly, ¡°After so many Qilin Festivals, you¡¯re the first to be challenged so many times in three days. By rule, you could¡¯ve rejected most of those challenges.¡±

    ¡°Do you think thirty-six points is enough for me to get into top ten?¡± Lu Mingshu retorted.

    Xie Lianzhen then smiled thinly. ¡°What if I said I could assure that you get into the top ten?¡±

    Lu Mingshu stared at him in silence.

    Thud! Thud! Thud!

    Xie Lianzhen tapped his walking stick on the ground as if he was a metronome for the wind in this cold night.

    ¡°It¡¯s not hard. As long as some important figures lose during a key round, thirty-six will be just enough.¡±

    Silence soon overtook the greenhouse, leaving only the sounds of crickets chirping. Lu Mingshu then broke the silence; ¡°Alioth Star-Lord, do you behave like this when you¡¯re at the Seventh Truth tform too?¡±

    Xie Lianzhen raised his eyebrows at her.

    ¡°You¡¯ve really opened my eyes,¡± she said softly. ¡°Everyone told me that you were crippled and that there¡¯s not much chance for you to break through to the Spirit Realm. If not for the queen, you wouldn¡¯t be where you are right now. Out of the seven Big Dipper Star Lords, you¡¯re the weakest and have the lowest status; I guess they¡¯ve never seen what you¡¯re like right now.¡±

    ¡°What I¡¯m like right now?¡± Xie Lianzhen eyes widened in curiosity like a little child who heard the name of his favourite candy. ¡°What am I like right now?¡±

    ¡°The situation is totally in your control.¡±

    Xie Lianzhen paused for a moment beforeughing out loud.

    ¡°Miss Lu, I think you got the wrong person. That¡¯s something to describe the queen, not me.¡±

    ¡°¡® The Queen¡¯? You don¡¯t seem to ever call her ¡®mother.¡¯¡± Lu Mingshu ignored his words. ¡°Is it because of the distance? Or is it because of resentment?¡±

    Being questioned by her, instead of getting annoyed, Xie Lianzhen just shook his head. ¡°Why are you so curious about me?¡±

    Lu Mingshu shrugged. ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one that¡¯s curious about me? Can¡¯t I know more about someone who¡¯s always keeping his eyes on me?¡±

    ¡°So what do you want to know then?¡± Xie Lianzhen asked patiently. ¡°I¡¯ll answer anything as long as I can.¡±

    ¡°Then answer the thing I just asked.¡±

    ¡°You mean why I don¡¯t call her mother?¡± Lu Mingshu nodded. ¡°Erm, habit, I guess? I have never called her mother before, so I wouldn¡¯t start now.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded and looked at him. ¡°Do you hate her?¡±

    ¡°Nope,¡± Xie Lianzhen answered without hesitation.

    ¡°Is it because you love her then? Or can you just not be bothered?¡±

    This question took Xie Lianzhen aback. ¡°Because... I don¡¯t feel like it?¡± He then smiled and looked at Lu Mingshu. ¡°Is Miss satisfied with this answer?¡±

    ¡°Does my satisfaction even matter?¡±

    ¡°Of course it matters.¡± He smiled thinly. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t give you a chance to even ask if it didn¡¯t.¡±

    Even though he didn¡¯t really say it directly, it was more than obvious that he was interested in her.

    This was the first time in her life that someone had ever confessed to her.

    But her answer was something that no one would ever expect. ¡°So, what on earth do you even see in me? We only met a few times and yet you¡¯re trying to court me. Is it because we have simr family backgrounds, so you feel some kind of resonance with me? Or do you just pity me because of the situation I am in?¡±

    ¡°Which answer would you like to receive?¡± Xie Lianzhen smiled at her.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter which answer I¡¯d like.¡± Lu Mingshu shook her head. ¡°Or rather, the answer doesn¡¯t really matter to me regardless.¡±

    Xie Lianzhen¡¯s smile widened. ¡°So, what¡¯s important to you then?¡±

    ¡°The important thing is...¡± She moved forward, forcing Xie Lianzhen into a dead-end. She then gave him an evil smile.

    The close proximity caused Xie Lianzhen to lean backwards until he felt his wheelchair hit the wall and he had nowhere left to move.

    The candlelight shone on her, making her eyes shine brightly. Lu Mingshu sneered and gave him a dead re. ¡°How many faces do you have exactly, huh?¡±

 Chapter 159: Two Faced

    <h4>Chapter 159: Two Faced</h4>

    For a moment, both of them look at each other in silence.

    For the first time in his life, Xie Lianzhen was put in a difficult situation of being exposed. The feeling was strange ¨C being cornered by someone and forced to answer something that he didn¡¯t want to answer. He had an urge to run away from her as far as he could, however...

    ¡°Miss, what do you mean?¡±

    Lu Mingshu stood up and moved back. The oppression radiating from her was gone, and Xie Lianzhen felt that he could finally breathe again.

    ¡°The noble and gentlemanly you that everyone sees ¨C is that really you?¡± Lu Mingshu wasn¡¯t tall, but because Xie Lianzhen was in a wheelchair, she was able to tower above him. ¡°Alioth Star Lord, do you know that I have a certain strength?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Since a young age, the amount of approval I¡¯ve receive is so little that I never had room to be arrogant.¡± Lu Mingshu¡¯s voice was melodious, yet it brought chills down Xie Lianzhen¡¯s spine. ¡°You don¡¯t even know me, neither do you know what any of my aspirations are. How are you so sure that you like me?¡±

    She sneered and shook her head. ¡°What I see from your eyes isn¡¯t fondness, but examination.¡±

    Her cold voice echoed through the big greenhouse. ¡°You examine and observe me like I¡¯m an interesting experiment that you can perform research on. I don¡¯t know what you want from me, but I am 100% sure that it¡¯s not my love you want.¡±

    Word by word, she sliced open his shell.

    ¡°You have absolutely no respect for anyone ¨C me or anyone else. We aren¡¯t humans, but merely objects that are different from yourself. You observe and research us out of idle curiosity, and you don¡¯t seem to have any goal in life. Nothing in this world matters to you, including your sect, status, your mother, or even yourself. Cold, ruthless, ungrateful, undisciplined, and out of control....¡±

    Each word was like a sharp knife piercing through his heart.

    ¡°Is this the real you? A two-faced snake who¡¯s sick and tired of the world and thinks the whole world revolves around himself.¡±

    Xie Lianzhen sighed.

    ¡°Miss Lu, you are overconfident in your ability to judge, aren¡¯t you?¡± His voice was so soft that she could barely hear.

    ¡°No. It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t know what you want, and that makes me feel threatened. I have always believed in my intuition after everything I¡¯ve experienced, and I don¡¯t feel that you¡¯re courting me for a good cause. In fact, you¡¯re even worse than those who despise me.¡±

    Xie Lianzhen had never heard such things in his life. Everyone around him was scared of him and avoided him.

    Such words could be considered extremely malicious. If the queen heard this, she would skin Lu Mingshu alive and exclude her from the selection list no matter how he pleaded.

    However, Xie Lianzhen didn¡¯t feel angry. He couldn¡¯t even feel the pain of being exposed anymore.

    ¡°So what message is Miss trying to send to me? Do you want me to cancel my ns and stay far away from you?¡± He nodded and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s certainly one method.¡±

    Lu Mingshu smiled thinly. ¡°So that¡¯s what¡¯s in your brain, huh? Alioth Star-Lord, you have observed me for so long, how could you not know that I¡¯m someone who doesn¡¯t beat around the bush? I¡¯m just telling you what I really feel about you ¨C you¡¯re creepy, that¡¯s all. Please stop harassing me. I won¡¯t bother to entertain you anymore, so don¡¯t waste your time on me.¡±

    ¡°How is it wasting my time?¡± he replied softly. ¡°Look, I have always been helping you. From understanding the rules of the Qilin Festival, teaching you about what kind of situation you are putting yourself into, and now, I will get you into the New Generation Ranking. All you have to do is to just believe in me and you will not need to do anything else. From now on, just reject all challenges. I will definitely let you enter the New Generation Ranking. And it would be even more convenient if you could agree to you-know-what! If you want to escape Nine Jade Pce, I¡¯ll help you. Changing the sect master is also not a big deal. Or if you want somebody to disappear, it¡¯s also possible! See how convenient your life could get?¡±

    He emphasised each and every word he said. Every word was coated with sugar, and with his gentle voice, it was a temptation that one couldn¡¯t resist.

    ¡°And then?¡±

    ¡°And then you could do whatever you want. There¡¯s no need to consider much or meet with any trouble. Nobody could control what you want, and you will have everything you want. I¡¯ll settle all the troubles.

    ¡°So, how does it sound? As soon as you agree, everything is settled.¡±

    Like a patient predator, he slowly lured his prey into his trap with temptation and sweet-talk.

    Lu Mingshu burst intoughter suddenly. ¡°Forgive me for my straightforwardness, but if I agree now, you would immediately break the promise, right?¡±

    ¡°Look at what you¡¯re saying.¡± Xie Lianzhen hummed. ¡°Am I that untrustworthy?¡±

    ¡°Why would someone who doesn¡¯t even give a damn about himself give a damn about a promise?¡± she replied firmly. ¡°If I agree now, would you still be so nice to me? You¡¯re only curious why I won¡¯t take a step back and agree. If I suddenly did, I doubt you would still be so nice.¡±

    Lu Mingshu was already running out of patience. Why on earth am I wasting my time with this idiot talking about useless stuff? The challenge is tomorrow, and it will be a cruel fight... and it has nothing to do with Xie Lianzhen.

    She walked forward and held up his chin tightly.

    Xie Lianzhen eyes widened in shock. Her eyes looked cold, something that he had never seen before. He bit his lips as he heard her taunt; ¡°Alioth Star-Lord, why bother using all that to tempt me? You should just use your face, because it¡¯s the most valuable thing that you have.¡±

    Lu Mingshu removed her hand abruptly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯ste, and I havepetition tomorrow.¡±

    She then left the greenhouse without looking back.

    When Xie Zhanghui entered, he saw Xie Lianzhen staring into space.

    ¡°Young Master?¡± For many years, Xie Zhanghui had never seen him in this manner; totally lost about what to do.

    ¡°Zhanghui.¡± Xie Lianzhen looked at him

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°She said that the most valuable thing I have is my face, but she doesn¡¯t even give a damn about this face.¡± He sighed and became emotionless. ¡°Does she mean that I am worthless?¡±

    Xie Zhanghui was lost of words. He was aware of what Xie Lianzhen wanted, and there were only two possible results. Either she rejected it or she epted it. Listening to Xie Lianzhen, it didn¡¯t make any sense. What did they even talk about?

    ¡°I...¡± Xie Lianzhen started slowly, ¡°can¡¯t find a word to define her anymore. She¡¯s much more observant and straightforward than I thought. Should I continue this matter? She just makes me...¡±

    His voice lowered, and the sentence was left unfinished.

    ¡°...nevermind. Let¡¯s go.¡±

 Chapter 160: Only Speed is Invincible

    <h4>Chapter 160: Only Speed is Invincible</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    Lu Mingshu mmed the door shut, then leaned against it and took a deep breath.

    She stayed there until she felt better.

    It¡¯s not like she had never heard rumors or nder about herself or having people look at her like she was an alien, but this was the first time somebody treated her in this way. The amount of time and energy Xie Lianzhen spent on her caused a chill to run down her spine.

    The matches today had already drained her physically and mentally, so she didn¡¯t want to waste any more energy on somebody with dubious intentions.

    Throwing these thoughts into the back of her mind, Lu Mingshu sat down and focused on the challenge tomorrow.

    The first stage was over. Tomorrow, those who were interested in the New Generation Ranking would start to fight.

    Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t know whether anyone was going to challenge her seeing that she had so many points, but she had to be well-prepared no matter what.

    She ced the strengthening seals on the table.

    At this point, she had fourteen strengthening seals. Subtracting the one she used when she went against Xing Kun, she had thirteen.

    Among these thirteen, six were useless at the moment. She then picked out three among the remaining ones.

    The first one increased the resonance of mystic force, the second one increased her defense, and the third one enabled her to puncture the opponent¡¯s defense.

    Two for attack and one for defense.

    Even if no one challenged her tomorrow, she would challenge someone.

    Rejecting all the challenges and let Xie Lianzhen hand me a position on the New Generation Ranking for free?What¡¯s the difference between that and backing down?

    ...

    The next morning, Tan Yubing came to her door.

    They had breakfast together before heading to the tent.

    ¡°My challenge ends today.¡± Tan Yubing smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t know if anyone would want to get points from me though.¡±

    Over three days, Tan Yubing had seven matches. Most of them were wins, and she had umted twenty points.

    She had a good attitude. She didn¡¯t brood over stuff.

    ¡°Good morning, Senior Aunt Tan and Junior Sister Lu!¡± Shao Zhengyang arrived at the tent early. He smiled at both of them happily.

    Tan Yubing gave him a wide smile. ¡°Rx. Remember, 70% ability and 30% luck. Use it wisely!¡±

    Shao Zhengyang nodded, but he still looked anxious.

    Seeing him being all panicky, Lu Mingshu couldn¡¯t help butugh at him. ¡°How confident is Senior Brother Shao today?¡±

    Shao Zhengyang smiled bitterly. ¡°3%? Actually, 1% should be more urate.¡± He knew himself well, and he was aware of where he stoodpared to Kou Wei and the rest.

    ¡°Since there¡¯s only a 1% chance, what¡¯s there to worry about? Take it as if there¡¯s no chance at all.¡±

    It didn¡¯t sound nice, but he thought it was true. 1% as if nothing....

    After chatting for a while, the bell rang, signalling the start of day four. Lin Zixin than slowly made his way up on stage.

    After making his short opening speech; ¡°Wei Chunqiu from the Seventh Truth tform challenging the Door of Feisha¡¯s Qi Zining!¡±

    After the announcement, cheering could be heard from the different tents.

    Wei Chunqiu! He¡¯s going up first!

    ¡°The de is out of the sheath, and the edge is exposed!¡± Kou Wei muttered. He could feel Wei Chunqiu¡¯s determination to win. There¡¯s no doubt we will have to go against each other.

    ¡°Qi Zining is in second ce now.¡± Tan Yubing pointed at the list. ¡°You¡¯re lucky that he chose to not challenge you instead.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded her head. That day when she was stopped by State Master Jia Yan, she met Wei Chunqiu, and he said that he would be lenient on her. Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t take it to heart, but apparently, Wei Chunqiu had done as promised.

    No matter how confident she was, Lu Mingshu knew that fighting Wei Chunqiu would end in defeat.

    Both parties went on stage.

    Qi Zining was getting more and more popr these days. He won almost all his matches and only lost one. Now, in front of Wei Chunqiu, he was shaking nervously, and he had to redo his greeting because he messed it up.

    Wei Chunqiu did not beat around the bush. He only replied with a, ¡°Please,¡± and immediately fished out his sword.

    In the eyes of the spectators, a faint sword-light shed, and in the blink of an eye, the sword was in front of Qi Zining.

    ¡°Fast!¡± Shao Zhengyang was gobsmacked.

    In Nine Jade Pce, the one with the fastest speed was Ban Qin, but Shao Zhengyang didn¡¯t fear him. It¡¯s not like being the fastest was a guaranteed win; Shao Zhengyang had his own ways to cope with Ban Qin. As far as winning chances went, Shao Zhengyang had the advantage against Ban Qin.

    However, seeing Wei Chunqiu fight, Shao Zhengyang could think of anything. It was too fast; he would never be able to reach such a level.

    ng!

    The weapons shed as Qi Zining held up his own to block the attack.

    After the sh, Wei Chunqiu changed his pattern.

    The sword in his hand was like an agile fish. He swayed to his right, and the sword went right past Qi Zining, nearly cutting his right arm off.

    Qi Zining didn¡¯t even have time to react. All he could do was rely on his instinct. He lowered his body and Wei Chunqiu missed by a bit.

    One attack after another, Qi Zining barely blocked five attacks. The next second, he heard a sound and felt blood trickling down his back. He turned back abruptly, but he felt a sharp pain in his wrist. By the time he reacted, the weapon was no longer in him.

    ¡°Wei Chunqiu from the Seventh Truth tform wins!¡± Lin Zixin announced.

    Until that announcement, the spectators didn¡¯t even realized what was happening, and they suddenly started apuding.

    ¡°Wow! That¡¯s fast!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I was expecting something more than that between those two. Who knew...?¡±

    The whole process was just a few streaks of dim sword-light and then Qi Zining suddenly lost just like that.

    ¡°This is called ¡®back to the basics¡¯!¡±

    ¡°When will Kou Wei appear? It will be so good when they fight each other.¡±

    ¡°Definitely,¡± the person answered firmly. ¡°If they don¡¯t fight and someone reaches first ce just by points, the spectators won¡¯t be pleased.¡±

    Yes. The two best disciples in the Harmonization Realm. How could one say they are the best if they haven¡¯t defeated the other party? Wei Chunqiu and Kou Wei were like a lion and a tiger among the Harmonization Realms. The chance had finally arrived.

    Shao Zhengyang heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing the fight. ¡°I want to correct myself ¨C I don¡¯t even have a 1% chance of getting into the New Generation Ranking....¡±

    During the preliminaries, the opponents were all easy, so one couldn¡¯t tell how good Wei Chunqiu was from that. Qi Zining could win so much during the first three days of the challenger¡¯s fight with his power, and yet he just lost to Wei Chunqiu in an instant.

    Wei Chunqiu is already this powerful, so what about Kou Wei? Or Yue Lingyin...? Shao Zhengyang was disgruntled.

    He turned around to see Lu Mingshu¡¯s poker face.

    ¡°Junior Sister Lu, how about you?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s very powerful,¡± she started slowly. ¡°I once heard a sentence that I thought was exaggerated, but now, it makes sense.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°In the world of martial arts, there is no impregnable defence; only speed is invincible.¡±

    In the world of martial arts, there is no impregnable defence, only speed is invincible? Shao Zhengyang and Tan Yubing bit their lips and started thinking. They thought about Wei Chunqiu¡¯s performance, and they totally agreed.

    ¡°That sentence is urate.¡± Shao Zhengyang mocked himself, ¡°I used to think that a fast sword isn¡¯t hard to deal with, but that¡¯s just because I have never seen a truly fast sword before.¡±

 Chapter 161: Fat Lambs

    <h4>Chapter 161: Fat Lambs</h4>

    Indeed, he lived up to his name as the best disciple of one of the top three sects.

    It was uncountable how many better-than-average Harmonization Realm disciples there were here that put themselves into Qi Zining¡¯s situation, and the results...

    He¡¯s too fast! There isn¡¯t even time to unravel any of his strategies.

    It reminded Lu Mingshu of the strengthening seal that could freeze the opponent¡¯s mystic force.

    If she still had that with her, she might¡¯ve still had a small chance of winning over Wei Chunqiu. Without it...

    Nine Jade Pce had really declined too much. During the recent Heavenly Doorpetition, Kuai Xin was said to have a good chance to break through to the Spirit Realm in a few years¡¯ time, simr to Wei Chunqiu. However, the difference in their actual ability was huge. With Lu Mingshu¡¯s current ability, she had a 70-80% of defeating Kuai Xin, but if she went against Wei Chunqiu, it probably wasn¡¯t even 20%.

    After Wei Chunqiu kick-started thepetition, other disciples from the strong sects started to submit their names as well.

    One by one, the names were announced. Each time any of them went on stage, there would be disciples cheering loudly for them, and as they fought, they proved themselves worthy of those cheers.

    During the fourth day, the challenger¡¯s fight had entered a weird stage.

    Despite all the expertsing up to challenge, the matches weren¡¯t as interesting as the first three days.

    The matches ended too quickly because of the huge difference between the two fighters¡¯ abilities.

    Not even a day had passed before there was a huge change to the name list.

    The names who were in the higher ranks during the first three days could no longer be seen on the list as they were reced by famous names.

    That¡¯s how it should be! Most of the spectators looked at the list with satisfaction.

    The Qilin Festival ¨C a gathering of the best ¨C should be like this.

    ¡°Yu Chen from Fallen Skies Valley challenging Lu Mingshu from Nine Jade Pce!¡±

    Silence took over the venue as the two names were announced.

    ¡°What the hell?¡± somebody muttered in irritation. ¡°Can¡¯t they just let us watch the good matches in peace?¡±

    His fellow disciple patted him on the shoulder and shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re stupid. Yu Chen from Fallen Skies Valley is unlike those previous random guys.¡±

    ¡°Fallen Skies Valley... Yu Chen.... Oh! Isn¡¯t he the...?¡± the guy gasped as he realized who it was.

    Fallen Skies Valley was situated in Bei Ming, and they were the best sect there. Thus, Yu Chen could be considered quite well-known.

    He wasn¡¯t as good as Yue Lingyin, but he wasn¡¯t far either. He entered the Harmonization Realm seven years ago, and he was the best disciple in Fallen Skies Valley.

    In other words, he was more-or-less expected to be in the New Ranking. Even if he didn¡¯t get in, he would only be a few ranks short.

    Him challenging Lu Mingshu was no doubt for a different reason than the previous challengers ¨C a real fight.

    ¡°Yu Chen?¡± In Amethyst Phoenix Pavilion¡¯s tent, Yue Lingyin narrowed her eyes to get a better look. ¡°That guy certainly has issues, eh?¡±

    Her straightforwardness left her junior sister speechless. ¡°Senior Sister Yue...¡± That¡¯s another sect¡¯s best disciple, can¡¯t you give him some face?

    ¡°Hey, everyone¡¯s busy trying to gain marks right now and yet he¡¯s challenging Lu Mingshu. Either he lost his mind, or he never had one in the first ce.¡±

    ¡°Senior Sister, look at the list....¡±

    After half a day had passed, most people¡¯s rankings and points had dropped, except for Lu Mingshu, who was still in the same position as the previous day. In other words, her points were way higher than anyone else present.

    Yue Lingyin widened her eyes in surprise. ¡°Huh? So he wants to get points from her?¡±

    Duh. Her junior sister rolled her eyes.

    But the next moment, she heard Yue Lingyin mming the table happily. ¡°See! He definitely has issues! Who would choose Lu Mingshu out of so many opponents? Haha, let¡¯s see how he dies!¡±

    In the other tents, people were simrly shocked, but the only one who would be as straightforward as Yue Lingyin was Qi Sheng.

    ¡°He must be the most idiotic human being ever!¡± Qi Sheng eximed.

    Kou Wei hit him hard on the head. ¡°Watch yournguage.¡±

    ¡°I am just stating the facts!¡± Qi Sheng pouted. ¡°Hasn¡¯t he watched the matches during the past three days? Isn¡¯t it enough to show that Miss Lu is good? He should be careful not to cry when he loses, it will be so embarrassing, haha.¡±

    Kou Wei sighed. ¡°You can¡¯t look at it that way. Miss Lu¡¯s points right now are enough to make people¡¯s eyes green with envy. If she wins a few more rounds,ter on, she will be able to get into the New Ranking. If she¡¯s lucky and nobody challenges her from this point on, she might be able to get into the New Ranking with just what she has now. The person who wants to take her down didn¡¯t expect this, but she fought a lot of matches during the past three days.¡±

    ¡°But her power...¡±

    ¡°Somewhere around Bo Zhong¡¯s,¡± Kou Wei said. ¡°Yes, she¡¯s good, but she¡¯s only been in the Harmonization Realm for a year! You can only be good to a certain extent without strong basics. Furthermore, there¡¯s no doubt that she¡¯s not in her best state right now. Yu Chen definitely has a better chance of winning this.¡±

    With all of the current conditions surrounding Lu Mingshu, some would dare to fight her, and Yu Chen, in particr, was the adventurous type.

    Lu Mingshu went up on stage slowly.

    Yu Chen¡¯s appearance deviated from his name. He was young ¨C either twenty-two or twenty-three ¨C and he looked decent, but the way he walked and acted made him look like a gangster.

    ¡°Oh, Miss Lu, I finally get to meet you.¡± Yu Chen bowed and winked at her. ¡°I¡¯m called Yu Chen, the sessor disciple of Fallen Skies Valley, and my master is Zuo Hufa. I¡¯m the second eldest among the disciples, and I¡¯m twenty-three this year. I¡¯m still single and currently looking for a partner. I like gentle and caring girls, like-¡±

    ¡°So, nothing like me then?¡± Lu Mingshu cut him off.

    Yu Chenughed out loud. ¡°Oh no, absolutely like you.¡±

    ¡°Gentle and caring?¡± Lu Mingshu sneered.

    ¡°Miss may seem to be an icy beauty, but your true personality is something that most can¡¯t see....¡±

    ¡°Enough.¡± Lu Mingshu held up her hand. Just as nagging as Yu Kuang. ¡°Games are unnecessary because they have no effect on me.¡±

    Think that I¡¯m easy? Don¡¯t be stupid. Xie Lianzhen¡¯s acting was excellent, and she could still see through him, so who was this Yu Chen?

    Lu Mingshu furrowed her eyebrows. She felt a bit irritated. This will be a tough match; I must stay focused.

    ¡°Miss, why won¡¯t you give me a chance?¡± Yu Chen smiled cheekily. ¡°I¡¯m really interested in you!¡±

    ¡°Hah!¡± Lu Mingshu sneered. She fished out her sword and pointed at him. ¡°Shut up and start.¡±

    She used the Physical Manifestation of Sword Intent as soon as the match started. The sword energy rushed up to the sky like a dragon and dashed toward Yu Chen.

    ¡°Miss Lu, I am not even done!¡± Yu Chen realized it and got into his ready position. ¡°In that case, let¡¯s just talk when the fight is over, okay? Haish.¡±

    The sword energy dash toward him.

    Yu Chen swayed his weapons and erged his mystic light, creating a shield.

    In a normal scenario, he would be able to block the attack. However, when the sword energy shed with the shield, Yu Chen¡¯s hand felt sore.

    He felt like he was being pinched, and the shield already had holes in it.

 Chapter 162: How did she do it?

    <h4>Chapter 162: How did she do it?</h4>

    Among the bustle, Yu Chen waved his weapons and dodged the attack.

    ¡°Miss Lu, you have quite a few surprises, eh?¡± Yu Chen panted. ¡°What special technique are you using now?¡±

    He was filled with curiosity now. Before he decided to challenge Lu Mingshu, he had researched about her first. Her ability, potential, ways of fighting, and skills that she used. He even went to talk to her opponents one by one.

    Xing Kun swore that she had learned a special skill that could freeze the other party¡¯s mystic force. Xing Kun said that he was unable to control his limbs after fighting with her.

    But her other opponents mentioned nothing about this skill, and one of them even used Xing Kun of lying; if she really did have such a skill, it would have been an easy fight against Cai Zheng, so why did she struggle so much?

    Now, Yu Chen was personally fighting against her, and the skill that Xing Kun mentioned wasn¡¯t shown. However, she was certainly using some kind of new skill now.

    He still didn¡¯t know how she pierced through his mystic force shield so easily.

    Of course, Lu Mingshu wouldn¡¯t tell him. She spun around, and the mystic light froze in the middle of the air and shot up.

    Yu Chen had no choice but to go up against her.

    His weapons had long des that were almost as long as a rifle. They were best used for piercing attacks from far away, and since they were a pair, they were rather strong.

    A dim golden mystic light moved in the direction that Yu Chen was waving his weapons.

    One of the spectators sighed. ¡°This elite is indeed different. Look at his mystic light, it¡¯s so solid! He must have used a lot of effort to achieve that.¡±

    Compared to Yu Chen, Lu Mingshu¡¯s mystic light was just as bright as his, but it wasn¡¯t as solid as his. It was unavoidable; no matter how talented she was,pared to the time and effort that Yu Chen put in, her talent was insufficient to cover up her loss of only entering the Harmonization Realm a year ago.

    Boom!

    Both rays of mystic light shed.

    Yu Chen¡¯s ray of light shone brighter and became thicker.

    ¡°Lu Mingshu¡¯s actions aren¡¯t very wise. Yu Chen is different from all her previous opponents. He has a higher chance of winning; Lu Mingshu is very skilled with a sword but weaker in other areas, while Yu Chen is equally good in every aspect-¡±

    Before the sentence could bepleted, Yu Chen¡¯s mystic light started flickering, and it almost cracked.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Squeals could be heard from the tents.

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s mystic light erged and seized the chance to break Yu Chen¡¯s mystic light.

    Yu Chen stepped back urgently.

    The hooligan-like smile on his face disappeared, and he stared intensely at the girl standing in front of him.

    What¡¯s happening? Her mystic force was iparable to his, but it was oddly sharp. When their mystic light met, her light pierced right through his.

    The previous time, his defence was pierced through because he waspletely unprepared. This time around, Yu Chen had already taken his precautions, but his light was still nearly pierced through.

    Unbelievable. How can a person change their skillset every single day? Did she learn a bunch of different skills just to get into the New Ranking?

    ¡°Miss is indeed surprising,¡± Yu Chen started. ¡°I see that I have kicked an iron board today.

    Lu Mingshu looked at him coldly. ¡°Sir, why aren¡¯t you taking out all of your ability? Or is it just this?¡±

    Yu Chen sneered and smiled cheekily. ¡°Well, I like your honesty. Bring it on!¡±

    After he finished his sentence, Yu Chen changed his position. He gripped his weapons and leapt into the air.

    In the blink of an eye, the mystic light became as thin as a string and sprinkled all over the stage, encasing it like a spiderweb.

    Elites were indeed different. In no time, Yu Chen immediately found a new way to tackle Lu Mingshu; if a shield didn¡¯t work, then just make the mystic light into a web!

    ¡°Such a powerful mystic force!¡± The spectators gasped in awe.

    Like thousands of propitious vapours, the mystic lights hung from the air, enclosing Lu Mingshu and forcing her to the edge.

    However, Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t hide. She swayed her sword to the back, and a chime could be heard before she rushed up.

    Both of them were fast, and the mystic light shed across the stage like lightning.

    The spectators had a fun time watching them.

    This match is so interesting to watch! The skills are so fancy!

    With Yu Chen¡¯s strong and stable basics and Lu Mingshu¡¯s masterful sword skills, their fight against each other was fascinating.

    ¡°Senior Brother, who do you think will win?¡± Qi Sheng asked.

    The match had already been going for quite a while, yet he still couldn¡¯t tell. Yu Chen was way better than he expected, which was bad for Lu Mingshu.

    Kou Wei bit his lips and shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Even you don¡¯t know?¡±

    Kou Weiughed gently. ¡°That¡¯s what makes it a good match! If one can already predict the results, then what¡¯s the point ofpeting?¡±

    ¡°But...¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s put it this way,¡± Kou Wei started after thinking deeply for a while. ¡°Yu Chen is equally good in every aspect, and he does not have any weakness. If he¡¯s lucky, he will be in the New Ranking.¡±

    ¡°So do you think he will win?¡± Qi Sheng asked anxiously.

    Kou Weiughed. ¡°I haven¡¯t finished my words! Yu Chen is a predictable opponent, but Lu Mingshu isn¡¯t.¡±

    For example, the match with Xing Kun. The gap in their abilities was small, but she was at a loss due tock of experience. However, Lu Mingshu was able to find ways to ovee it. For example, she won the match with Cai Zheng because of her perseverance. Her opponents were all strong, it was just that she was smart enough to get herself out of trouble and win the match. She even came back stronger than before.

    It was said that she also performed in this way during the Heavenly Doorpetition. There were two opponents who were much more capable than her, but they still lost to her eventually. One was due to being too focused on showing off his skills, while the other was because he underestimated her.

    So even though Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t have much chance of winning now, Kou Wei didn¡¯t dare to confirm that she would definitely lose.

    After he finished his sentence, he could hear the other spectators gasping in awe.

    ¡°Five Morning Sun Summit. That¡¯s Five Morning Sun Summit!¡±

    Kou Wei looked across the stage to see Yu Chen hanging in the middle of the air. As he waved his weapons, the mystic lines shone across the whole venue brightly.

    Five Morning Sun Summit ¨C the secret skill of Fallen Skies Valley.

    It worked by solidifying mystic light into five balls, which would then release a huge energy wave.

    Under normal situations, this skill could only be mastered if one had reached the Spirit Realm, but Yu Chen had already mastered it.

    Did Yu Chen make the right choice to challenge Lu Mingshu? Is he about to take away the most points in one go? Lu Mingshu might be in trouble....

    Sword energy rose up into the air and abruptly broke Kou Wei¡¯s train of thoughts. The energy tossed and turned in midair as if it was a dragon.

    Kou Wei was stunned. That¡¯s not right. Lu Mingshu isn¡¯t capable of doing this. How can she manage something like that?

    Before he could realize what exactly was going on, the sword energy enveloped the five balls and suppressed them.

    Boom!

    The sword energy and the five balls exploded.

    When the mystic light had dispersed, Lu Mingshu took a few steps back.

    However, Yu Chen was crouching on the ground and vomiting blood.

 Chapter 163: Not the Best Partner

    <h4>Chapter 163: Not the Best Partner</h4>

    Cough!

    After a while, Yu Chen managed to stand up straight.

    ¡°Do you wish to continue?¡± Lu Mingshu asked.

    He shook his head. ¡°I still have the strength, but since I¡¯m not as skilful, then so be it.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded and got off the stage.

    ¡°Miss Lu.¡±

    She stopped in her tracks.

    ¡°Could you tell me what skills you learned?¡± Yu Chen looked at her with curiosity. There were only a few seconds before he was about to win; why did the tables turn so suddenly? He was well aware of her abilities, yet she was able to umte more mystic energy than theoretically possible for her within a split second. Yu Chen had trained for so long, yet this was the first time he had seen such a skill that enabled one to increase their amount of mystic energy in such a short time.

    ¡°Yes! What did you do?¡± the spectators shouted.

    They also didn¡¯t know what was going on. Yu Chen was the one who should¡¯ve been winning.

    ¡°Sir is much more powerful than me, so it¡¯s true that I should¡¯ve lost.¡±

    ¡°I know. So?¡± Yu Chen hurried her.

    ¡°So I kept a bit of mystic energy every time I attacked.¡±

    ¡°Kept?¡± Yu Chen scratched his head. ¡°Kept where?¡±

    Lu Mingshu kept quiet. She couldn¡¯t possibly reply that it was all because of her strengthening seal, which allowed her sword to resonate with her mystic energy, or that she had learned a special meditation technique from the Heavenly Wheel.

    When Yu Chen used the Five Morning Sun Summit, Lu Mingshu used the mystic energy she had stored to increase her power by double. That¡¯s why she could ovee Yu Chen¡¯s strong skill.

    Yu Chen understood the idea soon. ¡°Oh, so it¡¯s like that....¡±

    The method was logical and easy to think of, but the difficult part was... where did she store the mystic energy and how did she ensure that she didn¡¯t lose it in the process? That wasn¡¯t something that a normal person could do. Even though Yu Chen was unsatisfied with the result, he couldn¡¯t find anything else to doubt Lu Mingshu on.

    ¡°Okay, I concede defeat. Miss is indeed surprising. I hope we get to go against each other another time.¡± He bowed and went back to his tent.

    On the other hand, Qi Sheng heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°See, I told you he¡¯s an idiot. A free win for Lu Mingshu.¡±

    Kou Wei shook his head. ¡°Yu Chen didn¡¯t really lose anything either. It¡¯s his first match. No big deal if he lost.¡±

    ¡°But he¡¯s injured....¡±

    ¡°A minor matter. He will still be able to defeat others.¡± Kou Wei pointed to the name list. ¡°The only downside is that he didn¡¯t get to take advantage of Lu Mingshu¡¯s huge amount of points.¡±

    Kou Wei said while jotting down an opponent¡¯s name and passing it to the clerk.

    After the interesting match between Lu Mingshu and Yu Chen, the rest of the matches of day four were all dull. It was nothing but elites getting easy points from the fatmbs.

    Lu Mingshu joined in the contest too.

    Now, it was her turn to challenge others. After defeating Yu Chen, she went on winning the subsequent matches and swept away everything before her.

    ...

    Night arrived. In the main pce, a name list with points recorded was ced in front of the queen.

    Lu Mingshu: 58 points. She was in the first row.

    Followed by Wei Chunqiu: 42 points and Kou Wei: 40 points.

    After so many Qilin festival, this was only the third time such a thing had happened.

    The first two times was because there was a very talented martial artist that was stronger than all otherpetitors. Lu Mingshu was also a talent, but there were plenty ofpetitors stronger than her.

    Ding Qingqing came in with a bowl of soup. ¡°Your Highness, please take a rest first.¡±

    The queen sighed and ced the name list aside.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since this has happened,¡± shemented

    ¡°Yes.¡± Ding Qingqing smiled. ¡°The previous time... was about sixty years ago?¡±

    ¡°Yes! We weren¡¯t even born back then.¡±

    ¡°But this won¡¯tst long. Kou Wei and Wei Chunqiu still haven¡¯t gone up against her yet.¡±

    The queen finished her supper silently and washed up before continuing. ¡°Have you asked about Wei Chunqiu yet?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Ding Qingqing nodded. ¡°It was said that when State Master Jia Yan got in the way of Miss Lu, Wei Chunqiu was there, and Lu Mingshu did something that made him happy, so he promised to go easy on her.¡±

    ¡°I see. Hmm.¡± Instead of happiness, worry could be seen in the queen¡¯s eyes.

    Seeing her reaction, Ding Qingqing asked carefully, ¡°This makes you worried?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m in a dilemma.¡± The queen sighed. ¡°It¡¯s obvious that this child has a lot on her mind, and she¡¯s unhappy with her life.¡±

    ¡°Do you think this is bad for Young Master?¡±

    The queen nodded. ¡°Xing¡¯er... he¡¯s unhappy too. Since Master died, he has never smiled genuinely. After I forced him to be the Alioth Star Lord, it¡¯s as if he¡¯s always wearing a mask. He¡¯s always Xie Lianzhen, never Xie Xingchen. Even in front of me....¡±

    ¡°Young Master just needs more time....¡±

    The queen smiled bitterly. ¡°It¡¯s fine, Qingqing. He does not need more time to think things through when he has already seen it all. Before he turned twelve, I could feel his hatred toward me. After twelve, I couldn¡¯t feel anything from him.¡± Her eyes turned as dark as the night. ¡°Sometimes, I would rather he hate me, because at least that would show that he still has feelings toward me. But... he never calls me mother, and that¡¯s because I¡¯ve never felt like his mother. He has always felt like he¡¯s an orphan....¡±

    ¡°How could this be Your Highness¡¯ fault? You are unwilling too.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not about having no choice, it¡¯s just me pushing away responsibilities.¡± The queen sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t me him; I¡¯m the one that gave up on having him as my son, and he¡¯s totally aware of that too. That¡¯s why he neveres and I never ask him to.¡±

    At times, the queen felt that she was the biggest failure. She was able to control all of Zhongzhou, yet she was unable to control her own son. To him, she was nothing but another stranger that he could use for his own benefits.

    The queen fidgeted with the paper. ¡°Even though I have failed as a mother, I still want him to live happily. This girl has too much unhappiness; she can¡¯t be together with Xing¡¯er.¡±

    ¡°But that¡¯s what Young Master wants.¡±

    ¡°Yes. What he wants....¡± The queen lowered her head. ¡°I feel like I am getting further and further from him. I can¡¯t tell what it is that he wants from this girl. And seeing Lu Mingshu¡¯s performance... I¡¯m shocked, and I don¡¯t dare to force her anymore.¡±

    ¡°Your Highness....¡± Ding Qingqing looked at her in shock. ¡°You think marrying Xing¡¯er is not good for her?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s so hardworking only because she¡¯s unwilling to marrying Xing¡¯er, and since she¡¯s just as pessimistic as Xing¡¯er, how will they benefit from being with each other?¡±

    ¡°But, Young Master...¡±

    The queen closed the name list. ¡°Let¡¯s wait then. Hopefully, Xing¡¯er will change his mind.

 Chapter 164: A War

    <h4>Chapter 164: A War</h4>

    Six-colored streamers containing healing substances provided nourishment to damaged meridians. After a day of hard battling, the body finally got some rest and was recovering.

    The Heavenly Wheel was such a treasure. It had these six-colored streamers that allowed medicines to be fully effective even if they weren¡¯t in the real world. In addition, time in the Heavenly Wheel passed slowly, giving her enough time to recuperate from her injuries.

    That was how Lu Mingshu had been coping with the constant and difficult matches these days.

    After the essence of the medicine had been fully absorbed, Lu Mingshu opened her eyes and exited the Heavenly Wheel.

    The new name-list had been ced on her table. Not even a day had passed, and theyout had been totally changed. Almost all the names in the top ten yesterday were reced by elites, with only a few left hanging on near thest few positions of the top ten.

    Because of that, her name, which was still currently in first ce, was especially eye-catching.

    Fifty-eight points, forty-two points, forty points ¨C Lu Mingshu, Wei Chunqiu, Kou Wei.

    Neither of them had challenged her, letting her hold first ce.

    That was because Wei Chunqiu had promised to go easy on her, and Kou Wei looked after her like she was his junior sister. Because of their courtesy, she was still able to stay at the top.

    But Lu Mingshu was clearly aware that this was temporary. No matter how much courtesy they showed, they wouldn¡¯t just give up first ce. Sooner orter, when they had challenged everyone else, they woulde for her... unless she was no longer in first ce by then.

    She was also clearly aware that she wasn¡¯t a match for either of them. The chance of her winning over them was almost zero.

    However, she wasn¡¯t going to give up even though she was almost guaranteed to lose.

    She sat down and cleared her thoughts. Lu Mingshu then started studying the name list, crossing out the ones she had already fought andparing the rest with the book Xie Lianzhen gave her to make a smart decision. She then drew a star beside eachpetitor that she wanted to go against.

    Today, she gained twenty-two points, while Wei Chunqiu and Kou Wei gained thirty-two and thirty respectively. Even just looking at their ability to gain points, she still lost to them.

    Tomorrow was the day where she should start challenging the higher-rankedpetitors. Lu Mingshu needed to fight at least five matches to ensure that she gained more than fifteen points.

    In addition, she would have to be careful about getting challenged by others. Other than Wei Chunqiu and Kou Wei, there were stillpetitors much stronger than her out there. It was hard to say if anyone else was eyeing her points, and if they seeded, they would get close to twelve points. That was enough to tempt anyone.

    Lu Mingshu closed the name list and went to bed.

    The followingpetition schedule was going to get harder as days passed. She had to ensure that she had the energy to fight.

    ...

    Day five of the challenger¡¯s fight, and it had developed into a worrying phase.

    Competitors who had a lot of points were bing fewer, so the chance of gaining points today was lower.

    Tan Yubing lost two matches continuously, so she decided to withdraw from thepetition. Her name was then crossed out from the name list.

    It was also tough for Shao Zhengyang. He was in a good state and rather lucky yesterday. He managed to clinch the sixteenth position. He continued to win two matches today and moved to the twelfth position. Unfortunately, due to being injured, he lost the subsequent match and dropped to the fifteenth rank.

    Shao Zhengyang went back to the tent drenched in sweat and exhausted. Seeing him so wrecked, Lu Mingshumented, ¡°Senior Brother Shao, try to rest more. It would be better if you fight less rather than lose.¡±

    Shao Zhengyang nodded while wiping his sweat with the towel that the servant passed him. He then gulped down a big bottle of water before answering, ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. I was too anxious. Thank you, Junior Sister Lu, for your concern.¡±

    After the Heavenly Doorpetition, no matter how hard he tried to be friendly, she treated him with a tepid attitude. Shao Zhengyang clearly knew that it was because of what he did, and that¡¯s the reason why he started treating her nicely; he felt guilty.

    Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t respond.

    Shao Zhengyang then went to recuperate beforeing back to the tent.

    In this period of time, Lu Mingshu fought again, and her points increased to sixty-five.

    At the same time, Wei Chunqiu points increased to fifty-three and Kou Wei to fifty-two. They were in hot pursuit.

    Shao Zhengyang took a look at the name list, then turned toward Lu Mingshu. ¡°Junior Sister Lu, your points now are enough to secure you a top ten spot.¡±

    Before Lu Mingshu could reply, Tan Yubingmented, ¡°Yes, that is the case, but Junior Niece Lu has finallye this far after so much hard work. It would be a pity if she stopspeting now.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be blunt, and please don¡¯t get angry, Junior Sister Lu.¡± Shao Zhengyang pointed at the name list. ¡°Even though Wei Chunqiu and Senior Brother Kou have not challenged you, it¡¯s inevitable if they want to clinch first ce, and your chance of winning against them...¡±

    Lu Mingshu shook her head. ¡°Senior Brother Shao is just stating the facts, why would I be angry? I¡¯m indeed no match for them both.¡±

    ¡°So why don¡¯t you just stop fighting now? If you stop now and let both of them overtake you, then they won¡¯t have to challenge you. As for the others, you still stand a chance against them.¡±

    Shao Zhengyang made a valid point. He always looked at things from a general perspective and considered things in a tactful way that allowed him to always find the best way out.

    If she continued to umte points, Wei Chunqiu and Kou Wei would have no choice but to challenge her, and as soon as one of them challenged her, the other would as well. Where else would they find so many points? Losing two rounds would cost Lu Mingshu thirty points in total.

    It was easy to lose points but hard to gain back. At this point, thepetitors who possessed a lot of points were all elites that she didn¡¯t have much chance of defeating.

    However, if she stopped challenging people now and allowed Kou Wei and Wei Chunqiu to overtake her, then there wouldn¡¯t be a need for them to fight her, and they could just fight for first ce among themselves.

    In that case, given her points now, there was no doubt she would be in third ce. Even if there were others who wanted to challenge her and she lost, she would still be able to sustain fifty points and get into the top five.

    Furthermore, she reached the Harmonization Realm only a year ago, this was her first time participating in the Qilin Festival, and she was only sixteen. There¡¯s no doubt she would be well-known if she was in the top five.

    It was the same situation that Yue Lingyin was in back then. However, Lu Mingshu fought way more than Yue Lingyin just to get a simr result.

    Shao Zhengyang was saying this all for her own good. It was apetition, so who would teach someone else how to benefit? Everyone wanted to ce in the New Generation Ranking after all.

    Lu Mingshu understood that, but she shook her head anyway.

    Seeing her response, Shao Zhengyang furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°Junior Sister Lu, I¡¯m telling the truth. This method can help you get what you want, so why bother...?¡±

    ¡°Junior Nephew Shao, let her be.¡± Tan Yubing smiled at him. ¡°I told her all that before, but she has her thoughts, so just let her be.¡±

    Shao Zhengyang nodded and sighed. ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your advice.¡± Lu Mingshu smiled at him. ¡°I know that you are worried for me, but this isn¡¯t apetition to me ¨C it¡¯s a war.¡±

 Chapter 165: Moving Forward

    <h4>Chapter 165: Moving Forward</h4>

    As thepetition went on, the ranking didn¡¯t stop changing.

    Lu Mingshu, sixty-eight points; Wei Chunqiu, fifty-eight points; Kou Wei, fifty-eight points.

    Lu Mingshu, seventy points; Kou Wei, sixty-one points; Wei Chunqiu, sixty points.

    Lu Mingshu; seventy-three points; Wei Chunqiu, sixty-four points; Kou Wei, sixty-three points.

    ...

    Day five ended, and the elites still in the top ten were drained of energy from the tiring day.

    Shao Zhengyang took a look at his ranking on the name list and sighed ¨C fourteen. Two wins and one loss today.

    His ranking fluctuated throughout the day, and his flesh was bing weaker than his willing spirit. Shao Zhengyang knew that his ability wasn¡¯t there, and his chance of getting into the top ten was small.

    Even though he was unwilling to give up, he knew he should if the same situation persisted tomorrow.

    Lu Mingshu went into the Heavenly Wheel as soon as she got back to her room. The matches had drained almost all her energy, so she was dead-tired. All she wanted to do now was have a good sleep and recharge.

    However, her desire wouldn¡¯t be fulfilled; she received a message from Kou Wei to meet, so Lu Mingshu dragged her tired body and went along with Shao Zhengyang to the Heavenly Sea Pavilion¡¯s courtyard.

    There weren¡¯t many present today; only Yue Lingyin, Lan Ruoyun, and a few more who were closer to Kou Wei.

    All of them looked exhausted. Seeing each other¡¯s dead-tired face, they burst outughing. This made the atmosphere livelier.

    ¡°Everyone¡¯s tired, so let¡¯s just not care about manners.¡± Kou Weiughed and pointed to the couch nearby. ¡°Lie however you want there. Let¡¯s talk in afortable position.¡±

    Yue Lingyin was the first one to rush over. ¡°Yay! Come along girls, this couch is now ours.¡± She then pulled Lu Mingshu and Lan Ruoyun over.

    ¡°Haish, I¡¯m so tired.¡± Qi Sheng allowed himself to sink into a chair and rest.

    Kou Wei looked at him ridiculously. ¡°We are tired because we have been working hard for an entire day. How much have you fought today, huh?¡±

    Qi Sheng was a pharmacologist, so he was only in the Qilin Festival to join the fun. He only fought three matches during the whole festival.

    ¡°I feel tired from watching you guys!¡± He huffed. ¡°When each of you goes up, I¡¯m super worried for you all! Worrying is more tiring thanpeting!¡±

    ¡°Whatever, Little Brother Qi. You¡¯re the most tired, okay?¡± Yue Lingyin did not even have the energy to bicker with him. ¡°Senior Brother Kou, make it fast okay? I¡¯m gonna fall asleep soon.¡±

    Kou Wei smiled and shook his head. He coughed and started being serious. ¡°It¡¯s the sixth day tomorrow, and if everything goes well, the top ten should be fixed by tomorrow.¡±

    All of them nodded. If they had to fight one more day, they would be reaching their limit.

    ¡°Me and Wei Chunqiu is a must fight, and both of us know it well in our hearts. It should be the seventh day.¡± Kou Wei pointed out. ¡°So, tomorrow is our warm up, and we must be able to get enough points by then.¡±

    Yue Lingyin waved her handzily. ¡°Senior Brother Kou, just challenge me if you need points. My points now are enough for me to remain in the top ten even if I lose a match.¡±

    Kou Wei shook his head. ¡°Everybody knows how close we are ¨C we¡¯re like blood siblings. How much gossip would I stir up if I challenged you?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s there to gossip about?¡± Yue Lingyin rolled her eyes. ¡°We aren¡¯t from the same sect anyway, it¡¯s not against the rules.¡±

    ¡°Senior Brother Kou make sense,¡± Shao Zhengyang pointed out. ¡°Senior Sister Yue, everyone will only be satisfied when Senior Brother Kou and Wei Chunqiupete against each other to find out who¡¯s better. It¡¯s better to be discrete to avoid blemishing Senior Brother Kou¡¯s name.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like I would just give up as soon as we started fighting!¡± Yue Lingyin was unwilling to give up on the idea.

    ¡°It¡¯s not about that....¡±

    ¡°Lingyin!¡± Kou Wei halted her.

    Yue Lingyin pouted and sat down. ¡°Fine, you win. Then get to the main point now.¡±

    Kou Wei looked at Lu Mingshu. ¡°Miss Lu.¡±

    Before he could continue, Lu Mingshu nodded. ¡°Yeah, feel free to challenge me, Senior Brother Kou.¡±

    Kou Wei looked at her apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t feel sorry, it¡¯s not your duty to let me win.¡±

    ¡°Senior Brother!¡± Qi Sheng jumped up in anger. ¡°What do you mean by this? Senior Sister Yue is willing to let you challenge her, but you reject her and go for Miss Lu?¡±

    ¡°How can you be so obviously biased about the one you are closer to!¡±

    ¡°Senior Brother Qi!¡± Shao Zhengyang stepped out to smooth things over. ¡°There¡¯s indeed a difference in affinity, but you can¡¯t me Senior Brother Kou for that.¡±

    ¡°Oh my god, do you know what the hell you¡¯re even talking about? Isn¡¯t Miss Lu your junior sister?¡±

    ¡°Here¡¯s the logic.¡± Shao Zhengyang coughed. ¡°Right now, Junior Sister Lu is in first ce. Even if Senior Brother Kou doesn¡¯t challenge her, Wei Chunqiu will. Or do you wish to give first ce to Wei Chunqiu?¡±

    Qi Sheng stammered, being at a loss for words since he hadn¡¯t thought of that point. ¡°I didn¡¯t say I wanted...¡±

    ¡°Besides, Senior Brother Kou has already taken great care of us, and it¡¯s not right to ask him to give up on first ce. Moreover, he didn¡¯t challenge Junior Sister Lu during the previous days and let her remain in first. We already owe him a big favor.¡±

    Having the gift of gab, Shao Zhengyang sessfully made Qi Sheng speechless. Qi Sheng didn¡¯t know what to do, so he looked toward Yue Lingyin with puppy-dog eyes.

    Surprisingly, Yue Lingyin hesitated for a while before agreeing with Shao Zhengyang. ¡°Hmm, makes sense. I still worry for Junior Sister Lu though. What will she do if she loses two rounds?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Kou Wei shook his head. ¡°Tomorrow, we will be fighting hand-to-hand. Me and Wei Chunqiu will choose otherpetitors from the top ten to gain points from, so their ranks will drop too.¡±

    Yue Lingyin smiled and nodded. ¡°Not bad, Junior Sister Lu has a lot of points. She¡¯ll be fine as long as she doesn¡¯t lose to the rest.¡±

    All of them discussed their ns for tomorrow and gave each other advice.

    Especially for Lu Mingshu, Kou Wei felt guilty, so he gave her a clear analysis of who to go up against to secure a spot in the top ten.

    ...

    Darkness had taken over after the sun set. The moon hung up high in the sky, and the cool breeze made the trees sway.

    Footsteps broke the silence as someone walked in a certain direction. ¡°Junior Brother Xie, it¡¯ste and yet you¡¯re still enjoying the scenery. You must be in a great mood today!¡±

    The shadow moved, and Xie Lianzhen turned to make eye contact with him. ¡°Senior Brother Wei is the one in a good mood. Thepetition must be tough and draining and yet you¡¯re still in the mood toe here.¡±

    Wei Chunqiu hummed and stood beside him. ¡°I can¡¯t be at ease if I don¡¯t see you before the match.¡±

    Xie Lianzhen grinned, but his expression couldn¡¯t be seen in the dark. ¡°Interesting. I¡¯m not your senior, neither are we in the same n, so why would you need to find me? Or does Senior Brother Wei want me to help him win?¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t help me win, but you could prevent me from winning.¡± Wei Chunqiu looked down at Xie Lianzhen to see him grinning. ¡°Am I right, Junior Brother Xie?¡±

    However, Xie Lianzhen didn¡¯t seem to be in the mood to joke since his tone seemed tired. ¡°Why would I do that? Your win would be the glory of the Seventh Truth tform.¡±

    ¡°Do you even care about that?¡± Wei Chunqiu snickered and look at him coldly. ¡°You¡¯re not exactly discreet about that little girl.¡±

    Xie Lianzhen sighed and looked down. ¡°I don¡¯t n on doing anything.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Wei Chunqiu raised his eyebrows.

    ¡°She¡¯s... unwilling.¡± Xie Lianzhen paused for a moment before continuing. ¡°I don¡¯t get it. Why does she try so hard when there are people who are willing to give her a helping hand? Even now, her aim is almost definitely achievable. Why...?¡± he murmured.

    ¡°Because there are too many geniuses like you,¡± Wei Chunqiu interrupted coldly. ¡°You all think that you are oh-so mighty, and whenever someone wants to rebel against the world¡¯s rules, youe up with your own ¡®rebel rules¡¯ that the rebels have to follow if they want to gain recognition from you geniuses in order to be a genius themselves. But what¡¯s the point of that? The world just gains one more genius.¡±

    Looking at the river below his feet, Wei Chunqiu lowered his volume and sighed. ¡°Not everyone wants to be a genius. Some people just want to live a simple life and do whatever they want.¡±

 Chapter 166: Anticipated Match

    <h4>Chapter 166: Anticipated Match</h4>

    The sixth day ¨C thepetition started off heatedly.

    Yue Lingyin was the first to throw her hat in the ring, challenging the Harmonization Realm disciple in fourth ce. She defeated him and took his ce.

    The guy in fifth ce chose to challenge Shao Zhengyang. Shao Zhengyang lost and dropped to eighteenth ce.

    He initially wanted to try to work hard for another day, but who would have guessed that he would lose points as soon as thepetition started? There was a twenty-point difference between him and tenth ce, so it was almost impossible for him to catch up. Deted, Shao Zhengyang gave up unwillingly.

    One by one, the names for each match were announced, and the atmosphere was getting more intense.

    Thepetition first started with some warm ups, followed by snatching points, and then it evolved into thest stage ¨C go for the kill. The ones left were all disciples with the potential to get on the New Generation Ranking, and all of them were well-known.

    The name list kept changing ¨C the top ten would drop from their position if they lost a round, and the ones in the top twenty would move up if they won a round.

    However, no one dared to challenge the top four. Challenging Wei Chunqiu or Kou Wei was obviously digging one¡¯s own grave. Yue Lingyin wasn¡¯t as good as them, but how many could be like her and get onto the New Generation Ranking as soon as she entered the Harmonization Realm?

    As for Lu Mingshu, Yu Chen was a very good example of what would happen if you fought her. Her skills were all strange, and nobody knew exactly what skills or how many she possessed. Yu Chen himself was in the top ten right now, and yet he lost of Lu Mingshu. Maybe someone could beat Lu Mingshu, but why take the risk?

    Lu Mingshu, ny-five; Wei Chunqiu, eighty-three; Kou Wei, eighty-two.

    Lady Luck was on Lu Mingshu¡¯s side today; she was still in first ce.

    However, not many people were able to understand her actions.

    ¡°Is Lu Mingshu actually trying to fight for first ce?¡± somebody asked.

    If she was smart, she would¡¯ve stoppedpeting yesterday. Yeah, she¡¯s in first ce, but that¡¯s only because Wei Chunqiu and Kou Wei haven¡¯t challenged her yet. As her points get higher, both of them will have no choice but to challenge her, which may cause her to drop from the top ten.

    ¡°Who does she think she is? Yu Chen is nowhere near Wei Chunqiu or Kou Wei. She really does not know where she stands.¡± Somebody sneered.

    ¡°She¡¯s in the prime of her youth. Even you went through that phase too.¡±

    Nobody believed that Lu Mingshu would defeat them both. Those who disliked her took the chance to taunt her, and those who were inclined toward her only sighed.

    This was a stupid way of handling it.

    Even An Tongchen thought the same way. No wonder Grand Elder Yuan Xi said that she would be easily broken; this child was easy to read. She knew clearly where she stood, and yet she was stubborn and didn¡¯t leave herself any leeway. This was why he didn¡¯t allow Gao Xiang toe. Lu Mingshu wasn¡¯t a bad child, but thest thing he wanted was to see his own disciple in the same state.

    Lu Mingshu, one hundred and five; Wei Chunqiu, ny-five; Kou Wei, ny-one.

    The scores were no longer moving.

    ¡°It¡¯s now!¡± a spectator shouted in excitement.

    ¡°What¡¯s ¡®now¡¯?¡± His friend looked over at him in doubt.

    ¡°Have you even looked at the list? Kou Wei is four points behind Wei Chunqiu.¡±

    ¡°So?¡±

    ¡°Use your brain! He¡¯s four points behind, and he¡¯s challenged everyone except her.¡±

    His friend stared at the list for a few minutes. He then suddenly said, ¡°What about Yue Lingyin?¡±

    ¡°Wei Chunqiu could, but not Kou Wei. The Heavenly Sea Pavilion and the Amethyst Phoenix Pavilion are from the same origin, and their sects are very close. There¡¯s no difference in challenging Yue Lingyin or someone from his own sect. Even if he managed to get first with that, the credibility would be low.¡±

    ¡°Yue Lingyin¡¯s points are too high. Wei Chunqiu would have an advantage... Oh! That means Kou Wei only has one choice....¡±

    ¡°Lu Mingshu!¡± Both of them eximed at the same time.

    Everyone would finally get to see Lu Mingshu suffer a setback?

    This youngdy was too arrogant. A newbie should follow the rules. She only just entered the Harmonization Realm a year ago and yet she thought so highly of herself! She would have to be careful not to go home crying.

    In this world, there was a type of person that hoped no one would be able to aplish something that they couldn¡¯t. If there was someone who could aplish it, they would watch with the hopes that they would end up failing miserably. That way, they couldfort themselves that Wei Chunqiu and Kou Wei were just way too strong while someone like Lu Mingshu was just arrogant.

    The current match ended, and Lin Zixin announced the name for the next match. ¡°Kou Wei from the Heavenly Sea Pavilion challenging...¡±

    Everyone looked at him in anticipation, hoping that it would be the person that they were thinking of. ¡°Lu Mingshu from Nine Jade Pce.¡±

    Indeed!

    Kou Wei leapt onto the stage with apuse and cheers.

    ¡°Senior Brother Kou, all the best!¡±

    ¡°Senior Brother Kou will surely make it!¡±

    As Lu Mingshu went on stage, Kou Wei bowed and look at her apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Miss Lu.¡±

    Lu Mingshu returned the courtesy. ¡°It¡¯s a reasonable challenge, Senior Brother Kou. There¡¯s no need to apologize.¡±

    Kou Wei sighed. He wouldn¡¯t have done this if he had any choice, but if he didn¡¯t challenge Lu Mingshu, he could wave goodbye to first ce.

    ¡°Miss Lu, please.¡±

    ¡°Please.¡±

    A screech could be heard as sword energy suddenly dashed at Kou Wei fiercely.

    Physical Manifestation of Sword Intent!

    In the Seventh Truth tform tent, Wei Chunqiu nudged Yu Kuang. ¡°Junior Brother Yu, you¡¯re better than her in sword skills, so what do you think about that?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Yu Kuang looked at him in surprise as his train of thoughts was suddenly broken.

    Seeing his reaction, Wei Chunqiu stared at him coldly. ¡°Do you want to wave goodbye to the top ten?¡±

    Yu Kuang rubbed his eyes, still trying to figure out what was happening.

    ¡°Open your eyes and look at this match! Before the Qilin Festival, you were better than her, but now, you¡¯re both equal!¡±

    Thisment was a bit hurtful, and it pulled down Yu Kuang¡¯s confidence slightly.

    He looked over to the stage, and what he saw took him aback.

    On the stage, Kou Wei swayed his sword as a water dragon dashed at Lu Mingshu. His techniques were all rted to water, which is what made the Heavenly Sea Pavilion unique. Kou Wei had practised for years, and he was extremely skilled. Nobody had managed to receive more than ten attacks from him.

    There was another sword energy that was weaker than Kou Wei¡¯s, but it was still fast and furious. It managed to rekindle itself whenever it was destroyed by Kou Wei every single time.

    Yu Kuang was taken aback.

    Senior Brother Wei is right. Within a few months and much practice, Lu Mingshu had indeed improved a lot. Her Physical Manifestation of Sword Intent had already evolved from a baby dragon to a dragon.

    As for him, he had known the skill for two years, and yet he still didn¡¯t have much improvement after he evolved into a dragon....

    Yu Kuang took a deep breath and looked at the seat where State Master Jia Yan was supposed to be sitting, then he went back to focusing on the match.

 Chapter 167: Fast Improvement

    <h4>Chapter 167: Fast Improvement</h4>

    The water dragon dashed up toward the sky.

    The match soon entered into a weird situation of push and pull.

    ¡°How many attacks?¡± somebody mumbled in worry.

    ¡°Uh, ten?¡±

    ¡°Ten....¡± Lu Mingshu is not bad after all. She has broken the record of defending against Kou Wei.

    What was weird though was that Kou Wei obviously had the upper hand and could easily take Lu Mingshu down, but for some reason, he hadn¡¯t done so yet.

    Yu Kuang raised his brows.

    Wei Chunqiu took a nce at him. ¡°Realized it?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Since when was she suddenly so powerful?¡± He nodded.

    Yu Kuang had fought her before, and he was a bit better than her back then. Herck of basics was a killer disadvantage for her.

    But now, the Lu Mingshu on stage made him feel like he was going to suffocate.

    Yu Kuang tried to put himself in her position and Kou Wei¡¯s position. It¡¯s way too suffocating.

    She attacked quickly, and her sword energy was light. The first time he met her, she couldn¡¯t even use her technique more than twice, but now, she suddenly had the stamina to sustain and use it continuously!

    ¡°Not suddenly,¡± Wei Chunqiu snapped. ¡°How long have you not been watching her fight? She¡¯s been improving constantly.¡±

    Yu Kuang remained silent.

    Wei Chunqiu stroked his sword andmented slowly. ¡°She¡¯s surprising. A normal person would need months to examine themselves and what they¡¯recking after a fight, but she can correct herself in a day.¡±

    As a martial artist, fights were meant for them to improve, and growing with such ability, Wei Chunqiu was aware of how scary that could be. Shortening the time of self-reflection was already winning.

    ¡°But herck of basics can¡¯t suddenly disappear just like that, right?¡±

    The Lu Mingshu on stage now had an equal amount of mystic energy as Wei Chunqiu and Kou Wei. Even if he could ept everything else, she was weaker than Yu Chen just the other day, and mystic energy wasn¡¯t something that could be gained in a day.

    ¡°That¡¯s just her secret.¡± Wei Chunqiu shook his head. ¡°Maybe she found some secret technique somewhere that we haven¡¯t discovered.¡±

    For example, Wei Chunqiu himself had a secret skill, which he would only use when challenging Kou Wei.

    Yu Kuang bit his lips and voiced out his burning question, ¡°Senior Brother Wei, do you think she has a chance of winning?¡±

    Based on Lu Mingshu¡¯s standard from before, the answer was obvious. However, seeing her today...

    ¡°Just watch.¡± Wei Chunqiu didn¡¯t answer. Kou Wei would obviously win, but who knew how many secret techniques Lu Mingshu still had?

    Kou Wei, who was currently fighting on stage, had the same thinking as Wei Chunqiu.

    Yes. He knew that Lu Mingshu was improving. However, he never expected her improvement to be this scary until now. Raw talent was just talent; without the correct training, it was still going to go down the drain.

    But at this point, he couldn¡¯t tell if Lu Mingshu or Yue Lingyin was better.

    A few days really made a difference.

    The water dragon dashed fiercely toward Lu Mingshu.

    Lu Mingshu calmed herself down and focused on her skills.

    She was well prepared to lose this match, but she was well prepared to win as well. No matter what the result was, she would continue fighting with her blood, sweat, and tears.

    Stoppeting in order to remain in the top ten? Of course that was a good idea, but the New Generation Ranking wasn¡¯t her main goal.

    She did not need the recognition, she just wanted to be free.

    The Physical Manifestation of Sword Intent moved freely to her heart¡¯s content.

    An obvious power was unleashed through rays of sword-light.

    Before the match started, Lu Mingshu used all the strengthening seals she had.

    She was lucky because she received a seal that temporarily improved her mystic force and fixed her problem of having weak basics. She also got a seal that could break the connection between the opponent and their mystic force. Plus, she had one that increased her speed and attack power, making it possible to fight Kou Wei.

    Kou Wei was too strong; his ability was considered to be at the peak of the Harmonization Realm. This match would be a precious lesson for Lu Mingshu.

    ¡°Senior Brother Wei, Kou Wei doesn¡¯t look well,¡± Yu Kuang pointed out.

    Wei Chunqiu nodded. ¡°He¡¯s too shocked by the amount of mystic force she can use.¡± If it was him, he would be taken aback too. Spectators wouldn¡¯t feel it as strongly as thepetitor himself.

    He knew that Kou Wei and Lu Mingshu were on good terms. He was older than her by ten years, and he was going to break through to the Spirit Realm soon, so he saw her as a junior more than an opponent.

    However, halfway into the match, he discovered that Lu Mingshu¡¯s weaknesses had suddenly disappeared and she was on the same level. How could he not be shocked?

    ¡°This is not good.¡± Yu Kuang furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°If he doesn¡¯t get back on track, anything can happen....¡±

    Someone defeating a stronger opponent than themselves wasn¡¯t a miracle in martial arts. Anything could happen in a match.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Wei Chunqiu nodded. ¡°But it isn¡¯t like Kou Wei to just go down like that.¡±

    Kou Wei was the sessor disciple of one of the top three sects, not some random cultivator. Kou Wei may have underestimated Lu Mingshu, but he wouldn¡¯t give up that easily.

    Kou Wei was getting annoyed as time went on. He was on the verge of winning, but he didn¡¯t know what was stopping him.

    He hadn¡¯t felt this way for a long time. After getting into the top ten of Harmonization Realm cultivators, he had been busy leveling himself up. For about six years, he had the title of the best disciple of the Heavenly Sea Pavilion, and he had never met such an opponent.

    Did he perhaps think too lightly of her and not take the proper precautions?

    No, stop. As a martial artist, no matter what opponent he was going against, he should put forth his best, and that was all.

    Kou Wei took a deep breath and looked at Lu Mingshu.

    ¡°Miss Lu. Be careful,¡± he said, then waved his fan.

    Whoosh¡ª-

    Sounds of gushing water could be heard.

    ¡°What sound was that?¡±

    The water dragon on stage had already been recalled, but the sound of water gushing had be clearer. The spectators were whispering among themselves.

    ¡°Look, below!¡± A spectator realized an anomaly and shouted out loud

    All the spectators were rooted to the ground as the scene unfolded in front of them.

    Fountains shot up from the river beside the stage and burst.

 Chapter 168: Fatal

    <h4>Chapter 168: Fatal</h4>

    The peak that the imperial residence was built on wasn¡¯t considered highpared to the other peaks, but it wasn¡¯t too low either.

    Five water dragons emerged from the foot of the mountain. In the blink of an eye, the dragons dashed up to the stage.

    The overflowing river surged up and swept everything away with it. Within no time, the whole stage was overtaken.

    ¡°Five Dragons ying with the Pearl!¡± A spectator stood up abruptly and shouted while pointing at the stage.

    This caused an uproar in the tents.

    Five Dragons ying with the Pearl ¨C a unique skill of the Heavenly Sea Pavilion that all disciples who had reached the Spirit Realm would acquire. Who would have expected Kou Wei to have already perfected it?

    No wonder he was the best disciple of the Heavenly Sea Pavilion.

    The spectatorsmented. There was nobody who still doubted Kou Wei¡¯s ability. This attack, no matter who he was against, would get him a win.

    Among the Harmonization Realm, only Wei Chunqiu could possibly defeat him, or perhaps Lin Wuxia. But who knew for sure? Lin Wuxia dislikedpetitions or disputes, and her momentum was already weaker than Kou Wei.

    There was no need to continue watching thispetition; there was no doubt that Lu Mingshu would lose.

    The queen was watching the match from her seat. She shook her head and sighed. ¡°That child worked hard to get here.¡±

    The King of Zhongzhou smiled and nodded. ¡°No wonder you had your eyes on her.¡±

    Even under the temptation of the New Ranking, she still held onto her aspirations and the original meaning of a martial artist, which even some Spirit Realm martial artist couldn¡¯t achieve.

    In this mundane world, it was hard for one to remain pure at all times. The more powerful a martial artist was, the more fame and benefits would start rolling in. As time passed, they would drown in the materials and live by them, losing the original intention of a martial artist.

    For example, the New Ranking; how many, in her shoes, would be able to resist the temptation? For just a day, if she let Kou Wei and Wei Chunqiu overtake her on the rankings, then she would get third ce for sure.

    It had only been a year since she entered the Harmonization Realm and yet she could be ced third. After the Qilin Festival was over, she would gain much fame.

    However, she chose to continuepeting. In doing so, it was possible that she would drop out of the top ten, and everything would go down the drain.

    Lu Mingshu was clearly aware of that, but she was clear about what she wanted.

    Very clear. It wasn¡¯t that the New Ranking had a false reputation, Lu Mingshu just had the true essence of a martial artist.

    The King of Zhongzhou thought about it before smiling. ¡°Who said she¡¯s stupid? She¡¯s smart! She knows what appeals to you.¡±

    The queen smiled thinly. If Lu Mingshu got into the New Ranking, the queen would obviously value her a lot more. However, she wouldn¡¯t admire Lu Mingshu as much as she did now.

    What was rare was that Lu Mingshu wasn¡¯t going out of her way to please the queen, which made her feel gratified.

    If it wasn¡¯t because of Xing¡¯er¡¯s stubbornness, I would have let her have her way. Or maybe I would treat her better in the future. After the Qilin Festival ends, I¡¯ll request the Nine Jade Pce to let her stay in the Seventh Truth tform and provide her with all the resources she needs. With her talent, she¡¯ll be able to break through to the Spirit Realm in less than ten years....

    The queen was deep in thought when the king awakened her with a gasp.

    She paused for a moment before looking toward the stage.

    Unfolding in her eyes was the scene of the water dragons bursting like firecrackers after sword energy shot through them.

    A golden light shone in the direction of the sword-light. Everyone thought it was mystic light at first, but something seemed out of ce....

    ¡°Talisman! That¡¯s a talisman!¡±

    The five water dragons nearly swept Lu Mingshu away with them, but a talisman light suddenly fused with her sword-light and coiled around the dragons like a chain.

    The sword-light dissolved immediately due to it not being strong enough, but the talisman remained, and it was surprisingly stronger than a real chain.

    Kou Wei stood rooted to the ground.

    No wonder he saw Lu Mingshu throwing something out. He thought that she dropped something, but the sword immediately lit up after she threw it out, and there was something infused in the sword-light.

    Talisman! She is skilled in talismans!

    But what did she throw out? A normal talisman couldn¡¯t have been so powerful.

    A small cry could be heard, and his five dragons were unable to move. The talisman hung in the air and shone brightly.

    ¡°A spiritual tool!¡± Kou Wei shrieked.

    At that moment, Lu Mingshu¡¯s sword-energy was already at Kou Wei¡¯s face.

    Kou Wei had no choice but to block the attack with his fan.

    The spectators were shocked to see the dragons intertwined together and locked by the talisman.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± The incident was too quick for the spectators to react.

    In the Nine Jade Pce tent, An Tongchen¡¯s face fell.

    That spiritual tool was the one that he had given to Lu Mingshu, so he would obviously recognize it. However, that wasn¡¯t how one should use it.

    He got it a long time back, and after a lot of experimenting, the most effective way to use it was as a defensive tool. When it activated, it would congeal the mystic light and turn into a shield to block the attack.

    The spiritual tool was rare, but it wasn¡¯t precious since it was useless for anyone in the Spirit Realm. Because of this, An Tongchen gave it to her, but he never expected her to use it in such a way.

    What did shebine with it? It¡¯s so powerful that it can reduce Kou Wei¡¯s ability and constrain his dragons?

    ¡°Is that a spiritual tool? Howe it¡¯s so powerful?¡±

    There was another uproar in the tents.

    A spiritual tool was indeed rare, but many spectators had seen one, and otherpetitors had used one too. However, their spiritual tools were all weakerpared to Lu Mingshu¡¯s; they could block one attack at most.

    Lu Mingshu waspletely focused on the match and ignored everything around her except her opponent, Kou Wei.

    She seized the chance andunched an attack.

    Kou Wei¡¯s face turned pale when he blocked the attack.

    He took a long time to be skilled in this technique he was using, and his mystic force right now was mostly in the dragons, but Lu Mingshu managed to cut the link between him and the dragons, reducing his power to about 30%.

    Realizing this, Kou Wei sighed and blocked her sword with his fan. ¡°I concede.¡±

    Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t hear it. She was just figuring out how to get her sword out.

    Between the silence, Lin Zixin came out.

    He then announced the result. ¡°Kou Wei from the Heavenly Sea Pavilion surrendered. Lu Mingshu from Nine Jade Pce wins!¡±

    He then turned to Lu Mingshu. ¡°Miss, you have to recall your spiritual tool.¡±

    Lu Mingshu came back to earth and recalled her spiritual tool.

    The dragons were finally freed. Kou Wei waved his fan, and the dragons dispersed into the air.

    ¡°Senior Brother Kou,¡± Lu Mingshu stammered. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to...¡±

    Kou Wei didn¡¯t seem happy, but he still remained gentlemanly. ¡°I surrendered, so that means I lost. Miss Lu need not worry. I will take it as a lesson.¡±

    He gave her a stiff smile before going back to his tent.

    Lu Mingshu stood rooted to the ground.

    She really didn¡¯t expect to win, she just focused entirely on Kou Wei and wanted to give it her all. Who knew that Kou Wei would surrender?

 Chapter 169: Victory Without Happiness

    <h4>Chapter 169: Victory Without Happiness</h4>

    Lu Mingshu went back to the tent absent-mindedly. There were lots of congrattions, but she was too worried to care.

    The other tents were filled with heated discussion.

    ¡°Why did Kou Wei surrender?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he was about to win anyway!¡±

    ¡°Did he let her win? The Heavenly Sea Pavilion isn¡¯t that shameless!¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± A Spirit Realm elder finally stopped their discussion. ¡°It¡¯s normal that he lost. How could he continue after he lost motivation?¡±

    ¡°Senior Uncle, could you exin what happened?¡± The disciples all chattered continuously.

    He sighed in annoyance. ¡°For this match... the Five Dragons ying with the Pearl is a secret skill of the Heavenly Sea Pavilion. Kou Wei managed to master this skill even when he¡¯s in the Harmonization Realm, which shows that he¡¯s very gifted.¡±

    ¡°So he should¡¯ve won!¡±

    ¡°Yes, he should¡¯ve.¡± The senior uncle exined patiently. ¡°But because of the fact that he¡¯s in the Harmonization Realm, no matter how strong his basics are, he doesn¡¯t have a lot of mystic force. When he used that skill, he put most of his mystic force into it. So...¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± The disciple suddenly realized. ¡°Because most of his mystic force was being controlled, he didn¡¯t have much left to use freely. So, there was no point in trying to defend anymore because his actions were limited while Lu Mingshu¡¯s weren¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± The senior uncle sighed. ¡°Kou Wei should¡¯ve won this match, but things are always unpredictable.¡±

    Who would have thought that Lu Mingshu would have such a strong spiritual tool? The skill that was initially supposed to give him the win became his own downfall.

    ¡°Huh, so that means Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t win after all! She was only able to control his dragons all thanks to her spiritual tool!¡±

    The senior uncle rolled his eyes. ¡°There are a lot ofpetitors who used spiritual tools, so she¡¯s not going against the rules. Even if her spiritual tool is powerful, that¡¯s her luck, and the win is still hers!¡±

    ¡°But...¡±

    All the disciples were confused by the sudden turn of the results, but after much consideration, they finally understood why.

    It was frustrating. Even though Kou Wei himself surrendered, it¡¯s not like Lu Mingshu was actually stronger than him. However, she wasn¡¯t exactly cheating either, so it was still her win.

    They were unable to react to the sudden change. Most of them sighed and came up with one conclusion; That¡¯s fate!

    ¡°This...¡± Yu Kuang stammered. ¡°What the hell!¡±

    Thest thing he expected was Kou Wei to surrender and let Lu Mingshu have an almost free win.

    Wei Chunqiu rolled eyes at his reaction. Is this surprising? To win from a position of weakness is not something rare. Only country bumpkins tend to make a fuss.

    ¡°Senior Brother Wei, why did this happen!?¡± Yu Kuang clung to him.

    Wei Chunqiu pped his hand away and sighed. ¡°Is this more important than your Senior Brother situation? I might be in trouble.¡±

    Yu Kuang stared at him nkly for a few seconds before looking at the name list.

    Lu Mingshu; one hundred and twenty-three points. Wei Chunqiu; ny-five points. Kou Wei; seventy-three points.

    Kou Wei lost eighteen points after losing that round. However, there was nobody else other than Lu Mingshu and Wei Chunqiu who had more points than him, so he was still in the top three.

    At this point, if Wei Chunqiu wanted to be in first, he had to challenge Lu Mingshu. If he won, he would have a hundred and neen points and first ce.

    However, Kou Wei wouldn¡¯t just give up like that. The match between him and Wei Chunqiu would still take ce, and if he lost, he would drop to ny-six points and tie with Kou Wei, giving first ce to Lu Mingshu.

    In other words, he needed to defeat both of them to get first.

    ¡°...there¡¯s nothing different from your original ns?¡± Yu Kuang scratched his head.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Lu Mingshu woulde this far,¡± Wei Chunqiu pointed out.

    Kou Wei had always been his aim, and that was still true. It was just that he needed to win one match more.

    He wasn¡¯t like those mediocre people who thought that Kou Wei¡¯s time was over and that Wei Chunqiu would defeat him easily. He could clearly tell that Kou Wei was still just as powerful; it was just that Lady Luck was on Lu Mingshu¡¯s side.

    If it had been Wei Chunqiu, he could only have taken out his secret technique when Kou Wei used that skill. Even then, he wasn¡¯t guaranteed to win.

    ¡°At most, only Kou Wei would be better than you, but you would still be better than everyone else. Aren¡¯t I right?¡± Yu Kuang tried to calm him down.

    Wei Chunqiu stared at him coldly. ¡°Shut up you cabbage. Can¡¯t you see that Kou Wei just lost? You don¡¯t even know how to console others.¡±

    On the other hand, Lu Mingshu just returned to earth.

    She felt like everything was a dream. How could she possibly defeat Kou Wei?

    ¡°Junior Sister Lu,¡± Shao Zhengyang looked at her with aplicated look. ¡°Congrattions.¡±

    Kou Wei just lost a round, and what was left now was the match between her and Wei Chunqiu and the match between Wei Chunqiu and Kou Wei. No matter what, she would definitely be in second at least. If Wei Chunqiu defeated both her and Kou Wei, she would be second, and if Wei Chunqiu lost to Kou Wei, she would be first.

    For Kou Wei, a win would give him a tie with Wei Chunqiu. If he lost, that would give his third ce to Yue Lingyin.

    Shao Zhengyang once thought that this junior sister of his was too young ¨C that she still wasn¡¯t experienced enough to know how to deal with people properly and gain benefits. He thought that securing third ce would be better than continuing to fight.

    But now... thest thing he expected was for her to defeat Kou Wei, regardless of the method. No matter what her rank was now, she would definitely be famous.

    Lu Mingshu shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m really lucky.¡±

    She finally knew what was going on.

    The win was totally by luck. It was all because An Tongchen gave her the spiritual tool, and by chance, she found that it was very useful to reinforce its ability with a talisman.

    When Kou Wei used his skill, she had no choice but to use the spiritual tool, but she never would¡¯ve thought that she would happen to use it with a talisman that could confine mystic force.

    Kou Wei¡¯s ability was suddenly confined for an unknown reason, leaving him in panic.

    To be honest, he would surely have won if he hadn¡¯t surrendered. However, he still had to fight Wei Chunqiuter on, so he wanted to save some energy forter.

    This made Lu Mingshu admire him more. Kou Wei had a famous reputation now; it was easy for him to win, but not lose. Losing to a newbie like her would definitely affect his reputation.

    If he was smart enough, he would have just defeated Lu Mingshu first before worrying about the match. Even if he was drained and lost his next match, his reputation wouldn¡¯t have been affected very much; firstly, he wouldn¡¯t have been in his best state, and secondly, Wei Chunqiu had the same amount of reputation. Losing to Wei Chunqiu wasn¡¯t shameful.

    But Kou Wei didn¡¯t do that. The match with Lu Mingshu was full of surprises, and it was his loss since he forgot thatpetitors could bring in talismans and spiritual tools, so he didn¡¯t prepare himself for that. To Kou Wei, the match with Wei Chunqiu held a lot more value.

    Even though she had won this round, Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t even feel happy.

    On the contrary, she became even warier. Compared to Kou Wei, she had a long way to go.

 Chapter 170: At all cost

    <h4>Chapter 170: At all cost</h4>

    The tents were filled with heated discussions of the match.

    By now, all the matches that should¡¯ve taken ce had already taken ce. Thepetitors who hadn¡¯t registered for a fight at this point would most likely not ept any more challenges. What was left now were the fights for the top three positions.

    In other words, this Qilin Festival only had two more matches left ¨C Wei Chunqiu against Lu Mingshu and Kou Wei against Wei Chunqiu.

    The previous match between Lu Mingshu and Kou Wei just ended. By rule, the next match could only take ce after an hour if it involved the samepetitor, so the spectators took a break to discuss the match that just ended.

    At this point, it was impossible for Kou Wei to be ranked first, so he was now putting his entire reputation on the line to fight for second ce. If he won the fight against Wei Chunqiu, he could keep his reputation and prove that he just happened to be unlucky against Lu Mingshu. However, if he lost again, everything would fall.

    When she heard Shao Zhengyang¡¯sment, Lu Mingshu shook her head softly. ¡°To Senior Brother Kou, winning or losing isn¡¯t that important.¡±

    Shao Zhengyang paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true. He¡¯s going to break through to the Spirit Realm soon. However, his reputation might...¡± make him look like a joke.

    Lu Mingshu shook her head confidently. ¡°It¡¯s not important to him.¡±

    ¡°Junior Sister Lu...¡±

    Shao Zhengyang felt like there was something he didn¡¯t quite understand something. In his eyes, Kou Wei was the best of the best in every area. Talent, ability, character, and even how he carried himself, there was hardly anyone who could equal him. After the Heavenly Doorpetition, Lu Mingshu gave off the same sort of feeling ¨C arrogant.

    Lu Mingshu and Kou Wei were different kinds of people, which is why they had different ways of dealing with the same thing. Even so, they were able to understand each other¡¯s logic. As for Shao Zhengyang, no matter how close he and Kou Wei were, there was still a distance that he couldn¡¯t quite put his finger on.

    Perhaps... it¡¯s just that I¡¯m not a true elite? This thought made Shao Zhengyang disheartened.

    After Lu Mingshu replied to him, she leaned back in her seat to rest, ignoring the voices of the outside world.

    She had used all the treasures she had, and there was no more luck left for her.

    An hour passed, and all eyes were on the Seventh Truth tform¡¯s tent.

    Who would he challenge first? Lu Mingshu? With his skills and his ability to cope with any situation that came up, he wouldn¡¯t need to use much energy to defeat Lu Mingshu. Wei Chunqiu wouldn¡¯t need much time to recover either, so an hour would be enough. If he challenged Kou Wei first and used up a lot of energy, he would be giving Lu Mingshu a free win.

    That was what Lu Mingshu thought too. When Wei Chunqiu handed up the name of his opponent, she knew what wasing.

    Lin Zixin took the paper that the clerk handed him and checked if there was any mistake before announcing the names; ¡°Wei Chunqiu from the Seventh Truth tform challenging Lu Mingshu from Nine Jade Pce.¡±

    Hearing the names, the spectators heaved a sigh of relief. Finally, there was something reasonable. If Wei Chunqiu challenged Kou Wei first then challenged Lu Mingshu while he was drained, there would be something fishy about it. The spectators would¡¯ve questioned whether there was a conspiracy to let Lu Mingshu take first.

    Wei Chunqiu jumped on stage and looked toward Nine Jade Pce¡¯s tent.

    Lu Mingshu slowly removed her armguard to wipe her sweat. She then jumped on stage.

    Both of them bowed.

    ¡°Miss Lu,¡± Wei Chunqiu said. ¡°As I promised that day, I¡¯ll be lenient to you if we have to fight.¡±

    Lu Mingshu replied softly, ¡°It was just a joke. Gentleman Wei doesn¡¯t need to take it to heart.¡±

    Wei Chunqiu shook his head. ¡°I never go back on my words.¡±

    Upon hearing that, Lu Mingshu stared at him weirdly. ¡°Is that the catchphrase of the Seventh Truth tform or something?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Wei Chunqiu stared at her nkly for a few seconds. He then smirked when he understood what she meant. ¡°Because I don¡¯t go back on my words, I¡¯ll give you three attacks.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Really.¡±

    ¡°Well okay.¡± Lu Mingshu fished out her sword and dashed at him. ¡°Beware!¡±

    A dragon-like hiss could be heard as the sword-energy rotated in the air before charging toward Wei Chunqiu.

    Wei Chunqiu took a deep breath and stabilized himself. Mystic light hovered around his body and created a bubble.

    A sound could be heard when the sword-energy met with the mystic light. Wei Chunqiu was not really affected, and his mystic light stabilized very quickly.

    ¡°That¡¯s how it should be!¡± somebody in a tent shouted.

    This is what should happen when a newbie fought an elite! What the hell was the match with Kou Wei earlier!?

    As soon as someone said that, Lu Mingshu got ready for another attack. Another sword-beam was sent out, but this time, there were two at the same time. Wei Chunqiu dodged it smoothly, but Lu Mingshu managed to stop it, and after adding even more sword-energy, it charged back at Wei Chunqiu.

    Boom¡ª¨C!

    A sound could be heard. The sword-light was blocked, but the bubble had a small crack on it. Due to the ovepping energy, the sword-energy didn¡¯t disperse immediately, it simply spun there and continued to expand.

    Clink¡ª¨C!

    The mystic light cracked.

    Wei Chunqiu then dodged the attack again.

    The atmosphere became tense.

    What¡¯s going on? She could actually pierce through his bubble? Is this...?

    The spectators were all tense. Every time they expected her to lose, Lady Luck would be on her side. Even if she only had a 10% chance of winning, she would.

    Nobody dared toment anything about Lu Mingshu now. There seemed to be some kind of curse whenever anyone said, ¡°She¡¯s going to lose.¡±

    On the other hand, Wei Chunqiu was still calm.

    He raised his eyebrows. ¡°Hmm... the uracy.¡±

    He had heard from Yu Kuang about how urate her sword-energy could be as if each attack was precisely measured. Now, Wei Chunqiu had experienced it himself, so he knew how urate she was.

    However, Wei Chunqiu still didn¡¯t lose any energy. When it was broken, the lifespan of the bubble came to an end. The sword-energy was just enough to break the bubble, but it didn¡¯t cause any injuries to him.

    ¡°One more,¡± Lu Mingshu said and waved her sword. The sword-light dashed forward and split itself into ten rays of light. It then weaved itself into a web and hovered around Wei Chunqiu.

    Wei Chunqiu blocked it with mystic force again.

    He was curious as to what made her sword skills so goodpared to everyone else.

    The sword-energy coiled around the mystic light and abruptly created a sound.

    Ding¡ª-! The sword-energy and mystic light collided.

    Ding! Ding! Ding!

    The sound was continuous, and the mystic light around Wei Chunqiu started to vibrate.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± The spectators whispered.

    ¡°Wei Chunqiu should be the one with the upper hand. He hasn¡¯t even used his weapons yet!¡±

    ¡°But his bubble was broken by Lu Mingshu....¡±

    The discussion went on. At the main pce, the king of Zhongzhou smiled contently. ¡°Interesting! Wei Chunqiu had already learned to infuse sword-energy into his mystic light. Even though it¡¯s hard to tell now, he would be almost invincible when he breaks through to the Spirit Realm!¡±

    ¡°The other is even more interesting.¡± The queen smiled thinly. ¡°She¡¯s trying to force Wei Chunqiu to use his full strength. How ambitious!¡±

 Chapter 171: No Fear of Defeat

    <h4>Chapter 171: No Fear of Defeat</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    After the third attack, Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t seem like she wanted to stop. The mystic light on the sword manifested into a dragon and dashed toward Wei Chunqiu quickly.

    One, two, three.

    ¡°What is she trying to do!?¡± somebody eximed.

    In the Seventh Truth tform tent, Yu Kuang was muttering to himself, ¡°She manifested so many...!¡±

    The more sword-energy was unleashed, the more mystic force required. If one wanted to manifest arge amount of sword-energy, someone would generally have to be at the Spirit Realm.

    This could only mean that Lu Mingshu had very good control over her mystic energy; it had to be absolutely meticulous. With good control, she was able to split the sword-energy into finer strings and control them exactly the way she wanted.

    ¡°Could I achieve that?¡± Yu Kuang asked himself.

    He weighed it in his heart, and the answer he got was a ¡°No.¡±

    He couldn¡¯t achieve it. He was able to split sword-energy into just as many strings, but he wouldn¡¯t be able to control each of them individually.

    Now, Yu Kuang realized just how much he wasgging behind after a month. He finally understood why Wei Chunqiu said what he did.

    Simr techniques and ability... Lu Mingshu and he were almost like mirror images. He could learn about his own weaknesses from watching her and how to brush up on them.

    Unfortunately, he had missed the chance. If he had paid attention to each of Lu Mingshu¡¯s matches, he might have been able to find out what was holding him back from improving and go on to greater heights.

    What a pity, but it wouldn¡¯t help even if he continued to dread over it. Lu Mingshu was now on stage fighting Wei Chunqiu and leaving Yu Kuang behind.

    Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!

    The collision sound was getting more and more intense. However, Wei Chunqiu still wasn¡¯t using his weapon against her.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± A disciple who had bad eyesight was squinting while looking at the stage.

    ¡°It can¡¯t be...?¡± The one who could see it seemed shocked

    ¡°Huh? What?¡±

    ¡°Their sword-energy and mystic light have traces of solidifying...!¡± Mixed feelings swelled up in the disciple¡¯s heart. Wei Chunqiu had already infused his Physical Manifestation of Sword Intent into his mystic light. Lu Mingshu was behind him, but her sword-energy was starting to solidify too as if this match between mystic light and sword-energy had been going on for more than ten hours.

    It was believed that, because Kou Wei and Wei Chunqiu practised in different ways, it was inevitable that there would be a fierce fight in this Qilin Festival. However, they never would have thought that they would see a scene like this, and it was all thanks to Lu Mingshu.

    Clink¡ª-!

    In the midst of the sword-shadows, a faint sword-light shot up into the sky and broke the string of sword-energy one by one, then fell back into Wei Chunqiu¡¯s palm.

    Wei Chunqiu finally pulled out his sword.

    ¡°Hmm, Miss Lu, it¡¯s not pleasant to be so overbearing,¡± Wei Chunqiu said as the match entered into a short break.

    Lu Mingshu gave him a smile. ¡°Three attacks are over. Or does Gentleman Wei think that he can defeat me without your sword?¡±

    Wei Chunqiu sighed. ¡°You want me to go all-out, right?¡±

    ¡°This is the Qilin Festival. How could it be considered the Qilin Festival without arduous effort?¡±

    Wei Chunqiuughed heartily upon hearing what Lu Mingshu said. ¡°How could it be considered the Qilin Festival without arduous effort? Well then, if I don¡¯t give it my best, I¡¯ll be humiliating Miss.¡± He gripped his sword tightly and looked at her sternly. ¡°Miss Lu, beware.¡±

    As soon as he finished his sentence, he attacked immediately.

    Wei Chunqiu was as fast as lightning. In the blink of an eye, the sword-energy was in front of her. This was the first time Lu Mingshu witnessed the speed of his sword up close.

    nk!

    His sword struck hers. She barely blocked his attack; if she was one-second slower, his sword would have cut her sleeve open and pierced through her shoulder de right now. Facing an opponent like Wei Chunqiu, there was no chance of her even trying to struggle.

    It didn¡¯t take long for Wei Chunqiu to change his skill. ck sword-light shed past her, and Lu Mingshu only barely managed to block the attacks.

    In the Heavenly Sea Pavilion tent, Kou Wei was back from his resting. He was currently watching the match.

    Seeing how Wei Chunqiu fought, Qi Sheng was displeased. ¡°He¡¯s going too far! Who is he, and who is Lu Mingshu? What¡¯s is he being so serious for?¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t me him.¡± Kou Wei smiled. ¡°I let my guard down and lost because of it. If he doesn¡¯t give it his best, how can he ensure that he will win?¡±

    Hearing Kou Wei talk about the previous match, Qi Sheng shook his head immediately. ¡°You can¡¯t me yourself for that. Who could have known that she would bring talismans and a spiritual tool?¡±

    Kou Wei chuckled at his reaction. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Is your Senior Brother a poor loser?¡±

    Speaking about that, Qi Sheng had always admired his Senior Brother a lot. Kou Wei¡¯s surrender not only gained weird looks from the other sects, but it also caused the Heavenly Sea Pavilion¡¯s elder to rage, thinking that Kou Wei had spoiled their reputation. Despite all that, he chose to ignore the criticism and focus on his next match.

    ¡°Senior Brother.¡± Qi Sheng pondered for a while before he starts, ¡°Do you think Miss Lu will be able to win?¡±

    Kou Wei smiled in reply and focused on the match.

    The sword-light moved at a faster speed to the extent that ayman couldn¡¯t distinguish who it belonged to.

    Lu Mingshu put her whole heart into it and concentrated fully on the sword-light around her.

    In the Heavenly Wheel, she had yed out what she would do if she came up against him. His style, speed, strength, etcetera... she had been gathering the numerical values since long ago, reying the scenario in her brain, and revising it every time.

    To Wei Chunqiu, this was their first time going against each other, but not to Lu Mingshu.

    From the first match that Wei Chunqiu hadpeted in since the challenger fight started, Lu Mingshu had beening up with potential situations using his numerical values, and she realized that it was impossible for her to ovee his speed. Qi Zining had only sustained six attacks, and she would only be able tost for ten at most.

    As the days went by, the values she had of him got more and more urate, but she was still at her wit¡¯s end. He was simply so powerful that, no matter how urate she was, she would never be able to do anything.

    Until this morning, when she used a strengthening seal to update her own data, and she finally found a gap. This match was do-or-die for her. Even a small difference would cause her to lose, but there was a chance, and as long as there was a chance, she would give it a try!

    Since there was a chance, she wanted to force Wei Chunqiu to give it his all. That way, she would be able to force the best out of herself as well.

    Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!

    The speed became faster, and the sound of swords colliding became more intense.

    In the eyes of the spectators, it was just people speeding around the stage. They were so fast that they couldn¡¯t even be distinguished.

    ¡°How many attacks now?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, they are too fast.¡±

    ¡°We already knew that Wei Chunqiu was this fast, but is Lu Mingshu that fast too?¡±

    ¡°True! Why do I feel that Lu Mingshu has be faster?¡±

    Beads of sweat trailed down her forehead, neck, and back. Even her palms were covered with sweat. However, Lu Mingshu was fully focused on the match.

    Yes, that¡¯s the rhythm. Even though Wei Chunqiu changed his skills rapidly, he still had a unique tempo. Just like a piece of music, once you got its beat, you¡¯d be able to keep up with the tempo.

    The way to deal with his fast sword was to get the tempo right. Then, she would be able to find the gap.

    Wei Chunqiu got faster, and Lu Mingshu did too. Finally...

    Ding¡ª¨C!

    The next second, a sword flew out.

    The tempo was forcefully broken. The sword-light was retrieved, silencing everyone.

    Wei Chunqiu pointed the sword at Lu Mingshu. The sword that he hit flying was still spinning in the air.

    nk!

    It then dropped to the floor.

    ¡°Seventh Truth tform, Wei Chunqiu wins!¡±

 Chapter 172: A Treasure

    <h4>Chapter 172: A Treasure</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    Lu Mingshu stood on the stage, sweating profusely, breathing heavily, and trembling.

    Wei Chunqiu was obviously in a better condition than her, but he wasn¡¯t exactly rxed.

    After the match Lu Mingshu had with Kou Wei, he sat up and took notice of her. He felt that she had great fighting potential, but he never expected that she would be able to follow his tempo.

    Ever since he got into martial arts, Wei Chunqiu had mainly focused on a fast sword. He had passed three realms, and with his fast sword, he was always the best in each realm. There weren¡¯t many who could fight against his fast sword.

    His sword was too fast. Anyone who didn¡¯t have basics as strong as his would be unable to discover his tempo. In fact, they wouldn¡¯t even be able to see what was happening. Even Yu Kuang, a Seventh Truth tform disciple whose ability was out of the ordinary, couldn¡¯t find it.

    However, Lu Mingshu, a disciple only just entered the Harmonization Realm, was able to follow his speed and nearly found a gap in his skill.

    Wei Chunqiu had no choice but to increase his speed to something that she would definitely be unable to follow and forcefully break her tempo.

    He heaved a sigh of relief and kept his sword.

    His hands were slightly shaking from the extremely fast pace that he had utilized.

    It had been a long time since anyone had forced him to this extent. It was almost his limit.

    To put it simply, he only won because of his greater basics and experience.

    Wei Chunqiu smiled bitterly in his heart. He never expected that he would need to overpower somebody with his higher cultivation.

    The younger generation will indeed surpass the older one in time! He did not know whether it was a blessing to be in a different generation or whether it was a shame that he had never met such a valiant opponent.

    ¡°Lu Mingshu.¡± Lin Zixin smiled widely at her. ¡°You may keep your sword.¡±

    Lu Mingshu was called back to earth. She took a deep breath.

    After she felt better and had stopped trembling, she went to get her sword and put it back to where it belonged.

    ¡°Thank you for guiding me true.¡± Lu Mingshu bowed.

    Even though she had lost this round, she gained many things that were iparable to winning. Wei Chunqiu¡¯s skills and tempo had given her a lot of inspiration that numerical values couldn¡¯t.

    After this match, any other fast sword in the Harmonization Realm was nothing scary to her.

    ¡°Miss has potential. Your future is limitless,¡± Wei Chunqiu said sincerely.

    Lu Mingshu gave him a smile. ¡°I hope that, when we meet again, I can call you Senior.¡±

    She then turned around and went back to her tent.

    Wei Chunqiu walked back to his tent to take a rest too. He still had one more round left, then he could be truly considered to be the number one Harmonization Realm disciple.

    The name list changed again.

    Wei Chunqiu; a hundred and neen points. Lu Mingshu; ny-nine points. Kou Wei; seventy-three points.

    For thest round, if Wei Chunqiu won, he would gain fourteen points and umte a hundred and thirty-three points in total and take first ce. Kou Wei would lose fourteen and end with fifty-nine points. Even though he would still be in the top ten, his ranking wouldn¡¯t be nice.

    If Kou Wei won, Wei Chunqiu would lose twenty-three points and end with ny-six points, while Kou Wei would gain twenty-three and end with ny-six too. Lu Mingshu would then be in first with ny-nine points, Kou Wei would take second on tiebreaks because of his win against Wei Chunqiu, and Wei Chunqiu would be third.

    In the tent, the spectators had already analyzed the different oues.

    Somebody sighed. ¡°It¡¯s such a pity. A powerful Heavenly Sea Pavilion disciple is forced to challenge Wei Chunqiu, but he won¡¯t get first even if he wins.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all because that witch girly has such luck. She lost, and yet she could still take first, while Kou Wei fought so hard and will be behind her!¡±

    ¡°Can you stop being vulgar?¡± Someone shut him up. ¡°What ¡®witch girly,¡¯ she put in effort into her fights too. Even though she defeated Kou Wei because of luck, spiritual tools are allowed in thepetition. She also fought Wei Chunqiu fairly too. Even Yue Lingyin may not be as good as her.¡±

    ¡°Then just give her third.¡± The guy huffed. ¡°How is it considered fair if you get first with luck and not ability?¡±

    Somebody sneered. ¡°Unfair? There isn¡¯t any rule that says luck isn¡¯t a factor for getting first, right?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s just unfair when others who actually have the ability fail because of luck!¡±

    ¡°Then suggest a better way to calcte it!¡±

    ¡°Can you both shut the hell up?¡± A third party jumped out. ¡°Luck is something that you can¡¯t remove. If one¡¯s lucky, then it¡¯s just their fate, and you can¡¯t do anything to it. Anyway, it¡¯s not the first time that a weak person has defeated the strong. If the Qilin Festival was measured purely by ability, then why would they even need to fight?¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡±

    Being unable to retort, the guy who was unhappy with Lu Mingshu winning by luck finally shut up.

    At the Nine Jade Pce tent, the atmosphere was rxed. Now that Lu Mingshu finished the round, she would be either first or second. Before they came, the Elders never expected such a result; the most they wanted was a top ten. However, they actually got a top three! How proud they would be when this spread!

    From afar, a woman in a purple gown slowly walked toward their tent.

    Kang Tian and the other chaperones stood up to greet her immediately once she stepped into their tent. ¡°Emissary Ding.¡±

    It was Ding Qingqing, the queen¡¯s trusted aide.

    She gave them a thin smile and nodded before walking toward Lu Mingshu.

    ¡°Miss Lu, you have worked hard.¡±

    Lu Mingshu stood up and bowed, but she remained silent.

    Ding Qingqing did not seem to care about her reaction at all. She only focused on asking the servant girls toe forward and reveal what was on the tray that was covered with a red cloth.

    Rays of light reflected across the tent.

    The disciples shrieked, and they were unable to take their eyes off the tray.

    A string of pearls was ced on the tray. The pearls were indigo in colour, and they were so glossy that they could reflect one¡¯s image. They were as big as lotus seed, and they emitted a gentle glow.

    Ding Qingqing took up a pearl. ¡°This is called Mystic Dewdrop. It¡¯s extracted from the seabed, and it only forms after a thousand years. A gift from the queen for the interesting match just now.¡±

    Mystic Dewdrop! Not only were the disciples of Nine Jade Pce drooling, but even the disciples in the tent near them were also green with envy!

    As soon as the cover was removed, it lit up the whole tent. That meant that it was a rare treasure! Even a Spirit Realm Elder might not have such a thing! The queen was so generous!

    However, not a single sign of happiness could be seen on Lu Mingshu¡¯s face. ¡°Thank you so much for Her Highness¡¯s affection for me, but why would I be rewarded if I haven¡¯t done any meritorious deed for her?¡±

    ¡°Her Highness is happy, so here¡¯s a gift for you. If Miss won¡¯t ept it, aren¡¯t you rejecting Her Highness¡¯s goodwill?¡±

    ¡°Emissary Ding is right,¡± Yin Hong hurriedly cut into the conversation. ¡°One shouldn¡¯t reject a gift from an elder. Lu Mingshu, ept it.¡±

    Since Her Highness has given her such precious gift in front of everyone, the marriage should be almost confirmed. My job is done.

    Yin Hong¡¯s expression fell into An Tongchen¡¯s eyes.

    He sneered at her from the side.

 Chapter 173: Fight of the Peak

    <h4>Chapter 173: Fight of the Peak</h4>

    Lu Mingshu looked at Yin Hong weirdly. Seeing her reaction, she smirked and nodded. ¡°Since Senior Aunt Yin has said so, then disciple will ept the gift.¡±

    Lu Mingshu took the string of Mystic Dewdrops, turned to Ding Qingqing, and bowed. ¡°Her Highness¡¯s generous gift will be engraved in my memory forever. I hope Emissary Ding will express my gratitude to her.¡±

    Before she could bow further, Ding Qingqing held her up. ¡°Miss Lu can forget the courtesy. Thank you, Elder Yin, for taking care of her.¡±

    After the conventional greeting, Ding Qingqing left with her servant girls, leaving the whispers of the disciples behind her.

    Yin Hong sat down happily, but there was a tinge of uneasiness in her heart. The way Lu Mingshu looked at her, and what Ding Qingqing said... had she missed something?

    Seeing Yin Hong¡¯s face, An Tongchen snickered.

    Such a moron! Zhou Yinru sent her here to arrange the marriage, but was she even aware of why? To forge a good rtionship between the two parties? To give Lu Mingshu a good home? What a joke!

    The reason was obviously the potential that Lu Mingshu had demonstrated during the Heavenly Doorpetition! Zhou Yinru felt an urgent need to put her down because letting her grow freely would be a threat to the Zhou Family. Since the problem couldn¡¯t be solved internally, then just solve it externally! Use the excuse of marrying Lu Mingshu to Xie Lianzhen to get rid of her.

    Zhou Yinru¡¯s n was rather feasible; firstly, being married to the Alioth Star-Lord of the Seven Truth tform would reflect well on Nine Jade Pce. Secondly, the queen was a tough woman. With someone like her keeping an eye on Lu Mingshu, Lu Mingshu would definitely behave herself. Lastly, Xie Lianzhen had a high position, but he also had a physical defect. If the female was too powerful, she would take control of things.

    If Zhou Yinru¡¯s n worked, not only would Zhou Yinru be able to get rid of Lu Mingshu, but she would also gain a connection with the queen. It was like killing two birds with one stone.

    However, while Zhou Yinru may have had her perfect ns, she had left out the fact that, even though the queen was a female ruler like her, they had different circumstances and attitudes.

    Zhou Yinru obviously had high authority in the Zhou Family, but she still had to force herself into the position of caring wife and loving mother to keep Fu Shangqin¡¯s favour. As for the queen, she was the true ruler of Zhongzhou.

    Zhou Yinru was also still in the Harmonization Realm, and with her age, it was impossible for her to break through to the Spirit Realm. On the other hand, the queen was an expert in the Spirit Realm already, and it was likely that she would only get stronger in the future.

    She was afraid that Lu Mingshu would be too strong? Well, as long as the queen was alive, it would never happen.

    Furthermore, Zhou Yinru naively thought that the rest of the world shared the same way of thinking as her ¨C that females were always submissive to the males.

    Since the queen liked Lin Wuxia, she obviously had a different mindset as Zhou Yinru.

    And previously, when queen sent Ding Qingqing here, what would Yin Hong¡¯s impatient reaction bring? Ding Qingqing was the queen¡¯s trusted aide, and the queen might not enjoy the fact that there was a bossy Zhou Family behind Lu Mingshu¡¯s back.

    ¡°Junior Niece Lu...¡± Tan Yubing looked at her pitifully.

    Lu Mingshu smiled and put the Mystic Dewdrops into her mustard seed pouch.

    After the Qilin Festival, there was another war waiting for her.

    An hour had passed.

    Lin Zixin took the book from the clerk and read out the names that everyone was expecting; ¡°Wei Chunqiu from the Seventh Truth tform challenging Kou Wei from the Heavenly Sea Pavilion!¡±

    The tents were filled with cheers for them.

    Shao Zhengyang turned to Tan Yubing while pping. ¡°This match is definitely the peak fight of the Harmonization Realm!¡±

    ¡°Yeah! I could chat about this match for years!¡± She nodded and joked.

    In the midst of the chatting, Kou Wei and Wei Chunqiu were already on stage.

    ¡°Brother Wei, it¡¯s been years, but you¡¯re still as graceful as ever!¡± Kou Wei chuckled heartily.

    Compared to Kou Wei greeting his opponent happily on stage, Wei Chunqiu had his poker face on as usual, but he still remained polite, ¡°No, ¡®graceful¡¯ should be used to describe Brother Kou and nobody else. Being skilled in Five Dragons ying with the Pearl while only in the Harmonization Realm is really a pleasant shock for me.¡±

    ¡°Compared to Brother Wei, that¡¯s mediocre. You¡¯ve already infused Physical Manifestation of Sword Intent with mystic light. Once you break through to the Spirit Realm, you¡¯ll be able to perfect it into the Sword Body. Ah, I¡¯m so jealous of you!¡±

    ¡°I hope we aren¡¯t wasting everyone¡¯s time by ttering each other. Shall we start now?¡±

    Kou Weiughed after hearing him. ¡°Brother Wei is indeed straightforward. Sure, let¡¯s begin.¡±

    Wei Chunqiu flicked his sheath, and the sword flew out,nding on his palm.

    His action was followed by an attack. The ck sword-light was faster than lighting.

    At the same time, Kou Wei wielded his fan, and energy waves started to spread out and dash up.

    In the blink of an eye, ten attacks were unleashed.

    ¡°That¡¯s fast!¡± Shao Zhengyang gasped in awe.

    Wei Chunqiu¡¯s speed didn¡¯t need to be stated in detailed. In his previous fights, Kou Wei was also fast as lighting. However, his speed was different from Wei Chunqiu¡¯s. Wei Chunqiu used his great physical speed to increase his tempo, but Kou Wei used his naturally fast tempo to increase his physical speed.

    Wei Chunqiu¡¯s sword energy was fast and furious, but Kou Wei found ways to cope with it.

    One party attacked while the other defended. Both of them had an equal share of the limelight.

    ¡°The peak fight is indeed interesting!¡± Shao Zhengyang¡¯s eyes were full of admiration. Seeing Lu Mingshu on his side, he immediately turned to her. ¡°Junior Sister Lu, I didn¡¯t mean...¡±

    Lu Mingshu smiled at him. ¡°Yeah, I know.¡±

    Even though she defeated Kou Wei and her match with Wei Chunqiu was interesting, that was still iparable to this match in everyone¡¯s eyes.

    It couldn¡¯t be helped. Her basics were too weak, and when she fought with them, they always had the upper hand. The only thing she could do was try to use her uracy to find a gap in their skills, unlike them who fought with genuine power.

    The sword energy was bashing sideways, and the Water energy formed huge waves.

    After their probing, they moved on to the second stage of the match.

    Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t even blink her eyes. She put all her attention on the match, taking in new data.

    So, such a method would work on Kou Wei? The previous method that I used is inflexible. And there¡¯s such a gap in Wei Chunqiu¡¯s skill? If that¡¯s the case, then forcefully following his tempo isn¡¯t needed anymore....

    ¡°How many attacks now?¡± Tan Yubing asked her. ¡°I can¡¯t see clearly.¡±

    ¡°More than a hundred for sure.¡± Shao Zhengyang waved his hand. ¡°I¡¯ve already lost count, just enjoy the match.¡±

    After witnessing this match, one would know just how powerful the best Harmonization Realm martial artist was like. No wonder Grand Elder Yuan Xi said that Nine Jade Pce was nothing decent. Without Lu Mingshu, they would¡¯ve only made it to the top twenty at the most.

    ¡°Junior Sister Lu, who do you think will win?¡±

    Hearing Shao Zhengyang, Lu Mingshu answered with her eyes still stuck on the match. ¡°Ability-wise, it¡¯s fifty-fifty, but I feel that Kou Wei has a higher chance.¡±

    Shao Zhengyang was shocked by her answer. He thought that it would be a ¡°There¡¯s an equal chance¡± type of answer. He never expected Lu Mingshu to say that Kou Wei would have a bigger chance of winning. He stared nkly at her. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Because...¡±

    Wei Chunqiu¡¯s data was unstable.

    In the eyes of others, it was just a fight between sword-light and water, but in Lu Mingshu¡¯s eyes, it was all data.

    Wei Chunqiu¡¯s values kept fluctuating, which was different from his previous match. Even though she didn¡¯t know what was going on, she knew that his bnce was broken.

 Chapter 174: Battle of Secrets

    <h4>Chapter 174: Battle of Secrets</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    Wei Chunqiu realized that something wasn¡¯t right.

    When he attacked, he felt like his hands were sluggish. The attacks weren¡¯t smooth andplete.

    This was something that he had never experience before.

    During the previous match with Lu Mingshu, she had used some skills or something so that every time their sword-energy collided, his mystic force would be disconnected from his control. However, the force was pretty small, so it didn¡¯t really hinder his attack, and he could still perform as per normal.

    However, this sluggishness ¨C as if he had lost control of his hand ¨C was increasing. That¡¯s weird, there¡¯s nothing odd about Kou Wei¡¯s skills....

    Five water dragons surged in his direction, cutting off his train of thought. He gripped his sword tighter, and the sword-energy gushed up into the air.

    The tip of his sword struck a few colourful sword-lights in the air as if it was a lotus flower.

    The water dragon and the lotus flower met. The water dragon made a turn in the air before dashing toward the flower. The lotus flower then unfolded itself and bloomed in midair.

    Bang¡ª-!

    A short but loud bang could be heard. The strong force from both sources created a huge shockwave.

    Everyone present held their breath.

    Kou Wei used Five Dragons ying with a Pearl, and Wei Chunqiu manifested his Sword Intent into a lotus flower. This was a direct fight between the two skills.

    Gushing of water could be heard, as well as the hissing of sword-energy,

    Following closely, the match had reached a point where they werepeting on speed. A sword-energy could be seen shooting up into the air, filling the entire sky. In no time, a water dragon was hovering about the sword energy. The match was now unclear to the spectators since it was all too fast.

    ¡°Are theypeting on their skills?¡± a spectator asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Most spectators were at a loss as well.

    Shao Zhengyang immediately turned to Lu Mingshu. ¡°Junior Sister Lu, how¡¯s the match now?¡±

    Lu Mingshu furrowed her brows, and she paused for a moment, trying to figure out what was going on. ¡°They are now in a vicious cycle.¡±

    ¡°Ah?!¡± Shao Zhengyang¡¯s jaws dropped.

    Lu Mingshu continued. ¡°Wei Chunqiu seemed to be stuck or something, so he decided to increase his speed. Kou Wei had no choice but to increase his speed too. Now it¡¯s toote to stop, and both sides suffer.¡±

    ¡°So... what will be the result?¡±

    ¡°I still don¡¯t know. Let¡¯s see what secret skills they have left.¡±

    Lu Mingshu heaved a sigh of relief. It was indeed lucky that Kou Wei lost to her. Kou Wei surrendered when his dragons were locked up in order to save energy for the current fight. How many secret skills did he still have? Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t know because he had never used them.

    Secret skills were called secret for a reason, but this match with Wei Chunqiu would probably force Kou Wei to show almost all of his skills.

    At this point, it was impossible to determine who the winner would be.

    Suddenly, Kou Wei let out a loud growl. He waved his fan, and a faint golden ray of light shed.

    The water dragon suddenly let out a loud hiss and turned into an icy spike, shooting over to Wei Chunqiu.

    Kou Wei was now surrounded by snow, and he had a frozen sword made of ice. In no time, the rooftop had be and of ice and snow.

    The spectators were all gobsmacked. ¡°What¡¯s this?! A spell?!¡±

    In this world of martial arts, practising martial skills was fundamental, but what was this? Even though the Heavenly Sea Pavilion skills were all about controlling water, it was still with the help of a weapon.

    The disciples present were obviously far away from Kou Wei¡¯s standard; using mystic force to create a water dragon was understandable, but what the heck was freezing the water dragon into ice? It was like some kind of spell out of folklore, and it obviously wasn¡¯t considered martial arts anymore!

    A lightbulb appeared in Lu Mingshu¡¯s head.

    Magic! It¡¯s magic!

    In the Heavenly Wheel, she had read many books about various worlds, so she had more knowledge than the other disciples. There was magic in this world too, but it was only some small stuff used for day-to-day stuff, not fighting. This world was a martial arts world ¨C martial arts techniques were the core, and magic was just a supporting tool on the side. Martial skills had evolved to a very high level, but magic was stuck in the most basic stage.

    However, Kou Wei used a rather powerful piece of magic. Freezing the water dragon into ice was obviously a skill known as The Secret of Freezing in some worlds!

    So what was going on? Could it be that... there were still secrets left in this world?

    Wei Chunqiu looked gobsmacked too.

    The snow floated toward him, and he could feel the chilliness in his bones.

    It didn¡¯t take him long to find out that the freezing of his mystic force was even more serious now.

    Seeing the snowfall turning violent and pressing down on him, Wei Chunqiu gritted his teeth and took something out of his pocket, pressing it onto his sword firmly.

    A red light shed on the sword as a stream of blood covered it, followed by an abrupt explosion.

    Wei Chunqiu transformed left behind an afterimage as he swept over toward Kou Wei.

    Snow was everywhere, there was an erect ice spike in the ground, and the sword-energy had gone wild.

    Lu Mingshu was bbergasted, and she nearly dropped her cup on the floor.

    Kou Wei used magic and Wei Chunqiu... used some kind of Daoist talisman. What¡¯s going on? Isn¡¯t rune carving in this world almost gone? Where did he get that?

    Lu Mingshu was drowning in confusion.

    Was it that she had underestimated the development of this world, or was there someone else with a Heavenly Wheel as well?

    Cheers arose from the tents. Kou Wei¡¯s and Wei Chunqiu¡¯s tricks had stunned all the disciples.

    They weren¡¯t as knowledgeable as Lu Mingshu, so they didn¡¯t understand enough to be as astonished as her. They all thought that they were just some fancy tricks.

    On the contrary, the Spirit Realm experts all looked surprised.

    ¡°Are the ancient ways going to be reborn?¡± the King of Zhongzhou muttered. ¡°So... the Heavenly Sea Pavilion has reached this stage.¡±

    The thing that Wei Chunqiu had was a skill that the King was somewhat familiar with, but Kou Wei¡¯s technique left the king rooted to the ground.

    ¡°Your Majesty...¡± The queen looked at him worriedly.

    The king waved his hand. ¡°I¡¯ll go into seclusion after this I guess....¡±

    The hissing of the sword increased in volume and the snowfall was getting worse. The final showdown was about to ur.

    A loud bang could be heard as the sword-energy exploded, and the snow turned into a whirlpool, bing vast and mighty.

    A whirring noise could then be heard across the venue. It was so sharp that it felt like it was going to pierce through one¡¯s eardrums soon.

    The disciples hurriedly covered their ears and grimaced in pain. What¡¯s that terrifying noise!?

    Seeing this match made most Harmonization Realm disciples¡¯ blood run cold. What the heck, are we even in the same realm? There¡¯s a world of difference in our ability! I would be dead meat if I went against them!

    Boom!

    The ice shattered and the sword-energy disappeared. The venue was now peaceful.

    ...

    After a moment, a disciple tried to warm up his frozen and numb hands.

    It was mid-spring right now, and there was a pleasant climate around the Flying Imperial Pce. Most spectators present were wearing spring clothing to celebrate and enjoy the joyous season. However, the venue suddenly turned into a world of ice and snow after this match, and the spectators huddle together to withstand the cold. The branches on the trees were now filled with ice crystals, and the ground was now covered with a thick nket of white.

    The crowd slowly looked up toward the stage.

    Is it over?

    Lin Zixin slowly went on stage, but instead of releasing the result, he went over to them both.

    The tents were quite far from the rooftop, and the people on stage spoke lightly, so the spectators were unable to hear what the conversation was about.

    After the conversation ended, Lin Zixin stepped up and announced the winner, ¡°The winner is... Heavenly Sea Pavilion, Kou Wei!¡±

 Chapter 175: Whoéˆ¥æªš Afraid of You?

    <h4>Chapter 175: Who¡¯s Afraid of You?</h4>

    Lin Zixin¡¯s voice bombarded the whole Flying Imperial Pce. However, there weren¡¯t any cheers for Kou Wei; the entire venue was silent. The crowd was still shocked at what they saw during the match.

    After a while, the Heavenly Sea Pavilion disciples started pping and cheering for Kou Wei, eventually followed by the other spectators. Finally, the crowd was cheering and pping.

    This was indeed the best match they had ever seen.

    The match between Kou Wei and Lu Mingshu made many people doubt Kou Wei¡¯s true ability; ¡°Maybe he actually isn¡¯t that good.¡±

    After they witnessed this match though, nobody dared to doubt his ability ever again.

    And even though Wei Chunqiu lost, they had witnessed him fighting against Kou Wei mercilessly.

    ¡°Kou Wei won after all. After this match, he¡¯s truly the best in the Harmonization Realm.¡±

    ¡°Such a pity!¡± his senior sighed. ¡°He¡¯s the best, but he was unable to get first ce.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s just a false reputation. Everyone here clearly knows who¡¯s real first.¡±

    ¡°But after years and years, who will remember the second ce and third ce when people bring up the New Ranking?¡±

    ¡°Senior Brother, you worry too much.¡± The guy chuckled. ¡°So what if she¡¯s first? It¡¯s just the Harmonization Realm. With Kou Wei¡¯s and Wei Chunqiu¡¯s ability, they will definitely break through to the Spirit Realm. Who will care about the NewRanking when they are going to be on the Hero Ranking?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true....¡±

    The New on Ranking was just a list of names. The Hero Ranking was the thing that was actually carved into stone. If they reached the Void Realm and got onto the Sky Ranking, then their names would leave a mark for generations toe.

    But not everyone was so negative. Some saw the potential in Lu Mingshu. ¡°Even though Lu Mingshu only defeated Kou Wei by luck, it¡¯s not like she¡¯s weak. She defeated everyone else except Wei Chunqiu, but she¡¯s only been in the Harmonization Realm for a year and she¡¯s only sixteen years old. After some time, she may be just as good as Kou Wei and Wei Chunqiu. Perhaps she will take first ce consecutively? That would be impressive!¡±

    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re right! I wonder how good she will be.¡±

    The updated name list was released, and Lu Mingshu was obviously ranked first.

    ¡°All Harmonization Realm disciples please take note. If anyone still wants to challenge, please send in the name to a clerk quickly. After an hour, if there is nobody registered for a match, the challenger¡¯s fight wille to an end!¡±

    Generally, nobody would register for a match at this point.

    If there was a person that someone wanted to challenge, then they would have already done so. All that¡¯s left would be people from their own sect or those who were too strong for them. Even if there was someone left, it would be pointless to challenge someone if there wasn¡¯t at least twenty points at stake.

    Moreover, after witnessing this fight between the two Wei¡¯s that was so marvellous and beyondparison, who would still have the mood to fight?

    An hour passed, and as expected, nobody registered for a match. Li Zixin then slowly walked up to the stage and announced the end of the challenger¡¯s fight. ¡°The Qilin Festival has officiallye to an end! The top ten with the most umted points will make it onto the New Ranking, to be announced to the whole world!¡±

    Lin Zixin then took the name list and went to the main pce.

    The king of Zhongzhou was smiling broadly as he took the name list and copied it.

    Lin Zixin went back to the stage and read out the names. ¡°The New Ranking for this Qilin Festival: First ¨C Nine Jade Pce, Lu Mingshu, ny-nine points. Second ¨C Heavenly Sea Pavilion, Kou Wei, ny-six points. Third ¨C Seventh Truth tform, Wei Chunqiu, ny-six points...¡±

    After he finished, Lin Zixin smiled broadly at the crowd and pped. ¡°Congrattions to the top tenpetitors! Other than being announced to the whole world, there will be a great prize for you too! Remember to collect it!¡±

    The atmosphere became rxed. Seeing that the sky was dark now, Lin Zixin started to announce the end of the day with a short speech, but someone suddenly leapt up behind him and abruptly cut him off.

    ¡°Hold on!¡±

    A green and ckplexion, horns on the head, and a weird ent... it was a harpy!

    The crowd jumped up at the sight of the harpy.

    During the preliminary, the barbarians joined thepetition. Everyone was exceptionally careful of them back then, afraid that they would clinch a bunch of top ten positions, which would have been a humiliation to mankind. However, as soon as the challenger¡¯s fight started, the barbariansy down their g and stopped beating their drums. None of them had any matches. Slowly, they were put to the back of everyone¡¯s mind with the thoughts of ¡°If the King of Zhongzhou invited them here, he obviously would make sure they didn¡¯t mess up the festival¡± and took them as normal spectators.

    Who would have expected that the barbarians would suddenly make an appearance right after thepetition ended? What on earth do they want?

    Lin Zixin was fast to recover from his shock, and he stered a smile on his face. ¡°Good evening, noble guest. Do you have something to say?¡±

    ¡°Indeed!¡± The harpy looked young and extremely arrogant. ¡°My race was invited to this festival by the queen to have a look at China¡¯s best martial artists. Our barbarian race¡¯s elders have told us that there is no honour in the strong bullying the weak, so we didn¡¯tpete with you all, but now that thepetition is finished, I can challenge your powerful martial artists without it being considered bullying the weak now.¡±

    Before Lin Zixin could reply to him, the disciples in the tents were all worked up and started to jeer.

    ¡°Bastard barbarian! What¡¯s with this arrogant ptrap about not bullying the weak, huh!? I¡¯ll bash you so badly that your mother won¡¯t be able to recognize you anymore!¡±

    ¡°This is our Qilin Festival ¨C China¡¯s Qilin Festival. What¡¯s wrong with you? Are you only here to be a public nuisance?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you only have brute force? Brute force is worthless!¡±

    ¡°If I don¡¯t beat you up until your face blooms, you will never know how red a flower can be!¡±

    Hearing all the insults, the barbarian didn¡¯t re up at all. Instead, he casually waved his hand and shouted back to the disciples. ¡°You Chinese people are funny. Who is more powerful? Just fight and we will know! What¡¯s the use of pping your gums? Just fight me if you¡¯re unhappy!¡±

    Many seethed with anger upon hearing his reply. Most of their eyes were now on Wei Chunqiu and Kou Wei. How good would it be if they were willing to go and give this little piece of shit a lesson?

    As for Lu Mingshu, not many dared to mention her. The barbarians had an advantage in terms of their lineage and raw power. Kou Wei and Wei Chunqiu would obviously be able to take them down, but Lu Mingshu? She had a very obvious weakness with her basics, and the barbarians would be able to take advantage.

    Damn it! Why is she in first? How are we supposed to provoke the harpy now?

    ¡°Junior Niece Lu...¡± Tan Yubing look at her worriedly.

    Lu Mingshu shook her head. ¡°Let¡¯s see what Mr Lin has to say.¡± She pondered over the next step in her heart. Her current ability didn¡¯t matter; what mattered was that she was currently ranked first, and the barbarians¡¯ challenge would obviously involve her somehow. If she didn¡¯t ept the challenge, it wouldn¡¯t reflect well of mankind. It was okay to make a mistake anywhere else, but not when it concerned about the prestige of mankind.

    Lin Zixin looked over to the main pce. Seeing an indication from the king, he turned to the harpy with a smile. ¡°This noble guest, may I know how you want to challenge us?¡±

    ¡°Call up your three best!¡±

    ¡°Three fights?¡±

    ¡°Yes! You all send out three, we send out three too. That won¡¯t be considered bullying, right?¡±

    ¡°Come on, man! Who¡¯s afraid of you!?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! Our Senior Brother Wei doesn¡¯t fear you!¡±

    ¡°Neither does Senior Brother Kou!¡±

    The Seventh Truth tform and Heavenly Sea Pavilion disciples argued loudly.

    As for Nine Jade Pce, the disciples remained quiet. The barbarians are so strong. Can Lu Mingshu handle them?

    Their silence angered Tan Yubing. She stood up and rooted for Lu Mingshu, ¡°Who¡¯s scared of you!? Our junior may be young, but she¡¯s not afraid!¡±

 Chapter 176: Letéˆ¥æªš Go

    <h4>Chapter 176: Let¡¯s Go</h4>

    ¡°Hahahaha! It¡¯s good that you aren¡¯t scared!¡± The harpy looked over to his tent and gave a signal. Shortly, two more harpies jumped up on stage to join him. ¡°We are all here now, and you can choose your opponents! I do not want to be a bully.¡±

    Bah! Most of them rolled their eyes in their hearts. Choose our opponents? How are we supposed to choose when all three of you look the same? Bulky, horns, and green-and-ck skin. How are we even supposed to tell your ability?

    ¡°Senior Brother Wei!¡±

    ¡°Senior Brother Kou!¡±

    Both Seventh Truth tform and Heavenly Sea Pavilion disciples looked at their seniors hopefully.

    Wei Chunqiu and Kou Wei exchanged nces before giving a signal to Lu Mingshu. They then leapt up to the stage together.

    Since the barbarians were looking for them, how could they give in to them?

    Lin Zixin nodded at their reaction. ¡°Even though the fights for a ce on the New Generation Ranking has ended already, this challenge would only take ce if both parties agree to it. Since both have agreed to take up the challenge, then the match shall take ce. However, there¡¯s a rule to follow; all of you are in the Harmonization Realm, so it should be a friendly match. If there¡¯s any action that is overly aggressive, I¡¯ll step in and the match will stop.¡± He smiled at both parties.

    Overly aggressive would be when one party tried to maim the other on purpose. Small injuries were inevitable, but if one went too far, then actions would be taken.

    ¡°Okay, discuss it among yourselves how you want the matches to take ce.¡±

    Lin Zixin stepped back and let them take charge of the situation.

    The harpy who jumped on stage first stepped out immediately. ¡°So, which one of you will fight first?¡±

    Kou Wei let out a light chuckle and fanned himself. ¡°This brother here, why are you so anxious? We haven¡¯t even decided on the rules yet.¡±

    ¡°So how do you all want to fight then? Speak up!¡± the second harpy shouted.

    ¡°The challenger¡¯s fight has alreadysted for six days. I am sure that the spectators are already bored of it.¡±

    ¡°Why do you speak so much nonsense?¡± The third harpy started to bber impatiently. ¡°Just tell us how you want to fight!¡±

    Kou Wei exchange nces with Wei Chunqiu. He then turned to them and stered a smile on his face. ¡°It¡¯s a waste of time if we go one by one. Why don¡¯t we... have a group fight? It¡¯s gettingte anyway.¡±

    ¡°Together?¡± The harpies stared nkly at him. The harpies were all super strong, and they preferred to fight alone unless it was for encircling prey.

    ¡°Yes, a group fight!¡± Wei Chunqiu answered firmly. ¡°Three versus three, there¡¯s no need to pick an opponent.¡±

    ¡°This...¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s finish early so that we can go back and have dinner. I heard that there¡¯s fresh venison today, and I¡¯m looking forward to it!¡± Kou Wei smiled broadly.

    Laughter immediately filled the tents.

    ¡°That¡¯s right! Do not dy our Senior Brother Kou¡¯s dinner!¡±

    ¡°Hey, you little pieces of shit, are you perhaps afraid?¡±

    ¡°Yeah! Weren¡¯t you oh-so confident just now? What happened?¡±

    The atmosphere made it sound like this was just a warm-up before dinner. They were all now energized and had temporarily forgotten about their worries.

    ¡°Who¡¯s afraid!?¡± the first harpy shouted at the spectators. ¡°Come and fight!¡±

    ¡°Bullshit! Who¡¯s afraid?¡±

    ¡°Chinese people only know how to boast!¡±

    ¡°Wait and see how your best three go crawling back!¡±

    The barbarians were all angered and started to bber in theirnguage.

    ¡°Okay!¡± Kou Wei closed his fan and nodded. ¡°Since everyone has agreed, then let¡¯s start?¡±

    ¡°Sure!¡± The three harpies were dying to fight ever since they stepped on stage, so why would they disagree now?

    Kou Wei looked over at his two teammates, and the trio went to the other side of the stone tablet.

    ¡°Miss Lu, you won¡¯t me me for acting on my own initiative, right?¡± Kou Wei asked.

    Lu Mingshu shook her head. ¡°Senior Brother Kou suggested a group fight because of me. I thank you for the consideration, but I¡¯m not sure how much of help I¡¯ll be.¡±

    Among the three of them, she was the short nk in the bucket. That was simply a fact that couldn¡¯t be denied. If ten years of painstaking work could bepared with a few strengthening seals, then martial arts would be worthless.

    ¡°On top of that,¡± Lu Mingshu look at them worriedly, ¡°both of you just finished a tough match. Are you even able to fight right now?¡±

    The previous match sucked out all of their energy. In a certain sense, it could be said that neither of them won.

    Kou Wei shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s okay. The Heavenly Sea Pavilion has good techniques for recovering. I prepared some secret medicine, and I now have at least 90% of my full strength.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded. 90% was pretty good.

    Wei Chunqiu hesitated before speaking up, ¡°To be honest, I have a bit of a problem here.¡±

    Kou Wei nodded. ¡°I felt it earlier. Brother Wei seems to have difficulty attacking. He felt sluggish. If it wasn¡¯t for that, I may not have won even with the help of my secret skill.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lu Mingshu asked. Since it was a group fight, then she had to know her teammates well, especially when they were almost strangers to each other.

    Wei Chunqiu sighed and pointed at her. ¡°Miss Lu is unaware? It¡¯s all because of you!¡±

    ¡°What? Why?¡± Lu Mingshu couldn¡¯t seem to understand.

    ¡°Miss Lu¡¯s sword-energy has some kind of ability to break my tempo. It may be a very minor one, but it has a longsting aftereffect. When you kept rushing after my tempo, it became more obvious. When the match ended, I realized that it would take a lot of time for my mystic force to get back on track.¡±

    Kou Wei gasped. ¡°So it was that? Then I didn¡¯t win by my own ability today.¡±

    In that case, Wei Chunqiu was defeated by both Kou Wei and Lu Mingshu together. Because of the aftereffects of Lu Mingshu¡¯s technique, Kou Wei¡¯s magic was able to more effectively freeze Wei Chunqiu¡¯s mystic force. Kou Wei originally thought that Wei Chunqiu was just looking down on him.

    Wei Chunqiu smiled bitterly. ¡°It¡¯s my fault for letting such a thing happen, and Brother Kou didn¡¯t win by luck. Anyway, I only have 70% of my ability back. I can still fight, but I¡¯m afraid that I¡¯ll make a mistake.¡±

    ¡°Miss Lu,¡± Kou Wei turned to her. ¡°Do you know how to solve this?¡±

    Lu Mingshu was amazed too. She thought that the strengthening seal was useless because it didn¡¯t have any effect on Wei Chunqiu, but apparently it was dyed.

    I don¡¯t know what to do since it was from a strengthening seal, not my own skill.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay if there aren¡¯t any methods. I¡¯ll just use my secret skill again.¡±

    ¡°Brother Wei, doesn¡¯t your secret skille with some negative side effects?¡±

    That wasmon sense. To force out all of one¡¯s potential would obviouslye with negative side effects. The better the result, the worse the side effect.

    ¡°Things have already reached this stage; there¡¯s no other option,¡± Wei Chunqiu replied. ¡°We can¡¯t afford to lose face in front of the barbarians.¡±

    Kou Wei nodded. ¡°True.¡±

    ¡°Actually,¡± Lu Mingshu spoke up after much thought, ¡°this can be solved easily.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Wei Chunqiu¡¯s eyes shone. ¡°Do you have some medicine for this?¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t, but this is a group fight, so we can cancel out each other¡¯s shorings by coordinating with each other.¡±

 Chapter 177: Group Fight

    <h4>Chapter 177: Group Fight</h4>

    Kou Wei suggested a group fight since there was no better option.

    He and Wei Chunqiu had just gone through a fight against each other, and their ability was more-or-less affected because of it. Lu Mingshu had very weak basics and wasn¡¯t that strong to begin with. It would be hard for any of them to win in a one-on-one fight right now.

    With a group fight, they could support each other. Even if they weren¡¯t entirely in sync with each other, it would still be better than a one-on-one because the barbarians didn¡¯t know how to coordinate at all.

    But for each pro, there was a con: if they happened to lose this group fight, there would be no more chances to win, and they would all have to face a lot of pressure from everyone else.

    The three of them made their way back to the center of the rooftop, where the barbarians had been staring into space for a while.

    ¡°Are you done?¡± the first harpy asked impatiently when they returned.

    Kou Wei nodded. ¡°We can start.¡±

    ¡°Good!¡±

    As soon as he finished speaking, the harpy jumped out and sent a punch over.

    The disciples in the tents turned pale with fright and gasped in surprise. Why are the barbarians like this? Isn¡¯t that basically a sneak attack? They should at least get into position first!

    However, it only attacked after Kou Wei said that they could start, so it wasn¡¯t a sneak attack at all.

    Lu Mingshu and Wei Chunqiu both jumped back, spreading out in the form of a fan.

    Kou Wei was in the center. He unfolded his fan with one hand, and a ray of bright golden light could be seen as his mystic force solidified and struck back at the harpy.

    Boom!

    Both forces dispersed upon meeting.

    Kou Wei stepped back, secretly amazed by the force. The barbarians are strong indeed. His hands felt numb after the attack.

    The other two harpies took a step forward as well. They took a look at Lu Mingshu and Wei Chunqiu and picked the one they wanted to fight.

    Lu Mingshu and Wei Chunqiu exchange a nce.

    In their eyes, the harpies looked the same. The only difference were their weapons and clothing.

    The one fighting Kou Wei was the harpy that jumped up on stage to provoke them initially, and his weapon was his fist. The second one who was dashing toward Wei Chunqiu held a heavy stone hammer. The third one held a short stone hatchet.

    Lu Mingshu fished out her sword, and a mystic force shield appeared in front of her.

    The third one had the same style as his fellow harpies ¨C rough. He shed his hatchet down immediately without much thought.

    Boom!

    A sound could be heard, and Lu Mingshu¡¯s wrist felt numb. Her sword nearly fell out of her hand.

    They are extremely strong!

    Lu Mingshu was truly shocked. This was the first time she fought a harpy, and she felt what it was like to have great strength from birth. No wonder people said that barbarians had extraordinary strength. This kind of strength was almost beyond mankind¡¯s limit within the same realm.

    If that¡¯s case...

    Lu Mingshu plotted an idea in her head quickly and changed her pace immediately.

    Her sword-light was sharp, but it didn¡¯t go directly toward the harpy; it wound around the harpy instead to bind him up.

    While she was fighting, she also collected the data on the harpy she was fighting.

    Extraordinary strength, supple, and scary explosive force. As for martial skills, their innate strength could surpass mankind easily. But they had weaknesses too.

    Mystic force ¨C when barbarians excited their mystic force, they relied on their bloodline, which was their innate gift. The only way for them to improve it was to let it improve naturally over time... or cannibalism. Thus, they had weak mystic force.

    Lu Mingshu looked over at her other two teammates

    Wei Chunqiu and the second harpy were trying to test out each other out, while Kou Wei and his opponent were way more direct; they had alreadye against each other quite a number of times, and the explosion sounds filled the area.

    The harpy in front of her unleashed an attack, and the energy wave rolled violently toward Lu Mingshu. Seeing this, Lu Mingshu moved sideways and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

    The harpy was startled and frantically tried to find her. Seeing that she was near the edge of the stage, he immediately rushed after her.

    Barbarians were fast, to begin with, but as soon as he reached her, she was gone again in an instant.

    The light-weight form from the worlds of Xianxia is much better than the footwork of this world.

    On the other hand, the second harpy was filled with excitement. The opponent is much weaker than I thought! He doesn¡¯t even dare to fight me head-on. Seeing Wei Chunqiu retreat, he waved his stone hammer, and the huge energy wave dashed toward Wei Chunqiu, pressing him down.

    Wei Chunqiu held his sword up, and his sword-light pierced through the sky. Flowers bloomed in the sky, blocking the energy wave from reaching him.

    The second harpy scoffed. Trying to stop me with this tiny energy?

    He then braced his muscles and hammered the stone hammer down hard.

    ¡°Hey!¡±

    A sword-light suddenly swept behind him, and the harpy instinctively turned back to protect himself.

    Szz¡ª-!

    A sound could be heard as the sword-energy shed open his skin, and dark red blood flowed out from the wound.

    ¡°You cheater!¡± the second harpy howled.

    Lu Mingshunded on the ground as light as a feather and rolled her eyes at him. ¡°This is a group fight, not a one-on-one fight.¡± Cheating? Is your brain broken?

    She didn¡¯t say thatst part out loud, but the expression in her eyes clearly showed what she meant.

    ¡°Hahahahaha...!¡± The tents were now filled withughter. As much as some people despised Lu Mingshu, they had no evil feelings for her right now.

    ¡°You...!¡± The second harpy gritted his teeth.

    The third harpy soon arrived and shed with his hatchet almost immediately.

    The second harpy also held up his hammer.

    The disciples stoppedughing and held their breaths. Some even screamed out of fear.

    Lu Mingshu only dealt with one, and she didn¡¯t even do it head-on. How is she going to handle being surrounded now? She just dug her own grave... why did she use such a little trick? Once she loses, it¡¯ll be a two-on-three!

    However, Lu Mingshu already realized it; she leapt high into the air andnded on the stone tablet, dodging the attack. She was as fast as a ghost.

    At this moment, a sword-light crept up behind the second harpy and cut open his skin.

    The second harpy jumped up and swung his stone hammer down immediately.

    Fortunately, Wei Chunqiu backed off in time, and the harpy¡¯s attack did nothing.

    ¡°Awesome! Mighty Senior Brother Wei!¡± The Seventh Truth tform disciples cheered for their senior.

    In no time, the second harpy was cut twice. Even though they were just small cuts, it still affected their grandeur.

    Lu Mingshunded behind Wei Chunqiu as soon as she lost the third harpy.

    This was the first time they fought together, and it was a win. Wei Chunqiu sighed in relief after realizing the situation.

    He had fought her personally, so he was aware of how good she was and trusted her ability. However, even though some people might be powerful, they weren¡¯t necessarily able to cooperate with others, especially someone like Lu Mingshu who was antisocial.

    Fortunately, they were able to coordinate well, which would make the match an interesting one.

    After this, Wei Chunqiu had a better understanding of Lu Mingshu¡¯s uracy.

    The side effect from Lu Mingshu¡¯s strengthening seal made it hard for him to fight properly, and if he didn¡¯t get the timing right, he would just be giving a chance to the harpies.

    However, Lu Mingshu had a good grasp of timing. She came to mount a sneak attack right when Wei Chunqiu¡¯s mystic force was weaker, and when she finished distracting the harpies, his mystic force was back at regr strength.

    Was it just a coincidence, or could she actually see his power?

    At this moment, Kou Wei retreated from the first harpy with an attack and went back to his teammates.

    The trio stood back to back, forming a defensive posture with no gaps.

    ¡°How is it?¡± Kou Wei whispered.

    ¡°No problem,¡± Wei Chunqiu answered confidently.

    After the attacks just now, he saw hope for this match. Even if I didn¡¯t have 100% of his ability right now and the harpies had an inborn advantage, they still had a higher chance of winning with their coordination!

    ¡°Then it¡¯s my turn! Kou Wei said after seeing the first harpying toward them. He waved his fan and summoned his water dragon.

 Chapter 178: Exciting of Blood Vessels

    <h4>Chapter 178: Exciting of Blood Vessels</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    Sounds of water gushing could be heard as the five dragons emerged.

    The Heavenly Sea Pavilion disciples cheered loudly for Kou Wei.

    In no time, the five dragons had surrounded the rooftop.

    The first harpy threw a nce at the other two. Both of them immediately went to his side and prepared for a joint attack.

    The crowd turned green.

    These barbarians are that fast?

    Kou Wei would¡¯ve definitely won if it was a one-on-one, but now there was three.... Their strength would surely overpower Kou Wei.

    Kou Wei smiled thinly. His mystic light danced in the breeze, and the five water dragons intertwined to block the harpies¡¯ way.

    Lu Mingshu and Wei Chunqiu spread out immediately as if they were electrocuted.

    The crowd watched as the five water dragons stalled the harpies, and then Lu Mingshu and Wei Chunqiu attacked them with their sword-light.

    ¡°Wow!¡±

    ¡°This is a brilliant idea!¡± Tan Yubing sped her hands together in delight. ¡°Kou Wei uses an eye-catching and grand style, suitable for a straightforward attack, then Junior Niece Lu and Wei Chunqiu attack with their own strong points ¨C their swords.¡±

    Shao Zhengyang nodded.

    He was still worried at first that they wouldn¡¯t be able to cooperate with each other since they didn¡¯t know each other that well. However, it seemed like he was just worrying too much. They had all had fought each other and knew each other¡¯s abilities well, so it wasn¡¯t that hard.

    Actually, why should I have been worried in the first ce? They¡¯re all real elites, they should know better about what to dopared to me.

    ¡°It seems that we will be able to win,¡± Tan Yubing said with confidence.

    However, Shao Zhengyang chose to y it safe. ¡°Barbarians have their own methods too. I don¡¯t think it will be that easy.¡±

    ¡°Sure, the barbarians are good in their own ways too, but in terms of mind games, we¡¯re obviously better. Look at them now ¨C where¡¯s the coordination? It seemed like they wanted to attack together, but their ns were instantly ruined by Kou Wei¡¯s skill,¡± Tan Yubing retorted.

    True, Shao Zhengyang thought, but he decided to y it safe and not say too much in case it backfired.

    The water dragons rampaged around the stage, and sword-light fell from the sky. These stunts made the match more interesting.

    Because it was a three-person group fight, the whole match was very open. Kou Wei was situated in the center while Lu Mingshu and Wei Chunqiu were at the sides assisting Kou Wei. In this match, there was so much going on at the same time. The younger disciples couldn¡¯t stand it since there was no focal point for them to put all of their attention.

    As for the Harmonization Realm disciples, they could feel it even more. An individual fight was more focused on someone¡¯s pure power, while a group fight was more about insight, judgement, and timing.

    After a while, somebody spoke up hesitantly. ¡°Lu Mingshu is obviously lousier than the other two, so why can¡¯t we see her either?¡±

    Indeed. When it came to individual fights, even though it was interesting to watch her, it was obvious that Lu Mingshu was the weaker party. Especially when Kou Wei fought Wei Chunqiu, the difference between her and them became even more obvious.

    But during this group fight, she was able to move swiftly, appearing and disappearing unpredictably. She even had good teamwork with Wei Chunqiu. Who said she was the short nk in the bucket? How is that short?

    ¡°Maybe group fights are her speciality?¡± No matter how much they disliked her, that¡¯s all they could say.

    The three harpies were going insane. When they wanted to attack Kou Wei, Lu Mingshu and Wei Chunqiu would appear and shower them with attacks, forcing them to retreat. When they wanted to attack Lu Mingshu and Wei Chunqiu, Kou Wei would distract them and stall them with his technique.

    Seeing that mankind was getting the upper hand and that the harpies had their hands tied, a harpy stood up from their tent and started shouting to them in theirnguage.

    The three harpies seemed to be stunned. They stopped going after Lu Mingshu and Wei Chunqiu, and they ignored Kou Wei¡¯s distraction. The three of them crowded together back to back and shouted in a thunderous voice.

    When the shouting stopped, the harpies were emitting a red light. The red light became more and more magnificent and eventually fused together.

    ¡°What is that?¡±

    ¡°That... that is the exciting of blood vessels!¡± a knowledgeable guy shouted.

    The extraordinary strength of the harpies was due to their inheritance. Exciting their blood vessels could activate their potential and increase their ability by a huge amount in the short term. There was a limitation to it, which was that it took quite some time to do it. Back during the war between mankind and barbarians, humans frequently had to hide whenever a harpy excited their blood since they were just like a beast that had gone crazy.

    However, they were in the middle of a match right now, and the rooftop was only so big. There was nowhere to run.

    The harpies on stage immediately huddled together, with Kou Wei¡¯s dragon surrounding them.

    ¡°Are they trying to make things worse for themselves?¡± Wei Chunqiu raised his brows. ¡°Win or lose, it¡¯ll be decided now.¡±

    ¡°I like their style,¡± Kou Wei answered softly. ¡°But I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that simple.¡±

    Why would they need anyone to help them to excite their blood vessels when it was their natural instinct?

    ¡°Yeah, they may have thought of something to deal with us.¡±

    As soon as Lu Mingshu finished her words, the harpies dashed over to her.

    The first harpy was in the middle while the other two were on the sides, and theyunched an attack together!

    ¡°Dodge!¡± Kou Weimanded.

    The three of them went in different directions.

    Boom!

    The mountain peak under the rooftop started to shake slightly.

    The trio became pale after feeling that. Suddenly, the harpies were going after Kou Wei.

    Wei Chunqiu saw what was happening and wanted to help Kou Wei, but as soon as he stepped out, the harpy nearest to him chopped his hatchet down under a ray of red light.

    Of course, Wei Chunqiu wouldn¡¯t dare to fight a harpy that had excited his blood vessel head-on. He dodged the attack and retreated rapidly.

    The harpy then went after Kou Wei again.

    Seeing this, Lu Mingshu emitted a sword-light.

    However, as expected, the harpy nearest to her blocked the sword-light.

    She and Wei Chunqiu looked at each other. Now we know what they want.

    Since they were weak when it came to fighting in groups, they came up with the stupidest way ¨C forcing it into a three-on-one.

    Exciting their blood vessels not only gave them a great increase to their strength, it also connected them to each other to a certain degree, and they were much more sensitive to people of the same race. They moved together in such a way that the first harpy was the main fighter and the other two were his hands. The three attacked together, and whenever somebody tried to disrupt them, they sent one out to fight back.

    In this case, their energy had been nicely fused together. Either they would crush Kou Wei in a three-on-one, or they would crush Lu Mingshu and Wei Chunqiu in a one-on-one whenever they came to help. Either way, they wouldn¡¯t lose.

    However, seeing that Kou Wei was in a difficult situation, Lu Mingshu and Wei Chunqiu had no choice but to help him out. Their room for manoeuvring and coordinating was shrinking.

 Chapter 179: Leave it to Me

    <h4>Chapter 179: Leave it to Me</h4>

    ¡°Ah!¡± Cries could be heard.

    The crowd went ballistic as they watched the human trio, who once had the upper hand, get pressed down by the three barbarians with such a... barbaric method. It was such an idiotic method, but there was nothing they could do.

    ¡°This can¡¯t continue! What should we do?¡± Inside the Seventh Truth tform¡¯s area, Yu Kuang racked his brain to think of an idea.

    He turned and saw Xie Lianzhen out of the corner of his eyes, sitting there and looking at the rooftop like it was none of his business.

    Over the past two days, Yu Kuang had umted a lot of emotions, and seeing Xie Lianzhen acting like it had nothing to do with him made Yu Kuang feel displeased. He raised his voice and called out to Xie Lianzhen, ¡°Senior Brother Xie, you look very calm, huh? Do you have any good ideas, perhaps?¡±

    Xie Lianzhen looked back at him. ¡°It¡¯s just a small skill. As long as they exhibit their normal standards, they¡¯ll be fine,¡± he answered calmly.

    ¡°Oh? Is that so? This Junior Brother is very stupid, I¡¯ll need Senior Brother Xie to enlighten me.¡±

    Yu Kuang¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t soft, and the disciples near him were all looking over now.

    Xie Lianzhen indeed had a questionable position in the Seventh Truth tform. On one hand, he deserved the position because he was in the direct line of descent after the fifth n master, the previous Alioth Star Lord¡¯s true disciple. Him taking over the position was something that made perfect sense. On the other hand, he had some physical defects and rarely made an appearance, so a lot of people felt like his authority didn¡¯t carry much weight.

    They obviously knew that Yu Kuang was provoking him, and they were curious to see how Xie Lianzhen would respond.

    ¡°Combining three into one sounds powerful, but if you look at it from another point of view, the fight is now a three-on-one instead of a three-on-three. Two heads are better than one, so it won¡¯t be difficult for three people to team up and defeat an opponent who¡¯s stronger.¡±

    Yu Kuang furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°Senior Brother Xie, didn¡¯t you see what they did? Three into one, one into three ¨C if they try to fight it as a three-on-one, the other two harpies will just spread out and make it a three-on-three again.¡±

    ¡°Even easier then. Weren¡¯t they just beating them in a three-on-three?¡±

    Yu Kuang was taken aback by his answer. ¡°It¡¯s a transformation! The point is that they can transform at any time now!¡±

    Xie Lianzhen smiled thinly. ¡°How is it easy to transform from three into one? Especially when they depend on the resonance of their blood vessels. It isn¡¯t enough to just have a good grasp over the technique because they each have their own tempos. If even one goes down, that¡¯s the same as losing an arm.¡±

    If the disciple thought Xie Lianzhen was just ying with words earlier, this reply could seen as opening their eyes to many different possibilities. The Seventh Truth tform disciples were now pondering over the possibilities.

    ¡°Easy to say,¡± Yu Kuang retorted, not wanting to lose, ¡°but do you think that Senior Brother Wei wouldn¡¯t be aware of that? If you want to break the opponent¡¯s tempo, you have to restrain them with pure ability. If they could do such a thing, they wouldn¡¯t be having a problem in the first ce.¡±

    The disciples who were listening to the conversation secretly agreed. Breaking your opponent¡¯s tempo wasn¡¯t some unknown method, but it was easier said than done.

    Xie Lianzhen shook his head. ¡°That brings us back to the fact that this is a group fight. If it was a one-on-one, it¡¯s obviously hard to forcefully break their tempo. However, in a group fight, you don¡¯t need to forcefully restrain them, you just need to break their coordination.¡±

    Just like a precise machine; as soon as one gear is out of ce, the whole thing breaks.

    Yu Kuang was left speechless. After thinking about it, it did make sense. However, the theory was great and all, but three harpies who had excited their blood vessels were way too strong. You couldn¡¯t even touch them directly, so breaking their coordination would require perfect observation skills and uracy. A three-on-three was much moreplicated than an individual fight. Just understanding your teammates wasn¡¯t enough for them to identify a gap so easily.

    Looking at the match on stage, Yu Kuang prayed for his Senior Brother silently.

    Wei Chunqiu was feeling frustrated now. The residual effect from his previous two matches still hadn¡¯t faded away yet, and now he was stuck in this kind of situation. He wanted to use his strength to forcefully break the coordination between the harpies, but he was still worried about the problem with his mystic force, and he couldn¡¯t make up his mind about what he should do.

    After another attempt, they were still unable to break their coordination. Wei Chunqiu shook his head and turned to his other two teammates. ¡°We can¡¯t continue like this or we¡¯ll reach a point where we have no more mystic force left to fight.¡±

    Hearing his words, Kou Wei nodded in agreement. ¡°Yeah. We should risk it.¡±

    Both of them exchanged nces and saw the firm determination in each other¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°By force?¡± Wei Chunqiu asked.

    Kou Wei nodded slowly. ¡°I¡¯ll try to trap two of them.¡±

    That way, Wei Chunqiu and Lu Mingshu could cut into the same point at the same time, and they would have a better chance to seed.

    ¡°But you¡¯ll have to face enormous pressure.¡±

    ¡°That can¡¯t be helped anymore.¡± Kou Wei sighed. ¡°As long as you both seed, even if I get injured, it¡¯ll be worth it.¡±

    True, it¡¯s way better than dragging the match out.

    Wei Chunqiu was about to agree when he was cut off by Lu Mingshu; ¡°Not necessary.¡±

    Both turned to her at the same time. ¡°You have a solution?¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded. ¡°We just have to mess up their tempo and destroy their coordination. If we can find the right timing, it will be easy.¡±

    Her uracy was something that Kou Wei and Wei Chunqiu had both experienced. Especially Wei Chunqiu; he had personally experienced Lu Mingshu disrupting his tempo.

    ¡°But...¡±

    ¡°If both of you believe in me, then just leave it to me.¡±

    Kou Wei and Wei Chunqiu turned to look at each other before agreeing.

    ¡°Okay, Miss, we will listen to you.¡±

    The match hadsted for quite a while now, which gave Lu Mingshu enough time to collect all the data she needed. She nced over to the rooftop and pointed toward the center. ¡°Are you both familiar with Bagua?¡±

    Both nodded. The Seventh Truth tform was a Taoist sect, so Wei Chunqiu would know the Bagua by heart. As for Kou Wei, he was familiar with Bagua too since the Heavenly Sea Pavilion had done research on ancient martial arts skills.

    ¡°Let¡¯s set that as the center and mark it with the bearings of Bagua; Heaven, Earth, Fire, and Water, etcetera. In a bit, you will both go wherever I point and follow my instructions. Is that okay?¡±

    Kou Wei hesitated for a while before nodding in agreement. ¡°Sure. Since we have decided to follow your n, then let¡¯s do it. ¡±

    Wei Chunqiu had no objections either.

    ¡°When I shout 1, that means Senior Brother Kou Wei, and 2 is for Gentleman Wei. Please remember that and act immediately. We might lose our chance if we aren¡¯t fast enough.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°1, go to the center, 2, go to the side!¡±

    The trio immediately split up.

    Kou Wei stood in the center firmly while Wei Chunqiu leapt up.

    Lu Mingshu stood on the same line as Wei Chunqiu, but no more than twenty feet apart.

    She shouted out loud, ¡°1, defend, 2, attack!¡±

    Kou Wei¡¯s water dragon gushed up and surrounded his body.

    Wei Chunqiu¡¯s mystic light congealed into a sword, and the tip started blinking.

    At the same time, Lu Mingshu shed her sword energy down and pierced through.

    The second harpy was close to Wei Chunqiu and attacked him, while the other two attacked Kou Wei.

    ¡°What are they thinking?¡± The crowd¡¯s jaws dropped. ¡°Handingmand over to Lu Mingshu? Can she do it?¡±

    ¡°Oh no! Kou Wei¡¯s being double-teamed!¡±

    This is absolute nonsense!

 Chapter 180: This is True Ability

    <h4>Chapter 180: This is True Ability</h4>

    Trantor: xiiannie Editor: adeadaxe

    The first harpy¡¯s fist twinkled in the air, and the stone hatchet created a surging energy wave, aiming for Kou Wei.

    ¡°1, retreat to Thunder!¡±

    Kou Wei transformed into a dot as the five dragons swept him up and moved him through the air. The next minute, he was at the Thunder position.

    ¡°Joint attack!¡±

    As soon as Lu Mingshu gave themand, they all rushed up to attack.

    Wei Chunqiu¡¯s sword-energy reached first. The lotus-like sword-energy hit the second harpy straight on. Lu Mingshu followed behind Wei Chunqiu, but her sword-energy was dyed behind Wei Chunqiu¡¯s, so her attack arrived right when the harpy counterattacked.

    Lastly, it was Kou Wei¡¯s turn. The second harpy¡¯s stone hatchet struck Wei Chunqiu¡¯s sword-energy, and the shockwave forced Lu Mingshu to retreat. Before the second harpy could do anything else though, Kou Wei¡¯s water dragons arrived.

    The first and third harpy turned around immediately to block Kou Wei¡¯s water dragons.

    ¡°2, defend!¡±

    Wei Chunqiu pulled away and waved his sword at the two harpies.

    Lu Mingshu was behind him by a second. Both attacks were like connected waves, surging up violently.

    Whoosh!

    In between the sword-light, the second harpy was struck by a water dragon. Kou Wei waved his fan, and a golden ray of light appeared. Suddenly, the water dragons turned into an icy spike!

    The second harpy¡¯s move became sluggish due to the attacks, and he didn¡¯t know what to do.

    Cheers could be heard.

    ¡°Strike, strike!¡±

    ¡°Wellbined attack!¡±

    ¡°Wei Chunqiu and Lu Mingshu are in charge of stalling them, and Kou Wei is the main person attacking. Smart!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, that¡¯s right, little barbarians. What makes you think that you have the brains to fight us?¡±

    However, Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t feel a sense of happiness. This was just the start; there was still a lot more work to do to defeat the barbarians.

    ¡°1 to Water and 2 to Heaven!¡±

    Lu Mingshu attacked once more and shouted, ¡°1, attack!¡±

    The icy spike suddenly rose.

    ¡°2, cut.¡± The sword shed down, cutting off the connection between the first harpy and the second harpy.

    Since the second harpy was attacked by Kou Wei, he couldn¡¯t keep up with the tempo, and he became slower by half a beat.

    Lu Mingshu dodged the third harpy¡¯s energy wave.

    Mystic energy was the harpies¡¯ weakest point, which caused their attacks to be rather slow. As long as one could dodge the energy wave, they would be fine.

    Lu Mingshu called out for Wei Chunqiu to attack again even before his previous attack finished.

    ¡°2, change attack.¡±

    Basically, Wei Chunqiu changed his sword stance andbined with Kou Wei¡¯s ice spike.

    Lu Mingshuunched an attack and diverted the first harpy¡¯s attack. Wei Chunqiu and Kou Wei then took the chance to break the coordination between the second and third harpies.

    Such a great chance!

    ¡°2 to Wind and continuous attack!¡±

    In no time, the tables were turned. The second harpy was like a disced gear, and now he was out of the coordination between the harpies.

    This unforeseen circumstance stunned the crowd.

    ¡°...that¡¯s fantastic!¡± After a while, a disciple gasped.

    ¡°Yeah, it seems like nothing special at first, but...¡±

    He scratched his head in fascination and turned toward the stage once again. Everything was good now. After Lu Mingshu took control, the trio found their tempo and took control of the match.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Lu Mingshu to be this capable!¡±

    ¡°Yes! Actually, even in the previous matches, her strength could already be seen,¡± a disciple analyzed. ¡°She¡¯s still weak in terms of actual ability, but because of her uracy, she managed to find the right time to use her spiritual tool. If she wasn¡¯t so precise, she would have lost to Kou Wei as soon as the match started.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s obvious even from the match with Wei Chunqiu. She¡¯s not skilled in terms of speed, but she was still able to keep up with his tempo because of how observant and precise she is.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s kind of scary that she¡¯s just a Harmonization Realm newbie....¡±

    This coordination changed many perceptions of Lu Mingshu. Those who had already seen potential in her were now surprised with her precision, and the others could no longer say anything bad about her.

    The facts were right in front of them. If she didn¡¯t have the ability, Kou Wei and Wei Chunqiu would never have let her lead. As soon as she took over, the match went a lot smoother.

    ¡°Oh no!¡± a disciple suddenly eximed.

    The three harpies were starting to get annoyed at the fact that some humans were going to overpower them. With a roar, the harpies prepared to mount a joint attack. They dash toward one of them and ignored the other two.

    And their target was Lu Mingshu!

    The three harpies looked at Lu Mingshu with hatred. It¡¯s all because of her! She kept running her mouth and now we¡¯re losing! They chose to target her because the harpies could tell that she was the key factor, and they also wanted to vent their anger on her.

    Irritating! Let¡¯s just deal with her first!

    Energy waves gushed up to the sky like blood.

    Wei Chunqiu and Kou Wei turned pale with fright upon seeing this scene. ¡°Be careful!¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked up. The red light was shining brightly due to the exciting of blood vessels, and it reflected in her eyes. She twitched her wrist and drew out a sword flower.

    ¡°Get ready for a joint attack.¡±

    The two Wei¡¯s looked at each other and hesitated.

    This was a perfect chance. The harpies¡¯ attention was now on Lu Mingshu; they could take control now, they would surely win.

    Wei Chunqiu and Kou Wei exchanged a nce. Wei Chunqiu snapped his fingers, and his secret skill appeared in his palm.

    Kou Wei nodded to signal that he was prepared as well.

    Mystic force surged out of Lu Mingshu¡¯s body. The mild golden mystic light reflected on Lu Mingshu¡¯s ice-cold face, and the energy wave caused her sleeves to rise. It was obvious how small Lu Mingshu¡¯s body was, but she was still standing straight and upright.

    When the bloody light and mystic light shed, she abruptly activated her sword stance. Lu Mingshu leapt up into the sky, and a mysterious expression shed past her eyes. The spiritual tool was thrown, and the light from the talisman wrapped around her sword energy and moved out in a crisscrossed direction across the stage.

    The sword energy hovered around the stage and covered it as a sea of bloody light swallowed Lu Mingshu.

    Cries of rm and surprise could be heard. Many covered their eyes in fright to avoid the bloody scene.

    But the bloody scene that they expected didn¡¯t happen. The only thing they saw was that Lu Mingshu floated up from the sea of bloody light.

    ¡°What can she do now?¡± A disciple was like a cat on hot bricks now. ¡°The harpies are so strong. Will she be torn to shreds?¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t she just... take it easy? Why does she want to risk her life?¡±

    ¡°Well, she did that to take first ce too.¡±

    Unconsciously, thements on Lu Mingshu had be less harsh. After she reversed the match, she had proven her ability. Even though she was in danger now, the harshestment she received was that she was too impulsive. Nobody dared to truly criticize her again.

    ¡°Eh, it doesn¡¯t seem like it. Look!¡± Somebody realized something on stage was out of ce.

    All they could see was the bloody light enveloping the stage and the continuous energy wave. Lu Mingshu could be seen floating in the mist as if she was stuck between them, but she was just firmly floating there by herself.

    There was sword-light surrounding her, along with mild golden light. Floating bloody light, weaving a crisscrossed web.

    ¡°She didn¡¯t get swallowed up!¡±

    ¡°Look at that, it¡¯s a talisman!¡±

    Using her sword as a medium to get the talisman light out of the spiritual tool. This was exactly what she did during the match against Kou Wei. The crowd looked at the stage with anticipation. Can she use the same method to control the harpies now?

    Many gasped in amazement. ¡°How did she achieve this?¡±

    It was unbelievable. The bloody light created by exciting the blood vessels extended into the distance. She is being enveloped by the sea of bloody light, so why is she still okay?

    ¡°Tempo. Gap,¡± Xie Lianzhen whispered to himself.

    These three harpies may look like they were now an integrated whole, but they were not the same person to start with, so there would definitely be a gap. Once it was found, theirck of unity would only pull them down.

    Now!

    Wei Chunqiu raised his sword and smeared something on it. A light shed and exploded into a powerful sword stance.

    At the same time, the temperature suddenly fell as the area was covered in snow!

 Chapter 181: Freedom Without Debt

    <h4>Chapter 181: Freedom Without Debt</h4>

    In no time, the snow had submerged the whole rooftop as if the season suddenly changed from spring to winter in the blink of an eye.

    The sharp ice spike and the hissing of sword-energy arrived with a loud bang.

    The three harpies turned back in a hurry, but they were toote.

    Rays of mild golden talisman-light appeared along with the sword stance and weaved a web in the sea of bloody light.

    The web was going to shatter and smash the power gained by exciting the blood vessels.

    Boom!

    Tons of snow fell to the ground.

    The hiss of sword-energy followed after the boom. After the continuous noises, a lotus manifested from the sword and blossomed among the sea of bloody light.

    The bone-chilling wind whistled, the earth quaked, and the mountains shook. Even huge waves surged from the river below the mountain from the shockwave.

    After the sudden onught, the venue became peaceful again.

    Ssh!

    A puddle of blood could be seen on the floor. Wei Chunqiu stumbled and held himself up with his sword.

    He had not fully regained his strength yet, but he forcefully activated his secret skill. His blood and lifeforce in his body churned, and he could no longer contain his injury.

    Kou Wei was no better. Five Dragons ying with a Pearl ¨C this skill required a lot of mystic force. Kou Wei also froze his water dragons, which also consumed most of his mystic force. Kou Wei was now as pale as a sheet of paper and looked like he might faint.

    Looking over, the bloody light had disappeared, and the harpies looked like they were almost dead. They clearly had no more energy left to fight. Wei Chunqiu and Kou Wei heaved a sigh of relief. They suddenly thought about Lu Mingshu and hurriedly looked around to check if she was okay.

    All they saw was Lu Mingshu floating in the middle of the air, collecting back her spiritual tool. She then dropped to the ground like a feather as if nothing happened.

    Not only were the spectators bewildered, but Kou Wei and Wei Chunqiu were also as well.

    She was acting as bait and all that, but how could she not be even slightly injured?

    Lin Zixin stepped onto the rooftop and went to ask the harpies a few questions.

    The three harpies ignored him. The first harpy struggled to stand up and turn to his fellow teammates before waving his hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    The second and third harpy struggled to stand up. They went back to their tent without saying a word.

    In an instant, the crowd gave the trio thunderous apuse.

    Everybody present, from the servant girls to the disciples to the Spirit Realm experts, had smiles on their faces and apuded for them loudly.

    This match brought glory to mankind. Especially for Lu Mingshu, she proved that ability wasn¡¯t just about skills and basics. Without her observation skills, they would not have been able to win this match so impressively, if at all.

    In terms of contribution, she definitely deserved first ce on the New Generation Ranking.

    ¡°Miss Lu, how are you?¡± Kou Wei asked with concern when he regained some energy.

    Lu Mingshu shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°Are there any injuries?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Wei Chunqiu sighed in relief and admiration. If she was inurate even a tiny bit, she would have received serious injuries.

    The three of them bowed to the spectators and went back to their respective tents.

    Smiling like the Cheshire Cat, Lin Zixin announced the result. ¡°The match for today ends here. Ladies and gentlemen, you can now make your way back. Tomorrow will be the start of the fights for the Hero Ranking. Please look forward to it. Have a good rest everyone.¡±

    The disciples were still full of energy, and they went back to their rooms in groups while still discussing the match that just ended. Even the Hero Ranking fights, which was the main attraction of Qilin Festival, was no longer that attractive.

    When the Qilin Festival ended and the New Ranking was announced to the world, this match would be a delight to the world!

    They had witnessed a legend!

    As for Lu Mingshu, she was tired to death, and she didn¡¯t even have enough energy to speak. When she got back to her room, she immediately shut the door and plopped down on her bed.

    Thest three matches had drained all her energy.

    Shey down on her bed, allowing herself to rx while the six-coloured streamers surrounded her and recharged her.

    ...

    After some time, when Lu Mingshu opened her eyes, she realized that something was out of ce.

    The Heavenly Wheel... has lit up?

    She looked forward and saw that the space that she had been banned from was now lit up again, and the floating ind could be seen clearly.

    She scanned her surroundings and stopped on the center of the Heavenly Wheel.

    Lu Mingshu looked at the tree as it turned into many rays of light. The lights flowed down and congealed into a phantom wooden wheel.

    In the middle, there was a number on it ¨C forty-seven.

    The number was green.

    Lu Mingshu stared nkly at the number for a while. ¡°Xiao Sang.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡± Xiao Sang answered immediately.

    ¡°Did I pay off all my debt?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Lu Mingshu felt surreal. I owed a thousand and two hundred points thest time I checked, along with interest. How did I manage to pay off everything?

    ¡°What happened? Where did all the pointse from?¡±

    ¡°Every win in the real world will give you points.¡±

    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t I receive anything previously?¡± Lu Mingshu asked nkly.

    ¡°The Qilin Festival counts as one match. The match just ended, so we only just calcted the points.¡±

    Lu Mingshu, who was now used to being to debt, couldn¡¯t ept it for a moment.

    ¡°May I know how exactly I earned the points?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Xiao Sang answered slowly, ¡°Your points for thispetition umted from the first round all the way until it ended for a total of three hundred. You got first ce on the New Generation Ranking, so an additional three hundred points. In thest fight, you lead your team to victory against the barbarians, which earned you another six hundred points. You also managed to upgrade your strength, so one hundred points for that. So, in total, you earned one thousand and three hundred points.¡±

    No wonder! One thousand and three hundred, subtracting the one thousand, two hundred, and fifty-three would give her change of forty-seven.

    ¡°I ced first in the Heavenly Doorpetition too, but I didn¡¯t even get a hundred points back then. Why do I gain so much now?¡±

    Lu Mingshu was confused. Comparing bothpetitions, the Heavenly Doorpetition had of a personal impact. She changed her mindset, and she learned Physical Manifestation of Sword Intent. She also pushed herself to the limit by winning eighteen fights in a row.

    ¡°Because you only changed yourself during thatpetition.¡±

    Lu Mingshu stared nkly into space. Only changed myself? She couldn¡¯t understand.

    She shed back to the times where she fought in the arenas. The challenge at the rune-carving shop earned her the most points even though it had the fewest spectators. So... did the Heavenly Wheel perhaps want her to change the world around her?

    The Heavenly Doorpetition was internal to her sect, but the Qilin Festival was the biggest festival in China, so the impact was definitely different.

    Bing a sessor disciple of Nine Jade Pce wouldn¡¯t create much attention, but cing first on the New Generation Ranking would.

    And defeating the barbarians would bring more than twice as much attention like that for sure.

    ¡°So, is it...?¡±

    Lu Mingshu decided to ignore that matter for now. ¡°Xiao Sang, I can use the Heavenly Wheel now, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Lu Mingshu reached out to the wooden wheel. The originally grey areas were now lit up once again.

    She went into the forum and found a familiar number.

    ¡°Brother Six.¡±

    Brother Six, who was a business specialist that spent most of his time in the Heavenly Wheel, immediately came over. ¡°Finally! Little Sister Seven, where have you been? You were gone for so long. Is everything fine?¡±

    She had been in debt for half a year.

    ¡°Not really, I was dyed by something,¡± Lu Mingshu answered vaguely. She then got to her point. ¡°Brother Six, I need your help.¡±

 Chapter 182: Fair Enough

    <h4>Chapter 182: Fair Enough</h4>

    The dead of night.

    Walking daintily, passing through the different areas.

    Going into the greenhouse, which was located near the cliff.

    When Lu Mingshu thought about it, this Flying Imperial Pce was rather weird. This greenhouse was a fine building. It was located in a bit of a weird geographical location, but it was filled with rare nts. It was obvious how much was invested in it, and yet she¡¯s been here a few times already, and no one was ever watching over this ce.

    After some time, she heard the sound of a wheelchair nearing.

    Lu Mingshu turned back to see Xie Lianzhen at the door.

    He looked up and smiled at her. ¡°Miss Lu, what brings you here?¡±

    Regardless of how many times Lu Mingshu saw this face, she couldn¡¯t help but feel that it was such a pity. What a pity... harmless is the only word to describe it, but the owner is otherwise.

    ¡°There¡¯s a question that I want to ask Mister Lianzhen.¡±

    He smiled thinly. ¡°Go ahead.¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked into his eyes. ¡°Have you given up yet?¡± She emphasized each and every word.

    No boration was needed. Both of them were well aware of what she was referring to.

    Xie Lianzhen smiled softly. Instead of shunning her, he stared back into her eyes. ¡°Miss Lu, are you perhaps... panicking?¡±

    Lu Mingshu squinted her eyes and kept quiet.

    Xie Lianzhen ignored her and continued. ¡°I¡¯m guessing this is the first time in your life that you have encountered such a situation. Sorry, but I¡¯m not like others, who are afraid of your coldness. I am determined, and I even came with conditions to get what I want. Now that you can¡¯t scare me away with your cold attitude, you¡¯re at a loss about what to do.¡±

    The wheelchair moved slowly, closing the gap between them. Xie Lianzhen then lowered his volume and mumbled, ¡°The previous time, your manners were somewhat inappropriate.¡±

    As if she was being exposed, Lu Mingshu was left speechless for a moment.

    During their previous meeting here, he wanted her to reject the challenge and promised to get her into the top ten.

    She chose to make it clear.

    After that, Lu Mingshu did regret her actions that day. However, thepetition was right in front of her eyes at the moment, and she had no excess energy for other matters.

    ¡°You¡¯re afraid, aren¡¯t you?¡± Xie Lianzhen asked gently. ¡°You think that you¡¯re invincible ¨C that nothing can bring you down. But there¡¯s somebody who keeps trying to favour you ¨C to gain your attention in every possible way. You aren¡¯t afraid of your stepmother plotting against you or your father driving you to the edge. However, you¡¯re afraid of me. After your mother died, you see yourself as an orphan. There¡¯s not much that you¡¯ve received from others, so you cherish everything given to you. You¡¯re afraid that you won¡¯t be able to stand yourself because I¡¯m too nice to you. You¡¯re afraid that you can¡¯t reject me.¡±

    He smiled thinly and looked at her with pity. ¡°Such a kid. You¡¯re only sixteen, my dear, this is too much for you.¡±

    Lu Mingshu opened her mouth, but nothing came out.

    ¡°Why are you doing this to yourself?¡± The moonlight was reflected on Xie Lianzhen¡¯s eyes, making him look way more caring and gentle. ¡°You¡¯re still young. You should live your life without the slightest scruple. Even though you may make mistakes on the way, there¡¯s no need to force yourself to be so mature and behave like an adult to face all those conflicts. You aren¡¯t willing to take a step back, even a small one. You choose to ignore all the mockery by pretending that you can¡¯t hear it and brave your way at the front on your own.¡±

    Xie Lianzhen sighed, and Lu Mingshu¡¯s heart slightly dropped. ¡°Even though you are being looked at so much, isn¡¯t it kind of solemn? This isn¡¯t how a sixteen-year-old should be living her life.¡±

    Silence took over the greenhouse.

    Xie Lianzhen didn¡¯t continue, and Lu Mingshu was staring into space.

    Lu Mingshu was now speechless. When she made her way here, she had everything nned out. She was supposed to be firm and steady, but now it was going off-track.

    As if peeling open an onion, theyers wrapped around her heart were now all removed. Her heart was exposed and shown to the world.

    Some things didn¡¯t hurt, or they were so insignificant that she didn¡¯t even think about them. But as soon as someone else mentioned it, the feelings of having someone who understands her caused her feelings to gush up.

    ¡°Why do you treat yourself this way? You didn¡¯t have the chance previously, but nothing will be the same from now on. You could have all the freedom you want and never have to worry about anything else because I will solve it all for you....¡±

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s mind suddenly shed back to a folk tale she had seen in the Heavenly Wheel. In a distant sea, there lived a pack of sea demons with beautiful voices. Those who heard their voices would sink into the song and end up as their food.

    ¡°You rejected me because you were afraid, and you were evil to me because you hoped that I would back off. But why don¡¯t you just follow your heart? If you¡¯re strong enough to keep fighting in the face of idle gossip, why aren¡¯t you willing to follow your desires?¡±

    A soft and gentle voice like the voice of a siren, causing one to lose themselves.

    Seeing her wavering, a smile was stered on his face.

    ¡°Is this your revenge?¡± A cold voice broke the silence.

    Xie Lianzhen looked at her in a daze, and he saw that her eyes were back to normal.

    ¡°To get back at me because I exposed the real youst time?¡±

    Xie Lianzhen leaned back, and he suddenly had a shback. ¡°Ah, an eye for an eye, isn¡¯t that fair?¡±

    Taken aback by his response, Lu Mingshu sneered. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say that I¡¯m a child? Aren¡¯t you being a little too harsh on a child?¡±

    Xie Lianzhen drummed the sides on his wheelchair with his fingers. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to feel sorry for being harsh when you did the same thing to me!¡± He smiled.

    ¡°Heh....¡± Lu Mingshu tried to contain herughter.

    Lu Mingshu was nearly tricked by him, but luckily, he crossed her bottom line. The environment she was raised in was bad. Unlike other sixteen years old, she couldn¡¯t have the freedom she desired. But what a good ¡°brave your way at the front on your own,¡± making her life sound way more pathetic than it actually was to deliberately make her more emotional.

    This guy with an innocent face had a breadth of mind even smaller than the tip of a pin. She exposed him once, and now he was here to take revenge with the same method.

    Lu Mingshu started to regreting to meet him tonight.

    ¡°Okay. So, please tell me what you¡¯re here for.¡± Xie Lianzhen had a huge smile on his face as if something good happened.

    Lu Mingshu took a deep breath to calm herself down.

    Don¡¯t get angry with him. The angrier you are, the happier he¡¯ll be.

    ¡°Can you answer my question first?¡±

    ¡°First...?¡± Xie Lianzhen furrowed her eyebrows. ¡°Oh, that!¡±

    Seeing her panic, Xie Lianzhen burst out inughter. ¡°What would you do if my answer is no?¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s like that, I¡¯d like to make a deal with you,¡± she replied calmly, reciting the answer she had practised in her heart for quite a time.

 Chapter 183: Pain

    <h4>Chapter 183: Pain</h4>

    ¡°Deal?¡± Xie Lianzhen bit his lips. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you have toe and make a deal with me, but I doubt the condition would be something that I¡¯ll like.¡±

    Xie Lianzhen was straightforward.

    To Xie Lianzhen, he didn¡¯t have everything he needed, but he had everything he could get at this point. What could Lu Mingshu possibly give him? Money? Authority? I have way more than what she has.

    ¡°Actually, that¡¯s not right.¡± Xie Lianzhen smiled, ¡°There is something you have that I don¡¯t.¡±

    He took a nce at her and smiled. ¡°Yourself.¡±

    Seeing that she had turned pale, Xie Lianzhen burst outughing. ¡°I¡¯m just joking, there¡¯s no need to be so tense.¡±

    Lu Mingshu eyed him coldly. ¡°Does the Alioth Star-Lord really have everything he wants?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of things that I want, but could you provide me with any of them?¡± Xie Lianzhen smiled thinly. ¡°I want to have a normal family ¨C a happy family ¨C with two parents. I don¡¯t want to be a pawn in everyone¡¯s games. However, that¡¯s only possible if time was rewound.¡±

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s heart sank.

    If anything was possible, she wanted the same thing too... but how could that be possible?

    ¡°So, you don¡¯t care about your legs?¡±

    The smile on Xie Lianzhen¡¯s face disappeared. He looked up to see her staring at his legs.

    ¡°If your legs could recover, it would make up for all that at least a tiny bit, right?¡±

    Xie Lianzhen didn¡¯t respond to her.

    The sound of wind howling could be heard, and the strong wind caused themp to swing vigorously and hit the rooftop.

    ¡°Do you mean that... you can heal my legs?¡± Xie Lianzhen suddenly asked, but he sounded sore.

    ¡°I dare not say so with certainty... but there¡¯s at least a seventy per cent chance.¡±

    Seventy per cent. Such a high percentage?

    ¡°You are aware of what¡¯s wrong with my legs?¡±

    Lu Mingshu shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not. But as long as they¡¯re still there, there¡¯s hope.¡±

    That was the most sincere and best condition that she coulde up with.

    Nobody knew what exactly was wrong with his legs. However, ording to her observations, his leg should still be able to recover. Even though there was a defect, the legs didn¡¯t seem to have serious muscr atrophy. It was probably his veins or some other reason that caused him to be paralyzed.

    As the queen¡¯s precious son, he would have been to many doctors, but his legs were still paralyzed. The chance of recovery through a normal doctor was not very high.

    However, just because the doctors in this world didn¡¯t know how to solve the problem, that didn¡¯t mean that doctors in other worlds couldn¡¯t.

    Lu Mingshu knew what Xie Lianzhen was like. Words meant nothing to him, and he had indeed helped her, so she should return the favour. In the end, she came up with this idea; if she could cure him, not only would she would be returning the favour, he wouldn¡¯t need her anymore.

    ¡°Zhanghui!¡± Xie Lianzhen shouted.

    An emotionless teenager came into the greenhouse. ¡°Young Master.¡±

    ¡°Take me back,¡± he said coldly.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Xie Zhanghui didn¡¯t ask anything, he simply pushed Xie Lianzhen out of the greenhouse immediately.

    Lu Mingshu stared nkly into space. ¡°Haish....¡±

    What did I say wrong now?

    Neither of them spared her another nce. Both of them went off immediately.

    Lu Mingshu was left alone in the greenhouse, staring nkly into space.

    What¡¯s wrong? Isn¡¯t that something that he desires? Because of his legs, he was constantly marginalized and received lots of criticism. If he was an idiot, that might not affect him so much, but he was smart and was definitely affected. If his legs recovered, he would get a brand-new life, and he would no longer need to suffer in this state. Why is he angry instead of being happy?

    This turn of events was out of her expectations, and she was now lost.

    However, Xie Lianzhen had already gone off, and she had no one to rify.

    She stood there for a while before making her way back.

    As soon as she stepped out of the greenhouse, she saw a figure outside.

    ¡°Miss Lu.¡±

    This voice is familiar.

    Lu Mingshu looked up to see a familiar face. ¡°Gentleman Wei?¡±

    It was Wei Chunqiu.

    Lu Mingshu nce backward and this route only lead to the greenhouse. Did he wait here for me specifically?

    ¡°I came here because I saw Junior Brother Xieing here. When I arrived, I saw that you were inside too.¡± As if he was able to read her mind, Wei Chunqiu answered her questions. ¡°I was somehow worried, so I stayed.¡±

    Worried? Worried that I would beat Xie Lianzhen up, or worried that Xie Lianzhen would do something to me?

    The day she first met Wei Chunqiu, he and Xie Lianzhenunched a joint attack to protect her from State Master Jiayan¡¯s secret skill. Based on Xie Lianzhen¡¯s attack that day, it was obvious that he was good. He might be even better than Yu Kuang.

    ¡°Do you two always keep in contact?¡± he asked.

    Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t say anything.

    Wei Chunqiu knew the answer already though.

    ¡°Such an ill-fated rtionship.¡± He sighed.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s rare that he¡¯s so serious.¡± Wei Chunqiu pointed out. ¡°Or rather, he is very persistent for you.¡±

    ¡°So?¡± Lu Mingshu was extremely curious about how Xie Lianzhen¡¯s senior brother saw him.

    ¡°You...¡± Xie Lianzhen then shook his head. ¡°Whatever, it¡¯s not important what others think. He may seem well-tempered, but in reality, he¡¯s as stubborn as an ox.¡±

    ¡°You seem to know him well.¡± Lu Mingshu was taken aback.

    ¡°He liked to stick to me during his younger days.¡± Wei Chunqiu smiled at the memories. ¡°He always said that it would be good if he had an elder brother like me. But...¡±

    The Xie Lianzhen in Wei Chunqiu¡¯s eyes was unlike anything she knew. He used to be so pure?

    ¡°Miss Lu, when Junior Brother Xie left, he looked extremely upset. What happened?¡±

    Speaking of this, Lu Mingshu thought of her previous questions. Wei Chunqiu could answer them for sure!

    ¡°Nothing much. I just told him I could possibly heal his legs, and he suddenly stormed off in anger.¡±

    ¡°You can help him recover?¡± Wei Chunqiu gasped.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a possibility.¡±

    Wei Chunqiu nodded. ¡°No wonder he¡¯s angry.¡±

    Lu Mingshu was even more confused. ¡°Isn¡¯t it good if he can recover?¡±

    Wei Chunqiu sighed. ¡°Miss Lu, do you know why he took over the position of Alioth Star-Lord at such a young age?¡±

    ¡°Because the previous Alioth Star-Lord passed away, and he¡¯s the lord¡¯s true disciple.¡± This was something that everyone knew.

    ¡°Yeah, Junior Brother Xie is the true disciple of the previous Alioth Star-Lord. Junior Brother Xie¡¯s father died when he was still young, and his mother... in short, he was brought up by Master Granduncle Yan. ¡±

    ¡°So? What¡¯s wrong with that?¡±

    Sadness filled Wei Chunqiu¡¯s eyes as he told Lu Mingshu the story. ¡°Do you know how Master Granduncle Yan died?¡± Before Lu Mingshu could respond, Wei Chunqiu continued. ¡°He went to find medicine to treat Junior Brother Xie¡¯s legs and died in an ident.¡±

    Lu Mingshu was bbergasted.

    ¡°He was only twelve when that happened. From then on, he was no longer the Junior Brother Xie that I knew. We have a taboo in the Seventh Truth tform, which is to never mention Master Granduncle in front of him. It¡¯s something he¡¯ll never forget, and it hurts every time.¡±

 Chapter 184: Mental Illness

    <h4>Chapter 184: Mental Illness</h4>

    Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales

    Lu Mingshu was aware that humans could have many sides, but the Xie Lianzhen in Wei Chunqiu¡¯s eyes was totally unexpected for her.

    When she first met Wei Chunqiu in the alley, his attitude toward Xie Lianzhen made her think that they weren¡¯t on good terms.

    ¡°But...¡± something suddenly crossed her mind. ¡°even if that¡¯s the case, he should still try to heal his legs!¡±

    ¡°No need to try. There¡¯s no way.¡±

    No way? It may be impossible for the doctors in this world, but that doesn¡¯t mean that it¡¯s impossible for doctors in other worlds! I even asked Brother Six and he said that the more powerful doctors could even grow limbs back!

    ¡°How do you know if I haven¡¯t tried? I-¡±

    Wei Chunqiu sighed and cut her off. ¡°His legs are absolutely fine.¡±

    Lu Mingshu stared nkly at him. Fine? Then why...?

    ¡°Back then, Master Granduncle Yan brought back a medicine, and it sessfully allowed Junior Brother Xie to walk. However, Master Granduncle Yan was seriously injured and died soon after. After that, Junior Brother Xie couldn¡¯t walk, and he even came down with a bad illness. Senior Uncle Zhang said that, if his mentality doesn¡¯t change, he¡¯ll never be able to walk.¡±

    Wei Chunqiu then looked at her. ¡°Now you know. Master Granduncle Yan¡¯s death caused him to be in great pain.¡±

    ¡°No wonder....¡± He said that he hoped nobody would have to sacrifice themselves for him. Was he thinking of Master Granduncle Yan?

    ¡°To be honest, when Master Granduncle Yan was still around, Junior Brother Xie was an optimistic and cheerful child. Even though he was a bit different and was taunted a lot, he wouldugh it off. He practised martial arts just as hard as us, and he never gave up on himself. Many would say that he was only able to reach his current realm due to the pills that the queen gave him, but in reality, he was able to catch up with us his on his own. Despite his legs slowing his cultivation down, he put in hard work that nobody else saw.¡±

    ¡°Then why is he now...¡± Why has he be who he is now?

    ¡°Everything changed after Master Granduncle Yan¡¯s death. Back then, he was young and paralyzed, so it was hard to say if he could ever break through to the Spirit Realm in the future. The n Master and Elders all opposed him taking over the position of Alioth Star-Lord. However, the queen insisted. Despite the superior ability of all his senior brothers and sisters... after Junior Brother Xie recovered, he knew that he was just a fake lord.¡±

    Is that what he meant by ¡°not forcing me to do what I dislike?¡±

    ¡°His legs used to be the problem, but now, it¡¯s his mentality. The smile on his face gets faker, and he tends to iste himself. Nobody knows what he¡¯s thinking, and now, it¡¯s as if nothing in this world, not even himself, is valuable anymore.¡± Wei Chunqiu then sneered at himself. ¡°I tried to talk him through it, but that didn¡¯t go well. You never know how bad hisments can be until you hear them. I never want to quarrel with him ever again in my life.¡±

    That¡¯s why it was so tense when they first met that day in the alley.

    ¡°You still care for him, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Wei Chunqiu sighed. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just because I¡¯m too disappointed in myself. Watching a junior brother who¡¯s just like my own brother falling and not being able to do anything when he¡¯s at his toughest time, and now he has be this different person.¡±

    Lu Mingshu opened her mouth to say something, but she couldn¡¯t find suitable words to express her feelings.

    After a while, she started, ¡°Even if it¡¯s not a physical problem, there are still ways to solve it, right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what we thought too,¡± Wei Chunqiu muttered. ¡°But twelve years have passed, and it¡¯s only gotten worse. I¡¯m afraid that he might do something silly. If Senior Uncle Xie was still here...¡±

    ¡°Senior Uncle Xie? You mean...?¡±

    ¡°His father.¡± Wei Chunqiu nodded. ¡°Master Granduncle Yan¡¯s disciple, who was supposed to take over the position of Alioth Star-Lord originally.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Lu Mingshu looked up. ¡°Can I ask a question?¡±

    ¡°Go ahead.¡± Wei Chunqiu nodded.

    ¡°How did his father die? Between Senior Uncle Xie and the queen... the reason why Xie Lianzhen is who he is now may not be solely because of Master Granduncle¡¯s death.¡±

    ¡°I am not exactly sure what happened. All I know is that he died in the Yin Mountains.¡±

    ¡°Yin Mountains?¡± Lu Mingshu gasped. Isn¡¯t that where the barbarians lived? Perhaps his death was rted to the barbarians? The queen specifically invited the barbarians here....

    More and more confusing.

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you everything.¡± Wei Chunqiu shook his head and sighed. He paused for a while before continuing. ¡°Junior Brother Xie isn¡¯t evil. I hope Miss Lu will... not harm him.¡±

    Lu Mingshu gave a stiff smile in response. Not harm him? I¡¯m the one that should be pleading for Xie Lianzhen to let me off!

    ¡°Miss Lu, is it too difficult for you?¡± Wei Chunqiu saw her expression and asked.

    Lu Mingshu sighed and pull out the Mystic Dewdrops from her mustard seed pouch and waved them in front of him

    Wei Chunqiu understood.

    Wei Chunqiu wasn¡¯t like the others, believing that Lu Mingshu thought she was too good for Xie Lianzhen or something. After the group fight, he knew what she was thinking; Lu Mingshu was just unwilling to be someone¡¯s puppet.

    ¡°This is hard,¡± he said. ¡°The queen would do anything for him. As long as Junior Brother Xie wants it, it would be hard to help you. ¡±

    This angered Lu Mingshu. ¡°Aren¡¯t they afraid that I¡¯ll be vengeful and do something to him?¡±

    Wei Chunqiuughed. ¡°What can you do? Kill him? You can¡¯t even defeat me.¡±

    Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t understand.

    ¡°You won¡¯t be able to defeat him if you can¡¯t even defeat me. He can¡¯t walk, but he¡¯s way more than the trash that others see him as.¡±

    Lu Mingshu had never seen Xie Lianzhen as trash. That day when they met at the alley, she saw how Xie Lianzhen could break the shadowy fist even when Yu Kuang couldn¡¯t, and then Wei Chunqiu had to step in. This showed that he was at least better than Yu Kuang, but not as good as Wei Chunqiu.

    ¡°Besides, the queen wouldn¡¯t give you the chance anyone. You still have people at Nine Jade Pce that you miss, right?¡±

    Lu Mingshu turned pale.

    Slowly, her breathing turned back to normal. She then whispered to him, ¡°Is there really no other way?¡±

    ¡°There is one.¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked up and stared at him.

    ¡°Find an Assimtion Realm elder who is willing to risk angering the king of Zhongzhou for you.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Lu Mingshu sighed.

    Assimtion Realm? Where am I supposed to find one of those? Zhuo Jiangui might help her in some matters for the sake of Lu Mingshu¡¯s master, but this concerned the king of Zhongzhou, and the whole Line of Willow Woods would be dragged down with her. Would he risk that?

    ¡°Good luck.¡± Chunqiu patted her and went off, shaking his head.

    Lu Mingshu stood rooted to the ground for a moment before making her way back to her room.

    She didn¡¯t get to sleep for the whole night. Shey on her bed with her eyes wide open.

 Chapter 185: Invitation from Her Highness

    <h4>Chapter 185: Invitation from Her Highness</h4>

    Chapter 185 ¨C Invitation from Her Highness

    ¡°Morning, Junior Sister Lu!¡± Shao Zhengyang greeted Lu Mingshu.

    ¡°Morning.¡±

    She walked past Shao Zhengyang after answering half-heartedly. Shao Zhengyang raised his eyebrows and turned back to Tan Yubing, who was behind him. ¡°Senior Aunt Tan, what¡¯s wrong with Junior Sister Lu? She looks dead inside.¡±

    Shouldn¡¯t she be on cloud nine after being ranked first on the New Generation Ranking and defeating the barbarians yesterday?

    Tan Yubing shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. She was like this when I saw her earlier too. Maybe she didn¡¯t get a good sleep.¡±

    But she is in the Harmonization Realm, where sleep isn¡¯t really needed. Would ack of sleep really have such a big effect?

    Neither of them could figure it out.

    ¡°Senior Sister Lu.¡±

    ¡°Good morning, Senior Sister Lu!¡±

    ¡°Senior Sister Lu...¡±

    Lu Mingshu gave a one-word reply to all the young disciples who passed her.

    In the past, she was said to be arrogant and rude for being cold.

    But now, there seemed to be no opinion about her greetings, and some even said, ¡°She¡¯s so cool! No wonder she¡¯s ranked first.¡±

    When she reached the tent, her seat had already been cleaned, and even the fruits given to her were better than what the others received. Seeing that she had arrived, everyone moved to let here in.

    That¡¯s just human nature, huh?

    It was a full attendance today, and everyone was seated, waiting patiently for thepetition to start.

    The New Ranking was just a warm-up. The Hero Ranking was the main event.

    Thepetition rules between the Spirit Realm elders was much simpler, but that made thepetition tougher. It was like the arena type ofpetition ¨C once you lose, you¡¯re out.

    The rules were cruel. You might manage to get into the top ten with luck, but first ce was the best for sure.

    Thispetition was different from the New Rankingpetition. The New Ranking focused on potential, while the Hero Ranking focused on ability.

    Among the three chaperones of Nine Jade Pce, An Tongchen was the only one who had the chance to try to fight for the Hero Ranking. Kang Tian, the main chaperone, was old; he was only sent to protect the team. Yin Hong was just not that capable and only came because Zhou Miaoru sent her to settle some things.

    Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t understand. Nine Jaded Pce had declined to such a state where they didn¡¯t have any good Spirit Realm elders in the sect? Why didn¡¯t Fu Shangqine? Isn¡¯t he very good? Before he met the Zhou Family Head, he was in the Inner Breath Realm. With the help of the Zhou Family, he managed to reach the Harmonization Realm and then break through to the Spirit Realm within seven years.

    Such a person would be considered a genius no matter where he went.

    Normally, the best disciples of the top ns took at least eleven years to break through to the Spirit Realm. This included eight to ten years of hard work, then three years to polish their skills so that they could immediately fight at full power when they broke through.

    Even if the time for polishing was taken off, being able to breakthrough in seven years was still very impressive. No matter how bad his character was, nobody ever suspected his talent.

    Looking at how much the Nine Jade Pce had declined, why didn¡¯t he, as the sect leader,e and fight? If he did well, Nine Jade Pce wouldn¡¯t be the same.

    Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t know what Fu Shangqin was thinking. Perhaps he isn¡¯t confident and wants to wait for the next Qilin Festival? Ten years was nothing much to those in the Spirit Realm.

    The three chaperones made their way to the tent. Yin Hong went to talk to Lu Mingshu immediately and grinned happily, ignoring the cold reply from Lu Mingshu.

    An Tongchen even had to ask her to go back to her seat.

    But she didn¡¯t care. Yin Hong was in a good mood, and nothing would affect it.

    Why would she be angry? Last night, the queen asked to meet with her, and she stated clearly that she hoped that Lu Mingshu would stay here and not return to Nine Jade Pce.

    Obviously, Yin Hong agreed without much thought. The thought of precious gifts made her full of passion. Such a good trip! I just had to move my lips and now I¡¯m going back with all this stuff! She had been stuck in a bottleneck for a while, and these gifts could raise her cultivation.

    Thinking about it, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a tinge of jealousy.

    This girl, she has such luck for the queen to favour her! Even though her life may be hard if she has to live with the queen, but with the Alioth Star-Lord as her partner, she would have ample resources for herself. The Seventh Truth tform is way richer than Nine Jade Pce!

    If I were her, would I even still be considering? Who does she think she is?

    Whatever, the queen has made herself clear, and no matter what, that girl has to obey. A girl should just ept her fate! Didn¡¯t the sect leader¡¯s wife ept her fate too? The Big Miss is now married to a poor Fu Shangqin and still fulfilled her wife¡¯s duty.

    Before thepetition started, Ding Qingqing came along with her servant girls.

    The three chaperones immediately stood up to greet her.

    Ding Qingqing gave them a smile. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m just here to pass a message.¡±

    She then turned to Lu Mingshu. ¡°Miss Lu, Her Highness has invited you over for a talk.¡±

    Whispers could be heard. Those who knew what was going on looked at her with worry, but those who didn¡¯t looked at her green with envy. The queen must like her a lot! She just sent her a string of Mystic Dewdrops yesterday, and today she invited her for a talk! The main seat is not somewhere just anyone would get to sit!

    Yin Hong looked at Lu Mingshu, eyes filled with worry. She was worried that Lu Mingshu would rudely refuse and make Ding Qingqing angry.

    But to her surprise, Lu Mingshu stood up without a word and bowed to the chaperones before leaving with Ding Qingqing.

    Yin Hong sighed. That¡¯s right, just ept your fate. She¡¯s the queen after all.

    Ding Qingqing looked shocked, but she was fast to ster a smile on her face. ¡°Please, Miss.¡±

    Lu Mingshu followed Ding Qingqing and went to the main seat.

    After Ding Qingqing was finished, she bowed to the queen and king. ¡°Lu Mingshu from Nine Jade Pce greeting Your Highness and Your Majesty.¡±

    The queen and king both smiled. The queen waved her hand; ¡°Save the courtesy,e sit beside me.¡±

    The seat was already open, and it was right beside the queen.

    ¡°Thank you, Your Highness.¡± Lu Mingshu bowed before sitting down.

    The queen held her hand and took a nce at her. ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect you to be so feminine after seeing your fights.¡±

    The king of Zhongzhou nodded. ¡°Indeed! If I didn¡¯t know, I would think she¡¯s the Miss of some prestigious family.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re so calm as well even though you¡¯re still young.¡±

    ¡°Yeah....¡±

    Hearing the praise from the king and queen, State Master Jiayan huffed.

    She was angry and embarrassed after Xie Lianzhen exposed her the other day, so from then on, she never went to the Seventh Truth tform¡¯s tent. Now, the seat where Lu Mingshu was sitting was originally hers, which was what she wanted to see least of all.

    State Master Jiayan gritted her teeth and stabbed the cake in front of her with a chopstick out of anger.

    ¡°Sister, is the cake not tasty?¡± The younger prince didn¡¯t realize that she was angry and asked in curiosity.

    ¡°It¡¯s tasty! It¡¯s very tasty!¡± Jiayan huffed in anger, then took a piece of cake and stuffed it in her mouth. She imagined that it was Lu Mingshu and bit down hard.

 Chapter 186: Paying the Bet

    <h4>Chapter 186: Paying the Bet</h4>

    Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales

    ¡°Do you go outside of the mountain?¡±

    ¡°Rarely.¡±

    ¡°So you practice all day long?¡±

    ¡°Nope. I¡¯ll take Little Daze for a walk in the morning then some other chores and studying. I practice in the afternoon and cultivate at night.¡±

    ¡°Little Daze?¡±

    ¡°A beast that I picked up. Looks a bit like a horse, and now it¡¯s my mount.¡±

    ¡°I see....¡±

    Hearing theughter from the main seats, Jiayan bit harder into her food. What¡¯s so funny? All she knows is studying and practicing. Is she a dummy? What does cousin see in her anyway?

    Crack!

    She bit into something hard and her teeth felt numb. ¡°Ah!¡± She let out a shriek of pain.

    ¡°What happened?¡± This shriek attracted the attention of the queen and king.

    State Master Jiayan spit out an item. Seeing that there was blood on it, she held her cheek and started crying.

    ¡°Sister bit the m¡¯s shell!¡± the prince turned back to his parents.

    The king and queen smiled. The king of Yijun chided her, ¡°You¡¯re not young anymore, can¡¯t you be more careful?¡±

    ¡°There are times where you just miss something.¡± The queen smiled and beckoned Ding Qingqing toe over. ¡°Qingqing, help State Master take a look.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Ding Qingqing smiled.

    After ensuring that her teeth were alright, Jiayan heaved a sigh of relief. She then caressed her cheeks to soothe the pain. Seeing Lu Mingshu smiling, anger rushed up to her heart and she shouted at her. ¡°What are youughing at?!¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked over at her.

    ¡°What are you looking at? I¡¯m talking about you! Am I that funny?¡±

    ¡°Jiayan!¡± The king of Yijun shouted at her. Doesn¡¯t she know where she is right now? Even if you don¡¯t like her, this is not an appropriate thing to do in front of the crowd!

    ¡°I only asked her a question!¡± Even father is on her side! Jiayan¡¯s face turned red with anger, and she pointed at Lu Mingshu. ¡°Speak up!¡±

    Lu Mingshu gave her a thin smile before answering. ¡°Nothing much, I¡¯m just happy that I won the bet with State Master Jiayan.¡±

    State Master Jiayan stared at her nkly for a moment.

    ¡°Has State Master forgotten?¡± Lu Mingshu looked at her. ¡°On the opening day, State Master and I bet in front of the crowd about whether I could get into the New Generation Ranking.¡±

    State Master Jiayan had really forgotten about it.

    That day when she sent her servant girl to deliver medicine to Lu Mingshu and got exposed by Xie Lianzhen, she had been so upset that she skipped thepetition for a few days. Now that Lu Mingshu spoke about it in front of everyone, shivers ran down her spine.

    The bet! A hundred mystic crystals!

    Her first reaction was to look over at her father, the king of Yijun.

    ¡°There¡¯s such a thing?¡± The king of Yijun looked at Jiayan in shock.

    Lu Mingshu answered before Jiayan could. ¡°Your Majesty isn¡¯t aware of it? That day, State Master and I made a bet; if I didn¡¯t get into the New Generation Ranking, I¡¯ll stop bothering her, and but I did, she¡¯d have to pay me...¡±

    Lu Mingshu didn¡¯tplete the sentence, but people who knew State Master Jiayan personally would know roughly how much she bet.

    The king of Yijun furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°Jiayan, you have to concede defeat if you lost.¡±

    ¡°...yes, father.¡±

    After a while, nothing happened. The king of Yijun looked at her oddly. ¡°What are you doing then? Pay the bet!¡±

    State Master Jiayan¡¯s eyes brimmed with tears. Where am I supposed to get a hundred mystic crystals!?

    Lu Mingshu continued to stare at her without any intention of saving her.

    The king of Yijun sighed and spoke up. ¡°Miss Lu, Jiayan¡¯s been spoiled by me. I apologize on her behalf if she has offended you.¡±

    Lu Mingshu shook her head. ¡°Just a fair bet. It can¡¯t be considered offending me.¡±

    The king of Yijun smiled stiffly. Is this Miss Lu really that dense, or is she doing it on purpose?

    With that, he looked at Lu Mingshu. ¡°I¡¯ll pay for Jiayan. How much is it?¡±

    ¡°Not much, only a hundred mystic crystals.¡±

    The king of Yijun then turned to the servant next to him. ¡°Go get a hundred... mystic crystals?¡± Thest two words were significantly higher-pitched than his other words. He looked at Lu Mingshu oddly and then turned to Jiayan

    Jiayan didn¡¯t even dare to raise her head. A hundred mystic crystals were something that even a Spirit Realm elder might not have. She may have a good life, but all her money had to pass through the king of Yijun before she could use it.

    ¡°Jiayan!¡± The king of Yijun looked at her in anger.

    Jiayan didn¡¯t even dare to look up.

    ¡°You...!¡± He was so angry that he started shaking. But he managed to calm himself down. This idiot, why are you so easy to fool? And this Lu Mingshu, even though Jiayan may have harassed you a bit, aren¡¯t you taking things too far?

    But Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t seem to care what others thought of her and continued to enjoy herself.

    The king of Yijun took a deep breath and beckoned his servant over. ¡°Go get a hundred mystic crystals.¡±

    The servant did as told.

    In a short while, a pouch was in Lu Mingshu¡¯s hand.

    A hundred mystic crystals was not a small amount. The king of Yijun seemed to stare daggers at her. ¡°Miss Lu, a hundred mystic crystals. Keep it well.¡±

    Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t count the crystals in front of the crowd, at least leaving him some face.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Seeing this, the queen gave the king of Yijun a stiff smile and nced over at the king of Zhongzhou......who shook his head in response and sighed.

    This girl is indeed very stubborn. She¡¯s in this situation and yet she still dared to offend the king of Yijun? Perhaps she never nned to stay in the first ce?

    ¡°Where¡¯s Xing¡¯er? Call him over.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Ding Qingqing answered.

    Lu Mingshu batted her eyelids. After what happened yesterday, she didn¡¯t feel like seeing Xie Lianzhen. After hearing from Wei Chunqiu about Xie Lianzhen¡¯s past, she didn¡¯t know what to feel or do since her entire n went down the drain.

    But it was the queen¡¯s order, so there was nothing she could do.

    After a moment, Xie Zhanghui came over, pushing Xie Lianzhen.

    ¡°Elder brother!¡± The little prince went over happily.

    Xie Lianzhen smiled and caressed his head.

    It was a warm sight in the eyes of others, but not to Lu Mingshu.

    Someone who sees nothing as important, how is he able to pretend that he cares and loves his younger brother?

    ¡°Your majesty, your highness.¡± Xie Lianzhen slightly bowed to them.

    The king of Zhongzhou smiled at him. ¡°Is there any improvement in your cultivation recently? Ah, this...! Are you preparing to break through to the Spirit Realm?¡±

    Xie Lianzhen nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll have a try. If I fail, it will be easy to make adjustments.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good. You¡¯ve certainly trained enough.¡±

    The queen then interrupted. ¡°Of course you¡¯ll seed! Thepetition is about to start, Xing¡¯er,e over.¡±

    ¡°Cousin, sit here!¡± State Master Jiayan hurriedly beckoned him to go over. ¡°Watch it with us.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± The little prince nodded excitedly. ¡°Sit with us, brother.¡±

    The queen heaved a sigh of relief silently and stered a smile on her face. ¡°Ah, go ahead.¡±

    Seeing that the queen had noments, the servant girls prepared the seat for Xie Lianzhen.

    At this moment, Xiahou Shan appeared on the rooftop.

 Chapter 187: The Dust has Settled

    <h4>Chapter 187: The Dust has Settled</h4>

    Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales

    After the opening speech, Xiahou Shan announced the start of thepetition between the Spirit Realm elders.

    A Seventh Truth tform elite kicked off thepetition. He drew a ballot and got an Amethyst Phoenix Pavilion elder as his opponent. This was how the Hero Ranking worked. They drew ballots to choose one¡¯s opponent. Once they lost, the participant would be eliminated, and this continued until they had the top three. Then, they would change to a fight with all thepetitors left to decide the positions.

    As soon as thepetition started, the venue was filled with the gasping of the young disciples.

    They were at least able to know what was going on during the matches between the Harmonization Realm disciples, but now, they were totally lost.

    Lu Mingshu put a hundred per cent of her attention on the match. This was the first time that she got to see a match between Spirit Realms elders so close up.

    There was a graph in the Heavenly Wheel topare the abilities between different worlds. The Spirit Realm should beparable to the Golden Elixir Realm in other worlds. The Golden Elixir Realm is more powerful than the Spirit Realm in terms of skills but in terms of stamina...

    ¡°...Miss Lu?

    Lu Mingshu train of thought was cut off. When she looked up, the queen was smiling widely at her. As if she knew that Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t hear her earlier, the queen repeated her question. ¡°Look at the Seventh Truth tform¡¯s sword skills; how are theypared to Nine Jade Pce?¡±

    Lu Mingshu thought before answering, ¡°The Seventh Truth tform focuses on smoothness. There¡¯s not much emphasis on the specifics of how one should do it. Thus, everyone has their own unique or umon skills. For Nine Jade Pce, they focus on uracy, which is different from the Seventh Truth tform.¡±

    ¡°Then who do you think will win?¡±

    Lu Mingshu smiled. ¡°Depends. In a match between ordinary disciples, it would no doubt be the Seventh Truth tform. But for elites, it depends on who¡¯s fighting, not the skill.¡±

    Before the queen could say anything, State Master Jiayan sneered, ¡°Oh, interesting. So you¡¯re trying to say that Seventh Truth tform Harmonization Realm disciples are no match for you?¡±

    Lu Mingshu replied slowly, ¡°Didn¡¯t I answer State Master¡¯s question already with my actions?¡± Arrogance could be seen in her eyes.

    The arrogance annoyed Jiayan, so she replied, ¡°Oh, of course! Senior Brother Wei defeated you very quickly!¡±

    But outside of her expectation, the little prince suddenly added on, ¡°Sister, isn¡¯t Senior Brother Wei at the peak of the Harmonization Realm? Sister Lu just entered the Harmonization Realm, so she should bepared with Senior Brother Yu instead.¡±

    This angered Jiayan; she never expected to get embarrassed by the little prince. Out of anger, she took a piece of pastry and shoved it in his mouth. ¡°Eat more and talk less!¡±

    ¡°Uh...¡±

    ¡°So if you had a chance to learn the Seventh Truth tform¡¯s sword skills, would you be even better?¡± the queen asked.

    Lu Mingshu pondered for a while before shaking her head. ¡°I am already very familiar with the skill I use, so if I change now, it¡¯ll only hurt me. Besides, my strength is uracy, which fits better with the Nine Jade Pce skillset. The Seventh Truth tform skillset values freedom, but it¡¯s unpredictable.

    The king of Zhongzhou cut into the conversation. ¡°Miss Lu, the Seventh Truth tform¡¯s skillset is very free-flowing and unpredictable, but you¡¯re very good at that too.¡±

    Lu Mingshu smiled thinly. ¡°That¡¯s just because I calcted all my attacks, which isn¡¯t what the Seventh Truth tform skillset focuses on.¡±

    ¡°Calcted?¡± The king of Zhongzhou asked in shock. ¡°So you calcted all your attacks and your opponent¡¯s attacks during your matches?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°How could you calcte all that?¡±

    ¡°Everyone has their own style of fighting. Their strength and angles of attack are taken into consideration, and then I find ways to counter them.¡±

    The king of Zhongzhou stared at her in confusion.

    But the queen seemed to get it. ¡°Ah, no wonder your attacks are always on point, not wasting any of your mystic energy.¡± After a pause, she continued. ¡°Did you use this tomand during the fight with the barbarians?¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded.

    The queen thought for a while before shaking her head. ¡°This seems easy, but it¡¯s actually hard. Observing your opponents, memorizing their patterns, and then making your own attacks isn¡¯t easy. You have to be fast as well. This method is not for everyone.¡±

    Watching the match while making somements, time passed quickly.

    The Hero Rankingpetition took up quite a lot of time. There were only five or six matches per day at most before the day ended.

    Before the crowd left, the queen held Lu Mingshu and told her warmly. ¡°Come earlier tomorrow, I¡¯ll get Qingqing to pick you up.¡±

    And the queen did what she said. The next day, Ding Qingqing came to Lu Mingshu¡¯s courtyard to fetch her to the main seat.

    But everyone in Nine Jade Pce was chilled since everyone already knew the reason behind it.

    ¡°This Senior Sister Lu is reaching heaven in a single bound! She was still an ordinary disciplest year, and now she¡¯s ranked first in the New Generation Ranking and got the queen of Zhongzhou¡¯s attention!¡±

    ¡°Not only that! If she bes the wife of the Alioth Star-Lord, even the sect leader would have to be polite when they meet!¡±

    ¡°Not just ¡®polite,¡¯ the Seventh Truth tform rules over Zhongzhou, and they are an extremely big sect. How could Nine Jade Pce bepared to them? Their sect leader is way more powerful than our sect leader!¡±

    ¡°Do you think the sect leader¡¯s wife would regret...?¡±

    ¡°Hey! Haven¡¯t you heard about it? The sect leader¡¯s wife is the one who initiated the marriage! She is really nice to Senior Sister Lu even though she¡¯s not her own flesh and blood!¡±

    ¡°Are you sure? I once heard that, when Senior Sister Lu was in Green Jade Valley, she had a harder time than us....¡±

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just a rumour? If Senior Sister Lu¡¯s situation was that bad, how did she reach the Harmonization Realm so quickly? And she¡¯s so excellent too.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, true....¡±

    No matter what others said, Lu Mingshu went to the main seat every day to apany the queen in spectating thepetition. She was so cooperative that Tan Yubing thought she had epted her fate.

    Her father and stepmother are determined to sell her out, and the queen¡¯s powerful too. What could she do other than ept her fate?

    Five days passed, and the Hero Ranking was revealed.

    Nine Jade Pce¡¯s luck wasn¡¯t bad. Kang Tian and Yin Hong both went up for a match, but that made no difference. However, An Tongchen made it into the top ten and onto the Hero Ranking.

    He met a strong opponent afterwards and didn¡¯t get into the top five.

    But the Qilin Festival was full of elites. If you could make it onto the Hero Ranking, you were already one of the top elites.

    During the closing ceremony, the Flying Imperial Pce set up a grand banquet.

    During the banquet, the queen brought Lu Mingshu everywhere with her, as if she was trying to send a message to the crowd.

    Lu Mingshu ignored the looks of envy and pity. She remained calm as if she wasn¡¯t aware of them at all.

    After three cheers, the king and queen of Zhongzhou took their leave, leaving the disciples of the different sects to mingle with each other.

    Qi Sheng came forward and tugged on her shirt. ¡°Miss Lu, why are you giving up on yourself? I said that I would help you. Why won¡¯t you give me a chance?¡±

    After he said that, Kou Wei followed behind him and smacked his head, then apologized to Lu Mingshu. ¡°Ignore this drunkard.¡±

    Outside their expectations, Lu Mingshu bowed to them. ¡°I¡¯ll remember your goodwill deep in my heart.¡±

    Kou Wei opened his mouth to say something but stopped since he felt it was unnecessary. ¡°If you meet any difficulties, feel free to find me at the Heavenly Sea Pavilion.¡± He sighed.

    ¡°Thank you very much.¡±

    After that, nobody came to try to convince her. Even State Master Jiayan didn¡¯t find trouble with her.

    It was like the dust had settled, and there was no turning back.

 Chapter 188: Not Bad After All

    <h4>Chapter 188: Not Bad After All</h4>

    The banquet had ended, and the next event would be the farewell party. By tomorrow, the sects would go their respective ways.

    After the banquet, all the disciples went back to pack their bags happily.

    All except for Lu Mingshu.

    Even though nobody explicitly said it, she was well aware that the name list for the return trip didn¡¯t include her.

    How interesting.

    She chuckled. Who was the one that said, ¡°We Martial Practitioners ce greater importance on the inheritance from a teacher to their disciple than the rtionship between a father and child¡±? ...selling me out now without any notice.

    The sect leader of Nine Jade Pce, and her own father.

    When the banquet ended, the noiseing from the Flying Imperial Pce died down.

    Lu Mingshu walked on the edge of the cliff under the moonlight and the fragrant flowers then opened the door to the greenhouse.

    The door creaked open, revealing the beautiful scenery under the moonlight. A man was sitting at the edge of the cliff, looking at the night sky through the clear ss.

    Upon hearing the sound of the door opening, he turned around in surprise. ¡°Miss Lu?¡±

    This meeting shocked Lu Mingshu, but she smiled in response, ¡°What a coincidence. Is this considered ¡®two hearts beating as one¡¯?¡±

    Her smile and her words somehow felt out of ce.

    Xie Lianzhen nced up at Xie Zhanghui beside him. Xie Zhanghui nodded and left the greenhouse.

    ¡°What brings you here, Miss?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know where to go, so now I¡¯m here.¡± Lu Mingshu slowly walked toward him and stood beside him, looking out of the window. ¡°Is the scenery here nice? I don¡¯t see anything good over here.¡±

    Xie Lianzhen smiled softly. He looked at the moon that was half-hidden behind the mountains. ¡°How beautiful the scenery depends on your mood.¡±

    ¡°So how are you feeling right now?¡± Lu Mingshu tilted her head and smiled at him

    Xie Lianzhen could faintly smell the wine on her. ¡°Did you drink a lot?¡±

    ¡°Not much.¡± The smiled still hung on her face. ¡°I only drank two sses when I was with the queen for courtesy.¡±

    Xie Lianzhen finally found out what was weird. She¡¯s obviously drunk.

    ¡°Only two sses? You have a bad capacity for liquor, eh?¡±

    Lu Mingshu rubbed her eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never had alcohol before.¡±

    Being used to her act so fierce and defensive, and now having her suddenly be nice, it was really...

    ¡°Don¡¯t ever drink again,¡± Xie Lianzhen said softly.

    ¡°Ah,¡± she responded without thinking much. After a while, she opened her eyes and seemed more awake. ¡°Who are you to tell me that?¡±

    Seeing that he couldn¡¯t answer, Lu Mingshu sneered. ¡°Aren¡¯t I supposed to apany the queen? Not only two sses, but I should also even drink an entire jar just to make her happy. Why shouldn¡¯t I drink?¡±

    Xie Lianzhen answered softly, ¡°You don¡¯t have to bootlick her.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it normal for me to bootlick her? My future right now depends on her,¡± Lu Mingshu replied calmly as if she was fully awake now.

    ¡°I said there¡¯s no need, so that means there¡¯s no need. Do whatever you like and whatever you want. Nobody can do anything to you.¡± He furrowed his eyebrows, showing that he wasn¡¯t pleased.

    Lu Mingshu startedughing out loud. ¡°Xie Lianzhen, are you stupid?¡±

    Ignoring his expression, she continued, ¡°You don¡¯t even know who you are, do you? There¡¯s no need for you to please the queen because she loves you unconditionally, but for me, I am just an essory. I¡¯m only valuable to the queen because of you, but that may change in the future. She does not care about my opinion or my desires, so I obviously have to please her.¡±

    This made Xie Lianzhen¡¯s face red with anger, looking like he was about the burst.

    ¡°Since you know why you¡¯re valuable, why do you bootlick someone else? What do you think you¡¯re going to aplish?¡± he asked coldly.

    Lu Mingshuughed so hard that she couldn¡¯t stand straight. ¡°Xie Lianzhen, it¡¯s the queen who won¡¯t let me go, not you. Are you clear on who I¡¯m supposed to please now?¡±

    Maybe because she was drunk, she began to speak without a filter. ¡°I have thought clearly about it. Actually, this life won¡¯t be bad. Just look at Emissary Xiahou and Emissary Ding; don¡¯t they have great lives? They have whatever they want ¨C power, position, and resources. Oh, I even heard that Emissary Xiahou spends a Mystic Crystal when she bathes! I doubt even State Master Jiayan lives such a good life. Compared to those two, I would have even more of an advantage because I would be considered her family member!¡±

    Xie Lianzhen¡¯s fist tightened upon hearing Xiahou Shan¡¯s and Ding Qingqing¡¯s names.

    Xiahou Shan indeed led a good life. The king of Zhongzhou didn¡¯t care, and the queen had full control. As the queen¡¯s personal aide, she held greater power than most. Even the king of Yijun was below her. As the ears and eyes of the queen, one would have to please her if they wanted to please the queen. Rare treasures and precious gems from all over the world flowed into Xiahou Shan¡¯s pce like water. Her life was indeed more than good.

    As for Ding Qingqing, she was always beside the queen. Whatever was given to the queen would need to go through her first. How could she ever give up such great authority? She had probably bullied and killed many people to keep it, and who knows what else?

    One who loved money, and one who loved power. These two women may look gentle and nice, but how many bad deeds had they done in secret?

    This was the result of the queen being lenient with them.

    Greed wasn¡¯t something scary, it was precisely what let the queen have full control of them.

    Xie Lianzhen felt a shiver run down his spine. As if he just remembered something, his hand shook.

    After a while, he calmed himself down and gritted his teeth. ¡°You¡¯re going to make me give up with this method?¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked at him weirdly. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°So, you think I¡¯ll let you off because of those words, huh?¡± He grabbed her hand tightly and pulled her down.

    He was very strong, causing Lu Mingshu to trip. ¡°What on earth?¡± she asked unhappily.

    As soon as she said that, Xie Lianzhen held her chin tightly. Lu Mingshu met his cold eyes. ¡°Lu Mingshu, I¡¯ll do anything to get what I want, even if I ruin it. Give up.¡±

    ¡°Why are you so agitated?¡± Lu Mingshu said weirdly, ¡°I have already given up, so I¡¯ll choose a route that I think is best. Are you happy now? Let go, it hurts!¡±

    Swinging away his hand, Lu Mingshu rubbed her chin, which was in pain from Xie Lianzhen¡¯s grasp. She looked down at him and raised her eyebrows. ¡°You don¡¯t want me to be like them? Do you hate Xiahou Shan and Ding Qingqing? Even the queen too, right?¡±

    The more she said, the darker Xie Lianzhen face looked.

    Lu Mingshu already knew the answer deep in her heart. ¡°Xie Lianzhen, aren¡¯t you selfish? You want me to stay, but you expect me to remain the same. Is that even possible? One¡¯s personality is closely rted to the environment in which they live ¨C have you ever heard that saying? Nevermind, I doubt you have. You¡¯re already like this, what¡¯s new? All you want is to break my spine and make me give in, right?¡±

 Chapter 189: Still Early

    <h4>Chapter 189: Still Early</h4>

    Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales

    Yes. That was his motive.

    Xie Lianzhen never denied that his motive was to make Lu Mingshu give in.

    He was interested in her after their first meeting in the alley.

    Xie Lianzhen was fully aware of her situation; her stepmother was trying to sell her off at a good price, and her birth father not only turned a blind eye to it but added fuel to the fire. In order to escape their hands, she was constantly working hard, fighting in different arenas once she reached Tianyun City to increase her value.

    He was curious. He knew how hard that could be. In addition, just fighting in arenas wasn¡¯t enough ¨C she had to get onto the New Generation Ranking at the least to have qualified to talk to the queen.

    For a newbie who just entered the Harmonization Realm, Xie Lianzhen knew very well how hard it was to enter the New Generation Ranking, and if the game just ended there, it would¡¯ve been boring.

    That was why he chose to help her by giving her information on her opponents.

    The more stubborn Lu Mingshu was, the more fun he found in it. He even purposely let the queen know about it so he could use the queen to pressure Lu Mingshu.

    At first, he just wanted to test the limits. However, the further she went, the bigger the fire within him grew.

    Very interesting. She doesn¡¯t look like she¡¯s sixteen ¨C she¡¯s firm and steady. Comparing her to Jiayan, who¡¯s two years older, Jiayan¡¯s more like a kid.

    However, she couldn¡¯t escape the fact that she was still young. Under his subtle hints, she made an inappropriate move.

    In order to hide her emotions, she chose the most idiotic way to solve the problem ¨C to expose his true self to his face, speaking about the dark side of him that couldn¡¯t be shown to the world.

    Being naive, she thought that he would retreat. But outside of her expectations, he held on to her even tighter.

    Anyways, I¡¯m sick!

    Xie Lianzhen recalled the past twenty years. He had never met someone who could see through him so easily. He had his mask on all day and all night. Everyone who ever saw him only saw his mask, but in front of Lu Mingshu, he could be himself.

    If I let her leave, I¡¯ll regret it for sure.

    That was the moment where he was determined to make her stay, regardless of the price he had to pay.

    So he watched her fight with all her might on stage, defeating all her opponents and clinching first ce on the New Ranking.

    She aplished something that others had deemed impossible for her to achieve.

    So what? Xie Lianzhen sneered. I can¡¯t wait to let her know that, even if she gets first, her fate is still her fate. She can never escape it.

    At that point, what will she do? Rage? A life-and-death struggle? Or give up totally?

    To his surprise, she suggested treating his legs as an exchange to let her go....something that no one should ever mention in front of him.

    He gritted his teeth in anger. No matter what youe up with, you¡¯ll never get out of my hands!

    However, the next day, he witnessed her sitting beside the queen, and for the past few days, she had been following orders like she had epted her fate.

    Xie Lianzhen couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. The Lu Mingshu who once had nothing on her mind but bing first on the New Ranking would give in like this?

    He couldn¡¯t believe his eyes, and his mood was ruined.

    Just as Lu Mingshu said, he wasn¡¯t aware of what he really wanted. He hoped that she would persevere and prove her worth, yet he also wished to take away her arrogance and make her obey. No matter which he got, he would be unsatisfied.

    And now, his true self was exposed again.

    ¡°Xie Lianzhen, it¡¯s not like you to be so flustered and exasperated,¡± Lu Mingshu slowly said and smiled.

    She may have been mature, but she still couldn¡¯t quite grasp what the world was really like. In front of Xie Lianzhen, she looked quiet and gentle, but in reality, her aggressive attempts to make Xie Lianzhen give up might backfire, and she would lose the upper hand.

    However, Lu Mingshu would always reflect on herself and take action when she found a mistake.

    Hearing about Xie Lianzhen in Wei Chunqiu¡¯s eyes made her realize that Xie Lianzhen wasn¡¯t as powerful as she thought.

    Thus, she started to search for his psychological weaknesses.

    In the end, it was no harder than a math question.

    ¡°What do you actually want?¡± Lu Mingshu stared at him. ¡°Do you hope that I¡¯ll never change, so I can be your pir of support mentally, or should I give in to fate and bow down in front of you? You don¡¯t even know what you want, so what makes you think you can say anything?¡±

    The disdain on her face brought Xie Lianzhen back to the day where they first met in the alley and she told him, ¡°Don¡¯t promise something you can¡¯t fulfil.¡±

    She always seemed to be chiding him.

    ¡°How do you know that I¡¯m not just having fun?¡± he started slowly. This was the first time that hepletely showed his dark side to someone. ¡°You are arrogant, stubborn, and firm. It will be fun to torment someone like you, no? Will you give in when you¡¯re at the end of the rope and helpless? On the other hand, if you give in too early, that won¡¯t be any fun.¡±

    Lu Mingshu stared at him for a moment beforementing, ¡°Xie Lianzhen, you¡¯re really sick indeed!¡±

    This made Xie Lianzhenugh out loud. ¡°Well, I always have been.¡± He smiled at her before continuing in an eerie voice. ¡°My real name is Xie Xingchen, remember that, missy.¡±

    Lu Mingshu scoffed.

    So what if I know his real name? Xie Lianzhen or Xie Xingchen, a pervert is a pervert.

    ¡°Sorry to disappoint you. I have a strong point, which is to always find myself a way out no matter where I am. From what I see now, the queen is more reliable than you.¡±

    ¡°The queen?¡± Xie Lianzhen¡¯s gaze fell as if he just remembered something. ¡°Speaking of the queen, she¡¯s quite a strong person, am I right?¡±

    Not waiting for her reply, he continued, ¡°When I was younger, I once doubted how she ¨C an ambitious and capable woman ¨C could be willing to be under somebody else, even if it was just nominally.¡±

    So? Lu Mingshu¡¯s thoughts went wandering.

    ¡°Shortly, she gave birth to Shi Yu.¡± Xie Lianzhen smiled. ¡°I saw her after giving birth for the first time, and I could not believe my eyes. She was full of smiles ¨C gentle, warm, and tender as if her whole world was filled with happiness. Back then, I thought that, no matter how tough a woman seems to be, they¡¯re still soft at heart.¡±

    Lu Mingshu felt chills run down her spine.

    Xie Lianzhen smiled, his bright-as-jade face shining below the moonlight. He turned to her and asked gently, ¡°What about you? Compared to the queen, that is.¡±

    Lu Mingshu was absolutely horrified. ¡°You... pervert!¡±

    Her voice trembled.

    Xie Lianzhenughed. ¡°I see. I know the answer now. Back then, your mother bore humiliation and paid with her life to find her former husband just so you could have a ce to stay. With a mother like her, you¡¯re surely softer than the queen, right?¡±

    Lu Mingshu turned green.

    Satisfaction gushed up as Xie Lianzhen looked at her expression. ¡°You put up a tougher side todaypared tost time, but it¡¯s not enough for a pervert like me. See for yourself; I¡¯m just spouting nonsense and you¡¯re already shaking. Such an obvious shoring. It¡¯s still early for you to defeat me!¡±

 Chapter 190: Whoéˆ¥æªš the Weakling?

    <h4>Chapter 190: Who¡¯s the Weakling?</h4>

    This pervert!

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s hands continued to shake. They only stopped after a while.

    It was true ¨C Xie Lianzhen had caught her soft spot. She was still somehow a gentle girl under her tough side. There was a ce of softness in her heart, and everything that was important to her was kept there.

    She wanted to tell Xie Lianzhen that, even if she stayed, the queen would be the one to decide her fate, not him. It was impossible for him to get what he wanted.

    However, Xian Lianzhen told her that she wasn¡¯t what she thought she was ¨C not an invincible stronghold, but rather, full of weakness. He knew what she valued, and it was as simple as drinking water for him to manipte her. If he wanted to be thorough, he could even create a new weakness for her.

    Lu Mingshu had never met someone like him ¨C dark and full of malice. At the thought of what he said, chills ran down her spine. She felt like she was now freezing in an icy cave without any warmth.

    No matter what she thought, the past fifteen years of her life had been rtively simple. As he spoke, this was her first time truly experiencing how evil a person could be.

    It¡¯s okay. She reassured herself. Just as he said, it¡¯s too early, which means I still have time.

    And he may sound evil, but he may not do what he says.

    The unknown was the most interesting. He knew this clearly, which was why he was interested in her ¨C because he couldn¡¯t tell which option she would choose. To give in, or to struggle. If Xie Lianzhen could get a confirmed answer, he would already have lost interest in her and left her alone. There was no point in continuing if he already knew the result.

    Seeing her expression change back to being calm, Xie Lianzhen gave her a thin smile. ¡°Not bad. Tougher than I expected. I see that I¡¯m right.¡±

    The wheelchair passed by Lu Mingshu slowly. He reached out his hand and plucked a fresh flower.

    ¡°You¡¯re doing this on purpose, huh?¡±

    Before this confrontation, Lu Mingshu was already feeling tired. After the confrontation, she felt even weaker. She leaned onto the ss wall and looked at her feet.

    She could hear him talking; ¡°From the moment you stepped into the greenhouse, it was all arranged. From your perspective, there¡¯s nothing more you can do. You have been to the arenas, and you ranked first on the New Ranking. Still, you only get to speak up when the queen is willing.

    ¡°But I¡¯ve already blocked your way. The queen likes you, and it will be impossible for her to disobey my will. You have nowhere to go now.¡± He looked up at her and smiled.

    He snapped his fingers, and the dew on the flower petals fell. ¡°You don¡¯t have any bargaining chips. Nine Jade Pce will never be your support. I¡¯m the key person in this whole situation now; if you want any change, it will be from me.¡±

    ¡°I must admit that you got me,¡± he hummed. ¡°You know what I desire, and what I hate. I have not been angered for a long time, but you did it.

    ¡°Acting drunk as an excuse to test my limits and trying to find a chance to breakthrough.¡± He nodded. ¡°Nice move, but you have underestimated a pervert¡¯s mentality.

    ¡°Lu Mingshu, you¡¯re normal ¨C you have something you care for. But I¡¯m not. Just as you said, I¡¯m sick. I don¡¯t have anything I care about, and I don¡¯t see any hope for my future. What could you possibly use to defeat me?¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± she suddenly asked.

    Xie Lianzhen turned. ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Do you really not have anything you care for? Is your future really hopeless?¡± She stared into his eyes. ¡°If that was the case, why are you still ill?¡±

    She forced herself to stand up. Lu Mingshu looked into his eyes and emphasized every word. ¡°It¡¯s just because you¡¯ve been forced to lose everything you value and your hopes were all dashed, that¡¯s why you¡¯re ill. You said that, if time could rewind, you would want to have a proper and happy family, nobody sacrificing for you, and no need to do unpleasant things. If you had lost all hope, you wouldn¡¯t be thinking about such a thing. It¡¯s just you trying to rationalize, telling yourself that that¡¯s never going to happen.¡±

    ¡°Xie Lianzhen, you¡¯re not as powerful as you think you are. You¡¯ve abandoned yourself. Bing what you are today, it¡¯s all because you¡¯re too weak!¡±

    Her voice was as cold as the clear pond of an icy mountain as it rang throughout the greenhouse. ¡°You just dare not face reality. Your father died, and your mother remarried. You invested all your emotions into your new master, and he sacrificed himself for you. You can¡¯t bear the heavy weight of life, so you bury your true self and continue to be ¡®ill.¡¯¡±

    She slowly walked toward him and leaned down. ¡°Envy me, do you? Back when you first met me in front of Nine Jade Pce, it was as if you saw your younger self. Why else would such a cold-blooded person tell me all these things? After nine years, you envy me. I¡¯m in the same situation, or maybe even worse, but I¡¯m still going strong. You¡¯re not interested in me, but yourself,¡± she gently said.

    She stood up, snatching the flower away from his hand. ¡°Weak. Not wishing to give in, but daring not to move forward. Fate was evil to you, but you don¡¯t even have the courage to rebel. You want to torture me, and yet you don¡¯t. A person like you has no rights to defeat me.¡±

    The moonlight shone onto Xie Lianzhen¡¯s cold face. The wind seemed to stop as well.

    ¡°Go back,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯ste, and I have to return tomorrow.¡±

    She ced the flower in the vase and prepared to leave.

    When she passed by him, she felt her wrist tighten as she was pulled over.

    Lu Mingshu fell onto him. She screamed in anger, ¡°Xie Lianzhen, what are you doing!?¡±

    Xie Lianzhen held her tight and signalled for her to keep quiet. He leaned nearer to her and whispered, ¡°Hold on tight, don¡¯t let go. Something¡¯s not right.¡±

    What? Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t understand. She looked up and all she saw was him looking serious.

    Not right? What¡¯s not right? Lu Mingshu dared not move, and she realized what wasn¡¯t right very soon.

    It was too quiet. The sound of the wind howling, the insects chirping, and water flowing could no longer be heard. It was as if everything was dead.

    What¡¯s going on?

    ¡°Isn¡¯t your attendant Xie Zhanghui outside? If there¡¯s something wrong, he¡¯lle, right?¡± she whispered.

    Xie Lianzhen shook his head. ¡°No, I suspect that...¡±

    Before he could finish, Lu Mingshu felt her knees shaking, and she lost bnce.

    She let out a soft cry and tried to find something to bnce herself. Unfortunately, Xie Lianzhen was in the same situation as well.

    Afterwards, something shocking happened.

    The space in front of her started to crack like shattered ss. The cracks became bigger until they suddenly burst.

    ¡°Ah!¡± There was no longer anything below her feet. The floor had cracked open.

    Xie Lianzhen jumped over to catch her. The wheelchair lit up, covering them both.

    Lu Mingshu wanted to do something, but she couldn¡¯t find her bnce, as if there was something surrounding her and freezing her mystic force.

    The world was spinning, and she fell quickly. With a loud thud, she lost her consciousness.

 Chapter 191: Fish

    <h4>Chapter 191: Fish</h4>

    ¡°Wake up! Lu Mingshu, wake up!¡± Noises could be heard.

    Lu Mingshu slowly opened her eyes. For a split second, she was unsure of where she was. She slowly remembered what happened before she fainted, and she abruptly sat up.

    Her surroundings were outside of her expectations.

    There was a river nearby, and there were two walls that measured at least a thousand meters. Lu Mingshu was lying on the river bank.

    ¡°Good thing that you can sit up. Seems like you¡¯re okay.¡± Xie Lianzhen¡¯s voice could be heard. ¡°Do you remember what happened?¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked at the cliff above her. ¡°We fell?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    After hearing the answer, Lu Mingshu rubbed her temples and checked her body.

    Her breathing was normal, and there were no internal injuries. There were some external injuries, but they were all minor.

    It was a miracle that she was still fine after falling from such a high ce. Or rather, she should be d that she was with Xie Lianzhen; the mechanism in his wheelchair protected them both.

    She stood up and tidied her wrinkled clothes, towering above Xie Lianzhen. ¡°Can you stand up?¡± she asked.

    Xie Lianzhen looked like it was hard for him to exin in a few words.

    She sighed and found the wheelchair that wasn¡¯t far away.

    Wow. Not only is he okay, but even the wheelchair is also fine.

    She pushed it over and helped Xie Lianzhen get on it.

    ¡°You¡¯re aware that my legs are actually fine?¡± Xie Lianzhen asked as soon as he got onto the wheelchair.

    Lu Mingshu nodded.

    ¡°Who told you?¡±

    ¡°Wei Chunqiu.¡±

    Xie Lianzhen smiled bitterly. ¡°No wonder you came. He sold me out, I guess?¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s useless.¡± Lu Mingshu looked at his legs. ¡°You really can¡¯t stand up?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°I heard that you suffered quite a lot due to your legs. Aren¡¯t you happy that they¡¯ve recovered?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been twelve years.¡± Xie Lianzhen looked down. ¡°If you could fix things with a few words, why would I need this thing?¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked down and started to think. Seeing that, he sighed. ¡°Now is not the time for this. We are in trouble.¡±

    ¡°I can tell.¡± She looked up at the cliff above her.

    Lu Mingshu felt that there was a special force around them once she woke up. This special force was freezing her mystic force, and this ce wasn¡¯t where they fell.

    ¡°We were washed downstream?¡±

    Xie Lianzhen shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s the trouble. What I¡¯m going to say now may seem out of this world, but you have to believe me.¡±

    ¡°Say it.¡± Lu Mingshu nodded.

    ¡°We... may have been swept up into a strange space.¡±

    Outside of his expectations, Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t look shocked at all. She didn¡¯t seem to even have a response.

    ¡°Does that not surprise you?¡±

    This world mainly focused on martial arts, so the standard for magic was very low. The world itself was also very straightforward. Strange dimensions were things that only appeared in folklore.

    However, he wasn¡¯t aware that, thanks to the Heavenly Wheel, Lu Mingshu had seen many different types of magic, even if they were rare.

    She pointed to what was above her. ¡°That cliff is where the Sky Ranking is at, right? The scenery around us doesn¡¯t have many differences. However, the part of the mountain that has the Sky Ranking doesn¡¯t look the way it¡¯s supposed to.¡±

    Xie Lianzhen sighed. ¡°Yeah. Not only that, but where we are standing now is supposed to be a building, and now we don¡¯t see it.¡±

    ¡°An illusion? No, the stones here are very realistic. Illusions aren¡¯t this stable.¡± Lu Mingshu shook her head.

    In the world of magic, the more capable one was, the more realistic they could make an illusion. The riverbank that they were at right now was filled with sand and pebbles. To be able to reach such a stage, the creator of this illusion must be very powerful. Even an Assimtion Realm elder may not be able to create this. Perhaps a Void Realm? But a grandmaster wouldn¡¯t be so free as to scheme against them.

    ¡°How do you know about these things?¡± Xie Lianzhen stared at her weirdly.

    ¡°Should I not?¡± Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t answer his question, and she didn¡¯t n to. ¡°Same ce, but different. There seems to be a temporal difference ¨C duplication of space?¡±

    The more she thought, the more convinced she was that space was duplicated at some other time and was being released now.

    An Assimtion Realm elder could do such a thing. Even a Spirit Realm elder could with a powerful treasure.

    ¡°We¡¯re just some small fish in a pond ¨C bait, right?¡±

    ¡°How did you know?¡± Xie Lianzhen was shocked.

    But Lu Mingshu only smiled. ¡°This method isn¡¯t easy to do. Neither of us are worth such a thing.¡±

    There was no need for exnation. Lu Mingshu was nobody from Nine Jade Pce, and the New Generation Ranking was nothing but a bit of reputation for the younger generation. As for Xie Lianzhen, even though he was an influential figure, his actual power wasn¡¯t that high. It would be better to just strike the queen directly instead of Xie Lianzhen.

    In other words...

    ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, this should be directed against the king or queen,¡± Xie Lianzhen started. ¡°Or maybe they want to eliminate the whole Seventh Truth tform in one go.¡±

    Qilin Peak was the territory of the Seventh Truth tform, where all seven n leaders were located.

    Lu Mingshu bit her lips. ¡°ording to your information, the Seventh Truth tform has a few Assimtion Realm elders protecting it, right?¡±

    Xie Lianzhen nodded.

    ¡°If that¡¯s so, we will not need to wait for long. They will sense that something¡¯s wrong in the Flying Imperial Pce ande to help. The person who did this would be aware of that; they just want some extra time.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Xie Lianzhen look surprised. He was preparing to exin to her, but before he could say anything, she had already summarized everything. This is really...

    After understanding the whole thing, Lu Mingshu heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Let¡¯s reconcile?¡±

    Xie Lianzhen smiled. ¡°I¡¯m amazed that you don¡¯t want to keep fighting.¡±

    ¡°Amazed at what?¡± Lu Mingshu sneered, ¡°I¡¯m not going to risk my life for a small quarrel.¡±

    She was in an unfamiliar ce with an unknown danger waiting for. Xie Lianzhen wasn¡¯t the most dangerous threat right now, so if she wanted to fall out with him, now wasn¡¯t the time.

    Xie Lianzhen ruminated. ¡°Isn¡¯t what I said a moment ago bad enough? I thought that you would be itching to part ways with me!¡±

    Lu Mingshu sneered, ¡°Who cares how bad your words are if you can¡¯t actually back them up? If I¡¯m determined to escape, what can you do about it? Xie Lianzhen, you¡¯re stillcking in ability to be a pervert!¡±

    ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± He looked down at his legs. ¡°Are you looking down on my legs?¡±

    What the hell? Lu Mingshu ignored him and walked forward.

    It was fine to reconcile for now, but she was afraid that she might lose her patience and kill this pervert.

    Xie Lianzhen watched her leave and caressed his legs, his expression unreadable.

 Chapter 192: Not a Joking Matter

    <h4>Chapter 192: Not a Joking Matter</h4>

    They were all wet, and their clothes were sticking to their skin.

    They fell into the river after they fell. They then climbed up to the river bank.

    Lu Mingshu found a secluded area and changed her clothes.

    She then walked back to the river bank. Xie Lianzhen was sitting by the river, watching the water flowing in deep thought. He had changed as well.

    Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t take notice of him. She walked around and noted down the topography of the ce in her heart.

    Taking out a paper and a pen, she sketched out the shape of the area.

    Before she knew it, Xie Lianzhen was beside her.

    He looked at the map and bit his tongue.

    ¡°Is something wrong?¡±

    Xie Lianzhen thought for a while before starting, ¡°I once saw thisyout in the library¡¯s collection of the greatest Morning Mountain past dynasties as. Looking at your drawing, it¡¯s from about five hundred years ago.¡±

    ¡°Five hundred years ago?¡± Ly Mingshu¡¯s eyes widened in shock.

    ¡°Yes.¡± He then pointed under his feet. ¡°For example, there should be a Shezhou building here, which was built a hundred years ago. The Qilin Festival has been ongoing for five hundred years or more, but look at the cliff ¨C this period should be the period where there isn¡¯t such a thing as the Sky Ranking. What a pity that the surroundings are blocked and I can¡¯t see the entrance of the Seventh Truth tform. Otherwise, I would be able to tell the era immediately.¡±

    Lu Mingshu held her pen tight and started to contemte. ¡°Whoever did this should be from the Seventh Truth tform, right?¡±

    Xie Lianzhen furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°How do you know?¡±

    ¡°It is?¡± Lu Mingshu nodded. ¡°Of course, who else would be so familiar with the Seventh Truth tform¡¯s territory to be able to n such a precise scheme? He should know all of your sites well, that¡¯s why he dared to use this timing. And only people from the Seventh Truth tform would be able to recreate a space from five hundred years ago.¡±

    Seeing that his expression had changed, Lu Mingshu asked, ¡°You have a suspect already?¡±

    Xie Lianzhen let out a sigh. ¡°Miss Lu, has anyone told you that you¡¯re too smart?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± She kept her ink. ¡°My master.¡±

    ¡°Liu Jizhen?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Such a pity.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s a pity?¡±

    Xie Lianzhen nced over at her. ¡°I imagine you¡¯re aware that your master is crippled due to someone plotting against him, right?¡±

    Lu Mingshu furrowed her eyebrows. Liu Jizhen hated to talk about this, so she never once mentioned it in front of him. She knew that his meridians were crippled, but she wasn¡¯t aware there was a story behind it.

    ¡°Who was it?¡±

    ¡°The one who crippled him, or the one who plotted against him?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re two different people?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s face dimmed. From what Xie Lianzhen said, she realized there might be something rather extraordinary behind the matter.

    Xie Lianzhen found it interesting. ¡°If I told you that I could take revenge for your master, would you agree to my request?¡±

    Lu Mingshu stared at him coldly. ¡°Xie Lianzhen, there¡¯s a saying that suits you really well.¡±

    ¡°What saying?¡±

    ¡°A dog will never stop eating shit.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Xie Lianzhen chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s not very nice... to describe yourself in such a way.¡±

    Lu Mingshu could obviously tell that he understood. After that day that she exposed his true self, it was as if Xie Lianzhen was freed, and his skin was now extremely thick.

    Recalling back, Lu Mingshu regretted that she hadn¡¯t thought about it clearly beforehand.

    She calmed herself down. ¡°Is the person who plotted against my master in Nine Jade Pce?¡±

    ¡°If I answer that question, you¡¯ll immediately have people whom you suspect.¡± Xie Lianzhen smiled and shook his head. ¡°Miss Lu, you¡¯re incredibly smart, so I can¡¯t just give you hints as I like.¡±

    ¡°What will it take for you to answer then?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already stated the price.¡± Xie Lianzhen hummed, ¡°It depends on how important Liu Jizhen is to you. I heard that you have an extremely good rtionship with him, eh? One party is crippled, while the other one is someone the Zhou Family refuses to take in. Fellow sufferers empathize with each other and assist each other. Now, how much are you willing to sacrifice for him?¡±

    Lu Mingshu said nothing. She kept the map and walked toward the river.

    But Xie Lianzhen continued and followed behind her closely. ¡°Actually, crippled meridians can be healed as well. If you agree, I¡¯ll give you a buy-one-get-one-free and help you research a method for his recovery, how ¡¯bout that?¡±

    Lu Mingshu stopped in her tracks.

    Xie Lianzhen stopped too and smiled at her.

    ¡°Xie Lianzhen, my master is not a joking matter.¡±

    He could tell that she was trying to control her anger. Xie Lianzhen intended to y with her emotions, but when she was really angry, instead of feeling happy, he was unhappy about it.

    ¡°I see, that Liu Jizhen is extremely important to you.¡± He continued to provoke her. ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t you just agree?¡±

    Before he could finish, a ray of sword-light shot toward Xie Lianzhen.

    Xie Lianzhen flicked his fingers. Ding Ding Ding! The light was like a star as it hit back at the sword.

    Just one attack.

    Lu Mingshu put the sword back and stared at him coldly. ¡°Let me repeat myself one more time. My master is not a joking matter.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re really angry, huh...?¡±

    ¡°If someone jokes around with your master, what would you feel?¡± Lu Mingshu said coldly. ¡°You have your limits, and so do others.¡±

    After that, she went off to do her own stuff and turned a blind eye to him.

    When she came up from the river, Xie Lianzhen looked like nothing just happened.

    ¡°Is there something wrong?¡±

    Lu Mingshu pped her hands. ¡°There¡¯s a barrier.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Not only did we enter a duplicate world, there¡¯s a barrier about five or six hundred meters wide. We can¡¯t really do anything to move through it.¡±

    ¡°A closed boundary?¡± Xie Lianzhen stroked his chin. ¡°That means that the others are also like us, in this space. We¡¯re just separated by the barrier.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded. That was the most reasonable exnation.

    ¡°Are you able to break through?¡±

    ¡°Hardly. With my ability, it wouldn¡¯t even cause a ripple.¡±

    ¡°Hmm....¡±

    Lu Mingshu threw him a nce. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be very worried about the queen.¡±

    Xie Lianzhen chuckled. ¡°Why should I be? She¡¯s more powerful than me, both in terms of ability and mind games.¡±

    ¡°Worrying is an emotion thates despite how powerful or invincible someone is. It¡¯s about how much affection you have.¡± She then smiled. ¡°Xie Lianzhen, it¡¯s indeed true that you have nothing you value.¡±

    ¡°What about you? Don¡¯t you feel that you have too many things you value? Everyone you talk to, you keep them your heart? How tiring.¡±

    Lu Mingshu shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s only a burden if you think it is. To you it¡¯s tiring, but how do you know I¡¯m not just a glutton for punishment?¡±

    They were really total opposites. When there was too much to bear in life, he chose to give up everything, but she chose to carry it all.

    Xie Lianzhen wanted to say something, but he didn¡¯t know what to say. He wanted to defeat her, but he was the one being brainwashed.

    He used to despise it, but seeing that she was so tenacious, he surprisingly felt that it wasn¡¯t a bad idea after all.

    ¡°If there¡¯s really no other choice, what will you do?¡± he asked softly.

    ¡°What can I do?¡± Lu Mingshu answered. ¡°Live and find a better way out.¡±

 Chapter 193: Taking the Initiative is Better than Being Passive

    <h4>Chapter 193: Taking the Initiative is Better than Being Passive</h4>

    Tan Yubing opened her eyes slowly.

    That was a nice nap.

    Wait, what? Tan Yubing stood up in shock.

    A Harmonization Realm disciple didn¡¯t need much sleep. Even when they were resting, their mystic force would continue to revolve through their body. When I woke up, I couldn¡¯t remember what happened for a period of time. This means that either I entered a deep sleep, or...

    When she opened her eyes, something wasn¡¯t right.

    The countryside... she was lying in a meadow in the countryside!

    This wasn¡¯t the Flying Imperial Pce or anywhere near the mountain.

    What¡¯s going on? Why am I here all of a sudden?

    A rustling could be heard from the bushes.

    Tan Yubing hurriedly tidied her clothes and pulled out her sword.

    The sound was now clearer. It was footsteps.

    Just as the footsteps got near her right by the bush, Tan Yubing leapt up and unleashed her sword-light.

    Clink! The weapons shed.

    Shao Zhengyang¡¯s astounded face appeared in front of her.

    ¡°Senior Aunt Tan!¡±

    ¡°Junior Nephew Shao?¡±

    Both of them were rooted to the ground. After hearing the familiar address, both of them rxed a bit and kept their weapons.

    ¡°Junior Nephew Shao, what happened?¡±

    ¡°I wish to know too.¡± Shao Zhengyang looked at her in a daze. ¡°When I woke up, I was here. This is uncanny!¡±

    ¡°Same for me....¡±

    Shao Zhengyang and Tan Yubing looked at each other in dismay.

    What¡¯s going on? There were three Spirit Realm elders in their courtyard. In addition, in the Flying Imperial Pce, there was the king of Zhongzhou ¨C an Assimtion Realm elder ¨C to oversee things. Who could possibly sneak them out and throw them here without alerting anybody?

    This is totally outrageous!

    ¡°Where are the others?¡± Tan Yubing asked.

    Shao Zhengyang shook his head. ¡°The first person I found is you, Senior Aunt Tan.¡±

    ¡°Then...¡±

    ¡°Shall we search around? To see if there are any others.¡±

    ¡°Sure!¡±

    With thepany of someone familiar, both of them had calmed down, and their minds were clearer now. They found three younger disciples during their search.

    Following that, they found the boundary.

    ¡°Are we locked in here?¡± After many tries, Tan Yubing still did not seed in passing through.

    ¡°Looks like it.¡± The stream in front of them looked like it was unreachable ¨C a formless barrier that locked them in the middle.

    ¡°Which genius is ying around? What does he or she want by shutting us in here?¡± She face-palmed.

    Seeing the younger disciples all trembling, Shao Zhengyang went forward to pacify them. ¡°Senior Aunt Tan, please calm down. At least it seems like there¡¯s no danger. Maybe they locked us in as a prank. We¡¯ll be let out soon I suppose.¡±

    ¡°I hope that¡¯s the case....¡±

    The same situation happened to the others as well.

    ...

    Lu Mingshu sat crossed-legged on a rock by the river bank. She held her chin and stared at the pebbles in front of her.

    She moved them left and right, up and down. There was nothing on first nce, but when she looked closely, there seemed to be something.

    The wheelchair slowly rolled over and stopped beside her.

    ¡°How long has passed?¡±

    ¡°An hour, I guess?¡±

    ¡°Notice that the sky has turned dark?¡±

    Lu Mingshu nced over at him. ¡°Say whatever you have to say.¡±

    ¡°Should we start a fire?¡±

    ¡°And then?¡±

    ¡°Boil some water?¡±

    Lu Mingshu snickered. ¡°Xie Lianzhen, can you just get to the point? Will you die if you don¡¯t speak directly?¡±

    Xie Lianzhen kept quiet for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m thirsty.¡±

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Lu Mingshu took out a water sack and threw it to him. ¡°I¡¯mzy. Drink this if you¡¯re thirsty.¡±

    Catching the water sack that she threw over, he took a look and asked, ¡°How many days have you had this water? Was it boiled? Unboiled water isn¡¯t good for consumption, I-¡±

    ¡°Does my life seem that bad to you?¡± Lu Mingshu clenched her fists to stop herself from choking him. ¡°The Flying Imperial Pce¡¯s servant girl filled it up for me this morning. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s boiled or not.¡±

    Xie Lianzhen sighed in relief.

    Lu Mingshu continued to stare at the pebbles and fiddle with them, moving them around with a branch from time to time to change their direction.

    ¡°What are you trying to do?¡±

    Seeing that she was messing with the pebbles, Xie Lianzhen asked.

    ¡°Trying to find loopholes.¡±

    ¡°You want to break the barrier by yourself?¡± he asked weirdly.

    Lu Mingshu nodded. ¡°Taking the initiative is better than being passive.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say there was nothing we could do about barrier?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m thinking of a way!¡±

    She softly rapped her head and looked up at the sky. ¡°I wonder how long we were unconscious. Shouldn¡¯t the Seventh Truth tform elders have been here by now?¡±

    ¡°Yes. When something happens to Qilin Peak, even if there¡¯s some trick, they would only take an hour at most.¡±

    ¡°Not even counting the time that we were unconscious, hasn¡¯t it already been an hour?¡±

    Xie Lianzhen nodded. ¡°If there are others in the same situation, the space will be especially unstable.¡±

    After he finished, he saw that Lu Mingshu¡¯s eyes shone. She ced a piece of paper and pen on the rock and started scribbling.

    ¡°What have youe up with?¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± She didn¡¯t even spare him a look and continued to work on her own thing.

    Xie Lianzhen shifted to Lu Mingshu¡¯s side. The paper was filled with strange characters.

    After a while, she turned to look at the pebbles and shifted some of them again. She then continued to scribble.

    Seeing her so focused, Xie Lianzhen felt like he was beingpletely ignored. He was also someone who read a lot, but he couldn¡¯t understand the things scribbled on her paper. After thinking about it, he guessed that she may be doing some calctions due to the frequency of the characters. This type of calction was simple and convenient. He was unaware of where she learned it.

    Time passed by quickly. Because she was putting her heart and soul into it, beads of sweat could be seen on her forehead, and her ears had turned red.

    Xie Lianzhen sat at the side silently, looking at Lu Mingshu work. This side of Lu Mingshu made him feel like... admiring her. Just like when she was on stage giving it her all. This serious and hardworking side made her shine even brighter.

    People in the dark always yearn for the light. Perhaps this is why I¡¯m attracted to her?

    ¡°Done!¡± Lu Mingshu put her pen aside and let out a breath,

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s eyes shone. Happiness couldn¡¯t be hidden.

    ¡°What result did you get from your calctions?¡±

    ¡°Just as you said, this space is unstable.¡± She kept her pen and quickly rearranged the pebbles. ¡°This space, which is unstable to start with, just needs an additional spark to break it. We don¡¯t need to do it head-on.¡±

    Something suddenly struck her. ¡°You knew that I was calcting something?¡±

    Xie Lianzhen nodded. ¡°The things you wrote on your paper are numbers, right? It¡¯s just a more simple and exquisite form as if they¡¯ve evolved. What do you call that? And where did you learn it?¡±

    Hearing that, Lu Mingshu became more alert. That was a mistake. I should never use techniques from other worlds in front of others. If he can tell, they could too.

    ¡°That¡¯s not important. Right now, we need to break the barrier.¡±

 Chapter 194: Noisy Fellow

    <h4>Chapter 194: Noisy Fellow</h4>

    ¡°Do you have any mystic crystals?¡±

    ¡°I do.¡± Xie Lianzhen took out a pouch and threw it over.

    Lu Mingshu opened it up. There was more than ten inside, and they all looked fine.

    He just carries around this many mystic crystals, and he gave them to me without hesitation when asked. The Seventh Truth tform is indeed rich!

    Xie Lianzhen watched her arrange some kind of shape on the ground with pebbles. She left the center empty, then filled the gap with mystic crystals.

    Xie Lianzhen couldn¡¯t contain his curiosity. ¡°What are you doing? Casting a spell?¡±

    Lu Mingshu side-eyed him and continued her work, ignoring him.

    ¡°Wait a second, didn¡¯t you get a hundred mystic crystals from Jiayan? What about the prize for ranking first?¡± he continued.

    Lu Mingshu stood up and cleaned her hands. ¡°Why would I use mine when I can use someone else¡¯s?¡± she slowly replied.

    ¡°Besides, this paltry number of mystic crystals isn¡¯t something that Young Master Lianzhen would care about, right?¡±

    With that, Xie Lianzhen watched her scramble here and there, arranging different shapes at different ces and filling the gaps with mystic crystals.

    He suddenly disliked his legs a little. Why can I never stand up?

    ¡°Done.¡± Lu Mingshu came back and passed him the pouch with only three mystic crystals left. ¡°Could you help me out with something? Activate the spellster, alright?¡±

    She pointed to the small spells arranged with pebbles on the river bank.

    ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°Transfer mystic energy to the mystic crystals.¡±

    Xie Lianzhen nodded.

    ¡°First, second, third, fourth... follow the sequence. The rest, leave to me. Start when I say so.¡±

    After that, Lu Mingshu leapt up to the steep incline. ¡°Start!¡±

    Xie Lianzhen flicked his fingers. A ray of light shot out andnded on the mystic crystal.

    The mystic crystal activated. With a loud rumble, it lit up and swiftly spread out.

    Followed by the second, then the third....

    At the same time, the surroundings lit up.

    After activating the four spells, Xie Lianzhen looked up. He saw Lu Mingshu running non-stop to each different spell ced on different slopes.

    He sighed mentally and caressed his legs.

    After all the spells were lit up, the different rays of light shot up and met at a point, forming a mild golden.

    At the same time, the energy spread out, and space started shaking lightly.

    Xie Lianzhen was bbergasted. That fast?

    Lu Mingshu jumped up. Before he could say anything, she hit the back of the wheelchair hard. Xie Lianzhen felt light, and he floated up into the sky with his wheelchair.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    Lu Mingshu followed behind him. ¡°Moving somewhere safe.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you just say that?¡± Xie Lianzhen felt like being mean. ¡°I may not be able to stand, but I can still move freely. Do you have a problem understanding that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s faster like this.¡±

    After two more turns, theynded on a narrow slope.

    Xie Lianzhen did not wish to say anything more. He had always thought that he would be fine even if he couldn¡¯t stand up since he was still able to travel anywhere he wanted. It just hit him that it was really inconvenient without functioning legs.

    Space shook even more violently. The mystic crystals in the spells activated certain energy, which was added into space. It was like a stream flowing into the huge river.

    With the big difference in force, the stream would be submerged into the river. Due to the river being unstable, already having a hard time trying to bnce itself, it would lose its bnce with the stream interfering.

    The ground below them shook violently. Xie Lianzhen reached out to grab onto Lu Mingshu.

    Unexpectedly, she brushed him off when he held onto her sleeves.

    ¡°What the...¡± Xie Lianzhen swallowed back his words and looked at her in surprise. ¡°What are you trying to do?¡±

    He saw Lu Mingshu fishing out her sword and drawing two big circles around them both.

    ¡°Do you think you are freaking Sun Wukong? Drawing circles to prevent monsters froming in?¡±

    Lu Mingshu kept her sword. ¡°I¡¯m indeed Sun Wukong. What are you going to do about it?¡±

    ¡°What a joke...¡±

    Xie Lianzhen kept quiet after realizing that everything outside of the circle was shaking violently, but the area inside the circle was only shaking lightly as if there was some force protecting them.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± He changed his tune. ¡°How did you do that?¡±

    Lu Mingshu smiled in reply.

    Xie Lianzhen stared at the circles in confusion.

    Szzz¡ª¨C

    A soft cracking sound could be heard, and a crack appeared in space.

    ¡°I get it!¡± Xie Lianzhen pped. ¡°You already calcted that this area wouldn¡¯t be affected, and the circles are unnecessary. You just wanted to scare me.¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked at him with wide eyes.

    She disliked that Xie Lianzhen always looked proud, so she purposely came up with a prank to scare him. However, he saw through it so easily.

    ¡°Well, am I right? Xie Lianzhen smiled brightly.

    ¡°How could you tell?¡± she asked. ¡°Do you know math?¡±

    ¡°Not much. But I didn¡¯t need to calcte it.¡± He pointed to his chest. ¡°I just read people.¡±

    ¡°Hmph!¡±

    Seeing her expression change, Xie Lianzhen probed. ¡°You hate to hear that? Oh, I understand now.¡± He nodded. ¡°You may look smart, but you are always doing things that others deem stupid.¡±

    ¡°Hmph!¡±

    He smiled at her. ¡°That¡¯s not the right mentality! This world is filled with cunning people. If you want to lead a simple life, you shoulde to me because I¡¯ll be the one dealing with them, and you can lead the simple life you want!¡±

    Lu Mingshu furrowed her eyebrows and turned to him. ¡°Xie Lianzhen.¡±

    ¡°Well? I¡¯m making sense, right?¡± He grinned.

    ¡°Do you know what you look like now?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Draw a mole on your face and you could be a matchmaker!¡±

    But Xie Lianzhen wasn¡¯t angered by herment. ¡°Aren¡¯t I matchmaking for myself? Oh, there¡¯s a saying that goes, ¡®A fierce woman is afraid of guys who pester.¡¯ Is this true?¡±

    Lu Mingshu clenched her fists tightly. ¡°Could I ask a favour from you?¡±

    ¡°Why do you need to ask for a favour? Just speak up and I will definitely fulfil your request.¡±

    ¡°Great, then please ¨C shut up!¡±

    Xie Lianzhen raised his eyebrows. ¡°Are you perhaps afraid that I¡¯ll seed in convincing you?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re so freaking noisy!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a good idea to avoid this.¡±

    For the first time in her life, Lu Mingshu had the urge to dice someone into eighteen pieces. Does he think that I am actually unaware of what he¡¯s thinking? From seducing to threatening, now that he realized neither of those worked, he decided to just pester her. He had never truly changed his mind. He still thought it was fun to tease her.

    What made her most irritated was that, even though she wanted to just cut through the tangled mess, she couldn¡¯t because Xie Lianzhen had blocked her escape route. She was afraid that she may not be able to control herself one day and kill him.

    Crack!

    Space could no longer hold the vibration, and with one crack, space was filled with cracks and shattered.

    ¡°The barrier is broken!¡± Lu Mingshu shouted in glee.

 Chapter 195: At a Loss

    <h4>Chapter 195: At a Loss</h4>

    Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales

    The mystic crystals¡¯ energy was depleted, and space slowly found bnce.

    The barrier was now gone.

    Lu Mingshu stood up, ready to go toward where the barrier once was.

    Xie Lianzhen followed behind her. All of a sudden, he saw something sh by. ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± He tugged on Lu Mingshu.

    ¡°What is it!¡± Lu Mingshu shouted back at him in anger.

    ¡°Look!¡±

    Seeing that he looked serious, Lu Mingshu looked over. ¡°What the hell is that?!¡± She shrieked in shock.

    A shadow slowly strolled over toward the opening in the barrier.

    ¡°Specter?!¡±

    This wasn¡¯t Lu Mingshu¡¯s first time seeing this kind of beast. During the Nine Jade Pce spring hunt, she and the other newbies met a specter. Two of them were even killed back then. If she hadn¡¯t met Yan Wugui when she fell down the valley, she would¡¯ve been dead too.

    Specters were something of a traumatic experience for Lu Mingshu.

    Tough and durable skin, as fast as lighting, and smart. It only took them seconds to kill a beast at the same level as them.

    ¡°There¡¯s a specter in Great Morning Mountain?¡± Lu Mingshu whispered.

    ¡°No,¡± Xie Lianzhen whispered back. ¡°The Seventh Truth tform was built a thousand years ago, and Great Morning Mountain was cleared many times. All the ferocious beasts have been shifted to another area to raise. Only non-dangerous beasts are still here.¡±

    ¡°What about this specter then? They only exist in ces where there are demonic beasts.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s...¡± he muttered, ¡°it¡¯s hard to exin why it¡¯s here.¡±

    While they were talking, the specter had already made its way over. Its needle-like pupils lit up.

    ¡°We can¡¯t escape a fight,¡± Lu Mingshu said. She fished out her sword and turned to Xie Lianzhen. ¡°Beware!¡±

    As soon as she finished, she dragged the long sword-light and creating an image.

    ¡°Hey...¡± Xie Lianzhen mumbled to himself, ¡°My basics are way stronger than yours, why do you look down on me so much?¡±

    A ck figure shot by. Seeing that she was attacking, the specter pounced over.

    With the speed of lighting, it was standing right in front of her.

    However, it wasn¡¯t really a threat to Lu Mingshu now. Back at Jade West Mountain Forest, she was only in the Inner Breath Realm. Encountering a Harmonization Realm specter as an Inner Breath Realm, she was able to survive for quite some time, so what about now?

    She didn¡¯t even need to calcte anything. With a shake, her sword energy turned into strings and struck forward.

    Hiss!

    As if a candle had been extinguished, the tip of the sword shed the specter¡¯s w open.

    The specter let out a scream. Being wounded stirred up its fierce nature, and it threw itself at Lu Mingshu.

    Lu Mingshu jumped up to dodge the attack, and sword energy swept past.

    At the same time, rays of starlight could be seen brushing over. Ding! Ding! Ding! Followed by sword energy. The specter tried to dodge the sword energy. However, it failed and slowed down after being hit.

    Lu Mingshu seized the chance and began a continuous attack.

    Starlight followed closely behind her attacks and hit the specter¡¯s eyes and knees.

    Bang!

    The specter was sent flying.

    Its screams made their ears hurt, and it also made the specter look like it was insane.

    Why would Lu Mingshu let go of this chance? She held her sword up high and chopped its head off!

    ck-colored blood spurted out, letting out a hissing sound.

    Lu Mingshu knit her brows and looked at the sword in her hand. A specter¡¯s blood was indeed very toxic. The sword that she used when she was in the Inner Breath Realm was corroded by a specter¡¯s blood. Who would have guessed that her current sword would face the same fate?

    I¡¯m very sorry, Master.

    ¡°Time to change your sword.¡± The wheelchair rolled over. ¡°Specter blood is not the only toxic thing in this world. There are many peculiar demonic beasts that are very venomous. Using amon sword will affect your ability. Let me give you a new one.¡±

    Lu Mingshu side-eyed him. ¡°How much?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°How much does it cost?¡±

    Xie Lianzhen smiled. ¡°We don¡¯t need to speak about money. Just let me give you one.¡±

    ¡°Hmph, thanks so much!¡± she replied sarcastically. Even though her sword had been corroded, the quality was still somewhat okay, so it could still be used for some time.

    Lu Mingshu already had ns for her next weapon. The Golden Crystal Extract was still with her, and she had already sent a request to find a tool refining master in the Heavenly Wheel. When someone took up the job, the weapon would be ready soon.

    ¡°Are you not going to even consider it?¡± Xie Lianzhen chiselled away. ¡°Not only do you need a sword, but you also need an armour too. A good weapon and good equipment can increase your ability to a new level. I bet you can understand this after fighting for the New Ranking. If I didn¡¯t have any protection, why would we still be safe and sound when we fell?¡±

    Lu Mingshu turned to look at him, and the expression on her face was strange.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll marry you because you have money?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Previously, you said that you wanted to help me escape Nine Jade Pce and give me everything I need and want. Now you want to give me a new sword... you¡¯re just trying to use money against me, right?¡±

    Lu Mingshu wiped the sword on the specter¡¯s body to remove the blood before sheathing it.

    ¡°Oh, more than that!¡± Xie Lianzhen grinned widely. ¡°Money, resources, connections, power, authority... anything. Of course, along with the most valuable thing, which is me. Didn¡¯t you say that my face is the most valuable thing I have? You need to know that not everyone can look this good. Others don¡¯t even get a chance, but for you, you just need to agree and it¡¯s yours!¡±

    Lu Mingshu stared at him, bbergasted.

    ¡°How does it sound? Are you touched?¡± Xie Lianzhen smiled like a Cheshire cat. ¡°Not only that, you will still have what you want, and I¡¯ll give you all the freedom you want; I wouldn¡¯t try to control you. You can travel anywhere you want, you can even bring your rtives at Nine Jade Pce over! Oh yes, your master too! I know you badly want him to get his cultivation back. The Seventh Truth tform has tons of secret methods and a richwork. With enough will, there will be a chance of recovering!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha!¡±

    ¡°Are you being disdainful, or do you just not trust me?¡± Xie Lianzhen continued. ¡°The other conditions may not be what you desire, but isn¡¯t helping your master recover something you want badly?¡±

    ¡°I do want it badly.¡± Lu Mingshu gave him a cold reply.

    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you agree?¡±

    ¡°Because my master would not like it.¡±

    ¡°Oh....¡± That answer surprised Xie Lianzhen. He was at a loss.

    ¡°Master once said that, for the values I hold, I should always hold them. Never turn into someone I despise. What difference would there be between me and someone I despise if I change every single thing about myself? If he knew that I sold myself out, he would surely be unhappy.¡±

    ¡°And the most important reason.¡± She looked at him arrogantly. ¡°You only said ¡®a chance,¡¯ but how much of a chance is there? 1%? Or 2%? I would be thanking the gods if there was even a 50% chance. It depends on luck, and you want me to self myself for that? I¡¯m clearly on the losing end of that deal!¡±

    Besides, with the Heavenly Wheel, as long as I¡¯m capable enough, there will always be a chance for Master to recover. So why neglect the root and pursue the tip? I¡¯m not silly!

    While they were talking, a shadow shed past the barrier. What would be the next thing to step out?

 Chapter 196: Victory Before Anything Else

    <h4>Chapter 196: Victory Before Anything Else</h4>

    Sword light dimmed, and Lu Mingshu sheathed her sword.

    After the specter, demonic beasts came over one after another. Lu Mingshu already felt nothing.

    ¡°Why are there so many demonic beasts?¡± Xie Lianzhen raised his hand and rubbed his nose. This action made him seem like a kid, totally different from the ¡°Young Master Lianzhen¡± that threatened her yesterday.

    It made Lu Mingshu curious. Every time she thought she had seen through him, he showed another side that shocked her even more.

    The gentle side when they first met, followed by the guy harbouring evil intentions, then the ice-cold guy, and now an outgoing one.

    Which was the real him? Lu Mingshu couldn¡¯t tell.

    ¡°We may be in trouble. There¡¯s so many demonic beasts... it may be a beast cave.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s weird.¡± Xie Lianzhen rubbed his chin. ¡°There aren¡¯t any beast caves near the Seventh Truth tform, even a thousand miles away.¡±

    ¡°Could it be...¡± Lu Mingshu deliberated. ¡°This duplicated space is way earlier than we guessed?¡±

    ¡°You mean before there was a Seventh Truth tform?¡± Xie Lianzhen immediately got what she meant.

    Lu Mingshu nodded.

    ¡°Impossible.¡± Xie Lianzhen denied. ¡°When the Seventh Truth tform was established, the forefathers put in a lot of effort. Great Morning Mountain was altered, so if this is before the Seventh Truth tform was established, thend wouldn¡¯t look like this.¡±

    ¡°This...¡±

    If what Xie Lianzhen said was true, the situation they were facing now would be hard to exin.

    ¡°There¡¯s another possibility.¡± Xie Lianzhen looked at the ferocious beast¡¯s body on the floor. ¡°There is a ce on Great Morning Mountain with so many ferocious beasts.¡±

    Lu Mingshu pondered for a while. ¡°You mean the ce where they raise them? The one that you mentioned before.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Xie Lianzhen nodded. ¡°But in order to achieve this, it would be extremely difficult. I see that this person has a partner who holds a high position in the Seventh Truth tform.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded and stopped questioning. She shouldn¡¯t ask any further; this was an internal matter of the Seventh Truth tform, and it wasn¡¯t good to know too many secrets.

    ¡°What should we do know?¡± After some hesitation, she asked.

    ¡°What do you think we should do?¡± Xie Lianzhen retorted.

    Without hesitation, Lu Mingshu replied. ¡°Move on and find out.¡±

    Xie Lianzhen burst outughing.

    ¡°Why are youughing?¡± She asked, displeased.

    ¡°This is so you.¡±

    ¡°So me?¡±

    ¡°You like to take hold of your own fate, and you hate to wait,¡± he said softly.

    ¡°...¡± Lu Mingshu felt ufortable hearing this. That seems to have a hidden meaning.

    ¡°If you¡¯re afraid, you can just stay here. With Young Master Lianzhen¡¯s means, you should be able to protect yourself, right?¡± She added on immediately, trying to sound tough.

    ¡°Miss, do I really look that useless? If we were to fight, you definitely wouldn¡¯t have the upper hand.¡± He facepalmed.

    ¡°Heh!¡± Lu Mingshu grinned and walked forward to the crack in the barrier.

    Xie Lianzhen sighed and followed.

    The ce beyond the barrier was different from the river bank they were just at. The surroundings were too quiet, and a sense of danger filled the air.

    After some distance, they met a bunch of demonic beasts.

    Yes, ¡°a bunch.¡± At least ten, forming an entire group. Their cultivations were all around the Inner Breath Realm or the Harmonization Realm. Fortunately, they didn¡¯t meet any Spirit Realm demonic beasts.

    Lu Mingshu grasped her sword tightly and lean toward Xie Lianzhen. ¡°Hmm.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°If you are eaten up by them, leaving not even a single bone behind, will the queen murder me?¡±

    Xie Lianzhen smiled. ¡°You have a lot of confidence in her, huh? Wait until you actually see if she survives this.¡±

    ...

    The queen felt that she didn¡¯t have enough physical strength.

    It had been years since she fought personally.

    The blood of demonic beasts in front of her and the smell of mud brought her back to thirty years ago when she was still in the Seventh Truth tform.

    Back then, she was like any other female disciple in the Seventh Truth tform; listening to scriptures in the morning, cultivating at night... leading a simple life.

    She was someone who had lived in a Taoist sect. Hearing the chimes of the morning bell, looking at the mountains around, and studying the heavenlyws. Carved balustrades and marble steps, divine and elegant dresses... those were things that couldn¡¯t be found in her life, and they were something that she didn¡¯t pursue at all.

    What was always on her mind was whether the bunny that she kept in secret had been discovered by her master, or would she be forced to copy scriptures if she couldn¡¯t practice a skill well? The acrobats that her senior brother promised to bring her to watch in Tianyun City, would she ever find any time for that?

    Now that she thought about it, the girl in her memories seemed like a stranger to her.

    It was a totally different life from the one she was leading now. How did I even get to where am I now?

    She could clearly remember the fight at the Yin Mountains. There were harpies everywhere, simr to the situation that was in front of her now.

    Her senior brother pushed her onto his mount and shouted for her to leave.

    The indefatigable suanni brought her far from the battle site. Thest thing she could remember was her senior brother being drenched in blood.

    That was the past of Qing¡¯er.

    After that, she became the queen of Zhongzhou ¨C above everyone, second to only the emperor.

    The carved balustrades and marble steps, the divine and elegant dresses that she had never thought about, were now in her life, existing as the realest things. Roping people in and suppressing others, fighting for authority ¨C that was the war she had to fight every day. A real fight like this never appeared in her life anymore.

    Holding her sword, waving it in the air, and shing.

    Sweat dripped down, and fresh blood was flying everywhere. The things that she used to despise were surprisingly something that she missed badly now.

    A fast and straightforward fight like this was way easier than all the mind games.

    ¡°Your Highness!¡± a shriek could be heard.

    The queen beheaded the demonic beast in one sh and used her sword as support. She looked over to see a woman running toward her.

    ¡°Qingqing....¡±

    Seeing that the queen was fine, Ding Qingqing heaved a sigh of relief and helped her to the side. ¡°Your servant¡¯ste.¡±

    The queen shook her head. ¡°Notte, just on time.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why are we here? Your Highness, are we being plotted against?¡±

    The queen smiled thinly. Her bright, pretty face had some bloodstains on it, making her more dazzling. ¡°Daring to do this during the Qilin Festival, and having such an urate grasp of timing. Isn¡¯t the answer obvious?¡±

    Ding Qingqing stared at the queen nkly. She then cautiously asked. ¡°Is it... our own people?¡±

    The queen sighed. ¡°Only our own could do it, but I don¡¯t know who among the seven n leaders are involved.¡±

    ¡°Evil!¡± Ding Qingqing smiled sarcastically. ¡°All these years, Your Highness has treated them well, yet they help an outsider...!¡±

    ¡°It may not be an outsider,¡± the queen said. ¡°Moreover, in some eyes, I have broken the rules.¡±

    Not much exnation was needed; Ding Qingqing knew what the queen meant. Xie Lianzhen taking over his position was evidence of the queen abusing her power.

    ¡°Let¡¯s find a way to get out of here first,¡± the queen said. ¡°This n is risky for them. Aside from the fact that the elders are still guarding this ce, His Majesty ¨C who¡¯s in the Assimtion Realm ¨C will be hard to stop.¡±

    ¡°Then we...?¡±

    ¡°Persevere.¡± The queen stood up and took out her sabre. ¡°If we persevere, we will be the ones who win.¡±

 Chapter 197: Distraction

    <h4>Chapter 197: Distraction</h4>

    ¡°I ¡®m... oh my freaking god, why are there still so many!?¡± Lu Mingshu started to feel annoyed. They had been killing for about half an hour. The corpses of the demonic beast could form a hill, and Lu Mingshu looked like she had been swimming in a pool of blood. However, there was still no sign of an end.

    Where the hell did all these beastse from? Why isn¡¯t there an end to it?

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you would say such things.¡± Xie Lianzhen chuckled.

    He was still calm andposed, with a gentlemanly manner. At least, as long as you ignored the bloodstains on him.

    Arrogant, cold, and hard to approach ¨C that was the Lu Mingshu that many people saw. Even though she was bad-tempered, she always maintained the necessary courtesy in front of others. However, herst sentence, which was rather an obscenenguage, was something that she wouldn¡¯t say on a normal basis.

    Xie Lianzhen was secretly happy that he heard this. It was as if he managed to enter into her personal space; the side she never showed to the world.

    Sword-light swept across, and starlight flickered. They were both quite coordinated with each other, and the demonic beasts fell one by one in front of them

    ¡°Hey, do you think this could be considered as us sharing life and death?¡± Xie Lianzhen asked as he sent out a ray of starlight.

    ¡°I only want life, not death,¡± Lu Mingshu replied in a serious tone.

    Xie Lianzhen sighed. ¡°Well, who knows? Maybe we won¡¯t be able to take it any longer and die here. Can¡¯t you say somethingforting?¡±

    Lu Mingshu scoffed. ¡°Comforting? I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll say something wrong and then you¡¯ll never stop talking about it.¡±

    ¡°You do know me well.¡±

    Hearing her heavy breathing, Xie Lianzhen asked. ¡°Can you still take it?¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t even bother answering

    Mystic force wasn¡¯t a problem for her. She was used to using the meditation forme anytime and anywhere. She just needed tobine them and she could fight without stopping. However, in this kind of fight, the key thing was mental strength. It was easy for one to be discouraged when they couldn¡¯t see any end in sight.

    ¡°You can take a rest, I can deal with it by myself now.¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked at him and nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± She then plopped down at the side to rest.

    ¡°Eh....¡± Xie Lianzhen said weakly. I meant what I said, but this Miss here should be more courteous, shouldn¡¯t she? My heart is shattering into pieces!

    Lu Mingshu paid no attention to him. She didn¡¯t know how many more demonic beasts were left, so she needed to prepare to fight again in a moment.

    However, she couldn¡¯t deny it; she was surprised at Xie Lianzhen¡¯s ability. Even though she had heard about it from Wei Chunqiu, there were still some doubts. As a martial artist, before one reached the Assimtion Realm, it was important to have a perfect body. Without legs, there were many skills that he couldn¡¯t pick up, and his ability would surely be affected negatively. But Xie Lianzhen was way different from what she expected. His Star Life technique could confuse the opponent without the need to even move, so to Xie Lianzhen, legs weren¡¯t really an important factor for him.

    ...

    ¡°Your Highness!¡± Ding Qingqing blocked a beast¡¯s attack.

    Sweat rolled down the queen¡¯s face, and she smiled bitterly. ¡°We¡¯ve both sure devolved!¡±

    Busy with government affairs every day, their skills had been neglected. Even though they still had their cultivation, it had been some time since theyst polished their skills.

    Ding Qingqing gritted her teeth and took out her sword to kill. ¡°If we can escape this, your servant promises to train hard.¡±

    That sent the queen intoughter. ¡°Finding an expert to protect us would be easier than training. To us, hiring an expert is way more worthwhile!¡±

    Ding Qingqing sighed.

    Practising took up a lot of time, and there might not even be a result. To them, time was the biggest investment they had to make.

    This brought Ding Qingqing back to the past. To take the shortcut to heaven, she used to practice diligently day and night. But who knew that, when she finally became the queen¡¯s trusted aide, personal power was the most useless thing?

    ¡°It seems to be more rxed now, huh?¡± the queen suddenlymented.

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Ding Qingqing felt it was odd too. ¡°Did we kill them all?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± The queen shook her head. ¡°They¡¯ve been distracted.¡±

    ¡°Distracted?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Somebody else is here too. They have lower cultivation, thus attracting the demonic beasts under the Spirit Realm.¡±

    Demonic beasts had very urate senses. The queen and Ding Qingqing were both in the Spirit Realm, while the other group was in the Harmonization Realm, so the other group was a much better target.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take a look.¡± Ding Qingqing leapt up a tree after defeating a demonic beast.

    The topography around them wasplicated, and there was mist blocking her view. It was hard to get a clear look. She nced over and was shocked.

    ¡°Your Highness!¡± she shouted. ¡°Young Master... it¡¯s Young Master!¡±

    There was only one person in all of Zhongzhou that Ding Qingqing addressed as Young Master.

    ¡°Huh?¡± The queen looked over at her. ¡°Xing¡¯er?¡±

    ¡°The Star Life technique ¨C it must be Young Master for sure.¡±

    The queen bit her lips. ¡°Which direction?¡±

    ¡°Northwest.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t!¡± Ding Qingqing immediately stopped her. ¡°It may not be the right time to look for Young Master right now.¡±

    The queen was getting impatient. ¡°There are so many demonic beasts here, he may not be able to hold on for long!¡±

    ¡°If we go over now, we will just bring the Spirit Realm demonic beasts with us too,¡± Ding Qingqing said, cool-headed. ¡°Young Master is good, Your Highness need not worry.¡±

    ¡°But Xing¡¯er¡¯s legs don¡¯t allow him to fight for long.¡±

    ¡°Please be at ease. Young Master isn¡¯t alone,¡± Ding Qingqing said. ¡°Has Your Highness forgotten? He went to the greenhouse, and Lu Mingshu was there too, so they can work together. Secondly, if Zhanghui was there too, there won¡¯t be any problem.¡±

    The queen gradually calmed down.

    ¡°Your Highness, you must be calm. As long as His Majesty can escape or the Seventh Truth tform elders can arrive in time, everything will be alright.¡±

    The queen took a deep breath. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±

    Even though that was the case, the situation wasn¡¯t going as they wanted.

    These demonic beasts seemed to be provoked and were dashing up to them like they were insane. The two of them couldn¡¯t do anything but keep fighting and backing off.

    It was the same for Lu Mingshu.

    At the start, they could take turns to fight, but not anymore.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Xie Lianzhen sounded slightly breathless. ¡°You still have enough mystic force?¡±

    Lu Mingshu furrowed her eyebrows. ¡°Barely enough.¡± Fighting at such a strong intensity, even if her meditation forme were still working, her mystic force couldn¡¯t recover quickly enough. All she could do was preserve it as much as she could.

    ¡°Take this.¡± Xie Lianzhen threw a small pouch over. ¡°It¡¯s a pill that replenishes mystic force.¡±

    Lu Mingshu epted it immediately. The pellets that she exchanged from the Heavenly Wheel had all been used during the time when it was shut down. She only just cleared her debt, so she hadn¡¯t had enough time to gather any more, so this pill came just in time.

    Xie Lianzhen suddenly stopped in his tracks. The beast that he was supposed to block nearly pounced on him.

    Luckily, Lu Mingshu raised her sword in time, striking the beast. ¡°Can you not daydream right now?¡±

    But Xie Lianzhen didn¡¯t respond to her. He continued to stare in another direction.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Lu Mingshu looked over in the direction that he was staring and let out a yell.

    They were gradually getting closer, and the mist was getting thinner. On the hillside that wasn¡¯t far away, the events could be clearly seen.

    The queen!

    Xie Lianzhen¡¯s actions gradually became faster.

    Lu Mingshu opened her mouth to say something. She wanted to convince him, but she decided not to. They were mother and son, after all, so he couldn¡¯t be totally unconcerned.

    At this time, a hissing sound appeared. A red eagle flew across the sky with someone on it.

 Chapter 198: Mastermind and the Internal Minister

    <h4>Chapter 198: Mastermind and the Internal Minister</h4>

    The red eagle swept over, and the person did a flip to get off the eagle. ¡°Sister-inw!¡±

    It was the king of Yijun.

    Ding Qingqing was pleasantly surprised. ¡°Your Majesty Jun, why are you here?¡±

    The king of Yijun helped them defeat a beast before replying, ¡°I was fast asleep when I felt that something was out of ce. When I woke up, I was already here.¡±

    ¡°His Majesty should be trapped too.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± The king of Yijun wasn¡¯t surprised. ¡°If elder brother is alright, then what¡¯s all this for?¡±

    Ding Qingqing sighed.

    ¡°Who¡¯s the one that did this? The Flying Imperial Pce is being guarded strictly, yet such a loophole could be found! Sister-inw, what should we do? I didn¡¯t find Jiayan, I¡¯m worried!¡±

    The queen smiled and said gently, ¡°Be at ease. Jiayan will be fine. Looking at thisyout, their target is definitely us. To deal with us ¨C the Spirit Realms ¨C and to suppress your elder brother, they wouldn¡¯t waste any energy on the younger ones. At most, they would only trap them.¡±

    ¡°It would be great if that¡¯s true....¡±

    ¡°With Your Majesty Jun here, we can hold on for a while longer. As long as the elders arrive in time, there¡¯s no need to worry,¡± Ding Qingqing said.

    ¡°Sister-inw, what do you think?¡± The king of Yijun asked for her opinion.

    The queen nodded. ¡°Qingqing makes sense. The priority is that we make it over together.¡±

    Seeing the king of Yijun appear, Lu Mingshu heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Now, you can-¡±

    Surprisingly, Xie Lianzhen¡¯s face turned dark and he interrupted her. ¡°Let¡¯s go over now!¡±

    Lu Mingshu stared at him nkly. When she finally understood, she sped up.

    However, it was toote.

    They hurriedly made their way down the slope, but when they arrived, there were already changes.

    The king of Yijun, who should have been in the front, suddenly turned back and threw an object.

    The object turned into light and weaved into a web, hovering above the queen.

    Xie Lianzhen held his armrest tight suddenly, and his face turned as white as a sheet of paper.

    Lu Mingshu took in a cold breath and yelled. ¡°It¡¯s him! Why...?¡±

    Previously, they made the guess that the mastermind was an insider from the Seventh Truth tform. Lu Mingshu felt that, since the King was an Assimtion Realm elder, he would be able to deal with anything, so it wouldn¡¯t be an internal problem of the royal family, but the Seventh Truth tform.

    However, Xie Lianzhen knew that the chance of the mastermind being from the Seventh Truth tform was very low. Because of the different ns that were involved, there wasn¡¯t much conflict, and there was no point in plotting against other n leaders or the queen and king. The Seventh Truth tform survived together; if there was such a mess, nobody would benefit.

    With that, the mastermind¡¯s identity was clear. Who would be able to benefit directly from this, and who also had a close rtion to the Seventh Truth tform? It was none other than the king of Yijun!

    Xie Lianzhen could only me himself for not being capable enough and letting him seize the chance!

    ¡°Calm down.¡± Lu Mingshu held him. ¡°There¡¯s no use if you go over now. Let¡¯s wait and see.¡±

    Her cold hand let him calm down slowly. He took a deep breath and rethought about what he could do.

    The web shrunk and turned into ropes, binding the queen.

    ¡°It¡¯s you,¡± the queen said softly.

    ¡°Hahaha!¡± The king of Yijunughed out loud. ¡°Unexpected, huh? Sister-inw.¡±

    ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± the queen asked calmly. ¡°Have I not treated you well?¡±

    ¡°No, sister-inw treated me nicely, and you even treated Jiayan well.¡±

    ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, why would you set up such a big trap to get me?¡±

    The king of Yijun smiled. ¡°Because you¡¯ve done too much! Since you¡¯re the queen, you should focus on taking care of what¡¯s happening in the pce, and not the government affairs!¡±

    ¡°So, what do you want?¡± the queen asked coldly. ¡°Even if you kill me, you won¡¯t be king of Zhongzhou. You¡¯re still in the Spirit Realm while your brother¡¯s in the Assimtion Realm.¡±

    ¡°Who said I wanted to be the king of Zhongzhou?¡± the king of Yijun said in disdain. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m you? Trying to snatch elder¡¯s brother power....¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t want to be the king, huh?¡± The queen sneered, ¡°Making use of the Qilin Festival, ganging up with those on the inside. If you don¡¯t want to be the king of Zhongzhou, then what¡¯s all this for?¡±

    ¡°Because!¡± the king of Yijun shouted strictly. ¡°As the offspring of the Shi family and soveriegn, how could I watch the king¡¯s power fall to a queen? Duan Qing¡¯er, you married into this family so that you could be the queen of Zhongzhou, yet you¡¯re not content with just that! Toying with your power, controlling Zhongzhou, eliminating outsiders, and helping your own cronies. Look at how Zhongzhou has turned out in your hands.¡±

    ¡°Oh? How has it turned out? Tell me more, I¡¯m curious.¡±

    The king of Yijun felt indignant at the injustice. ¡°You help a lot of poor families and suppress aristocratic families, and even let female emissaries take charge! Just one Xiahou Shan and she already controls almost everything. The person supposedly in charge of just the pce is now in charge of more! She¡¯s just an emissary, but she¡¯s even more arrogant than the foreign minister. Those that have gone through life and death with the dynasty, you¡¯ve made their lives go downhill! They are the tower of strength in Zhongzhou; back during the war with the barbarians, they gave great service! A feminist who bites the hand that feeds you has no rights to take control over Zhongzhou.¡±

    The queen smiled and turned to Qingqing. ¡°Qingqing, that¡¯s how you feel too, huh?¡±

    Ding Qingqing had been staring into space, and she shuddered from head to toe upon being called out by the queen. ¡°Your Highness....¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about the king of Yijun... but you?¡± the queen said softly. ¡°You¡¯re from a poor family, and you¡¯re a female official too. If I didn¡¯t help the poor, do you think you would be able to stand where you are today? Xiahou Shan¡¯s a foreign minister and you¡¯re the internal minister. Have I not treated you well?¡±

    ¡°Your Highness....¡±

    ¡°Working for the interest of an opposing group at the expense of one¡¯s own!¡± Xie Lianzhen gritted his teeth and growled.

    As matters stood, it was obvious. Ding Qingqing was also known as the queen¡¯s trusted aide! Indeed, the queen toyed around with her power and eliminated outsiders, but Ding Qingqing was the one that had no rights toment on that because she was the beneficiary of that!

    ¡°What is she here for?¡± Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t get it. Hasn¡¯t the queen given her more than enough? If it wasn¡¯t the queen who was in control, then she, as a woman, would never get so much power.

    ¡°What else could she be after?¡± Xie Lianzhen sneered. ¡°Humans are always greedy.¡±

    ¡°Even more?¡± Lu Mingshu ponder. ¡°Could it be that... she wants to be the queen? But the king of Yijun is clearly disgusted by her, why would he...?¡± Ding Qingqing was a smart person.

    ¡°Moron!¡± Xie Lianzhen said coldly. ¡°Greed has made her muddle-headed.¡±

    ...

    Seeing that Ding Qingqing couldn¡¯t make up her mind, the king of Yijun yelled. ¡°Now you want to turn around? I won¡¯t go back on what I promised you!¡±

    ¡°Ooh, what did he promise you?¡± The queen paid no attention to the king of Yijun. She turned to Ding Qingqing and smiled. ¡°Something that he can give you but not me... ah, did he promise to marry you and make you the queen of Yijun?¡±

    Ding Qingqing said nothing, but her expression gave her away.

    ¡°Moron!¡± The queen froze for a minute and yelled. ¡°Would the title of queen of Yijun give you a better lifepared to today? In front of others, you ¨C my official ¨C stand way above even the king of Yijun! It¡¯s easy to be a queen; with your position, you just need to drop a hint, and he¡¯lle right to you. Why is there a need for you to lower your status? Ding Qingqing, never say that I taught you. You¡¯re such a shame!¡±

 Chapter 199: Why Did You Come Out?

    <h4>Chapter 199: Why Did You Come Out?</h4>

    ¡°Duan Qing¡¯er!¡± The king of Yijun stopped her. ¡°Do you think everyone¡¯s like you? That the only thing they do is toy around with their power?¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± The queen smiled sarcastically, ¡°Are you trying to say that you both are truly in love?¡±

    Being stared at so intensely by the queen, Ding Qingqing lowered her head.

    Her reaction gave the queen the answer.

    The queen sighed.

    The king of Yijun looked rather simr to the king of Zhongzhou; he was good-looking for sure. He had a noble background, and he was rich as well. Even though he already had a daughter, the king of Yijun, who was in the Spirit Realm, looked like he only just reached his thirties, the age where a man was full of charm. It wasn¡¯t anything surprising for a woman to fall for him, but the woman this time was Ding Qingqing, which was the surprise factor.

    When the king of Yijun was born, the king of Zhongzhou had already grown up. With a gifted and intelligent brother, there was nothing the king of Yijun couldpare with. He was soft and had an ordinary ability, so he was a rather idle prince.

    What about Ding Qingqing? She was born into amon family. She had the good aptitude and was selected by the School of Mingde. Doing well there meant she could join the line of people with the potential to be an official. She was a smart girl and understood worldly affairs. The queen saw potential in her and chose her as a servant girl. Step by step, she worked hard and got to where she was now, the emissary position, and became the ¡°internal minister¡± due to the queen¡¯s huge power.

    Toying around with power and ying mind games. Who knew how many corpses she had stepped over on her way to bing an emissary?

    A woman like her, falling for the king of Yijun? Blinded by love, helping him plot a rebellion, trapping the king of Zhongzhou and killing the queen?

    But the queen couldn¡¯t deny that there was a possibility. Emotions were the mostplicated thing in the entire world. No matter how intelligent one was or how clearly they could see things, one might lose to their emotions and do idiotic things that couldn¡¯t be understood.

    To this, the queen could only sigh.

    ¡°King of Yijun, what will you do after killing me? How are you going to exin it to His Majesty?¡±

    The king of Yijun sneered. ¡°Exin? Do you think he would kill me? There are only two offspring in the whole Shi family! No matter what sins I¡¯m guilty of, he will surely let me off because I¡¯m his only brother!¡±

    The queen nodded. ¡°Hmm, makes sense. And then?¡±

    ¡°Elder brother¡¯s enthralled in cultivating, so there¡¯s no way he would want to take care of the worldly affairs. At that point, other than me, who else could he trust?¡±

    The queen smiled. She then turned to Ding Qingqing. ¡°So, that¡¯s the reason that you¡¯re muddle-headed? When he bes the regent, you¡¯ll be able to have my level of power?¡±

    Ding Qingqing bit her lips before replying. ¡°Yes, Your Highness. Your servant will never forget your kindness toward me. However...¡±

    ¡°However, I can¡¯tpare to your desire for power and love.¡±

    ¡°Your Highness was the one that taught me this!¡± Ding Qingqing increased her volume as if she was justifying herself. ¡°These years, Your Highness has taught me that any obstacle that can¡¯t be moved, I should just step on it!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha...¡± The queenughed out loud and looked at her with arrogance. ¡°You¡¯re right. That¡¯s my motto, but are youparable to me?¡±

    ¡°Why can¡¯t Ipare to Your Highness?¡± Ding Qingqing started to feel rebellious. ¡°How am I iparable to you? Wisdom or capability... whatever Your Highness can do, I can too!¡±

    ¡°Such a silly girl.¡± The queen looked at her with pity. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what he just said a second ago? Saying that I¡¯m toying around with my power, saying that I¡¯m helping the poor and I¡¯m a feminist because I put female officials in charge, saying that, as queen, I should take care of the pce and not meddle with the government. You help him to power now, and when he¡¯s finally regent, he will being for you next. Don¡¯t you get it? Men like him, the more powerful they are, the more hatred they have for women. When that dayes, you will have nothing left but to be his exclusive property. What can you do at that point? If you follow his instructions, he¡¯ll feed you, and if you don¡¯t, hehe...¡±

    ¡°Are you done yet!?¡± the king of Yijun yelled. ¡°Even now, you¡¯re still trying to divide us!¡±

    The queen pretended that he didn¡¯t even exist. Her eyes were only on Ding Qingqing. ¡°How are you iparable to me? Let me answer that; your vision will never be as good as mine! Ask yourself, how does His Majesty treat me? He trusts me fully, supports and helps me out no matter what I do. But the king of Yijun will never treat you that way.¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± The king of Yijun drew his sword in anger.

    ¡°Hold on!¡±

    Seeing Xie Lianzhen roll out from behind a rock on the hillside, the calm queen suddenly turned green. ¡°Why did youe out? Get back!¡± she yelled.

    Xie Lianzhen turned a deaf ear to her yelling and slowly rolled up the hillside.

    Lu Mingshu sighed and followed behind slowly.

    ¡°It¡¯s you, huh?¡± The king of Yijun looked at him coldly. ¡°I already pretended to not see you because of Jiayan, yet you can¡¯t wait to die?¡±

    The three of them were in the Spirit Realm, so it was impossible that they didn¡¯t know Xie Lianzhen and Lu Mingshu were there. The queen chose to not say anything, and the king of Yijun didn¡¯t want to be that evil.

    ¡°King of Yijun,¡± Xie Lianzhen stered a huge smile on his face as if they were in the pce right now instead of an unknown hillside. ¡°If I were you, I wouldn¡¯t do this.¡±

    The king of Yijun smiled. ¡°Little brat, you are as cunning as your mother. Do you think that I¡¯ll believe anything you say?¡±

    ¡°If you disagree, just listen to my reasons first!¡± Xie Lianzhen smiled.

    ¡°Very well, speak then. I shall see what tricks you can perform!¡±

    ¡°Easy ¨C you wouldn¡¯t achieve your goal even if you killed the queen.¡± Xie Lianzhen sounded like it had nothing to do with him. ¡°You said that the king won¡¯t kill you, right? That¡¯s true, the king has always been lenient and harmonious. You should remember something though. What¡¯s the king best at? Judging people. Back when the queen was a widow and pregnant with a defected baby, who gave a damn about her? Nobody but the King. He married her not because of her looks. I bet you know that he gave her the power to control everything soon after they married! I would say that, rather than a wife, he was choosing a sessor. Think about it, man ¨C if he trusted you in the first ce, why would he marry the queen and give her all the power instead of you?¡±

    The king of Yijun gritted his teeth.

    Xie Lianzhen continued, ¡°Now, you kill the King¡¯s sessor, guess what he will do. He¡¯ll obviously choose a new one, but, sadly, it won¡¯t be you. Things have changed; he was once alone, but now, he has a right and proper sessor.¡±

    The little prince!

    ¡°Shi Yu¡¯s eleven this year,¡± Xie Lianzhen tapped his armrest and saidzily. ¡°If he¡¯s smart, after six or seven years, he¡¯ll be able to take over. The government affairs of Zhongzhou have already been put in order perfectly by the queen ¨C not even one drop of water can leak out. He only needs one or two sagacious prime ministers and it could still work perfectly. Six or seven years after you kill the queen, he¡¯ll just pass it to Shi Yu. Is that so hard?¡±

    The king of Yijun trembled.

    ¡°Oh yeah, there¡¯s something you should never forget, and it¡¯s important! The king won¡¯t kill you because you¡¯re his brother, but Shi Yu? Do you think he won¡¯t? He¡¯s the queen¡¯s flesh and blood, and you killed his mother?¡± Xie Lianzhen sneered. ¡°He¡¯s not me. The king can forgive you for killing the queen, but Shi Yu... hehe.¡±

 Chapter 200: Do You Still Remember?

    <h4>Chapter 200: Do You Still Remember?</h4>

    Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales

    The king of Yijun stood there like a rock. He wasn¡¯t very intelligent. Speaking about people capable of government affairs, he was the worst among everyone present.

    Everything Xie Lianzhen said was clear and logical, and he had nothing to say in response.

    Right at this moment, Ding Qingqing sneered. ¡°Young Master indeed talks fancily. One or two sagacious prime ministers ¨C how easy would that be? We should be happy if we could get even one after three generations. Does Young Master think that choosing sagacious prime ministers is the same as choosing fruits in the market?¡±

    ¡°Emissary Ding, don¡¯t look down on the heroes of this world!¡± Xie Lianzhen slowly replied. ¡°I¡¯ve mentioned it just now; it¡¯s possible since the queen has already tidied everything up perfectly. They only need to go by the book, and nothing will go wrong for the next few years. As for sagacious prime ministers, they don¡¯t need much talent, they only need to put morality first and be virtuous. There are so many disciples in the School of Mingde, so how could they not pick out a few? Just take yourself, Emissary Ding, as an example. How many smart students did you step on back then? They may not be as scheming as you, but as for other characteristics, they may be better than you, who knows?¡±

    ¡°Young Master, you¡¯re thinking that way because you look down on me. If any random smart student could be a sagacious prime minister, then we would already have a bunch!¡± Ding Qingqing shouted. ¡°King Shi, don¡¯t listen to his nonsense. We can¡¯t turn back now!¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked at the situation silently. Even though it was the King of Yijun who brainwashed Ding Qingqing into doing this, it¡¯s Ding Qingqing who¡¯s more unwavering at the crucial point. She can clearly tell that what¡¯s done is done. Even if they stop midway, the queen won¡¯t let them off. If they just finish it now, they may still have a chance. As long as the King still takes him as a brother, he may be able to make aeback.

    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Hearing her, the king of Yijun came to see the truth.

    ¡°Haish!¡±

    ¡°Why are you sighing?¡± He nned to ignore it, but he couldn¡¯t help asking when he heard Xie Lianzhen sighing.

    ¡°Such a pity.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s a pity?¡±

    ¡°I pity Jiayan. She won¡¯t live a good life from today onward.¡±

    The king of Yijun stared at him coldly. ¡°I¡¯m only putting up with you because of Jiayan. You best not cross the line!¡±

    Xie Lianzhen smiled thinly. ¡°King Shi, you should take note. She may be headstrong, but there¡¯s still a future for her. Now, because of you, it¡¯s all ruined. You thought that you¡¯d win, but did you even think about what would happen if you lost? How will Jiayan survive on her own? I¡¯m afraid that neither the royal family nor the Seventh Truth tform will shelter her any longer.¡±

    ¡°King Shi, don¡¯t listen to his nonsense,¡± Ding Qingqing said. ¡°If you can take control, people will only respect State Master more, but if you concede defeat now, his words will be the State Master¡¯s fate! This kind of thing... either we do it all the way or not at all.¡±

    Seeing the firmness in the king of Yijun¡¯s eyes, Xie Lianzhen shook his head. It wasn¡¯t hard to get him to do whatever he wanted with his words, but with Ding Qingqing here, it was hard. Even though she was currently muddle-headed, her intelligence still remained.

    That¡¯s all he could do. Hopefully...

    ¡°King Shi, do it quickly!¡± Ding Qingqing shouted. ¡°His Majesty could escape at any time, and the Seventh Truth tform elders...! The longer we take, the more unfavourable it is.¡±

    The king of Yijun nodded and took up his sword.

    Xie Lianzhen grabbed his armrest more tightly, and Lu Mingshu ced her hand on her sword hilt.

    Ding Qingqing turned over to stare at them, smiling coldly. If they dare to do something, they¡¯ll die too.

    The king of Yijun growled, and the sword-light shed down.

    Ding¡ª-!

    In the blink of an eye, the situation changed.

    The rays of light binding the queen suddenly lit up and broke. A ray of sword-light dashed forward.

    The ray of sword-light broke the king of Yijun¡¯s sword. Even after doing so, it didn¡¯t stop; it continued straight toward the king of Yijun. In this critical situation, the king of Yijun tried to dodge at all costs.

    ¡°King Shi!¡± Ding Qingqing¡¯s eyes widened in shock. She abandoned Lu Mingshu and Xie Lianzhen, dashing forward to save the king of Yijun.

    However, the ray of sword-light was more powerful than she could imagine. It had an irresistible force as it dashed forward. With a nk!, it dashed through a tree and finally stopped.

    The king of Yijun sat on the floor, and he heard the sound of the tree trunk falling beside him. He touched his head, only to realize that half of his crown was gone, and his hair was now loose, draping down his shoulders.

    He couldn¡¯t breathe properly, and cold sweat was running down his face. His heart was still racing. A bit... just a bit more, and my head would be the thing cut in half.

    ¡°Do you both really think that I would bepletely defenceless?¡± The queen rubbed her wrist, which was bruised from the binding. She exhaled, and the sword on the ground returned to her hand.

    ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± Ding Qingqing looked at the queen in disbelief. She was the queen¡¯s personal servant, so she knew the queen like the back of her hand. There was no such thing in the past!

    Ding Qingqing thought for a while, and she suddenly shouted in surprise. ¡°You were on guard against me from the beginning!¡±

    The queen sighed. ¡°Qingqing, do you think you¡¯re my only informant? Because you¡¯ve been in a position of power for too long, have you forgotten the fear and trepidation you used to face? What makes you think I was unaware of you and the king of Yijun having a ndestine love affair in the pce?¡±

    ¡°I gave you a chance. It¡¯s okay to seek pleasure with him, but you shouldn¡¯t have be a love-struck idiot and done such things with him! Do you even know how capable the king of Yijun is? Fucking blind moron, you¡¯re such a disappointment!¡±

    Ding Qingqing bit her lips. She was extremely unresigned.

    ¡°You already knew that we were going to set a trap at this time?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± the queen said softly. ¡°But since I dared to let you stay beside me, I was more than prepared for anything.¡±

    After a long silence, Ding Qingqing started, ¡°I have nothing to say, I¡¯m not as skilful as you.¡±

    The queen walked to her slowly and looked at her. ¡°Why would you do this? Would the taste of love really send your spirit and soul upside down? With your intelligence, don¡¯t you feel wronged to be together with a useless guy like him?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t Your Highness the one who knows the answer better than me? After so many years, despite everything that the king gave you, and even after you had the little prince, the most important thing in Your Highness¡¯s heart is still the man who died at the Yin Mountains!¡±

    Lu Mingshu saw Xie Lianzhen tightening his fist. His veins had already popped out.

    The man who died at the Yin Mountains... is that his father?

    ¡°Do you dare to say that you wouldn¡¯t give up everything you have now and go with him if he everes back? I¡¯m sick and tired of this ice-cold royal life. All I wish for now is a hug... to feel some warmth.¡±

    ¡°Indeed touching,¡± the queen said coldly. ¡°I think the thing that you¡¯re sick and tired of is being under someone else¡¯s control, right? Greed is not a sin, but lying to yourself is somentable.¡±

    ¡°Heh.¡± Ding Qingqing smiled gloomily. ¡°Your Highness is right; I¡¯m greedy. I want both love and power. Humans have endless greed. When I was poor, all I hoped for was to get into the School of Mingde. After I got selected into Mingde, I wished to get into the pce. After that, I wanted to be the best female official. After I got the highest position of what a female official could be...¡±

    ¡°You wished for unlimited power,¡± the queen said softly. ¡°Qingqing, I have always told you that having desires is not a bad thing, but you can¡¯t let them control your life. You must always have your original intention in mind. Such a pity that you have forgotten it all.¡±

    ¡°What about Your Highness? Do you still remember your original intention?¡± Ding Qingqing looked up at her. ¡°Leading a royal life and having the whole world in your palms... do you still remember why you became the queen of Zhongzhou?¡±

 Chapter 201: Future

    <h4>Chapter 201: Future</h4>

    Do you still remember why you became the queen of Zhongzhou?

    The queen replied, ¡°Qingqing, what do you n to do with this question? nt a thorn in the King¡¯s heart, or to make me feel guilty?¡± She stared at Ding Qingqing, the pity once in her eyes gone. ¡°Psychological attacks are not always useful against everyone. You think too highly of yourself.¡±

    The queen took out an item and threw it in the air.

    Huge fireworks burst forth in the air, forming a ball before shooting away.

    After a short period of time, rumbling could be heard from their surroundings. The barrier was breaking down.

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. She had a totally new opinion of the queen.

    Watching the barrier breaking down, she saw that, even though the queen wasn¡¯t aware of when the king of Yijun would take action, she was well-prepared since the start.

    Both of them were absolutely no match for her.

    There was also no chance of them turning over a new leaf.

    The king of Yijun sat by the tree trunk with dishevelled hair, looking into space lifelessly.

    He didn¡¯t even spare Ding Qingqing a ce.

    Ding Qingqing felt bitter and astringent. Sheughed at herself in pain.

    As soon as she finishedughing, she shot out a ray of light, going toward Xie Lianzhen.

    Her actions were too secretive, and there wasn¡¯t even any killing intent. Even the queen couldn¡¯t react in time.

    ¡°Xing¡¯er...!¡±

    Suddenly, a sword-light shot toward them. Lu Mingshu dodged, creating a ray of sword-light and defending Xie Lianzhen.

    However, this was Ding Qingqing¡¯s absolute attack, and she was a realm lower. How could she be able to block this attack?

    Pop! The sword-light shield lit up and disappeared.

    Lu Mingshu felt pain in her chest, and everything around her seemed to turn grey.

    Xie Lianzhen opened his mouth to say something, but he couldn¡¯t speak, as if his brain had exploded.

    He watched her drop to the ground, watched blood flowing out of her chest, just watched....

    Xie Lianzhen could remember what happened afterwards. He vaguely remembered how the queen lost her mind in fear.

    Actually, the queen does love me! It¡¯s such a good feeling, that somebody cares about me, misses me. I¡¯m not all alone by myself as if the whole world has abandoned me.

    ...

    Tan Yubing just finished packing her luggage. She stood at the door, hesitating.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Senior Aunt Tan?¡± Shao Zhengyang saw her standing there and came to ask.

    Tan Yubing sighed. ¡°Junior Nephew Shao, do you think we should head to the main pce?¡±

    ¡°Erm... weren¡¯t we just sent back from there?¡± Shao Zhengyang hesitated.

    ¡°But we¡¯re leaving soon. I can¡¯t go in east if I don¡¯t get to see her.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Shao Zhengyang nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t even know how to exin to Senior Uncle Liu!¡±

    They wanted to go and take a look, but the main pce wouldn¡¯t budge a bit from their rules, so both of them were now in a dilemma.

    Finally, Tan Yubing made up her mind. ¡°Let¡¯s go take a look. Even if they block us again, at least we went.¡±

    ¡°Yeah....¡±

    Both of them once again went to the main pce and requested that the imperial bodyguard help them make a request to meet Lu Mingshu. While they were doing so, a servant girl came out.

    ¡°Eh? Are both of you guests from Nine Jade Pce?¡± The servant girl smiled.

    Tan Yubing immediately went up to her. ¡°Indeed. Miss is...?¡±

    ¡°This servant is now attending to Miss Lu.¡± She then took out a letter. ¡°I assume that you¡¯re Miss Tan?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Miss Lu asked this servant to pass this letter to Miss Tan and convey a message to you.¡±

    Tan Yubing took the letter. Seeing the words ¡°For dearest master,¡± she knew that it was for Liu Jizhen.

    ¡°Please speak, Miss.¡±

    ¡°Miss Lu said, ¡®I¡¯ll need to trouble Senior Aunt Tan to pass this to my master, for him to at least be at ease. Secondly, Senior Aunt Tan need not to worry. I¡¯m fine.¡¯¡±

    The servant girl mimicked how Lu Mingshu spoke. The 80% simrity made Tan Yubingugh. ¡°Sorry to trouble Miss. Please tell her that I¡¯ll pass the message to her master on her behalf, and rest well and be at ease.¡± After pondering for a while, she put a piece of jade in the servant girl¡¯s hand. ¡°Junior Niece Lu has nobody here in Zhongzhou. Please take care of her well, Miss.¡±

    The servant girl smiled and gave it back to Tan Yubing. ¡°Please be at ease Miss Tan, the queen has already given me instructions. This servant will be sure to serve her well. If I do well, the queen will reward me.¡±

    Tan Yubing saw that she wouldn¡¯t take the jade, so she roughly knew what was going on. This should be the queen¡¯s workers¡¯ principal? She stopped insisting.

    At noon, the various sects left the Flying Imperial Pce with their disciples.

    This marked the end of the Qilin Festival. The Flying Imperial Pce that was bustling with life quieted down quickly.

    The servant girl who came to pass a message to Tan Yubing walked back to the pce.

    In the Flying Imperial Pce, decorated with flowers and trees, a conversation could be faintly heard from the servant¡¯s corridor.

    ¡°Older sister, I heard that you have been posted at the queen¡¯s side? You really do have great fortune!¡± The voice was filled with envy.

    ¡°Younger sister has good fortune too!¡± The second voiceughed. ¡°Serving Miss Lu will bring you a great future.¡±

    ¡°How could Ipare to elder sister? I heard that Emissary Ding has been transferred away. If elder sister does a good job, you may...¡±

    ¡°There are so many talents around Her Highness, how would I get the chance?¡± she said modestly. ¡°Contrariwise, it¡¯s a good opportunity for younger sister, seize the chance!¡±

    ¡°Elder sister is being too polite. Miss Lu.... No matter how good I do, I¡¯ll need to leave the pce too, haish!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s bad about leaving the pce?¡± the elder servant girl said. ¡°To be honest, if Miss Lu leaves the pce, it will still be a good future for you. Please do not have the idea of cking off.¡±

    ¡°Elder sister is too ttering....¡± It was obvious that the younger servant didn¡¯t believe her words.

    ¡°I¡¯m not joking around with you,¡± the other said in a serious tone. ¡°Think about it; she saved Young Master¡¯s life! Even if shemits a crime in the future, Her Highness will surely defend her. Because of Young Master, as long Her Highness is here, Lu Mingshu can do whatever she wants. Staying beside her will guarantee you a good life.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what you say, but Young Master¡¯s condition seems to have worsened, right? Miss Lu¡¯s only injured, but it has been days and there still isn¡¯t any news about Young Master. ¡±

    ¡°Shh!¡± The elder servant warned her seriously. ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense! Young Master is just tired and went back to the Seventh Truth tform first.¡±

    ¡°Elder sister, we are only talking privately. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to tell any others, so it doesn¡¯t matter. Tell me the truth, what illness is Young Master down with? He¡¯s in this situation, and Miss Lu¡¯s future... haish. If I was her, I wouldn¡¯t wish to exchange the queen¡¯s view of me for that....¡± It was unknown from her tone whether she was envious or taking joy in cmity.

    The elder servant girl pulled the vines that were hanging. ¡°Xiangcao, just say it if you don¡¯t wish to serve Miss Lu.¡±

    The little servant girl jumped in shock and kneeled immediately. ¡°Have mercy on me, elder sister! Younger sister dares not shoot my mouth off again!¡±

    The servant girl groaned. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to live, it¡¯s fine, but don¡¯t drag others down with you too,¡± she said, ignoring the other¡¯s apology and leaving quickly.

    At the side hall, Lu Mingshu was already awake. She leaned against the headboard and looked at the flowers blooming in the courtyard in silence.

    ¡°Miss Lu.¡± The servant girl bowed. ¡°Your letter has been passed to Miss Tan.¡±

 Chapter 202: Wonéˆ¥æª› retain you further

    <h4>Chapter 202: Won¡¯t retain you further</h4>

    Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales

    ¡°Got it,¡± Lu Mingshu answered unenthusiastically.

    The servant girl kept quiet and rearranged the cushion.

    ¡°No need for the trouble,¡± Lu Mingshu said. ¡°Go ahead with your chores, I¡¯ll rest on my own.¡± She proceeded to stand up.

    ¡°Let this servant help Miss up.¡±

    Lu Mingshu waved her head. ¡°It¡¯s just a minor injury. During thepetition, I had to fight with an injury too. I¡¯m not that pampered.¡±

    She lifted up her nket and got down the bed. The servant girl hurried over, draping a jacket on Lu Mingshu shoulder and helping herb her hair.

    She saw Lu Mingshu sit down beside the window and checked that everything was fine, then left with ease.

    Seeing the servant¡¯s girl cautious attitude, Lu Mingshu somewhat felt likeughing. Does she think that I¡¯m a porcin doll?

    The fragrance of flowers came through the courtyard to the room. She closed her eyes and inhaled the smell.

    When she opened her eyes, someone had entered the room.

    A deep blue gown, reflecting a bright and clean face under the sunlight like jade.

    Xie Zhanghui slowly pushed the wheelchair closer, stopped it in front of the window, and left. The servants who were nearby had all left.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Surprisingly, Lu Mingshu was the one who started the conversation. She spoke in a monotone; not too intimate nor estranged.

    Xie Lianzhen smiled. He reached out and grabbed a flower, handing it to her. ¡°I¡¯m fine now. You?¡±

    ¡°I was fine to start with.¡±

    Lu Mingshu took the flower and fiddled with it.

    ¡°When are you nning to leave?¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked up at him.

    Her ice-cold eyes seemed gentle paired with the beautiful flower.

    Xie Lianzhen looked back at her. ¡°I prepared something for you,¡± he said softly.

    Lu Mingshu continued to stare at him even though they were separated by the window.

    ¡°Are you happy now?¡± Xie Lianzhen smiled.

    Lu Mingshu nodded.

    ¡°Will youe to Zhongzhou again?¡±

    ¡°If I have the chance,¡± she said.

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Neither of them continued the conversation.

    A distinct whistle could be heard from the sky. Both of them looked up to see the Nine Jade Pce¡¯s emerald-coloured vehicle flying past their head, sending wave-like patterns across the sky.

    After it could no longer be seen, Xie Lianzhen looked down and sighed.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get going.¡±

    ¡°Mhmm.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be going into seclusion after this, so I won¡¯t send you off. I¡¯ll get them to pass you the things I prepared.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Xie Lianzhen smiled thinly. ¡°You¡¯re still not willing to talk much even now, huh?¡±

    Lu Mingshu pondered for a while before starting. ¡°...I don¡¯t know what to say.¡±

    This made him smile.

    He held out his hand as if he wanted to have a handshake with her, but he held back and put it down.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get going.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°Goodbye.¡±

    ¡°Goodbye.¡±

    Lu Mingshu watched him leave silently, slowly disappearing from her sight. She looked down at the flower in her hand and sighed. She then entered the Heavenly Wheel.

    The six-coloured streamers surrounded her. The Heavenly Wheel was still as peaceful as ever.

    She ced the flower on the ground and leaned on the tree.

    ¡°Xiao Sang.¡±

    ¡°Here.¡±

    ¡°Were you ever a human?¡±

    For the first time ever, Xiao Sang didn¡¯t give her an answer.

    But Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t mind. She just wanted to have a chat.

    She bent her legs and fished out a thin, dark green disk.

    ¡°It¡¯s quite troublesome to be a human!¡± She liked talking to Xiao Sang, perhaps because it was like talking to herself. ¡°I wanted to end this righteously and formally, but who knew I would get it in this way.¡±

    Ding Qingqing had still been in good condition. With her intuition, Lu Mingshu decided to fix her attention on Ding Qingqing, so when Ding Qingqing tried to attack Xie Lianzhen, Lu Mingshu saw everything.

    She didn¡¯t know that a human could react so quickly. It was so fast that she almost couldn¡¯t keep up with herself as she activated her spiritual tool and took the attack for Xie Lianzhen.

    It looked scary, but in fact, Ding Qingqing¡¯s attack didn¡¯t injure her that badly. The shock she received was just too overpowering, which was why she fainted.

    ¡°I used to hate him. The people who tried to stop me during the challenger¡¯s fight were either him or the queen. Even though he did help me out, I hated feeling like I was prey!¡±

    She loathed the Nine Jade Pce because it was a ce filled with rules and regtions that had to be followed strictly. The Zhou Family or the elders, they were all ying a game called ¡°power.¡± They had high positions and took pleasure in the game. One had to follow their rules closely; fairness and freedom didn¡¯t exist there.

    Someone like Xie Lianzhen, who was just as engrossed in that game, why wouldn¡¯t she loathe him?

    But...

    ¡°Why would he... do that for me?¡±

    Before she fainted, she heard him screaming like a wounded beast, pouncing on Ding Qingqing like he wanted to take her down with him.

    Twelve years ¨C his legs recovered twelve years ago, and he had never once stood up. However, he did it that day.

    He was aware that Ding Qingqing was in the Spirit Realm, having higher cultivation than him. What he did was like digging his own grave.

    Why would he do such things after constantly toying around with me?

    She had never taken his courting seriously, and he only longed for Lu Mingshu due to curiosity. But now...

    ¡°You¡¯re afraid of someone else¡¯s sincerity?¡±

    ¡°I guess?¡± Lu Mingshu smiled. ¡°Such a fickle person like me isn¡¯t fit to take someone¡¯s feelings for me. I¡¯ll feel guilty.¡±

    ¡°You pity him?¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡± Lu Mingshu shook her head. ¡°He forced me into that position. I was just helping myself out.¡±

    For a long time, she always hoped that she would gain enough bargaining chips to move the queen and stand a chance of speaking for herself. She didn¡¯t wish to scheme against others and use their feelings to aplish her goal. It would just be an addiction.

    Xie Lianzhen knew this well, yet he left her with no choice but to act like that. If it wasn¡¯t for this incident, she may have needed a long time to win her war.

    Not that it would¡¯ve been a difficult task. She already had Xie Lianzhen¡¯s weakness, all she needed was the right time.

    Ding Qingqing¡¯s rebellion simply gave her a chance to get out earlier and see another side of Xie Lianzhen.

    ¡°I... do not have a heart of stone. Somebody put me above their own life. I should be touched.¡±

    Finishing, Lu Mingshu mocked herself. ¡°This also counts as using other¡¯s feelings, huh? I shouldn¡¯t do this in the future.¡±

    ...

    Half a month passed, and Lu Mingshu went to bid the queen goodbye.

    The queen had already recovered from the betrayal, and she was in glowing spirits.

    The king of Yijun was imprisoned in the Seventh Truth tform, and Ding Qingqing lost her ce as an emissary and was sent to apany him. Perhaps it was with evil intentions, or perhaps the queen gave them her blessings.

    For this matter, the king of Zhongzhou respected the queen¡¯s decision totally.

    ¡°Not staying for a little longer?¡± The queen hummed as if she had never forced Lu Mingshu to stay.

    Lu Mingshu shook her head. ¡°No. I¡¯ll bezy if I stay for too long.¡±

    The queen nodded. ¡°Since you have already made up your mind, I won¡¯t keep you any further. Shan, send her off for me.¡±

    Xiahou Shan came out. ¡°Okay.¡±

 Chapter 203: Fair and Square

    <h4>Chapter 203: Fair and Square</h4>

    ¡°Little junior sister! Don¡¯t!¡± Yu Kuang ran after State Master Jiayan quickly, trying to stop her.

    ¡°Get lost!¡± State Master Jiayan¡¯s blood was boiling. ¡°Now, nobody takes me seriously anymore. Even you want to stop me?¡±

    ¡°Little junior sister!¡± Yu Kuang persuaded her patiently. ¡°What are you going to do? Scold her? Or beat her up? What¡¯s the point?¡±

    ¡°Then what do you want me to do!?¡± Jiayan shouted. ¡°Just ept it? Who is Lu Mingshu to mess things up for me and not be responsible for it? She caused me to be in this situation, who do I look for if not her?¡±

    She was now emotionally unstable, and there was nothing Yu Kuang could do.

    ¡°Get lost! Yu Kuang, just because I call you Senior Brother doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re qualified to speak! Following me around all day like a dog, even if you¡¯re not irritated, I am!¡±

    ¡°Shi Jiayan!¡± Yu Kuang shouted strictly, leaving Jiayan rooted to the ground.

    Yu Kuang was breathing heavily. His face turned red. ¡°Dog? So that¡¯s how you see me, huh?¡± He stared at her firmly.

    His expression was way different from how he normally was. The cheerful Yu Kuang could no longer be seen, and it scared Shi Jiayan, making her move back. ¡°I...¡± just talked without thinking.

    ¡°Sure, I got nothing to say about you calling me a dog since I do follow you around all day long.¡± Yu Kuang calmed himself down. ¡°Do you think I wantto poke my nose in your business? To look at what you do all day?! Just talking without processing anything just because you¡¯re the State Master... how many people have you offended since you were a kid? Do you think you would be able to live so peacefully if I wasn¡¯t behind to clean your mess?¡±

    Yu Kuang¡¯s voice calmed down slowly. ¡°You want to find Lu Mingshu ¨C what for? Was this caused by her? No! It¡¯s because of your father¡¯s rebellion! The king and queen decided to give him face, which is the only reason they didn¡¯t announce it to the public. What does Lu Mingshu have to do with this? She may have gotten a few benefits, but she¡¯s just a passerby! Even the rocks on the ground aren¡¯t as innocent as she is!

    ¡°Sure, you could say your father isn¡¯t at fault. However, the person who stopped the rebellion is the queen; what the hell does Lu Mingshu have to do with this? Why not go after the queen or your uncle? Or Senior Brother Xie at least. But no, you don¡¯t dare! Do you really not get this logic? I¡¯m sure you do, it¡¯s just that you dare not act on it! You dare not look for any of them, only Lu Mingshu, who can take no action against you. Shi Jiayan, aren¡¯t you at least embarrassed?¡±

    Piak! A p was given.

    A red mark emerged on Yu Kuang¡¯s face.

    The p was on impulse, and Jiayan didn¡¯t expect that Yu Kuang wouldn¡¯t dodge. She was flustered and started to exin, ¡°I, I didn¡¯t...¡±

    ¡°I know you are jealous of Lu Mingshu,¡± Yu Kuang said calmly. ¡°You feel that she has no right to be more well-regarded than you when she¡¯s not even half as good as you. A bumpkin from an unknown backwater not only got the limelight during the Qilin Festival, but the queen valued her too. But the thing that you are most jealous of is how Senior Brother Xie treats you both differently. He acts like you¡¯re non-existence, but he cares for her in every possible way. Jealousy is an emotion, and it¡¯s okay to feel that way. However, you should know that the difference between a gentleman and a nasty person is how well they can control themselves. You hate that I¡¯m always poking my nose in your business, right? Fine, I¡¯ll never care about you again. Hopefully, you can take good care of yourself. Now that the king of Yijun is in his current state, you have no rights to behave like how you always have. Please give yourself a route out, alright?¡±

    After that, Yu Kuang turned and walked away.

    Seeing him walk away without any reluctance, State Master Jiayan stared into space nkly for a moment. When she realized what just happened, she burst into tears.

    Hearing her cries, Yu Kuang¡¯s eyes brimmed with tears. He turned a corner to see Wei Chunqiu standing there.

    ¡°Senior Brother Wei....¡± His lips trembled.

    ¡°You should¡¯ve done this earlier,¡± Wei Chunqiu said with a nk face. ¡°Giving in to her would only make yourself as worthless as dust.¡±

    Yu Kuang turned around, not wanting Wei Chunqiu to see tears in his eyes.

    ¡°Cheer up, at least you¡¯re better than Junior Brother Xie.¡± Wei Chunqiu smirked. ¡°He¡¯s the one who lifted a rock only to have his own toes squashed.¡±

    ...

    In Tianyun City, Xie Lianzhen sat on his wheelchair, looking at the main street that was outside the majestic city gate that lead away from Tianyun City.

    As usual, Xie Zhanghui was standing beside him.

    Far ahead, a person holding a horse was walking further away from the city. They finally entered the morning mist and could no longer be seen.

    ¡°Am I a coward?¡± After she disappeared from his sight, Xie Lianzhen asked. ¡°I don¡¯t even have the courage to send her off.¡±

    Xie Zhanghui remained silent.

    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m regretting a bit now....¡±

    Xie Zhanghui looked at him nervously.

    Seeing that, Xie Lianzhen burst outughing. ¡°Are you afraid that I¡¯ll send someone to get her back?¡± After he finishedughing, he continued. ¡°Eh, you seemed to like her a lot, huh?¡±

    This made Xie Zhanghui even more nervous. ¡°Young Master, you¡¯re thinking too much. Zhanghui only thinks that... it¡¯s such a pity.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s a pity?¡± Xie Lianzhen teased.

    ¡°ording to Miss Lu¡¯s desires, if Young Master forced her to stay, Young Master would never get her heart,¡± he replied.

    Xie Lianzhen thought over it and nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± He sighed. ¡°To be honest, I lost from the start. It¡¯s hard to win if you¡¯re unaware of what you even want. There¡¯s no use in forcing a woman like her to stay, and I¡¯m not confident I could make her stay either.¡±

    ¡°Young Master, you lost because you care. You worry for her at all times, and that¡¯s the reason Young Master lost.¡±

    Xie Lianzhen smiled. ¡°You really know me better than myself.¡±

    The sun rose up to the sky, and the mist gradually dissipated. The one who left could no longer be seen.

    ¡°Actually, I know she did it on purpose.¡±

    ¡°You mean...?¡± Xie Zhanghui replied.

    ¡°She helped me block that attack for her goals,¡± Xie Lianzhen said calmly.

    Xie Zhanghui stared at him nkly.

    ¡°Interested in why I let her off?¡±

    Xie Zhanghui remained quiet, but his expression gave him away.

    Xie Lianzhen smiled. ¡°Because I lost to myself!¡± He lowered his volume. ¡°I knew she did it on purpose to stir up my emotions. And she did, so I lost.¡±

    After Lu Mingshu had dropped to the ground, what happened was like a dream.

    Everything was scattered and smashed. Blood sttered, and the queen¡¯s face appeared in his vision at the same time.

    He took a long time to remember what happened.

    He nearly crippled Ding Qingqing. He was at the peak of the Harmonization Realm, and he suddenly broke through to the Spirit Realm at that moment.

    However, due to his deranged emotions at the time, he became obsessed.

    The queen sent him back to the Seventh Truth tform and saved his life with help from the elders.

    ¡°We¡¯re even now, I guess?¡± Xie Lianzhen mumbled to himself. ¡°I teased her when I could, and I even got the queen to do it too. I even hindered her in the challenger¡¯s fight. To be honest, what I did was way more overboard, so it¡¯s okay for her to take revenge.¡±

    ¡°But...¡±

    ¡°I lost!¡± Xie Lianzhen repeated. ¡°I always read minds, yet I couldn¡¯t read my own. I¡¯m just reaping what I sowed.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Xie Zhanghui said nothing.

    Xie Lianzhen smiled. ¡°It¡¯s okay, we¡¯ll leave it at that. Where¡¯s the queen? In the pce?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Send me to her then.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

 Chapter 204: Definitely

    <h4>Chapter 204: Definitely</h4>

    The queen was now teaching the little prince, Shi Yu.

    Maybe it was because she regretted not spending enough time with her elder son, but no matter how busy she was, she would take some time out to teach her younger son on her own.

    ¡°Okay, you¡¯ve finished your work today.¡± The queen caressed him and called out to her personal servant. ¡°Bring the prince to rest.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Mother, your child asks to be excused.¡± The little prince said goodbye politely.

    The queen smiled, looking at him leave. The king of Zhongzhou came in at the same time.

    ¡°Qing¡¯er¡±

    The queen smiled at him.

    ¡°That youngdy has left?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± she answered softly.

    ¡°Xing¡¯er finally agreed to let her off?¡±

    The queen nodded.

    ¡°That¡¯s great,¡± the king of Zhongzhou said. ¡°What doesn¡¯te from the heart is only superficial. With him being so stubborn, it was only going to bring harm to himself.¡±

    The queen sighed but said nothing in reply.

    Seeing her exhausted face, the king of Zhongzhou went beside her and gave her a massage.

    ¡°Please be at ease, this is a good thing for Xing¡¯er.¡± The king of Zhongzhou soothed her. ¡°These past few years, he has been too depressed, which is why he¡¯s always ill. It¡¯s a good chance for him to vent his emotions, and he will soon be okay.¡±

    ¡°I hope so.¡± The queen furrowed her eyebrows. ¡°As a mother, I feel sorry for him too. He¡¯s willing to let that youngdy off because he¡¯s moved, but I couldn¡¯t even get that girl to stay for him.¡±

    ¡°Liking her doesn¡¯t mean that you must make her stay. Most important is what the feeling gives him. Even if she stayed, it may not be good for him. But now, he put his feelings for her in his heart, and when he recalls it, he can feel the happiness sincerely.¡±

    ¡°That will be good then.¡± The queen was convinced.

    ¡°He¡¯s very simr to you.¡± The king of Zhongzhou looked at her. ¡°Back when you returned from the Yin Mountains to the Seventh Truth tform, I remember that you looked like you were about to destroy everything around you. I am sure that if you had the ability, you would¡¯ve already ttened all of Zhongzhou.¡±

    The queen stared at him nkly upon hearing him talk about that matter.

    It was her own past, but now, it seemed like something that happened in a previous lifetime.

    When she was in the duplicated space, the crazy Xie Lianzhen made her feel like it was fate.

    The queen always thought that he was just in curious and stubborn. When he was satisfied, he¡¯d get tired of it soon afterwards.

    Thest thing she ever imagined was that he¡¯d be so serious about her.

    What if Lu Mingshu died? She shook her head. She didn¡¯t want to think about the answer. Back then, she had a loving master, a baby in her, and the determination to take revenge. That¡¯s what allowed her to make it through and gave her a new life.

    But Xie Lianzhen? He had nothing but sickness.

    As a mother, she hadplicated views toward Lu Mingshu. She didn¡¯t like that Lu Mingshu had affected her son so deeply, yet she was grateful that she pulled him back and allowed him to pull himself back together.

    The queen had a lingering fear toward the crazy Xie Lianzhen.

    If Ding Qingqing wasn¡¯t seriously frightened by him and unable to react since he broke through to the Spirit Realm all of a sudden, the results would¡¯ve been disastrous.

    The Xie Lianzhen that had gone berserk was filled with a murderous aura as if he had climbed out of hell. It was a different Xie Lianzhen that she had never seen before.

    Fortunately, he recovered quickly. The obsession helped him clear the depressed emotions in himself, and when he woke up, he looked peaceful. He seemed genuine as if he no longer had his mask on.

    After a moment of silence, the King spoke, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    The queen opened her eyes. ¡°For what?¡±

    ¡°As a king, I did nothing, and you had to carry everything on your shoulders.¡±

    The queen smiled. ¡°Isn¡¯t that good? I¡¯d be unhappy if you poked your nose into these matters. No ruler would like to share their power.¡±

    The king of Zhongzhou smiled. ¡°Somebody else told me that too.¡± Before the queen couldment, he continued, ¡°My father, the previous king of Zhongzhou.

    ¡°My father wanted to carry on a deathbed wish of his ancestors, which was to conquer the huge deste wastnd and subdue the barbarians. But this mighty dream will always be a dream. Before he could put his hands on it, he died. In an aristocratic family fight, he died of mental and physical exhaustion.

    ¡°But I¡¯m different from him, I have no interest in controlling Zhongzhou. If younger brother wasn¡¯t so ipetent, I would¡¯ve given him the position long ago. So, when you stood in front of me, it was as if I found a treasure. I saw father¡¯s determination and aggressiveness in you. The first thing that came to my mind was that it was great that I finally found someone who could continue father¡¯s ambition.¡±

    ¡°But I never proved myself worthy back then....¡±

    ¡°You did in the past.¡± The king of Zhongzhou smiled. ¡°When you were still a disciple in the Seventh Truth tform, the fifth n was almost under your control. Your system was so useful that, even now that Xing¡¯er doesn¡¯t care about it, the fifth n is still functioning well. I knew that your master set his heart on letting you be the next Alioth Star-Lord, not Xie Zhanghe.

    ¡°Qing¡¯er, I know that it¡¯s more of a tonic rtionship between us. Our marriage is more of an alliance.¡± The king of Zhongzhou looked at her softly. ¡°But it¡¯s alright. If you want revenge for Xie Zhanghe, do it. If you want to change the world, sure, I¡¯ll give you the authority. I¡¯ll give you whatever I can, and you¡¯ll share my burdens. I¡¯m d we are a couple in this way.¡±

    The queen looked at him.

    He came here just to tell me this, eh? Because of Ding Qingqing¡¯s words that day?

    ¡°I¡¯m d too,¡± The queen mumbled. That I met you after I lost him.

    ...

    When Xie Lianzhen entered, they were sitting together talking. ¡°Your majesty, Your highness,¡± he greeted them calmly.

    The king of Zhongzhou smiled at him and stood up. ¡°Have a good chat with your mother, I¡¯ll go and take a look at Yu¡¯er.¡±

    After he left, it was just the queen and Xie Lianzhen.

    The queen walked over and caressed his legs. ¡°How are they now?¡±

    ¡°Senior Uncle Zhang said that my energy isn¡¯t smooth yet, so I can¡¯t get my True Energy back yet. When it¡¯s back, I¡¯ll be able to stand up,¡± Xie Lianzhen replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s great, that¡¯s great,¡± the queen mumbled, eyes brimming with tears.

    After ages, she finally heard a piece of good news.

    ¡°Your highness.¡± Xie Lianzhen grabbed her hand in his own tightly.

    The queen trembled, looking at him in tears.

    This is the first time he ever came to me on his own ord.

    ¡°For some things, I used to think that I didn¡¯t care, so there was no need to know. Now, I finally realize I didn¡¯t dare to ask because I care too much.¡± Xie Lianzhen looked up at her in anticipation. ¡°Do you love me?¡±

    Tears rolled down the queen¡¯s cheeks. She held out her hand, shaking, and embraced him tightly.

    ¡°Definitely,¡± she replied. ¡°Mother definitely loves you.¡±

    Xie Lianzhen kept his eyes shut. He teared up in this hug that came sote.

 Chapter 205: Setting Off to Beiming

    <h4>Chapter 205: Setting Off to Beiming</h4>

    Setting off from Tianyun City¡¯s north gate, then going east from the main street, after proceeding for ten miles, Lu Mingshu reached a ferry crossing.

    There was footpath made out of pebbles leading to a bamboo forest, covering the waters slightly. A simple stone b in unadorned colours showed how long it had stayed at this ferry crossing; more than a thousand years. It had been washed into this colour by time.

    The morning mist had dispersed by now, and the sound of horse-trotting got closer. At the end of the footpath, a girl on a horse galloped toward the ferry crossing.

    ¡°Little Daze, we are here!¡± A clear voice could be heard. The horse raised its front hoof up high and stopped in time,nding exactly where the rider wanted.

    Lu Mingshu got down from Little Daze and looked around the ferry crossing.

    It was a peaceful river, clear water rippling, but not a single ferry could be seen, and there wasn¡¯t anyone around.

    Is Xiahou Shan trying to fool me? She sulked.

    Sending her out of the city, Xiahou Shan had asked Lu Mingshu where she was going to go. ¡°Where is Miss Lu nning to go?¡±

    ¡°I came from Xichuan, and Dongyue¡¯s my hometown. It¡¯s boring to go back to either of those ces, so I¡¯ll go to Beiming to have a look,¡± Lu Mingshu replied.

    Xiahou Shan furrowed her eyebrows. ¡°It¡¯s not easy to get to Beiming!¡±

    Bei meant north, and Ming meant river. Just like its name, it was an area near arge river surrounding the whole northern part of China.

    Looking at the map, a huge portion of Beiming was upied by the Ming River. This huge river with many tributaries could bring someone to anywhere in the world, and it was the thing that cut thend into many inds in the river. All of Beiming relied mainly on the river; thend was justplementary.

    There were so many tributaries to the Ming River that made the topographyplicated. Even today, there wasn¡¯t any map that could record its actual topography. Moreover, the Ming River was filled with many ferocious beasts. Even a Spirit Realm wouldn¡¯t dare to step into it rashly.

    ¡°Before I left, my master gave me a book of personal letters, which recorded his years while travelling in Beiming. With the book and my cautiousness, I should be safe.¡±

    Xiahou Shan nodded. ¡°It¡¯s good that you know what to expect. If anything happens, take that string of Mystic Dewdrops out. Beiming knows well that it represents Zhongzhou royalty. Don¡¯t hesitate to take it out when you need to.¡±

    Lu Mingshu couldn¡¯t help but feel grateful to the queen. ¡°In the end, I should thank Her Highness for this.¡±

    ¡°You returning safely is the best way you can express your gratitude to her,¡± Xiahou Shan said.

    What Xiahou Shan said made Lu Mingshu feel uneasy. The queen cared for her safety all because of Xie Lianzhen, and speaking of him reminded her of what she did.

    She did that not because she truly wanted to move Xie Lianzhen, but out of evil intentions. Since you want me to wholeheartedly acknowledge allegiance to you, then I¡¯ll show you the oue of that. See if you can bear the consequences.

    But she never expected that, not only could Xie Lianzhen not bear the consequences, she herself...

    Being sharp, Xiahou Shan intuitively knew that Lu Mingshu was uneasy by her expression, so she changed the topic. ¡°Anyway, if you want to travel to Beiming, there¡¯s an old ferry crossing ten miles away from the north gate. The river is interlinked with their tributary. Sometimes you¡¯ll meet the Jianghu people from Beiming, who make a living on the Ming River. They might not be capable, but they are experienced, so it will be easy for you to get to Beiming with their boat.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for the information, Emissary Xiahou.¡±

    After bidding Xiahou Shan goodbye, Lu Mingshu made her way to the old ferry crossing. However, now that she was here, she couldn¡¯t even see a boat.

    Am I just unlucky?

    Without a boat or guide, it would be hard to reach Beiming. In her master¡¯s book, it wrote that the hardest obstacle that an outsider would face while going to Beiming was that it was so easy for them to get lost. If they did, it would be a serious problem.

    The river of Beiming could get you anywhere in the world. In an ancient travel book, there were many ssic stories of this. One losing his way in the Ming River and meeting a senior who had been missing for years, or losing their way in the Ming River and being unable to find the way out until a junior came to help.

    From the ssics, it showed how easy it was for one to lose their way on the Ming River and how serious the consequences were.

    Thest thing that Lu Mingshu wanted to happen was for her to waste her years in the tributaries of the Ming River, so she had to find a ferry first.

    Creak!

    There was a sound of rowing as a small boat paddled out from a bunch of reeds near the riverbank.

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s eyes lit up.

    The simple and dull boat paddled across the waters. The old ferry crossing that was as still as a painting regained life.

    The boatman wearing a bamboo hat shouted across to Lu Mingshu. ¡°Miss, do you want to cross the river?¡±

    Lu Mingshu gged down the boat.

    The small boat came over quickly. A teenage girl with a Hakka scarf on her head came out from the hold of the ship and jumped up with a rope.

    After securing the rope, the girl looked up, wiping the sweat from her rosy cheeks and forehead. ¡°Miss, please get on board.¡±

    ¡°Thanks a lot.¡± Lu Mingshu leapt on board, followed by Little Daze. Its weight made the small boat sway from side to side.

    The boatman was an old man; his hair and beard were already half white. Seeing these two, he chuckled. ¡°Lady Luck¡¯s on my side today that I would be able to get a noble guest.¡±

    Lu Mingshu turned around. ¡°How does Sir know that I¡¯m a noble guest?¡±

    The boatman beamed. ¡°From your dress and the mount. It has a magical and godly look; it must be a precious beast. If you¡¯re not a noble guest, what else would you be?¡±

    Lu Mingshu smiled. ¡°May I know how much the fare is to get from here to Beiming?¡±

    ¡°Depends on which part of Beiming Miss wants to go to.¡± The boatman caressed his beard. ¡°As long as there¡¯s enough, we can go anywhere you want.¡±

    Anywhere you want ¨C such an arrogant sentence! But if he dares to say that, he must know the Ming River like his own palm.

    Lu Mingshu pondered before replying. ¡°I don¡¯t know where to go either. Can I rent Sir¡¯s boat and go wherever I want?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea!¡± Before the boatman could reply, the girl pped her hands. ¡°That¡¯s great, go whenever you want and stop whenever you want. That¡¯s freedom!¡±

    This girl on the boat seems to have a concept of Zen, Lu Mingshu thought.

    But that wasn¡¯t something surprising. The boatman and the girl had mystic force circting through their bodies, which told her that they were martial artists. These should be the Jianghu people that Xiahou Shan mentioned.

    She tossed a golden spindle into the girl¡¯s hand. ¡°How many days can I rent the boat with this?¡±

    The girl¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Hundred Refined Golden Spindle?¡± It was obviously a pleasant surprise for the girl.

    Lu Mingshu nodded her head.

    The girl and the boatman exchanged a nce. The girl pped her hands together. ¡°For half a year, we¡¯ll go wherever Miss wants!¡±

    Firstly, refine gold in water to get the essence. After refining it a hundred ways, it bes a Hundred Refined Gold Essence. Sixty kilograms of gold essence would then be refined into merely a small spindle. This Hundred Refined Golden Spindle could be used to refine a mystic weapon! As Jianghu people made a living on the Ming River, their cultivation materials came from the river. Mystic weapons were rare because mining masters were monopolized by the aristocratic families.

    The girl turned toward the river and shouted. ¡°Elder brother, we are setting sail!¡±

    A wave appeared in the middle of the river. In the blink of an eye, it was beside the boat. A person appeared from under the water. ¡°Here I am!¡±

    The guy wasn¡¯t much bigger than the girl. He wasn¡¯t very tall, but he was flexible. He came onto the boat half-naked and threw a on the boat. Prawns and fish leapt about in the.

    Out of curiosity, Little Daze went to smell them, but the fishy smell turned it off, and it turned away.

    The guy and the girl looked extremely alike. They even had the same smile.

    ¡°Be at ease, Miss. We can bring you anywhere you want, and we can guarantee you that we won¡¯t lose our way! ¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded. ¡°Thank you for your trouble.¡±

 Chapter 206: Sword Forging Commission

    <h4>Chapter 206: Sword Forging Commission</h4>

    Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales

    Upon entering the hold of the boat, Lu Mingshu was surprised. It was apletely different world.

    It seemed to be a small boat on the outside, but there were about sixty feet of space in the hold of the boat. There was a corridor in the middle, and the sides were separated into different rooms. There was a cabin, a kitchen, bedrooms, and a cargo hold. There was everything a boat needed.

    ¡°This boat....¡±

    The girl looked at Lu Mingshu with pride. ¡°My ancestors passed this down. Back then, he got more than ten shipbuilders, rune carvers, and even weapon makers to make it. Our boat may not be the best in the world, but it¡¯s one of the best on the Ming River.

    Seeing the faintly shining pattern in the hold, she couldn¡¯t help but think about how much it was worth. This boat can be considered a spiritual tool, right? It should be able to withstand a degree of wind and waves. This boat is quite worth the rent.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± The boatman shouted. Slowly, he steered the boat to the middle of the river.

    The old ferry crossing slowly got further away, and everything that once happened was left back there.

    ...

    In a sh, five or six days passed. The boat slowly left the area where they picked Lu Mingshu up.

    Torrential waves came at them steadily. In the vast waters, the cool breeze along with water vapournded on their faces. Waterfowl hovered around the sky, chirping.

    The boatman hung up the sail. When there was wind, the boat moved along with it.

    Lu Mingshu stood at the bow of the boat and asked softly. ¡°This is the Ming River? It¡¯s as vast as a sea.¡±

    Laughter could be heard, and the girl, Ah Ling, sat on the canopy. ¡°Miss, we haven¡¯t even reached the Ming River yet. This is just a tributary.¡±

    ¡°Just a tributary?¡± Lu Mingshu looked at her in amazement.

    ¡°Yeah! The Ming River¡¯s water isn¡¯t this peaceful.¡±

    After the past few days, they got to know each other well. This was the boat of the Ding Family, and people addressed the boatman as Captain Ding. He had a pair of grandchildren; the guy was known as Ah Lang and the girl was known as Ah Ling.

    Like most Jianghu people on the Ming River, they didn¡¯t have a good family background, and they didn¡¯t have good resources or support either, so they couldn¡¯t get into a sect. They lived freely and true to themselves on the Ming River.

    The Ding family didn¡¯t have high cultivations. Captain Ding barely made it into the Harmonization Realm, and he had only learned a few important skills, so it was almost impossible for him to be any better. Ah Ling and Ah Lang were okay; they were already in the Harmonization Realm. However,pared to sect disciples, it was considered bad to only reach the Harmonization Realm at the age of fifteen.

    When they learned Lu Mingshu was from a sect, the Ding Family looked up to her.

    ¡°Beiming is mainly made up of three mountains and nine states. The three mountains are Tianzhu Mountain, the Jasper Sun Mountain, and the North Pole Mountain. Tianzhu Mountain is where the Ancient Jade Summit is located; the resources there are the most abundant, and it¡¯s the safest mountain. The Jasper Sun Mountain is closed since it¡¯s said to have many ferocious beasts living there. For the North Pole Mountain, it¡¯s just a in mountain. After you pass the North Pole Mountain, it¡¯s no longer in Beiming¡¯s scope. As for the nine states...¡±

    Ah Ling¡¯s melodious voice rang across the river.

    After she finished, she turned to Lu Mingshu. ¡°Miss Lu, are you here to travel?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Wow, you guys are really lucky. You can travel all around.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you travelling every day on the Ming River?¡± Lu Mingshu replied.

    ¡°Nah, it¡¯s different.¡± Ah Ling pouted. ¡°We have to constantly make a living, so we don¡¯t have the mood to travel about.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Mood to travel?¡±

    ¡°The mood to enjoy the sceneries and have one¡¯s heart fulfilled.¡±

    Lu Mingshu smiled. ¡°We have very strongpetition as disciples. So what if we can travel around? Who would ever have the mood to just travel?¡±

    For example, during the days she spent on the boat so far, she needed to polish her mystic force, nourish her spiritual tool and the Mystic Dewdrops, and read a huge volume of ancient records in the Heavenly Wheel.

    After sitting outside for a while, she went back to the hold and entered the Heavenly Wheel.

    A leaf on the tree was especially eye-catching, and Lu Mingshu reached out for it.

    The leaf rapidly passed her a message for her before turning into rays of light and dispersing.

    After receiving the message, Lu Mingshu was pleasantly surprised. Someone had taken up the request that she ced to make the sword.

    ¡°Brother, did you take up the request?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± The other party answered, and it was a female¡¯s voice.

    There weren¡¯t many females who were tool refining masters.

    ¡°Miss,¡± she corrected herself, ¡°I¡¯ve already stated my request clearly; the materials are hard toe by. I hope that you can prove you¡¯re good enough to forge this sword.¡±

    The other party said no more and sent her a video. ¡°This is a video of me forging a sword. You can also ask for a spiritual tool, and I¡¯ll make one right now and record it for you.¡±

    Lu Mingshu attentively looked at the video that the other party sent over. She was indeed a skilled tool refining master. Lu Mingshu thought for a while before replying. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Since you¡¯re confident, can you exin how you will forge the sword?¡±

    ¡°No problem.¡± The other party told her some ns. ¡°I have three ns here. There are three types ¨C first, second, and third ss. Take your time to consider which you prefer. Please take note that if you choose first ss, the cost will increase, and the few Golden Crystal Extracts that you have won¡¯t be enough.¡±

    Lu Mingshu opened the ns up, and the contents surprised her. The other party¡¯s ns were well-written and perfect, other than the fact that she didn¡¯t put in the details about the actual method of forging. The pros and cons, what to take note of, and even examples were included.

    Such a perfectionist.

    ¡°Miss, your n is very detailed, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll need more time to understand it.¡±

    ¡°Give me an answer tomorrow then,¡± the other party replied. ¡°You can ask me if you do not understand anything.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    For three days, Lu Mingshu spent her time in the Heavenly Wheel studying the ns.

    Lu Mingshu could tell that the tool refining master had put in a lot of effort into the ns. She had considered the materials needed, cost, and the quality-to-price ratio.

    In the n for the third-ss sword, the tool refining master would prepare the supplementary materials. The main material was the Golden Crystal Extract.

    For the second-ss n, more materials would be needed. A few supplementary materials would be used to improve the Golden Crystal Extract¡¯s attributes.

    As for the first-ss n, the Golden Crystal Extracts would only be considered supplementary materials, and something else would be the main material. The tool refining master mentioned in her n that the Golden Crystal Extract was very good in conducting mystic force, so it was the best option to bind with the main material. It was light, stable, and firm. It only needed to be refined a bit more before it could be used. The main thing was that the forged sword could be upgraded! The tool refining master said that this n used the method of cultivating a sword; when it was at higher cultivation, new ingredients could be added to improve its quality.

    Of course, it came with an obvious disadvantage; how much would it cost if the Golden Crystal Extracts were only a supplementary material?

    This n was particrly detailed. It could be seen that she wished for Lu Mingshu to choose this n. Obviously, which tool refining master would not want their client to choose the best? It¡¯s best for her craftsmanship too.

    Looking at the first-ss n, Lu Mingshu just couldn¡¯t pick the other two ns. Compared to the first-ss sword, the other two were too simple and crude!

    Unable to convince herself, she sighed and calcted the amount of money she had.

    There was a hundred Mystic Crystals that State Master Jiayan lost to her, as well as the prize for getting first ce on the New Generation Ranking. Adding everything up, it was barely enough, leaving nothing for her own cultivation.

    It was the agreed-upon time now, and the Heavenly Wheel sent a message. ¡°Has Miss decided?¡±

    Lu Mingshu nced at the n and her purse, then stopped struggling. ¡°I¡¯ll take the first-ss sword.¡±

    The other party didn¡¯t seem surprised; she immediately sent a list over. ¡°This is the exact amount for each material. Contact me when you collect it all.¡±

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s heart felt pain as she read the list. All my money!

    ¡°As for the reward you give me, that will be the Golden Crystal Extract. If I cast the sword my way, I¡¯ll have some left over, and for all tool refining masters, the leftover materials will be kept. However, what you should know is that, the more leftover materials, the finer the method is, and the better the quality of the sword.¡±

    ¡°As long as the sword is good enough, that¡¯s not a problem.¡±

 Chapter 207: Encounter on the Water

    <h4>Chapter 207: Encounter on the Water</h4>

    After discussing the conditions and signing the contract, Lu Mingshu called Brother Six.

    ¡°Little Sister Seven, this is worth a lot!¡± Brother Six shouted upon seeing her list.

    ¡°I have no choice. My sword is ruined, so I have to get a new one even if I go bankrupt!¡± Lu Mingshu answered begrudgingly.

    ¡°True, a martial artist can¡¯t survive without a good weapon. Your cultivation has increased now too. If you don¡¯t get a good one, it will only limit your ability. Be at ease, I¡¯ll find you whatever I can!¡±

    Brother Six was always a nimble person. Even if the materials could be found in her world, it would take years for her to get it all on her own. With the Heavenly Wheel as a medium, it would be a lot easier.

    After a few days, Lu Mingshu received some materials.

    ¡°Brother Six, what about the rest?¡±

    ¡°The remaining materials are very rare in any world, so they¡¯ll take time to find. Oh, by the way, I remembered that your world has a lot of special ore products, You might be able to find the rest in your world.¡±

    ¡°Ahhh!¡± Lu Mingshu thought for a while. ¡°I¡¯ll have to trouble Brother Six to help me look out for them.¡±

    ¡°No problem.¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked at the list, and there were four left. Two of the materials had never appeared in her world. As for the other two, she had read about them before in a book in the Heavenly Ascension Pavilion.

    ¡°Fairy Gravel and Mystic Yellow Stone....¡±

    She recalled what was written in the book. Fairy Gravel was extremely rare, and there was no fixed ce of origin for it. As for Yellow Mystic Stone, Beiming and Nanze seemed to produce a small amount of it.

    Suddenly, the boat jolted. Captain¡¯s Ding voice could be heard, ¡°A water beast showed up! Watch out!¡±

    Lu Mingshu exited the hold, but she only saw a line of waterunching at the boat.

    Captain Ding steered the ship, Ah Ling quickly jumped off the canopy, and Ah Lang climbed the sail at lightning speed. The family put in all their strength to change the boat¡¯s direction. Luckily, they dodged it.

    ¡°Wow.¡± Ah Ling jumped down and pped her chest. ¡°Lucky. This water beast is already in the Harmonization Realm. If it hit us, the boat would¡¯ve surely capsized.¡±

    ¡°Why is the water beast swimming so quickly? It looks like it¡¯s fleeing for its life,¡± Lu Mingshu pondered.

    ¡°Miss has good eyesight,¡± Captain Ding answered. ¡°Water beasts have a leisurely character. If it¡¯s moving so quickly, there must be danger, but I don¡¯t know...¡±

    Before he could finish, another water line appeared. This water line was different from the previous one; somebody was flying on the water¡¯s surface, causing water to ssh up.

    The water line was getting closer, and in no time, the person could be seen clearly.

    It was a seventeen or eighteen-year-old guy. He was wearing a turquoise embroidered shirt, and he was standing on something that made him move at the speed of lightning.

    When he was in front of the Ding Family¡¯s boat, he paused in his tracks and did a flip,nding on the canopy.

    ¡°Old fellow, I¡¯m requisitioning your boat!¡± he shouted. He then threw a piece of Golden Extract in front of Captain Ding. ¡°You saw that water beast that just passed by, right? Quickly go after it!¡±

    Before Captain Ding could reply, Ah Ling looked angry.

    Just a normal Golden Extract, worth no more than ten pieces of gold in Zhongzhou, and he wants to use our boat? He didn¡¯t even ask for our opinion. He really looks down on us!

    Ah Ling wanted to say something, but Captain Ding gave her a nce, signalling her not to.

    He smiled apologetically. ¡°This gentleman, we have already rented out the boat. I¡¯m really sorry for...¡±

    The guy turned to him coldly. ¡°I said that I want to requisition your boat. What don¡¯t you understand?¡±

    ¡°We have already rented out our boat!¡± Ah Lang cut in. ¡°This gentleman, no matter how much you pay, we can¡¯t go back on our words.¡±

    The guy suddenly red up and asked coldly. ¡°Don¡¯t you know who I am?¡±

    Captain Ding smiled bitterly, looking at the leaf embroidered on the man¡¯s cor. As someone who navigated the Ming River, how could he not recognize the symbol? It was the symbol of the Ye Family from White Heron State, one of the top three aristocratic families in Beiming. He didn¡¯t expect to meet someone from the Ye Family in such a distant ce.

    A nonentity like them couldn¡¯t afford to offend the Ye Family, but as a boat that ferried people around, they had their rules too. Since they had already taken the rent, they couldn¡¯t go back on their promise.

    He could only move his eyes toward Lu Mingshu to see what she had to say. If she was willing to let him in, then he would do as he was asked. If not, it was better for her to reject it herself then them.

    Seeing that Captain Ding looked in another direction, the guy turned toward where Captain Ding was looking. His eyes lit up at the sight.

    A skinny girl was standing at the bow of the ship in a spring jacket. She turned as if she felt his ce. Her fair skin looked almost transparent under the sunlight, and she had no expression as if she was an iceberg.

    ¡°This Miss...¡± He lowered his volume.

    Lu Mingshu answered in a monotone, ¡°This gentleman, I¡¯m afraid that we are going in different directions.¡±

    An obvious rejection.

    The guy raised his voice, obviously displeased. ¡°Who asked for your opinion? Go after it now! If you let that water beast off... hmph!¡±

    Outside of his expectations, Lu Mingshu just stood idled around. ¡°Gentleman, if you go after it right now, you might still be able to get it. If you waste your time with us, you might not even see its shadow anymore.¡±

    ¡°You...!¡± The guy red up in anger. His surprise at her appearance was all gone.

    Whoosh!

    He fished out his sword. ¡°You think the Ye Family is easy to take advantage of, huh? I¡¯ll show you something then.¡±

    Just because we couldn¡¯t agree on something, he was going to get physical?

    She hadn¡¯t even reached Beiming yet and she already met such a person. What kind of luck was this?

    ¡°Miss.¡± Ah Ling nudged Lu Mingshu. ¡°He¡¯s from the Ye Family. Look at his cor,¡± she whispered.

    Lu Mingshu already noticed it earlier. The river was the mainponent of Beiming, but there were a few pieces ofnd. The bigger ones were known as states. There was a total of nine states in Beiming, and the small number of aristocratic families and sects were distributed throughout the nine states.

    The Ye Family was one of the biggest aristocratic families. They were getting more and more powerful in recent years, and they had the title of being one of the Big Three Families. They were located in White Heron State, and they had control over the southeast of Beiming. They were like tyrants; they were arrogant, and they never hesitated.

    However, Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t n to give in. I rented a boat to travel through Beiming. Why do I have to go beast hunting with a Ye Family disciple? No matter how powerful they are, they can¡¯t control me.

    As if nothing was happening, she sat down as she pleased. ¡°I have already rented this boat for half a year. Gentleman, please.¡±

    Chasing me away, huh? The guyughed out loud in anger. ¡°This lord doesn¡¯t attack someone without knowing their name. Give your name!¡±

    Lu Mingshu raised her eyebrows. ¡°You¡¯re not worth it.¡±

    This was enough for the guy to blow up. Seeing that Lu Mingshu was in the Harmonization Realm, he didn¡¯t want to be too harsh. If she could reach the Harmonization Realm at her age, she was either from a sect or an aristocratic family ¨C worthy of getting to know. However, no matter how polite he was, she didn¡¯t give him any face. This is our family¡¯s territory! Even if it¡¯s a dragon, it has to follow our rules.

    Sword-light emerged as the guy attacked right away.

    ¡°Gentleman!¡± Captain Ding yelled. He was in the Harmonization Realm too, butpared to an aristocratic family disciple, it was like the difference between an authentic good and a knock-off. The disciple¡¯s closed apertures had almost beenpletely activated, but he hardly activated any, and he couldn¡¯t even block or attack. Furthermore, this man was from the Ye Family, so Captain Ding wouldn¡¯t dare to put his hands on him even if he could.

    The sword energy and the blue-tinted mystic light was now in front of Lu Mingshu.

    The sword energy was about to behead her, but a nk! could be heard as the mystic light was stopped, pinched between her fingers.

 Chapter 208: Canéˆ¥æª› Agree with Each Other

    <h4>Chapter 208: Can¡¯t Agree with Each Other</h4>

    Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales

    Chapter 208 ¨C Can¡¯t Agree with Each Other

    ¡°You...!¡± The guy was aghast.

    A pair of white and thin fingers, surrounded by mild golden light, slightly pinched down, and the blue mystic light shattered into pieces.

    Lu Mingshu stared at him. ¡°If you leave now, I¡¯ll pretend that nothing happened.¡±

    The guy was at a loss for words.

    Out of anger, his previous attack was at about 80% of his full power, but under her fingers, this ability was no different from being defeated in one go.

    However, a Ye Family disciple who always behaved arrogantly around southeast Beiming, if he was so easily scared off, where would he put his face?

    At this time, the water beast wasn¡¯t important anymore. The guy raised his sword. ¡°Arrogant! Let me see what you have then!¡±

    Sword-light shone, and the water suddenly rippled and swept over.

    Ah Ling shrieked. This is the Ye Family¡¯s skill, Mystic Water Sword. This turquoise-shirt guy is not only a Ye Family disciple, he¡¯s a main descendant!

    It¡¯s over. Miss Lu will never be able to go to White Heron State after offending the Ye Family.

    ¨C or rather, that¡¯s just the future. This Ye Family guy clearly doesn¡¯t have any good intentions. He wants to see blood with this Mystic Water Sword!

    Having a lower ability, she was busy thinking about all that when the sword was already in front of Lu Mingshu.

    However, the bloody scene she expected did not happen.

    She only saw Lu Mingshu getting into position, then the mystic light spreading out. Ding! Ding! Ding! The weapons met.

    But she wasn¡¯t holding any sword. Just with mystic force alone, she could imitate a sword¡¯s characteristics.

    Ah Ling didn¡¯t have much experience, so she only found the fight interesting. However, as the fight went on, the Ye Family disciple was more and more surprised. It wasn¡¯t rare for someone to use their fingers as weapons, but she hadn¡¯t even taken her actual weapon out yet, and the sword-energy was almost overflowing. This skill is astonishing! Where did this Misse from?

    On the other side, Lu Mingshu was quite happy with the results. Blending sword-energy into mystic light was indeed a smart move. Back during the Qilin Festival, she saw that Wei Chunqiu could manifest his mystic light into a sword. She thought that it was amazing and went to research it. She had only understood a bit about it, and the Ye Family gentleman came right on time for her to test this skill.

    This gentleman has probably been in the Harmonization Realm for one or two years, and he should be quite good. If I¡¯m able to get the upper hand, it shows that this skill is very powerful.

    The mystic force swelled and fell apart after an attack. The two shadows split apart.

    The turquoise-shirt guy stood on his heels and stepped on the mast. He looked back at Lu Mingshu to see her tidying her clothes calmly, and he couldn¡¯t hold it back anymore.

    He even used the Mystic Water Sword, but the other party didn¡¯t even take out her weapon. This is so embarrassing!

    He looked pale. He stopped caring and growled, sword-light shooting up the sky.

    The water in the river could feel his sword and started to bubble.

    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± the Ding Family screamed.

    This attack seemed to activate something. It seemed to be very grand; if it really struck, even the boat may be split open.

    But why would the guy listen to them? The sharp sword was full of power as it shed downward.

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s eyes shed as she took out her sword.

    A clear whistle could be heard, and sword-light was now everywhere as if there was a dragon nearby, making the water toss and turn.

    Boom!

    A sound came from under the water, followed by numerous explosion sounds.

    A tremendous wave surged upward, sending the Ding Family¡¯s boat high up into the sky.

    Ah Ling clutched onto the sides of the boat tightly. ¡°Grandpa!¡±

    Captain Ding took out his oar and stuck it in the water. ¡°Ah Lang!¡±

    Ah Lang wanted to hold onto the mast, but the wind was too strong; as soon as he did so, he slipped back down again.

    This made Ah Ling nervous. This boat is the ancestor¡¯s property. Their fight is too strong... if we don¡¯t activate the runes on the boat, are they going to ruin it?

    Just at this time, a mystic forcended. Mild golden silk thread covered the whole boat like a gauze.

    The jolting gradually stopped, and the tremendous waves were now isted. Seizing this chance, Ah Lang jumped over to the mast. He bit his middle finger and drew on the floor with his blood.

    The rune on the mast lit up with bloody light, turning into a shield.

    The boat slowly floated back to the water surface. Ah Ling heaved a sigh of relief.

    She looked up to see the fight still going on. Miss Lu is different from this Ye Family disciple; she still remembers our safety during the fight. I hope she wins this fight.

    As she was having this thought, two rays of mystic light collided. The light blue one dispersed, and the guy flew off the boat into the water.

    ¡°Miss!¡± Ling screamed.

    Whoosh!

    The sword-light dimmed, and Lu Mingshu kept her sword. She then walked back to the bow of the boat.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±

    She was indeed okay. She wasn¡¯t even slightly wet.

    But Ah Ling was worried about the other party.

    ¡°Oh my god!¡± Ah Lang looked at the ce where the guy fell from, face filled with worried. ¡°If something happens to that Ye Family disciple...¡±

    Lu Mingshu shook her head. ¡°He¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡°Miss Lu!¡± Ah Lang screamed at her. ¡°Do you know what-!¡±

    Before he could finish his words, the guy came up from the water, all wet, showing a sorry figure.

    St... The guy vomited out water and looked at her, flustered and exasperated. ¡°Who the hell are you?¡±

    Lu Mingshu sat down. ¡°This gentleman, aren¡¯t you aware that you need to introduce yourself first before asking someone else¡¯s name?¡±

    The guy trembled. Either he was freezing from the water, or he was just angered by her.

    He took out a silver palm-sized leaf. He jumped onto the boat and stepped on the leaf.

    ¡°Ye Zhenfan from White Heron State. I ask Miss for your name!¡± He gritted his teeth, giving her a death stare.

    Pu! Ah Ling burst out inughter.

    Ye Zhenfan stared at her fiercely.

    Ah Ling immediately stoppedughing and pretended as nothing happened. She couldn¡¯t afford to offend a Ye Family disciple.

    Lu Mingshu smiled. Zhenfan...? ¡°Very annoying¡±? What a nice name for this guy. (Same pinyin, different characters)

    ¡°A pleasure.¡± She raised her hand for a handshake. ¡°Lu Mingshu from Nine Jade Pce.¡±

    ¡°Nine Jade Pce?¡± Ye Zhenfan stared at her nkly. He had many guesses ¨C Seventh Truth tform, Heavenly Sea Pavilion, or one of the many aristocratic families, but he didn¡¯t expect her to be from Nine Jade Pce.

    In the Ding Family¡¯s eyes, Nine Jade Pce was an honourable sect, unreachable for them. But the Ye Family had a lot of power, so of course, they had higher standards. Nine Jade Pce was far, and there wasn¡¯t much talent there. They had declined over the past few years to an ordinary sect. Yet there¡¯s someone like her?

    Her skills are indeed not from the Seventh Truth tform or the Heavenly Sea Pavilion. Nine Jade Pce... what skills do they practice?

    Before Ye Zhenfan could recall, a small boat sped over.

    The boat was the same as the Ding Family¡¯ boat; it belonged to some Jianghu people. On the bow, there stood a few people that were dressed simrly to Ye Zhenfan.

    ¡°Ninth Brother. Hey!¡± Somebody waved.

 Chapter 209: Did You do it?

    <h4>Chapter 209: Did You do it?</h4>

    The boat gradually slowed down and stopped in front of the Ding Family¡¯s boat.

    Two guys and a girl stood at the bow. They were all about the same age, they were all wearing turquoise, and they were all in the Harmonization Realm.

    Seeing Ye Zhenfan, one of the guys burst out intoughter. ¡°Hahahaha, Ninth Brother, what have you done? Haha.¡±

    The other guy and girl didn¡¯tugh as loud as him, but they were trying to hide theirughter so hard that they were shaking.

    Ye Zhenfan was totally wet, and his hair was still dripping with water like a drowned rat. For Ye Family disciples, before one even learned how to crawl, they would already learn how to swim. With a leaf in their hands, they could go anywhere in the world as long as there was water. Merely chasing a water beast caused him to be in such state? It was really... embarrassing.

    Being mocked by his younger siblings, Ye Zhenfan turned ck and snorted. Steam surrounded him, and he was soon dry.

    ¡°Why are you following me around instead of hunting beasts?¡±

    The guy who wasughing like mad stopped and answered, ¡°We were just worried for you, Ninth Brother. Ye Mingguang has already killed a centipus (an octopus with one hundred tentacles), so if Ninth Brother didn¡¯t get that water beast, you¡¯re now losing to him.¡±

    Seeing Ye Zhenfan¡¯s expression, he cautiously asked, ¡°You really lost it?¡±

    Ye Zhenfan hmphed, face as red as a tomato.

    The three disciples exchanged nces before putting their attention on the next boat.

    This boat was the same as the ones they were always stepping on; amon boat that all Jianghu people owned. However, the youngdy on the boat was obviously not a Jianghu person.

    Looking at her clothes, she¡¯s not from Beiming. And her cultivation... Harmonization Realm? She¡¯s definitely from a sect or an aristocratic family.

    They were from the same family, so they knew Ye Zhenfan¡¯s ability well; the water beast and the Jianghu people in front of them couldn¡¯t cause him to be in his current state. The only anomaly was the girl in front of them.

    Perhaps she just taught Ninth Brother a lesson?

    Impossible. Even though this is a remote ce, it¡¯s still part of White Heron State. Who would dare to act against a Ye Family disciple here?

    ¡°Ninth Brother...¡±

    Before he could ask, Ye Zhenfan shut him up. ¡°The water beast is already gone, so why are you still standing here? Go and hunt if you don¡¯t wanna lose to Ye Mingguang!¡±

    ¡°Hey, Ninth Brother!¡±

    Ye Zhenfan ignored their calls. He stepped on the silver leaf and dashed away.

    ¡°Tenth Brother, let¡¯s go,¡± the girl said.

    ¡°No rush.¡±

    The guy turned. He smiled and bowed to Lu Mingshu. ¡°I¡¯m a Ye Family disciple ¨C Ye Zhenxing. How should I address Miss?¡±

    Seeing him being courteous, Lu Mingshu returned it. ¡°Lu Mingshu from Nine Jade Pce.¡±

    Ye Zhenxing thought for a moment; he had never heard this name before. Even so, he replied with, ¡°So it¡¯s Miss Lu. It¡¯s an honour to meet you atst.¡±

    Lu Mingshu was toozy to say anything, so she just nodded.

    Ye Zhenxing added on, ¡°Elder brother is hot-tempered, so I apologize if he has offended you in any way. I hope you will not take it too hard.¡±

    Lu Mingshu gave him a half-hearted smile.

    Seeing that Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t want to talk much, Ye Zhenxing got directly to the point. ¡°Did Ninth Brother get into a fight with Miss?¡±

    Seeing Lu Mingshu nod, Ye Zhenxing looked at her oddly.

    Based on Ye Zhenfan¡¯s state, it was obvious that he suffered a great loss. Miss Lu wasn¡¯t a famous person, yet she was so young. Did she really do that to Ye Zhenfan?

    Nine Jade Pce... this n had never nurtured a person worth mentioning.

    ¡°Tenth Brother, what are you talking about? Let¡¯s go!¡± the girl called impatiently. What¡¯s there to talk about with a disciple from a small faraway n? So what if she did it? Think about Ninth Brother¡¯s character; it¡¯s nothing surprising even if he fell into a drain.

    After that, she instructed the boatman, ¡°Reverse! Back to the Green Hills Bank!¡±

    ¡°Eh....¡±

    ¡°Come on!¡±

    Unable to change his cousin¡¯s mind, Ye Zhenxing bowed. ¡°Until we meet again.¡±

    Just as he finished, the boat set sail and sped off.

    After the Ye Family members left, Ah Ling heaved a sigh of relief and looked at Lu Mingshu with admiration. ¡°Miss, you¡¯re so good! That Ye Family gentleman was defeated by you!¡±

    Lu Mingshu smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s get going too.¡±

    On the other hand, Ah Lang looked at the floor gloomily. ¡°I hope the Ye Family forgets about this, or else... haish!¡± Miss Lu is a disciple, so she doesn¡¯t need to be afraid of them, but we are just nobodies. We still need to earn a living!

    ¡°It will be fine,¡± Captain Ding said. ¡°That gentleman from the Ye Family won¡¯t bother with us. Miss Lu should be cautious though, the previous Ye gentleman might have taken note of you.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded. ¡°Thank you for your advice.¡±

    She wouldn¡¯t take a Ye Family disciple to heart, but if they found trouble with her because of him, then that was another matter.

    After putting up the sail, Captain Ding turned toward Lu Mingshu. ¡°Miss, should we go to the Green Hills Bank too? There¡¯s a market there.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    Ah Ling looked worried. ¡°What if we meet Ye Family members?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the Ye Family¡¯s territory all the way down; we can¡¯t avoid it. Just don¡¯t worry about,¡± Captain Ding replied.

    Lu Mingshu nodded, agreeing with him.

    ...

    After half a day passed, they finally reached the Ming River.

    There were intense wind and undting waves. Looking downward, you couldn¡¯t even see the riverbed. It was unknown how many beasts were hidden in the river.

    Beiming had a huge area, and the river took up more than half of it. There were beasts lurking around, and there weren¡¯t many areas suitable for living. There were only a few pieces ofnd ¨C the states. Each state was only as big as one region of Zhongzhou. Other than that, there were only inds and banks.

    Green Hills Bank was situated in the east of Beiming, nearest to Zhongzhou. Even though it wasn¡¯t big, it was crowded with merchants and bustling with activity.

    The Ding Family were merchants too. They went back and forth between Zhongzhou and Beiming, bringing along special local products in exchange for cultivation materials.

    The boat reached the harbour. ¡°Miss, we are going to clear out our goods. You can spend a few days at the hotels here,¡± Captain Ding said.

    Lu Mingshu nodded and asked a few questions on what Green Hills Bank was like before going off with Little Daze.

    Green Hills Bank was extremely small. Other than the harbour, there were only two streets.

    Along the way, Lu Mingshu saw numerous Ye Family disciples.

    She remembered the conversation between the disciples she met previously. Are they having a huntingpetition nearby?

    She then walked into a small shop.

    The shop was very small, and it sold the usual medicines that martial artists used. There was nobody in the shop other than an old manzily trying to chase some flies away.

    Seeing Lu Mingshu enter, the old man immediately looked up and smiled professionally. ¡°Miss. Here to buy medicine?¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked around and nodded. ¡°Are there any good items?¡±

    The old man wasn¡¯t even in the Inner Breath Realm, but he had good foresight. Seeing her, he guessed that she was from a good sect, so he introduced her to the best in his shop. ¡°Look at...¡±

    Lu Mingshu picked a few of Beiming¡¯s special local products and paid him. She then asked, ¡°Why are there so many Ye Family disciples here at Green Hills Bank?¡±

 Chapter 210: Gentleman Ye

    <h4>Chapter 210: Gentleman Ye</h4>

    ¡°Huh?¡± The old man looked at her oddly. ¡°Miss isn¡¯t the Ye Family¡¯s...?¡±

    Lu Mingshu stared at him.

    The old manughed awkwardly and apologized. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I thought you were a Ye Family disciple without a doubt. The Ye Family¡¯s annual spring hunt is held in Green Hills Bank this year, and the younger disciples are all here.¡±

    ¡°Spring hunt?¡±

    The old man looked at her in shock. ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard of it?¡±

    Lu Mingshu shook her head. ¡°The Ye Family is isted from where I came from, I haven¡¯t had much of a chance to hear about them.¡±

    Such a powerful family is considered isted to her? Where does this Misse from?

    The old man became more respectful to her. ¡°The spring hunt is the tradition of the Ye Family. Once every year, anyone in the Harmonization Realm or below is entitled to participate. Every year, they will distribute resources ording to the position achieved in the spring hunt, so it¡¯s an important event for every Ye Family disciple.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    Lu Mingshu took the bag of medicine and proceeded to the door. Suddenly, someone rushed in and nearly banged into her.

    It was a teenager who looked schrly and weak, with skin as white as a sheet of paper. He was wearing the turquoise clothes of a Ye Family disciple and looked gloomy.

    He threw her a cold nce, not apologetic at all for banging into her. ¡°Do you have any medicine for injuries?¡± he asked the old man.

    The smile on the old man¡¯s face disappeared, and he hung his head. ¡°Customer, I¡¯m so sorry, the injury medicine is all sold out.¡±

    Lu Mingshu furrowed her eyebrows. She saw a pack on the table a moment ago.

    The teenager¡¯s expression changed, and he grabbed the man¡¯s cor. The weak and schrly side was gone, reced with a sinister expression. ¡°Sold out? You don¡¯t even have any business here. Are you purposely not selling it to me?¡±

    No matter how weak he looked, he was still a Harmonization Realm disciple. The old man stammered.

    Lu Mingshu nced over and unleashed her imposing aura.

    He was already wounded, and his power wasn¡¯t as strong as Lu Mingshu¡¯s. He let go of the old man suddenly as he stumbled and banged into the door.

    The teenager looked up and gave her a death stare. ¡°Who are you? How dare you meddle in the Ye Family¡¯s business?¡±

    Lu Mingshu pointed outside the shop. ¡°Green Hills Bank belongs to the Ye Family, right? Since they collect taxes, they have to care about the orderliness of this ce. If this incident is reported to the Ye Family¡¯s elders, you¡¯ll be at fault for messing things up.¡±

    ¡°You...!¡±

    He gave her another death stare, but seeing that she wasn¡¯t giving in, he stood up and stumbled out.

    Seeing that he left, the old man heaved a sigh of relief and bowed to Lu Mingshu in gratitude. ¡°Thank you, Miss. This old man would have been in trouble today if not for your help.¡±

    Lu Mingshu remained unmoved. ¡°Why did you lie to him?¡±

    Seeing her staring at him like a hawk, the old man smiled bitterly. ¡°Miss, it¡¯s not that I do not want to, but the Ye Family came earlier and told me not to.¡±

    Lu Mingshu stared at him weirdly. ¡°Isn¡¯t he a Ye Family member?¡±

    The old man sighed. ¡°Miss, it¡¯s something that you are unaware of. He may be from the Ye Family, but his background is different from the rest.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    If it was someone else, the old man would have already stopped there, but since Lu Mingshu helped him just now, he couldn¡¯t possibly reject her, so he told her everything.

    The gentleman who came in previously was called Ye Mingguang. His father was the third master of the Ye Family, but because his mother had a low status, she couldn¡¯t get into the Ye Family. In other words, he was an illegitimate child.

    Last year, the third master passed away, leaving no other descendants, so the Ye Family took Ye Mingguang back.

    He didn¡¯t have a brilliant family background, and he didn¡¯t get many resources. He was basically being ostracized by everyone else.

    During this spring hunt, the Ye Family disciples around his age ganged up against him; they knew he was injured, so they came over earlier and instructed the old man not to sell him any injury medicines.

    The old man shook his head. ¡°Miss, you can see how much business I have. Why would I not want to sell him medicine? But if those who came earlier knew I did, I¡¯ll lose this shop....¡±

    ¡°No wonder.¡±

    ¡°That Gentleman Ye, he¡¯s such a poor thing. It¡¯s said that his mother died early, and he lived under another¡¯s roof. Now, he¡¯s entered the Ye Family, but he¡¯s still having a tough life.¡± The old man sighed, but he suddenly smiled after being reminded of something. ¡°But no matter what, he is still a Ye Family disciple, so how bad can his life be? My fears are groundless.¡±

    Lu Mingshu never expected to meet him again, but she saw a familiar figure near the window of her hotel.

    There were three guys and one girl, all wearing the turquoise shirt representing the Ye Family.

    The guy being surrounded by them was the one she saw half an hour ago.

    Ye Mingguang rubbed away the bloodstain at the corner of his mouth. He stood up abruptly, giving them a death re. ¡°Are you all trying to have a private fight with me?¡±

    ¡°Che!¡± Ye Zhenxing looked at him, ¡°Twelfth Brother, how do you see this as using for a fight? We are just practising, practising. Even if you tell Second Uncle, it¡¯s just practice.¡±

    ¡°You...!¡±

    ¡°Oops, I¡¯m so sorry, I forgot that you¡¯ve only juste back to the Ye Family a while ago, so I doubt you¡¯ve memorized the rules. Let me tell you; we are allowed to practice as long as we don¡¯t hurt the other party. See, I didn¡¯t hurt you, right?¡± Ye Zhenxing looked unbothered.

    Ye Mingguang bit his lips.

    They indeed didn¡¯t. They only forced him to use his mystic force. He was injured internally earlier when he was going after the centipus, and he didn¡¯t have enough injury medicine, especially since they stopped him from getting more. Now, he was forced to use his mystic force. If he couldn¡¯t get any injury medicine soon, there was no chance of him getting a good position in this spring hunt.

    ¡°Twelfth Brother, you¡¯re still injured. Elder brother will get going now, see you tomorrow!¡±

    The footsteps got further away, and Ye Mingguang felt his blood boiling as his eyesight became blurry.

    Fatigued from fighting the beast, the pain from his internal injury, and the humiliation, he could no longer take it and leaned against some bamboo. Plop! He slid down to the floor.

    As a Ye Family disciple, he finally had a powerful family name. Many envied him, but all he saw was a dark future.

    So what if his surname was Ye? The whole Ye Family took him as an enemy, and he had no rtives!

    Screech!

    Ye Mingguang sat up suddenly as something fell from the bamboo. He instinctively moved away. He looked around and saw there was a bamboo viper on the ground in two parts. It wiggled for a while and stopped.

    He broke out in cold sweat.

    The bamboo vipers of Green Hills Bank were very venomous. If he was bitten by one, he would be in big trouble. Who would save him then?

    He looked up, and what he saw shocked him.

    A girl in spring clothes stood ten feet away from him, staring at him with a poker face as she sheathed her sword.

    He wanted to thank her, but he didn¡¯t. Half an hour earlier, she was the one that caused him to not get any injury medicine.

    The other party didn¡¯t seem to want his gratitude either. She left immediately afterwards.

    I¡¯m indeed a bearer of bad luck, huh? Everyone runs away when they see me.

    Ye Mingguang smirked andughed at himself.

    Suddenly, something was thrown at him. Out of instinct, he grabbed it. Ye Mingguang was extremely shocked to see what was in his hands.

    It was a porcin bottle used to hold medicine. He trembled while opening it up, and the familiar smell of medicine came out from it.

    He looked up to see the girl again, but she was nowhere to be seen.

 Chapter 211: Canéˆ¥æª› let her Return

    <h4>Chapter 211: Can¡¯t let her Return</h4>

    Lu Mingshu went back to her room and sat down.

    She didn¡¯t want to poke her nose into someone else¡¯s business. It was just that, seeing Ye Mingguang reminded her of herself and what she experienced. It was also partly her fault that Ye Mingguang didn¡¯t get his injury medicine, so she gave him the medicine to make it even. No matter what the Ye Family was like, it had nothing to do with her from now on.

    After resting for a night, she decided to go search for the Fairy Gravel and Yellow Mystic Stone the next day.

    Like this, she sat cross-legged, ready to cultivate and refine her mystic force.

    ...

    In the blink of an eye, the group sent to Zhongzhou had left for three months.

    After handling Zhou Yinru¡¯s marriage, Zhou Miaoru was totally exhausted.

    Stewardess Tao massaged her temples and asked softly, ¡°Yesterday, the Jin family sent some calming incense here, and it¡¯s top-notch quality. Does Madame want to try it?¡±

    Zhou Miaoru closed her eyes and waved. ¡°It¡¯s okay. No matter what incense is used, I will still be mentally tired.¡±

    Since her father stepped down, she carried all of the Zhou Family¡¯s matters on her shoulders. Second Uncle, who cares about nothing... I should already be happy if he¡¯s not causing me any trouble. Younger sister is a moron. Luckily, she¡¯s not capable, so I could marry her off, expanding the family connections. Husband... Zhou Miaoru smirked.

    Luckily, she had a pair of children. Mingtang didn¡¯t fall short of her expectations; he reached the Harmonization Realm sessfully. As for Mingxi, she¡¯d need to teach her some more so she could try to marry her to the Dengwen Xue family. Their Seventh Master is not bad....

    ¡°Isn¡¯t Elder Yin back yet?¡±

    Stewardess Tao knew that she was referring to Yin Hong. She smiled, ¡°She sent a letter earlier saying that she will arrive in the next few days.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    A servant girl walked in at this moment. ¡°Madame, Elder Yin wishes to see you.¡±

    ¡°Let her in,¡± Zhou Miaoru answeredzily.

    Yin Hong came in, and she was in all smiles. ¡°Madame, your subordinate finished the task you gave.¡± As she finished, she ced many mustard seed pouches on the table. It filled up half of the table.

    Zhou Miaoru nced over at her. ¡°Oh, did you get the marriage certificate?¡±

    ¡°This... no, but the queen said that she¡¯ll send someone over to meet Madame.¡± Yin Hong emphasized.

    ¡°She already did,¡± Zhou Miaoru said coldly.

    Yin Hong stared at her nkly. Did they get here earlier than me? Which means that they sent people over right after I left. That¡¯s so rushed!

    She smiled. ¡°The queen seems to value this marriage a lot!¡±

    Zhou Miaoru smiled too.

    But this smile sent a chill down Yin Hong¡¯s spine. ¡°Madame...?¡±

    ¡°The queen indeed admires her. She even said that Lu Mingshu¡¯s still young, so it¡¯s better for her to go out and take a look at the world.¡± It was hard to tell what Zhou Miaoru¡¯s smile meant. ¡°You¡¯ve really done great for this task!¡±

    ¡°Madame!¡± Of course, Yin Hong could tell how unhappy Zhou Miaoru was.

    ¡°You¡¯re tired. Go and have a rest,¡± Zhou Miaoru replied coldly.

    ¡°Madame!¡± Yin Hong immediately called out. ¡°This subordinate...¡±

    ¡°Go.¡± Zhou Miaoru remained unmoved.

    Stewardess Tao stood up. ¡°Elder Yin, Madame is exhausted from Second Miss¡¯s wedding.¡±

    Yin Hong could do nothing more. ¡°Then I¡¯ll visit Madame tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Please.¡±

    When Yin Hong left, Zhou Miaoru looked extremely unhappy. ¡°Such an idiot! What¡¯s the use of sending her if this is the result?¡±

    Stewardess Tao gave her a cup of tea and calmed her down. ¡°Calm down, Madame. It isn¡¯t Elder Yin¡¯s fault. She did exactly as Madame said.¡±

    ¡°Might as well have done nothing if this is the result.¡±

    Did she really think that I wanted to find Lu Mingshu a good partner? I really underestimated Lu Mingshu though. Zhou Miaoru originally thought that the chance of her getting into the New Generation Ranking was really slim. Who would have expected her to not only get into it but actually get first? Now that the tiger was out of the cage, there was no way to suppress her anymore.

    ¡°I miscalcted!¡± Zhou Miaoru mumbled. ¡°I cannot let that bastarde back.¡±

    Stewardess Tao¡¯s eyes widened in shock, but she regained her calm expression immediately. ¡°Madame...¡±

    Zhou Miaoru put her cup down. ¡°Get Ruying in here right now.¡±

    ...

    Crooked thusplete, grievance thus improvement, sunken thus filled, old thus able to change for the better, more thus confusing. This is a saint¡¯s values, setting them as the world¡¯s standard for himself. Being broad-minded makes the situation clearer, not thinking that oneself is always right makes the truthe to light, not unting gains you credit, not relying on yourself allows you to lead. Being upetitive is what makes one never lose.

    After thest word, Liu Jizhen sighed and look out of the window.

    It was sunset, and by now, the Qilin Festival should have ended. Mingshu should have left Zhongzhou, but where would she go? Back to Dongyue, or travelling to Nanze or Beiming?

    After a few moments, a tall figure appeared at the end of the trail.

    A woman wearing sect clothes walked forward slowly.

    That is...?

    Liu Jizhen couldn¡¯t tell. For the past seventeen years, he had rarely stepped out of Green Jade Valley, and he rarely went around the sects. He couldn¡¯t recognize the younger generation.

    After a few moments, Hui Niang brought the female disciple in, smiling widely. ¡°Courtyard Leader, this miss here brought back a letter from Miss.¡±

    This female disciple was none other than Tan Yubing. She greeted Liu Jizhen, ¡°I¡¯m Tan Yubing from the line of the Golden Door, greeting Courtyard Leader Liu.¡±

    ¡°No need for the courtesy.¡± Liu Jizhen stood up. ¡°You¡¯re the fifteenth generation disciple, am I right? We are from the same generation, so there¡¯s no need for courtesy.¡±

    Tan Yubing smiled. ¡°Senior Brother Liu.¡± She took out the letter. ¡°During the trip to Zhongzhou, me and Junior Niece Lu got along well, but she is unable toe back now, so I am helping her give this to you.¡±

    Liu Jizhen took the letter, but he didn¡¯t look at it immediately. ¡°Junior Sister Tan, is Mingshu okay?¡±

    Tan Yubing hesitated before answering, ¡°Junior Niece Lu was injured....¡±

    ¡°Injured?¡± Hui Niang couldn¡¯t be bothered about being formal as she asked worriedly, ¡°Is Miss seriously injured? Is she okay?¡±

    ¡°Minor,¡± Tan Yubing immediately said. ¡°It was just an ident.¡±

    She summarized the whole story. Honestly, she wasn¡¯t entirely sure what happened that day, but she knew that a trap was set in the Flying Imperial Pce, and because Lu Mingshu was with Xie Lianzhen, she was dragged down with him.

    ¡°Xie Lianzhen?¡± Liu Jizhen looked confused. ¡°Didn¡¯t Xie Zhanghe from the Seventh Truth tform die in an ident twenty years ago?¡±

    That ident caused a huge sensation, and they were from the same generation, so he could somehow remember.

    ¡°Xie Lianzhen is the Alioth Star-Lord.¡± Tan Yubing suddenly remembered that this Senior Brother had not gone out for years, so she borated, afraid that he might not know. ¡°Xie Zhanghe¡¯s posthumous child.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Liu Jizhen furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°He took over the position?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Tan Yubing said cautiously. ¡°And the queen seems to want Lu Mingshu as his wife....¡±

    Liu Jizhen¡¯s expression changed.

    Tan Yubing sighed. He should know this, he¡¯s her master. ¡°Since Junior Niece Lu reached Tianyun city...¡±

    ...

    Tan Yubing went off.

    Liu Jizhen sat there in silence.

    ¡°Courtyard Leader!¡± Hui Niang called. ¡°Please think of something! Miss can¡¯t...¡±

    She met him before and knew that he couldn¡¯t walk, but even if he was still grateful to the sect, Miss couldn¡¯t be exchanged as a gift of gratitude!

    ¡°No big deal.¡± Liu Jizhen looked at the letter. ¡°Being ranked first on the New Generation Ranking isn¡¯t so worthless.¡±

    ¡°But Miss is alone....¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to the Jasper Jade Pce.¡±

 Chapter 212: Materials for the Sword

    <h4>Chapter 212: Materials for the Sword</h4>

    Upon hearing that Lu Mingshu was searching for resources, the inn¡¯s clerk suggested a ce to her enthusiastically. ¡°Miss, you can try the Pure White Grace Pavilion. In Beiming, they are the one that has everything you need. They have a shop in Green Hills Bank as well; thergest shop over there.¡±

    Lu Mingshu thanked him and went over to the Pure White Grace Pavilion.

    ¡°Wee, Miss!¡± A clerk immediately came to greet her as she walked in. ¡°What does Miss need? I¡¯m not boasting, but our shop has everything that other shops have and everything that other shops don¡¯t!¡±

    That¡¯s considered ¡°not boasting¡±?

    ¡°Do you have Fairy Gravel and Mystic Yellow Stones here?¡± she asked.

    The clerk ushered her to a seat. ¡°The two items that Miss mentioned are treasures. Have a seat first, I¡¯ll check it out for you.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded.

    After a few moments, the shopkeeper came up to her. ¡°Miss, you asked for Fairy Gravel and Yellow Mystic Stones, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The shopkeeper smiled apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, both items are rare and precious. We don¡¯t have any stock in our branch since it¡¯s too small. If there¡¯s no rush, I could help you ask for it from the main branch?¡±

    Lu Mingshu shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m just a passerby. If I have to wait, then I¡¯ll just go down there myself. Where is the main branch of the Pure White Grace Pavilion?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s in ck Crane State....¡± The shopkeeper gave her a thorough and detailed location.

    ¡°Thanks a lot.¡± A thought came to her mind. ¡°Oh yeah, do you have anything that can help withstand the strong winds on the Ming River?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± The shopkeeper called the clerk over.

    When paying the bill, Lu Mingshu felt inside her coin purse...

    Apart from the sword, she didn¡¯t have much money left. All she had were goods.

    ¡°Shopkeeper, do you ept goods?¡±

    He smiled. ¡°Of course, but we only ept rare items. We don¡¯t takemon items.¡±

    Lu Mingshu took out a small box. The box was no bigger than her palms, and it was made out of jade.

    The shopkeeper turned serious. Anything that needed to be ced in a jade box was a rare item that had to be preserved. Some materials would lose their effects otherwise.

    Just as expected, when she opened the box, a pleasant smell filled his nose. The shopkeeper looked closer to realize it contained two pills.

    ¡°This medicine...¡± the shopkeeper leaned forward to smell them, expression changing.

    ¡°What do you think?¡±

    The shopkeeper stered a smile on his face. ¡°Miss, please be patient and allow me to try the effects of the medicine.¡± He took the jade box that the clerk passed him, cautiously scraping a bit of the powder and dissolving it in his bowl.

    After he drank it, his chest immediately felt warm. It was just powder, yet it was so effective already.

    What he was unaware of was that Lu Mingshu exchanged for these two pills from the Heavenly Wheel. No matter how serious the injury, one would recover once they took one of these pills. They were precious even in other worlds, so the price would increase ten times if put into her world. If she wasn¡¯tcking money, she wouldn¡¯t want to sell them.

    ¡°Great!¡± The shopkeeper praised. ¡°Miss, based on the effects, one pill would cost ten mystic crystals. When we make an exchange, we only pay 80% of the selling price; so, two for sixteen mystic crystals, how¡¯s that?¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded. ¡°Deduct it from my bill.¡±

    Sixteen mystic crystals would be enough for her whole trip if she didn¡¯t spend much.

    The shopkeeper closed the box and handed it to the clerk, who was asked to take the mystic crystals out too.

    Not long after, the clerk came out, passed the mystic crystals to the shopkeeper, and whispered something to him.

    The shopkeeper¡¯s face changed.

    ¡°Okay, I got it,¡± he started after the clerk left for a moment. ¡°Miss, I have some information that you might be interested in.¡±

    ¡°What information?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re looking for Yellow Mystic Stones, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°A ce may have them.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    ¡°Do you know the eye of the Ming River?¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded.

    The eye of the Ming River. It was a special ce on the Ming River, and it was located at the end of the Ming River. Strong winds and billowing waves as if it was the deep sea. In the turbulence, a very deep spiral was formed ¨C the eye of the Ming River.

    It was unknown what this spiral was like or where it led. Its force was greater than one could imagine; even a Spirit Realm disciple would get sucked into it if they got too close.

    ¡°A few days ago, near the eye of Ming River, thend broke open, and a small hill was formed. It¡¯s said that it¡¯s an extremely rare Yellow Mystic Stone mine.¡±

    ¡°Yellow Mystic Stone is extremely precious. Nobody has gone there yet?¡± Lu Mingshu looked at him in confusion.

    He smiled. ¡°Of course someone went, or how would I have this information? It¡¯s just that Yellow Mystic Stone isn¡¯t easy to mine. It¡¯s good enough if you could get one or two before the whole minends in the hands of an aristocratic family or some powerful character. Who dares topete with the Ye Family in White Heron State? Right now, they¡¯re busy with their spring hunt, but when it ends, they will send people over to mine.¡±

    ¡°By then, the Yellow Mystic Stones would all be theirs, right?¡±

    The shopkeeper nodded. ¡°Yes. Since the Ye Family isn¡¯t short on money, they would obviously keep the precious stones for their own use.¡±

    Lu Mingshu pondered for a moment. ¡°What do I need to pay for this information?¡±

    The shopkeeper caressed his beard and smiled, ¡°In the Green Hills Bank branch, we do not have enough hands, and we dare not fight with the Ye Family. If Miss sessfully gets the Yellow Mystic Stones, can you spare us one?¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded. ¡°Sure. I can promise that I will give 2% of the stones if I get them sessfully.¡±

    ¡°Many thanks.¡± The shopkeeper took a map and told her all about the eye of the Ming River.

    As she was leaving, Lu Mingshu saw a person in a turquoise shirt passing by. She then asked, ¡°You have Ye Family members here?¡±

    The shopkeeper nodded helplessly. ¡°In Green Hills Bank, our Pure White Grace Pavilion is one of the best shops. Since their spring hunt is held here, their resources are all supplied by us.¡±

    No wonder.

    Lu Mingshu went to inform Captain Ding after she left the Pure White Grace Pavilion.

    ¡°Miss, you¡¯re travelling to the eye of Ming River?¡± Captain Ding asked, jaws dropping.

    Lu Mingshu nodded.

    Captain Ding looked at her in worry. ¡°The eye of the Ming River is extremely dangerous. Even a Spirit Realm disciple may not make it back. Miss should never go there!¡±

    ¡°Be at ease, I am going to a ce some distance away from the eye of the Ming River itself. I¡¯m not going into the whirlpool.¡±

    If it was such a dangerous ce, she wouldn¡¯t have made up her mind so fast. Based on the map, the distance from the whirlpool was eptable for Harmonization Realm disciples.

    ¡°This...¡± Unable to convince her, Captain Ding agreed. ¡°Okay, Miss will have to wait a day. After we settle our stocks in the morning, we will send Miss over.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded. If Captain Ding really rejected her, it would be tough for her too. It would be hard to get another boat all of a sudden, and others might not be willing to send her there either.

    ¡°You can wait for me for three days. If I don¡¯t return after three days, you can leave as you wish.¡±

    ¡°We have already collected your fees, so we won¡¯t break our promise. Miss can take your time, we will wait,¡± Captain Ding replied.

    Lu Mingshu smiled. The Jianghu people on the Ming River really took their promises seriously.

    After one night, Captain Ding woke up early the next morning to prep his boat. They could set off as soon Lu Mingshu came over.

 Chapter 213: Unaware of the Oriole Behind

    <h4>Chapter 213: Unaware of the Oriole Behind</h4>

    When Lu Mingshu boarded the boat, she saw a huge ship setting sail outside Green Hills Bank. The ship had the logo of the Ye Family on it.

    ¡°Their spring hunt has ended?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Ah Lang continued. ¡°I heard that first ce this time is an illegitimate child. When the results came out, Green Hills Bank nearly exploded.¡±

    Ye Mingguang... he won?

    Nothing surprising. His ability isn¡¯t any weaker than the others, and he¡¯s in a tough situation, unlike the others, so he has much more drive to seed.

    She nodded and went into the cabin, taking the map and analyzing it carefully.

    Ah Lang thought that she would be curious and ask a few more questions. Seeing that she wasn¡¯t bothered, he said no more and went to hang the sail up.

    The Ye Family would send people to the eye of the Ming River soon, so she didn¡¯t have much time.

    Knowing that she was in a rush, Captain Ding and Ah Lang took turns to steer the boat. It only took them three days to get to a small ind.

    ¡°Miss Lu, we are here!¡±

    Lu Mingshu came out from the cabin and looked into the distance.

    During the past three days, the closer they got to the eye of the Ming River, therger the waves and winds became, making it harder to sail a boat. When they arrived, there was a three-feet-high wave.

    Adding on the biting cold temperature, it was harmful to one¡¯s body. It was no wonder that, in a ce wherend was so valuable, this little ind wasn¡¯t upied.

    Lu Mingshu took out the map. The hill in the distance was blurry.

    Ah Lang took out a brass-coloured leaf. ¡°Miss Lu, this is what you wanted; same as the Ye Family¡¯s. The only restriction is that others aren¡¯t allowed to copy the silver colour that they use.¡±

    Ah Ling took a bag over too. ¡°These are dried goods. They won¡¯t spoil if Miss puts them in her mustard seed pouch.¡±

    Lu Mingshu thanked them. Seeing the strong wind blowing over, she took out a small bottle and passed it to them. ¡°There are a few pills inside, given to me by my master. They¡¯re good for your body. Please take one since your Inner Breath is too weak, so you¡¯re unable to withstand the strong winds.¡±

    Ah Ling took the bottle. ¡°Wah, it smells so good.¡± The pill that came out of the bottle was white and shining. So cute.

    ¡°Wait!¡± Captain Ding stopped his boat and walked over, looking excited. He took the pill to examine and smell it. Unable to contain his joy, he pulled his pair of grandchildren along. ¡°Thank Miss Lu right now, you two!¡±

    Ah Ling and Ah Lang stared at him nkly.

    ¡°You foolish kids!¡± Captain Ding was now on cloud nine. ¡°This is a soluble pill for opening apertures!¡±

    These soluble pills were much more expensive than other medicines used for medicine baths. It was rare for medicines to have an effect that opened one¡¯s apertures. For someone whose body constitution wasn¡¯t good, opening even one more closed aperture would give them a higher chance to reach the Harmonization Realm.

    What Captain Ding wasn¡¯t aware of was that these pills weren¡¯t from this world. In other worlds, where pill-refining methods were more advanced, this type of pill wasn¡¯t expensive. Lu Mingshu had gotten these pills when she was in the Inner Breath realm, and these were just leftovers.

    After receiving the pills, Captain Ding told her with determination that he would wait for her return.

    After she finished preparing, Lu Mingshu threw the copper leaf onto the water and jumped on it. A force immediately supported her weight and bnced on the water steadily.

    After converting her mystic force, the copper leaf flew out, sticking closely to the water.

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s sleeves pped in the strong wind. The waves came through continuously, bumping all the way, sending her further along.

    Ah Ling looked at Lu Mingshu disappearing into the watery mist caused by the strong wind. ¡°I hope Miss Lues back safely.¡± She put her palms together.

    These days, she had gotten along well with Lu Mingshu, and Lu Mingshu had even gifted her pills. She obviously hoped that Lu Mingshu would seed.

    Captain Ding looked over in a distance further away and furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°Oh no!¡±

    ¡°Grandpa?¡±

    Ah Ling and Ah Lang looked over to where he was looking, and their eyes widened in shock. ¡°This...!¡±

    Among the surging waves, a boat was speeding over toward them. Even though it was also a small boat, it was way finer than the Ding Family¡¯s boat. The Ye Family¡¯s crest could be slightly seen in the mist, gradually bing clearer as they got closer.

    ¡°It¡¯s them!¡± Ah Ling shouted in surprise.

    At the bow of the boat, a few teenagers in turquoise shirts stood there. They looked at the Ding Family with arrogance.

    The truth was now obvious; there was no need for more guesses.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that Miss Lu has fallen into their trap,¡± Captain Ding whispered.

    How could there be such a coincidence? The Ye Family arrived shortly after them, and they were the only one.

    ¡°Why are they so petty? Why are they being so forceful!?¡± Ah Ling said furiously.

    ¡°The Ye Family won¡¯t talk logic with outsiders,¡± Ah Lang said calmly. ¡°Calm down, I doubt the situation will be in their favor anyway.¡±

    Captain Ding nodded. ¡°Miss Lu¡¯s ability is outstanding, so she won¡¯t be at a loss if they want to start a fight. But right now, we don¡¯t know what the Ye Family¡¯s n is, so we aren¡¯t able to tell what kind of trap they set up.¡±

    Among the three of them, Captain Ding was the only one in the Harmonization Realm, but he had only barely opened the main aperture, which made him way weaker than the aristocratic family disciples. The only thing he could do now was pray for Lu Mingshu.

    On the other hand, Lu Mingshu had already reached the destination.

    The little hill was surrounded by mist, and it was all loess and stones; there was no green. The space it took up wasn¡¯t very big either. She finished examining the area just by moving around a little.

    Lu Mingshu stopped searching. Instead, she looked around for a stone and sat on it.

    ¡°Hahaha.¡± A burst ofughter came from afar. Lu Mingshu looked up to see turquoise shirts dancing lightly under the strong wind as three guys and one girl stepped onshore.

    ¡°Miss Lu, we meet again,¡± Ye Zhenxing said to her.

    He stepped on the leaf, leaping high into the air andnding on the hill. The silver leaf then disappeared in a sh and appeared between his fingers, natural and unrestrained.

    ¡°Just in time.¡± Lu Mingshu stood up calmly. ¡°You all know how to find the Yellow Mystic Stones, right?¡±

    ¡°Pooh! Whose finding anything for you?¡± Ye Zhenfan shouted loudly in anger.

    But Lu Mingshu paid no attention to him as she continued to stare at Ye Zhenxing.

    Seems like I missed something, Ye Zhenfan thought.

    When they met the first time, his Ninth Brother was in sorry shape because of this Miss, and she looked cold and indifferent. Based on her bearing, this sect disciple wasn¡¯t foolish. At this point, anyone would be able to tell that they had fallen into a trap, so why was she still so calm?

    ¡°Miss Lu, you could¡¯ve just told us if you wanted Yellow Mystic Stones. Why was there a need to help Ye Mingguang?¡± Ye Zhenxing asked softly.

    ¡°Coincidence.¡±

    ¡°You ruined our good thing because of a coincidence?¡± Ye Zhenfan was flustered.

    This spring hunt was different from the previous one; this spring hunt had something to do with a very important quota. Ye Zhenfan initially thought that it would be either him or Ye Zhenxing, but it was taken away by Ye Mingguang right under their noses. How could he let this matter go?

    Ye Xingfan looked at her furiously. The smile on his face was all gone. ¡°Miss Lu, we lost first ce because of you, don¡¯t you think you need to take responsibility?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that because you all aren¡¯t capable enough?¡± Lu Mingshu slowly said.

    ¡°What the hell did you say?¡± Ye Zhenfan blew up.

    ¡°If you¡¯re capable, why do you need to y tricks? Even if I gave him some injury medicine, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to recover in one day. Your loss has nothing to do with me.¡±

    Other than Ye Zhenxing, the group looked at her with anger.

    ¡°Ninth Brother, Tenth Brother, Eleventh Brother, what are you still waiting for? People are already mocking us!¡± the young girl shouted.

 Chapter 214: Talk with your Ability

    <h4>Chapter 214: Talk with your Ability</h4>

    Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales

    ¡°No hurry.¡± Ye Zhenxing held his hand up. ¡°Miss Lu, you don¡¯t seem to be surprised at all. Were you expecting us?¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it obvious? Why would the Pure White Grace Pavilion shopkeeper suddenly tell me about the Yellow Mystic Stone mine? The same ce where there was a bunch of Ye Family members in the shop? There was at least an 80% chance that you all did this.¡±

    ¡°You... you knew?¡± Ye Zhenfan looked at her with wide eyes. He thought that she was gullible since they did it so easily. ¡°You still dared toe?¡±

    Lu Mingshu threw him a nce. ¡°If I didn¡¯t, you all wouldn¡¯t let me off. Besides, what can you do to me that I wouldn¡¯t dare toe?¡±

    Her attitude and tone were perfectly fine, but because she was looking at them disdainfully, she was able to suppress these few Ye Family disciples.

    In White Heron State, there wasn¡¯t anyone who dared to be so arrogant in front of a Ye Family member. The Ye Family members were the only ones who dared to be arrogant!

    Ye Zhenxing couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Miss Lu, it¡¯s impressive that Nine Jade Pce has someone like you.¡±

    ¡°I just don¡¯t have the habit of hiding when things go wrong.¡±

    This was the Ye Family¡¯s territory, where could I even hide? If these few Ye Family members had their eyes on me already, then what wasing woulde no matter what. How long could I hide? If I hid, how was I supposed to travel?

    ¡°Ah, nice!¡± Ye Zhenxing smiled. ¡°That¡¯s for the best then. So, how will you settle things?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a question for yourself?¡± Lu Mingshu raised her eyebrows. ¡°I¡¯m not the one who can¡¯t stop troubling people.¡±

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Ye Zhenfan snickered. ¡°You know that this is our territory, yet you¡¯re the one that found trouble with me first by helping Ye Mingguang. Aren¡¯t you the one that brought yourself the trouble? If we weren¡¯t at the Pure White Grace Pavilion, we wouldn¡¯t have found the sneaky culprit!¡±

    Lu Mingshu sneered. ¡°Mr Ninth Ye, your tricks against Ye Mingguang aren¡¯t very smart either. Preventing him from getting injury medicine? There are so many merchants in Green Hills Bank, are you even capable of informing them all? If Ye Mingguang went to the harbour and found a merchant who just reached Green Hills Bank and asked to trade, what makes you think the merchant wouldn¡¯t trade?¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re trying to say that it¡¯s not your fault, huh?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the unreasonable one, yet you¡¯re ming me for not cooperating with you. That¡¯s funny.¡±

    ¡°Ninth Brother, this slut just has a dirty mouth, why are you still talking with her?¡±

    Lu Mingshu stared at her coldly. Suddenly, a mystic light dashed toward her.

    ¡°What are you doing!?¡± Ye Zhenfan yelled and blocked it with his sword.

    Ye Zhenxing and the other Ye Family disciple took out their swords at the same time.

    ¡°Ah!¡± The girl screamed and blocked the attack.

    Piak!

    A clear sound could be heard.

    The Ye Family members were dumbfounded.

    The Ye Family girl couldn¡¯t believe what just happened. A red-coloured palm-mark was on her face. She teared up and cried out loud.

    She had never been pped by anyone since she was born!

    ¡°Talk properly as a human,¡± Lu Mingshu slowly said. ¡°Especially to girls; it doesn¡¯t sound nice.¡±

    ¡°You...!¡± The Ye Family girl pointed at her furiously. ¡°Tenth Brother!¡±

    Ye Zhenxing¡¯s smile was all gone now.

    That day when he went back with Ye Zhenfan, he said nothing about Lu Mingshu because he was clear that she would have the upper hand.

    When they saw her take out that box in the Pure White Grace Pavilion, he decided to show her who the boss was here, and Ye Zhenfan brought up that day immediately.

    Ye Zhenxing thought that he was already overestimating her ability by tricking her intoing here and joining hands with the other Ye Family disciples. Since they were all elites, no matter how powerful Lu Mingshu was, given her sect and her age, how could they possibly lose when they joined hands?

    However, thest thing that they expected was that she could p anyone she wanted among them.

    Without true ability, such a p was impossible.

    Ye Zhenxing took in a deep breath. ¡°Eighth Sister, Miss Lu is right. A girl shouldn¡¯t be so vulgar.¡±

    The Ye Family girl stared at him in disbelief. ¡°Tenth Brother!¡±

    ¡°However,¡± Ye Zhenxing said loftily, ¡°Miss Lu, this girl of our family, no matter what wrongdoing she did, others do not have the right to punish her.¡±

    ¡°So?¡±

    Ye Zhenxing fished out his sword. ¡°Martial artists should talk with their ability. Do you agree?¡±

    Lu Mingshu finally smiled. ¡°Even though you¡¯re from the Ye Family just like them, you¡¯re much more capable. Alright. Since you wanna teach me a lesson, please do.¡±

    ¡°Please guide me true!¡± Ye Zhenxing wasted no more time. After saying that sentence, he shed over, and the sword-light was already in front of Lu Mingshu.

    Ye Zhenfan attacked at the same time. He wasn¡¯t necessarily as smart as his younger brother, but when it came to martial arts, he still had plenty to offer.

    Both of them were from the Ye Family and they practised together since they were young, so they were well-coordinated. Light blue traces could be seen from the sword-lights that were dashing toward Lu Mingshu. The sword-lights came at her continuously and even attacked from different directions, making her unable to avoid them.

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s mystic light erged, and with a hiss, it turned into a dragon.

    She didn¡¯t dodge either of the two sword-lights. Instead, she went against them both head-on.

    Ye Zhenfan and Ye Zhenxing took a step back after her attack. They looked at her, jaws dropping.

    ¡°Physical Manifestation of Sword Intent?¡± Ye Zhenxing mumbled. ¡°So, it¡¯s true....¡±

    He didn¡¯t believe it when Ye Zhenfan mentioned it. How old was Lu Mingshu? She had only been in the Harmonization Realm for a year at most, right? Even if she was gifted, it wasn¡¯t so easy to master the Physical Manifestation of Sword Intent. Most did it when they were in the Harmonization Realm, but only after practising their skills for a long time. If one¡¯s body constitution wasn¡¯t very good, they might only master it after reaching the Spirit Realm.

    However, since they started, there was no reason for them to stop now.

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s eyes shone, and the mystic light on her sword shone brighter.

    Having fought with her once already, Ye Zhenfan wasn¡¯t surprised. ¡°What the hell are you all doing? Mystic Water Sword!¡± he yelled.

    This brought the other two back to reality.

    If their Ninth and Tenth Brothers couldn¡¯t do it alone, they had to fight too. How could they allow an outsider to bully Ye Family members?

    The Mystic Water Sword of the Ye Family wasn¡¯t weak. If multiple attacks werebined, the power would be multiplied!

    This was something that all Beiming residents were aware of.

    Four rays of light blue sword-light shot forward, looking like fish jumping out of the river and causingyers of energy to ripple.

    Under the beautiful sight, endless killing moves were hidden beneath. Layer byyer, continuously.

    A four-person Mystic Water Sword attack ¨C let¡¯s see where she can hide now!

    ¡°Interesting!¡± Lu Mingshu muttered, feeling theyers of force getting stronger. In no time, it had turned into a suppressive power, inundating Lu Mingshu.

    The mystic light around her erged. Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t dodge; instead, she went forward.

    Ye Zhenfan sneered. ¡°You really do not know where you stand!¡± You may have beaten me, but our Ye Family Mystic Water Sword is not that easy!

    On the other hand, Ye Zhenxing was grinning from ear to ear. To him, this Miss Lu was still young, so it was expected that she would underestimate her enemy. Nice, now she¡¯ll know how powerful our Mystic Water Sword is.

    Theyers of water were now one with Lu Mingshu.

    Ye Zhenxing smirked, anticipating Lu Mingshu¡¯s sorry figure. However, the next moment, he was shouting, ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡±

 Chapter 215: Rebound

    <h4>Chapter 215: Rebound</h4>

    Among all the Ye Family¡¯s disciples of his generation, Ye Zhenxing was the wittiest, and this was something that he had always been proud of. Even though he wasn¡¯tparable to his Third Brother, he was still able topete with other elites from the bigger sects.

    But now, they were all just staring with wide eyes at what was happening in front of them.

    Lu Mingshu leapt up, fusing their Mystic Water Force into her own Physical Manifestation of Sword Intent.

    Lu Mingshu went back and forth, changing her position as if she was in her own world. Theyers of Sword Intent pressing her down might as well have not been there. She was like a fish, swimming along with the Mystic Water Sword Manifestation

    ¡°Tenth Brother!¡± the Ye Family girl shouted.

    Ye Zhenxing was brought back to reality, and he shouted, ¡°Three-seven!¡±

    This was a secret code for the Ye Family¡¯s Mystic Water Sword. Three-seven, symbolizing the distribution and flow to utilize.

    The manifestation changed, and the formless water-type mystic light caused a tremendous wave.

    This was useless too. To Lu Mingshu, she could still move back and forth, moving freely like a fish in the water.

    ¡°Two-eight!¡± Ye Zhenxing shouted in panic.

    The manifestation changed again, relying on himself and Ye Zhenfan. Both of them were more capable, so the main portion of the two-eight formation would be on them. In this case, two bodies were now bearing the sword manifestation of four.

    Ye Zhenxing gritted his teeth. I can¡¯t fall here. Even if I do in the end, Lu Mingshu will fall first!

    However, there were still no changes.

    ¡°Younger brother!¡± Ye Zhenfan urged him.

    Ye Zhenxing made up his mind. ¡°One-nine!¡±

    ¡°Tenth Brother!¡± The Ye Family girl and Ye Shiyi shouted in unison. One-nine, that¡¯s...

    ¡°Faster!¡± Ye Zhenxing¡¯s veins looked like they were about to explode.

    The others kept quiet and followed his instructions.

    Boom! Boom! Boom!

    The Mystic Water Sword Manifestation let out a huge explosion sound, even louder than the strong winds nearby.

    Ye Zhenfan¡¯s eyes had turned red. 90% of the sword manifestation was being borne by himself and Ye Zhenxing. The force was so powerful that it was hard to even imagine.

    Lu Mingshu looked at them and smirked.

    She could hear the sword cries ovepping with the sound of waves, but she was still submerged in the Mystic Water Sword Manifestation, swimming freely.

    Anyone¡¯s technique would have a loophole, and it was the same for four people working together. Even though they were coordinating very well, the difference in their abilities was too huge, making the loophole even more obvious and easier to take advantage of. With such a huge loophole, what was the point of this spell? Them coordinating only gave her an advantage; it was even easier than going against them one-on-one!

    ¡°That¡¯s enough, take a break, you guys.¡±

    As soon as she spoke, she attacked.

    Rays of mystic light sped up inside the Mystic Water Sword Manifestation.

    ¡°Oh no!¡± Ye Zhenxing yelled.

    But it was toote; the mystic light rose in revolt, and the Mystic Water Sword Manifestation was suddenly frozen like an ice cube.

    Boom!

    Another sound could be hearding from the manifestation.

    The sword manifestation fell apart, and it suddenly turned back toward the Ye Family members!

    The huge force dashed toward them, and gallons upon gallons of water pushed them down.

    ¡°Ah!¡± The Ye Family girl was the first to be sent flying.

    She was followed by Ye Shiyi. Luckily for them, they only received a part of the force. After the initial burst of high pressure, the force died down quickly.

    Pui!

    Ye Zhenfan said nothing. He simply fell to the floor after vomiting blood.

    ¡°Ninth Brother!¡± The Ye Family girl was scared out of her wits as she half-crawled toward her Ninth Brother.

    There was blooding out of the corner of Ye Zhenxing¡¯s mouth, but he tried to swallow it back in. At this moment, he was still thinking about how to make his injury less serious. As long as it doesn¡¯t damage my meridians....

    Pui!

    He could no longer control the force and spit the blood out. Like a broken kite, he floated away in the force of the water.

    Fortunately for him, Ye Shiyi reacted quickly and grabbed him.

    The one-nine Mystic Water Sword Formation is really not something that we can use freely. The elders really didn¡¯t lie to us....

    Ye Zhenxing felt numbness in his head and then fainted.

    ¡°Wake up, Ninth Brother! Tenth Brother, nothing can happen to you!¡± the girl called to them, but unfortunately, neither woke up.

    At this moment, Lu Mingshu spoke in a monotone, ¡°Where are the Yellow Mystic Stones?¡±

    The Ye Family girl looked at her with wide eyes. ¡°You... even now, all you think about are the Yellow Mystic Stones?¡±

    Lu Mingshu raised her eyebrows. ¡°What else would I be thinking about? Isn¡¯t that the whole point of your trap?¡±

    She was originally unsure if there were Yellow Mystic Stones here, but after she arrived, she was sure that the other party wasn¡¯t lying. There was a high chance that the information was true, and the other party was just using it for an advantage against her.

    ¡°But my Ninth and Tenth Brothers...¡±

    ¡°Hurry up!¡± She looked at them as if they had nothing to do with her. ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me, their meridians might be ruined.¡±

    ¡°You...!¡± The girl gave her a death re. ¡°Evil!¡±

    ¡°Whatever!¡± Ye Shiyi shouted. ¡°You want the Yellow Mystic Stones, right? Here, take them!¡±

    He threw some stones over in anger.

    ¡°Eleventh Brother!¡± the girl cried out. ¡°That¡¯s what you left for yourself to make a sword!¡±

    ¡°Their lives are more important.¡± Ye Shiyi red at Lu Mingshu. ¡°Can we leave now?¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± She just wanted to scare them, not ruin their lives.

    Both of them immediately held their older brothers up.

    Before they left, the girl turned around. ¡°Just wait and see. Offending the Ye Family will-¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked up at her as if she was going to get up.

    The girl swallowed her words and nearly fell.

    Lu Mingshu smiled. Aristocratic family disciples... they all look tough but are actually cowards.

    Afraid that Lu Mingshu would go back on her words, both of them kept quiet and left with their elder brothers.

    Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t leave immediately. Instead, she went back to the hill.

    The Ye Family disciples would have done this secretly without their Elders knowing, and it took a total of six days for them to travel here and go back. She still had some time.

    Lu Mingshu searched for a day on the hill, then she found the mine. She looked at the stones in the mine before leaving.

    ¡°There she is!¡± Seeing here back, the Ding Family came over to wee her.

    ¡°Miss, are you okay?¡±

    ¡°You defeated the Ye Family members, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    They held their breath when they saw the Ye Family members¡¯ boat a while ago. After a few moments, the boat turned back, and the Ye Family girl gave them a death stare before speeding off.

    They had guessed that the Ye Family members didn¡¯t get what they want. However, they were worried because Lu Mingshu hadn¡¯te back either.

    Now that she was back, they could finally release the stone in their hearts.

    Lu Mingshu jumped up on the boat and walked into the cabin. ¡°I¡¯m alright, let¡¯s go back.¡±

 Chapter 216: The First Name

    <h4>Chapter 216: The First Name</h4>

    Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales

    Lu Mingshu went into the Heavenly Wheel and called the tool-refining master. She gave her all the materials that Brother Six found for her along with the Yellow Mystic Stones.

    ¡°There are three more materials, but I can¡¯t find them right now.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll only need themter. I¡¯ll make the foundation first, just pass them to me when you get them.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    As she was about to exit the Heavenly Wheel, she saw something different.

    ¡°Xiao Sang.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Why did my points increase by ten?¡±

    After the Qilin Festival ended, her points hadn¡¯t changed, but today, they suddenly increased by ten.

    ¡°You can try to recall what you¡¯ve experienced.¡±

    ¡°Experienced? Getting some Yellow Mystic Stones?¡± Doesn¡¯t seem like it. The Heavenly Wheel never cared about what treasures I got before. ¡°Perhaps defeating those four?¡±

    Lu Mingshu suddenly realized something. During the Heavenly Doorpetition and the Qilin Festival, she always thought that the points came from bing more well-known, but maybe the main reason was something else. From both of those experiences, she had a huge improvement in her ability. So it¡¯s that?

    After fighting the four Ye Family disciples, she gained quite a bit. For example, she learned about Mystic Water Sword Manifestation and the pros and cons of it.

    Furthermore, the Heavenly Wheel¡¯s actual use seemed to only activate after she entered the Harmonization Realm. Except for the cultivation limitation, is there also a problem with not having enough points?

    If that was the case, there was no need for her to neglect the root and pursue the tip. She could just use the simplest method ¨C non-stop challenges. She was a martial artist anyway, so that was the best way for her to improve.

    Whatever, I¡¯m just here to travel. I¡¯ll deal with that afterwards.

    After going back to Green Hills Bank, Captain Ding came to find her.

    ¡°Miss Lu, since you and the Ye Family have a feud now, let¡¯s not travel to White Heron State now?¡±

    The first meeting on the water that embarrassed the one Ye Family disciple wasn¡¯t a big deal. However, she had offended the Ye Family quite badly now, and the Ye Family Elders would surely interfere with this matter. If she still travelled to White Heron State now, she would just be searching for trouble.

    Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t reject. ¡°Where does Sir think we should travel to next?¡±

    Captain Ding stroked his beard. ¡°This old man thinks that Remainder Ind is a good choice.¡±

    Green Hills Bank was situated near Zhongzhou. Going east would lead one to White Heron State, and going west would lead to ck Crane State. Remainder Ind was situated somewhat in the middle of them both. White Heron State was long, and Remainder Ind was connected to the western end of White Heron State. Thus, it was called Remainder Ind because it looked like an extra bit.

    Remainder Ind was technically part of the Ye Family¡¯s territory too, but the Ye Family was situated in the eastern side of the state, so there wouldn¡¯t be many Ye Family members lurking around there. As long as they didn¡¯t offend the guards there, they would not meet up with much trouble.

    ¡°Sir is indeed thoughtful. Let¡¯s do it.¡±

    Captain Ding went over dly and called Ah Lang and Ah Ling to get ready to leave.

    Lu Mingshu braved the winds and the waves, but on the other hand, the Ye Family was in a mess.

    ¡°Eleventh Young Master, please.¡± The guard, who looked like a guard of hell, held out his hand emotionlessly.

    Ye Shiyi gulped. He calmed himself down and went in.

    As the Eleventh Young Master in the Ye Family, he obviously wasn¡¯t afraid of the guard, but the guard¡¯s master.

    He went past the screen, and he saw a wide stone table in front of him.

    Amp was ced in the center of the stone table, and it was currently lit up, brightening the whole room. Gems were ced on top of the table, emitting a dazzling radiance. The brilliant colours attracted everyone¡¯s attention.

    A man in blue stood beside the stone table, lightly wiping it.

    He was not old ¨C only in his twenties ¨C but his posture and serious expression gave a different feeling to the same clothes that Ye Shiyi was wearing; confident, proud, and hard to grasp.

    ¡°Third Brother....¡± Ye Shiyi called out softly.

    The man looked up. He had a well-defined face, with a sharp nose and chin. His almond-shaped eyes looked cold, making him rather handsome.

    He nced over at Ye Shiyi before looking back down. He never stopped wiping the gemstones the whole time.

    ¡°Spill it, what happened?¡±

    Ye Shiyi felt like crying.

    After causing both of his elder brothers to nearly die, why would he and Eighth Sister hide it? They sped home, causing a total mess.

    Not mentioning himself or Eighth Sister, Ninth Brother and Tenth Brother were disciples that the Ye Family put a lot of effort into cultivating. They suddenly came back home with serious injuries, so how could this not be an important matter?

    When Ninth Brother and Tenth Brother were brought in to check their injuries, he was on tenterhooks.

    It was such a serious matter, so he would definitely be questioned. He didn¡¯t know who, but among the various uncles, there were a few who were more lenient.

    However, he never would have guessed that it would be his Third Brother.

    His Third Brother belonged to the same generation. He wasn¡¯t much older, but he was the best in their generation. He had an excellent body constitution, and he was very intelligent. He yed a leading role in their generation, and he was already learning how to take charge of the household since a young age. He was even better than many of the uncles.

    However, no matter how good he was, to his younger siblings, this Third Brother was... too difficult to cope with.

    He had an odd temper; he was erratic and unpredictable. He was also hard to read. Ye Shiyi couldn¡¯t imagine what would happen if he talked about what happened.

    However, he had no choice but to tell the whole story with a sullen face.

    When he got to the point where they nned the trap to have the other party go the eye of the Ming River, his Third Brother stopped wiping his gemstone.

    When he finished talking, he realized that his Third Brother had stopped wiping and was just staring at him quietly.

    Ye Shiyi trembled. His Third Brother had a hobby, which was collecting different types of gemstones. When he was bored, he would stay in his room and take care of them carefully. To him, nothing was more important than his gemstones.

    However, he stopped polishing them now.

    It¡¯s a big deal. Ye Shiyi looked down.

    ¡°You guys set a trap and tricked her to the eye of the Ming River?¡±

    ¡°Yes....¡±

    ¡°You all joined forces and still lost?¡±

    ¡°Yes....¡±

    ¡°The Mystic Water Sword Formation was broken by her?¡±

    ¡°Yes....¡± After answering the third question, Ye Shiyi shut his eyes tight in despair. Will Third Brother skin me alive?

    The Ye Family never cared about how arrogant and despotic their disciples were. They were such a huge aristocratic family; if their kids couldn¡¯t be arrogant, what did their ancestors work so hard for? However, it was a taboo to be embarrassed by others. In the Ye Family, being born here made you superior already, so if you lose, what¡¯s the point in living?

    Especially his Third Brother. ¡°Winner takes all¡± was his motto. Ability spoke the loudest, and if one was not capable, heh....

    However, the scary punishment in Ye Shiyi¡¯s imagination didn¡¯te true. He looked up to see his Third Brother sneering, making chills run down his spine.

    ¡°Say it, what¡¯s her name?¡±

    ¡°Lu Mingshu, a Nine Jade Pce disciple,¡± Ye Shiyi stammered.

    In an instant, he saw his Third Brother reach out and throw a scroll at his face.

    Ye Shiyi caught the scroll. It was titled, ¡°The New Ranking.¡±

    ¡°The first name ¨C read it out!¡±

    Ye Shiyi opened the scroll, his eyes widening upon seeing the name.

 Chapter 217: Even I Donéˆ¥æª› Dare

    <h4>Chapter 217: Even I Don¡¯t Dare</h4>

    Ye Shiyi¡¯s hand trembled as he stammered. ¡°The fifty-first Qilin Festival, New Generation Ranking, first ce; Nine Jade Pce, Lu Mingshu....¡±

    He almost burst into tears. That Lu Mingshu? How could it be?

    ¡°Continue!¡±

    Ye Shiyi gritted his teeth. ¡°Second ce; Heavenly Sea Pavilion, Kou Wei. Third ce; Seventh Truth tform, Wei Chunqiu....¡±

    ¡°Enough.¡± Third Brother put his wiping cloth on the table and looked down at him. ¡°Do you know now?¡±

    Ye Shiyi nodded furiously. ¡°Yes, yes, now I know....¡±

    He was about to fall apart. That young girl is ranked first in the Qilin Festival? What joke is this? How old is she? Wei Chunqiu from the Seventh Truth tform and Kou Wei from the Heavenly Sea Pavilion are below her? These two names were the two people who were just famous as Ling Wuxia, and their ability was equal to her.

    Who was Ling Wuxia? In Beiming, she had a well-known reputation.

    She was the best disciple in the Ancient Jade Summit, and she was famous in Beiming. Even someone as outstanding as his Third Brother would have to bow down in front of her.

    Ye Shiyi couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. ¡°Third Brother, is she just using the name? Her age is around the same as us, and she looks like she only just entered the Harmonization Realm. How could she be better than Wei Chunqiu and Kou Wei?¡±

    ¡°Names can be faked, but ability?¡± Third Brother stared at him coldly. ¡°How bad can the Mystic Water Sword Formation be?¡±

    Ye Shiyi kept quiet. With one person, the power may be normal, but with four of them together, even their Third Brother wouldn¡¯t just sit there and do nothing. That¡¯s why they didn¡¯t expect Lu Mingshu to counter-attack.

    ¡°Besides, the Lu Mingshu ranked first is also sixteen, simr to the one you described.¡±

    Third Brother furrowed his eyebrows. ording to a reliable source, Lu Mingshu only just left Zhongzhou. Who would have guessed that her first fight in Beiming would be against his siblings?

    ¡°The Qilin Festival ended not long ago, and the news only just reached Beiming. It¡¯s said that Lu Mingshu can¡¯t defeat Kou Wei or Wei Chunqiu. She does not have the ability, and the first rank onlyes from her luck. However, even if it¡¯s because of luck, she still managed to get first ce even though she fought both Wei Chunqiu and Kou Wei. Do you know what that represents?¡±

    Ye Shiyi stared at his Third Brother.

    ¡°This shows that, even if she isn¡¯t as good as Ling Wuxia, she can still go a few rounds with her.¡± Third Brother sneered. ¡°Do you even know where you stand? Even I dare not plot against her.¡±

    ¡°We didn¡¯t know....¡± Ye Shiyi whispered.

    ¡°If you all knew and still dared to provoke her, I would give you a standing ovation,¡± Third Brother said sarcastically.

    Ye Shiyi looked down.

    ¡°Third Brother. We, we did wrong....¡±

    ¡°What did you do wrong?¡±

    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t have gone and provoked her....¡±

    ¡°Bullshit!¡± Third Brother sneered. ¡°Someone hase to p us in our face, yet you take it lying down? Is your surname even Ye?¡±

    ¡°Third Brother...¡± Ye Shiyi stared at him with wide eyes.

    Third Brother took the cloth again and continued what he was doing. ¡°Nevermind. This is a chance for me to visit her and see how much value first ce on the New Ranking holds!¡±

    Ye Shiyi blinked.

    ¡°I¡¯m done, you may leave now.¡±

    Ye Shiyi stared at him, jaws dropping. It¡¯s all over now?

    Third Brother looked askance at him. ¡°You don¡¯t want to leave? Do you perhaps think that I owe you a beating?¡±

    Ye Shiyi came to realize what happened and left in a hurry. ¡°No, I will leave right away.¡±

    Ye Shiyi left, leaving Third Brother alone behind looking at the gemstones in his hand. ¡°Such a coincidence that you came to Beiming now. Lu Mingshu, will you turn into a variable?¡±

    ...

    From Zhongzhou to Green Hills Bank only took about five or six days, but from Green Hills Bank to Remainder Ind took at least half a month.

    It was a smooth journey. Lu Mingshu used this half a month to refine her mystic force and nourish her spiritual tool and Mystic Dewdrops.

    Finally, they reached Remainder Ind, and they went down the boat to have a look around.

    Ah Ling was very excited. ¡°Miss, since Remainder Ind is located at the border of the White Heron States and ck Crane State, there¡¯s a big market here. If you go through the door there, they exclusively sell rare treasures, and there¡¯s a lot of fun things!¡±

    ¡°All you think about is ying!¡± Ah Lang chided and turned to Lu Mingshu. ¡°Ah Ling is right, this is the biggest market in the southeast, so they have a lot of Beiming¡¯s specialities. Miss shouldn¡¯t miss it when youe here to travel!

    Captain Ding smiled. ¡°Miss can shop at the Treasure Assembly too. It¡¯s organized by the Ye Family, and they have the best things in Beiming.¡± He then sighed. ¡°In the past few years, the aristocratic families have gained even more control over resources. Low-quality items can still be seen in markets, but for high-quality ones, you can only get them in their shop, and even Pure White Grace Pavilion¡¯s standard has dropped.

    Lu Mingshu sighed. Normally, Zhongzhou was like this too. However, after the queen defeated the aristocratic families, the market became lively. But there¡¯s no royal family in Beiming, so who would do such things?

    High-rise buildings stood in great numbers, and the floor was made of blue-coloured bricks. The market in Remainder Ind was gorgeous; pictures carved on the fences, and nicely-painted buildings with pearls and jade as decorations, making the market glorious.

    ¡°Pure white pearl ¨C the best quality pure white pearl! Drinking it every day can help get rid of the poisonous gas in your body!¡±

    ¡°Mermaids, selling mermaids! When they grow, you can ride them in the water!¡±

    ¡°Looking for apprentices to learn casting. I¡¯ll fix your weapon for free too....¡±

    The shouting on the streets made the atmosphere heated.

    Lu Mingshu stopped in front of the booth that was selling mermaids. The fry was even smaller than her palm, and she couldn¡¯t even see if they had a human face.

    The booth owner greeted her enthusiastically. ¡°Miss, do you want a mermaid? You can ride it when it grows! It¡¯s fast and pretty, which suits Miss a lot!¡±

    After he said that, a passerby roasted him. ¡°What the hell? Mermaids? We don¡¯t even know if mermaids really exist in this world, and yet you¡¯re selling some? Plus, they¡¯re so small. How long would it take for one to grow until I¡¯m able to ride it?¡±

    ¡°Get lost, get lost!¡± The booth owner yelled, afraid that it would affect his business. ¡°So what if I like to call them mermaids? And whose mount doesn¡¯t need to be raised from a young age? Or do you give birth to your mounts?!¡±

    ¡°You should be the one giving birth!¡±

    Seeing that the booth owner and the passerby were going to have a heated argument, Lu Mingshu chipped in. ¡°How much for a fry?¡±

    Seeing some business, the owner smiled happily and ignored the passerby. ¡°Not expensive, just one gold.¡±

    Gold, the standard that the Zhongzhou royal family came up with. Normal resources rted to cultivating could be gotten with normal silver taels and gold, while the better ones required golden extract. One gold was equivalent to two hundred silver taels. To normal people, it was very costly, but to a martial artist, it was the amount of low-quality medicine.

    Lu Mingshu nodded. ¡°Give me one.¡±

    ¡°Sure!¡± The owner quickly got her a fry and threw it into the bamboo tube that he prepared. ¡°Here.¡±

    Lu Mingshu took it, but she didn¡¯t keep it. She ced the bamboo tube next to the portable stable.

    The next minute, the owner saw a tonguee out from the portable stable, and in no time, it took the ¡°mermaid¡± with it.

    ¡°This...¡±

    The passerbyughed out loud. ¡°Hahaha, like I said, who would buy a ¡®mermaid¡¯? It was just for feeding a pet!¡±

    After feeding Little Daze, Lu Mingshu returned the bamboo tube and went off.

    ¡°What¡¯s there to see here? Hurry, let¡¯s go to the Treasure Assembly.¡±

    Two people passed by and went into a high-rise building.

    Lu Mingshu went over and asked. ¡°Where is the Treasure Assembly held?¡±

    The passerby smiled. ¡°Here. Does Miss have a name card?¡±

    Lu Mingshu shook her head.

    ¡°Then you¡¯ll have to pay a deposit to enter.¡±

    ¡°How much?¡±

    ¡°A hundred gold.¡±

 Chapter 218: Here Comes the Elder Brother

    <h4>Chapter 218: Here Comes the Elder Brother</h4>

    There were all kinds of items with brilliant lights and vibrant colours being disyed in a transparent case.

    There were talismans ced everywhere around the disy counters to prevent people from touching. There were big wooden tablets at the side of the cases with information about the items inside. There was also a small servant girl at the side, looking around and answering questions for the noble guests.

    Manydies and gentlemen in fancy clothes crowded around the exhibits, discussing quietly.

    Lu Mingshu looked over the items one by one. Seeing her carefully checking them out but not asking about the prices, it gave others a feeling that it was a pointless trip for her.

    ¡°Heh, pitiful poor girl!¡± A youngdy who passed by sneered.

    ¡°Maybe a disciple from a smaller sect? It¡¯s not easy for her to travel here though,¡± the youngdy¡¯spanion said.

    ¡°True....¡±

    Lu Mingshu turned a deaf ear to thements.

    Finally, she stopped by the public exhibition.

    It was a huge table with no talismans or cases. The items were randomly thrown on the table, and they looked cheap.

    Most people who were at the Treasure Assembly had big family backgrounds, so these items were garbage to them that they wouldn¡¯t even spare a nce. There were only a few people looking around.

    Even the servant girl was standing therezily, looking like she was about to fall asleep.

    Lu Mingshu stood there for a moment. Most items here were defects or things that nobody could identify.

    She looked around for a moment before taking three items and passing them to the servant girl. ¡°Excuse me, I want these three items.¡±

    The servant girl yawned. She wiped a tear away before taking out a notebook to write down the items. ¡°Please pay at the side.¡±

    Just three gold and she got herself three pieces of ¡°garbage.¡±

    This ¡°garbage¡± had the same quality ¨C old, a small amount of mystic force, and hard to refine. It wasn¡¯t suitable to be sold at a high price, but it was a waste to throw it away. In short, they were just chicken ribs.

    However, Lu Mingshu had seen many treasures in the Heavenly Wheel, and she had carved a collection of treasures from various worlds in her mind. These three pieces of ¡°garbage¡± were definitely treasures to her.

    As for the ¡°real¡± treasures, they were garbage to her. The Treasure Assembly can just keep them.

    As she walked out of the venue, she saw someone shouting out loud. ¡°The boats are back!¡±

    With a loud bang, many took their mustard seed pouches with them and carried a wooden barrier or rattan basket with them. These people were shopkeepers, clerks, or even booth owners.

    The stream of people sped past Lu Mingshu.

    She turned to an aunty who was busy closing her shop in a rush. ¡°May I ask what¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°The boats are back! Go grab the goods!¡± The aunty rolled everything up and carried it on her back before dashing in the same direction. She¡¯s fat, but her speed is surprising!

    Lu Mingshu looked at the situation in front of her nkly before following the crowd.

    In the blink of an eye, the dock was filled with people.

    From afar, a fleet slowly entered the harbour under the anticipation of many, then slowly parked by the dock.

    The sailors jumped down the ship and ced adder leading up. The people then gushed forward, fighting to go up thedder first.

    Those who tended bigger shops went over to the big ships, while the booths and smaller shops chose the smaller boats. There was a boiling cauldron of voices and people pushing each other, yelling for the prices.

    So, it¡¯s to get goods.

    The fleets went out to hunt beasts. When they returned, they sold various water beasts, fish, pearls, algae, and ores. There were a lot of ces in Beiming that one couldn¡¯t travel as they wished since it was too dangerous, so some goods could only be acquired from these ships.

    ¡°Wow! Look! Such a huge fish!¡± someone cried out in surprise.

    The crowd looked over to where the cry came from.

    A few ships wereing inte, dragging a toward the harbour slowly. A huge shadow could be seen amongst the ships.

    The closer the ships got, the clearer the shadow became.

    ¡°It¡¯s a Mountain Whale!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s gigantic! Even bigger than a ship!¡±

    ¡°Of course, that¡¯s why it¡¯s called a Mountain Whale.¡±

    ¡°Eh, why did they stop?¡±

    The ships stopped outside the harbour and dropped their anchors.

    ¡°Idiot! Where are they going to put the Mountain Whale if theye in the harbour? It¡¯s better to sell it alive than dead, so of course, they¡¯re bidding now!¡±

    During the conversation, some boats had already made their way to those ships.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get going, maybe we will get something too!¡±

    Lu Mingshu walked back to the Ding family¡¯s boat, and Ah Ling was justing out. ¡°Miss, you¡¯re just in time! We are nning to go over to have a look.¡±

    ¡°Come along!¡± Captain Ding smiled. ¡°We are just in time, this is a rare event!¡±

    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen!¡± As the crowd got bigger, a steward came out yelling. ¡°We, the Bon Voyage Fleet, have captured a Mountain Whale. Please take a look!¡±

    The ropes tightened, and the Mountain Whale came up to the surface. It was ufortable because of the bindings, so it shook its tail to struggle.

    Suddenly, the water moved up and down, causing the boat to jolt and people to shriek.

    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, this fully-grown whale has the strength of a Spirit Realm cultivator. We¡¯ve sent out our top-notch elites to bring it under control.¡±

    After the endless introduction, the steward announced an auction on the spot.

    Somebody shouted, ¡°A hundred and ten! We will pay a hundred and ten mystic crystals!¡±

    ¡°A hundred and twenty!¡±

    ¡°A hundred and thirty!¡±

    A hundred mystic crystals was a sky-high price, and those who could stillpete were either big chains or aristocratic families. Most people were just here to join the hype.

    ¡°Two hundred and eighty!¡±

    ¡°Three hundred!¡±

    ¡°Three hundred and fifty!¡±

    ¡°Four hundred!¡±

    The auction price went up quickly until there were only two buyers left ¨C the Pure White Grace Pavilion shopkeeper and the Ye Family.

    ¡°One thousand!¡±

    As soon as the Ye Family spoke that number, it caused an uproar from the crowd.

    A thousand! A thousand mystic crystals! This is thergest trade in the Remainder Ind market in recent years!

    Even a Spirit Realm elder wouldn¡¯t have more than a hundred mystic crystals. The Bon Voyage Fleet really struck it rich.

    The Pure White Grace Pavilion shopkeeper hesitated for a moment. He then sighed and bowed toward the Ye Family. ¡°The Ye Family is indeed wealthy, we concede defeat.¡±

    The Ye Family member managing the Remainder Ind smiled like a Cheshire Cat. ¡°You let me win, you let me win.¡±

    The fleet¡¯s steward announced. ¡°A thousand mystic crystals. Deal!¡±

    The Ye Family member shook hands with the steward and got a ship to collect the Mountain Whale, bringing it to shore.

    Ah Ling looked green with envy. ¡°The Bon Voyage Fleet is really something, I couldn¡¯t even finish using a thousand mystic crystals in my lifetime. Such a pity that we are too low-ss, they wouldn¡¯t even take us in.¡±

    ¡°How would a kid like you know how hard it is? The Bon Voyage Fleet is not like how it used to be. You only see them earning a thousand mystic crystals, but have you taken into consideration how much they spend a day to feed the whole fleet? From what I see, the Bon Voyage Fleet will have a hard time after this.¡±

    ¡°What does Sir mean?¡± Lu Mingshu asked.

    ¡°The Ye Family is getting more and more powerful, haish!¡± Captain Ding sighed.

    Lu Mingshu understood what he meant.

    The Mountain Whale was being dragged up on shore, and there was nothing else for the crowd to see, so everyone left.

    As the Ding family¡¯s boat made a turn, somebody called out to them.

    ¡°Lu Mingshu?¡±

    She turned back.

    A young gentleman was not far behind.

    He had almond-shaped eyes and looked handsome. He was wearing the turquoise shirt that represented the Ye Family, and he was riding a silver leaf.

    A Ye Family gentleman.

    Ah Ling gripped Lu Mingshu¡¯s sleeve tightly in panic.

    ¡°Hello, Sir...?¡±

    The other party held his hand and greeted her. ¡°Ye Zhenyan, third in my family.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded. She had injured the younger ones, so the older one came.

    ¡°So, it¡¯s the third young master of the Ye Family. How may I help you?¡±

    Ye Zhenyan smiled. ¡°Miss¡¯s performance during the Qilin Festival has left me in surprise, but I haven¡¯t yet had the chance to meet you. It¡¯s such a coincidence that I could meet you in Beiming. I was wondering if Miss would be willing to advise me?¡±

 Chapter 219: Water Cage

    <h4>Chapter 219: Water Cage</h4>

    Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales

    ¡°Miss?¡± Ah Ling nudged her.

    Lu Mingshu turned back, ¡°Sir, you can go back first.¡±

    Captain Ding looked at Ye Zhenyan with fear before nodding in agreement. ¡°Okay, we will stop here. Miss can just shout for us if anything happens.¡±

    Lu Mingshu threw the bronze leaf on the water surface and jumped onto it.

    The Ding family¡¯s boat slowly got further away.

    Ye Zhenyan looked at the bronze-coloured leaf she was standing on and moved his hand, signalling for her to start. ¡°Miss Lu, please.¡±

    As soon as he finished, a lightning-like sword-light made a beeline for Ye Zhenyan.

    Ye Zhenyan focused on the sword-light, and clear rays of light appeared as a circle of water was formed. The water rippled as it blocked the attack.

    Ding!

    The sound of the swords colliding could be heard.

    The swords separated immediately, and Ye Zhenyan stepped on his silver leaf. Like a ghost, he moved behind Lu Mingshu. Sword energy was unleashed, and waves surged as if there was a huge force pulling the water, forcing it up to the sky.

    Whoosh!

    This alerted the others nearby.

    The harbour¡¯s market just started, so there were many shopkeepers and owners still bargaining prices with the ships. There were also some who were just here to watch the auction and hadn¡¯t left yet. This was the busiest time in Remainder Ind¡¯s harbour.

    ¡°Wow! A fight at the harbour! Aren¡¯t they afraid to get caught?¡±

    ¡°Are you an idiot? A turquoise shirt and a silver leaf, that¡¯s a Ye Family member!¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s so daring to fight a Ye Family member? That person really doesn¡¯t want to live.¡±

    ¡°I know, right?¡±

    The water blocking her line of sight and the sounds of water gushing disturbed Lu Mingshu. She was able to condense her energy but not use it.

    Ye Family members spent most of their time in water, and their silver leaf was likend to them. In addition, their skills were rted to water, so fighting on water was an advantage for them.

    As soon as Ye Zhenyan started, she knew that he was better than Ye Zhenfan and the rest. If he participated in the Qilin Festival, he would be in the top ten at least.

    Lu Mingshu guessed that she might have a 70-80% chance of winning if they were onshore, but now, they were on the water, and the fight had already started.

    A ray of sword-light held between the water ripples had already reached her silently.

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s eyes shone as she shook her hand and sent out a wave of sword-light.

    The other party¡¯s sword-light shattered, but it didn¡¯t have much effect on him.

    Lu Mingshu was astounded. She immediately turned around in panic.

    Whoosh¡ª¨C!

    The water screamed as more than ten streaks of sword-light came out from the water, forming a sudden echo effect.

    In a moment of urgency, a hum could be heard as Lu Mingshu¡¯s mystic light erged. A mild golden light blinked like there was a talisman.

    The water dropped down toward Ye Zhenyan.

    ¡°Spiritual tool?¡± He raised his eyebrows.

    The golden rays faded slowly, and the spiritual tool went back to Lu Mingshu.

    ¡°Miss Lu,¡± Ye Zhenyan yelled, ¡°As the holder of first ce in the Qilin Festival, your ability is too disappointing.¡±

    ¡°Gentleman Ye, you¡¯re indeed much more capable than the previous ones.¡±

    ¡°Hah!¡± Ye Zhenyan didn¡¯t know if he should be angry orugh. Trying to say that Ye Zhenfan is too weak? Well, it¡¯s true.

    ¡°Do you want to see something even more powerful?¡±

    Lu Mingshu held up her sword. ¡°Just do it already. What¡¯s the need for so many words?¡±

    Ye Zhenyan smirked, and the killing aura got thicker.

    The water started bubbling. Lu Mingshu had seen this before when she fought Ye Zhenfan, but the aura was different.

    Whoosh!

    The water shot up high like a fountain, arousing the numerous streams and taking up half a mile.

    The sword energy surrounded the water, getting faster as timed passed.

    ¡°Mystic Water Sword! The Ye Family¡¯s Mystic Water Sword!¡±

    More and more people gathered at the harbour. It was now packed like sardines as they all looked over to where Lu Mingshu and Ye Zhenyan were fighting.

    ¡°Mystic Water Sword? That¡¯s a Ye Family disciple?¡±

    ¡°80% at least. Look at how young he is, he is definitely a young master.¡±

    A sharp voice interrupted the conversation going on between the crowd. ¡°Don¡¯t you all know who he is?¡±

    The crowd turned to him.

    The middle-aged man who spoke looked at them proudly. ¡°That¡¯s the Ye Family¡¯s third young master!¡±

    ¡°Third young master? That¡¯s the third young master of the Ye Family?¡± Many people cried out in surprise.

    ¡°Who¡¯s the third young master of the Ye Family?¡± There were some who were unaware.

    The man who revealed Ye Zhenyan¡¯s identity rolled his eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t even know who the third young master of the Ye Family is? Are you even a resident of White Heron State? He¡¯s the best in his generation. Back when Ling Wuxia came to White Heron State, he drew against her!¡±

    ¡°Wow, a draw against Ling Wuxia. Isn¡¯t he the best in the Harmonization Realm then?¡±

    ¡°Exactly. The best from the biggest sects ¨C Kou Wei from the Heavenly Sea Pavilion and Wei Chunqiu from the Seventh Truth tform ¨C are going to break through to the Spirit Realm soon. By then, the Harmonization Realm will belong to the Ye Family¡¯s third young master and the rest.¡±

    The crowd gasped in awe, but in reality, the man had exaggerated. Ling Wuxia indeed had a draw against Ye Zhenyan, but it was when they were both in the Inner Breath Realm. The Inner Breath Realm and the Harmonization Realm were two different worlds, and Ling Wuxia¡¯s reputation only rose when she entered the Harmonization Realm.

    ¡°Who¡¯s that girl? So daring.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, she looks young too. Must be a newbie who doesn¡¯t know where she stands.¡±

    Streams of water soared into the sky like swords.

    Lu Mingshu felt like there was Sword Intent everywhere. Wherever there was water, there were swords.

    Fighting on the water was an advantage for Ye Family members. When she met Ye Zhenfan and the rest, it seemed manageable because they weren¡¯t good enough, but when she met Ye Zhenyan today, she realized how good their skills were.

    No Physical Manifestation of Sword Intent was even needed at this point; the water was a sword, and the sword was water. Lu Mingshu felt like she was in a cage made of water.

    However, Lu Mingshu would never wait helplessly for death.

    Lu Mingshu waved her sword and dodged the attack.

    Like a swallow, she grabbed her sword tightly and sent out an attack!

    nk¡ª-!

    The swords met, and Lu Mingshu retreated again.

    Ye Zhenyan narrowed his eyes.

    He had never seen someone like her, daring to y with a Ye Family member on the water.

    So what if she can adapt well? Water is the Ye Family¡¯s territory. I even stand a chance to win against the Heavenly Sea Pavilion elites!

    Ye Zhenyan went after her immediately.

    No matter where Lu Mingshu went, he was in front of her in the blink of an eye.

    Ding! Ding! Ding!

    The sound of sword energy shing was intense as two figures danced on the water, fast and light.

    ¡°Eh, that girl isn¡¯t bad.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, she isn¡¯t falling behind too much!¡±

    ¡°Capable, but such a pity that she¡¯s going against the Ye Family¡¯s third young master.¡±

    On the Ding family¡¯s boat, Ah Ling bit her lips nervously as she watched the fight.

    ¡°Brother, would Miss Lu lose?¡± She tugged on Ah Lang¡¯s sleeve.

    Ah Lang looked at her helplessly. ¡°How would I know? They¡¯re both much more powerful than I am. You don¡¯t understand it, but neither do I!¡±

    Ah Ling turned to Captain Ding immediately. ¡°Grandpa?¡±

    Captain Ding furrowed his brows. ¡°I... don¡¯t know. Ability-wise, Miss Lu doesn¡¯t fall behind by too much, so she still stands a chance. But on water, the Ye Family¡¯s Mystic Water Sword has a huge advantage.¡±

    Ah Ling pouted. ¡°The Ye Family disciple that day used the Mystic Water Sword too, but he lost anyway!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not the same. That disciple and this one are both in the Harmonization Realm, but the difference in their ability is very big!¡±

 Chapter 220: Torrential waves

    <h4>Chapter 220: Torrential waves</h4>

    Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales

    There was water everywhere as well as sword energy.

    Lu Mingshu only had a sword, but the other party was able to condense water into swords and use them anytime he wanted.

    The same sword, but Ye Zhenyan only needed 50% of his power to block 70% of Lu Mingshu¡¯s attack.

    The sound of water and sword energy surrounded her. Lu Mingshu listened to them carefully and focused on them.

    To her, this was a brand-new challenge that was even more difficult than the fight against Kou Wei or Wei Chunqiu.

    To her, Kou Wei¡¯s and Wei Chunqiu¡¯s abilities were easy to see, so she could calcte them easily. For Ye Zhenyan though, the Mystic Water Sword was way too mysterious, and his data was all concentrated in the water. To be able to get it, she had to eliminate all distractions.

    Numerous data flowed into her mind, but Lu Mingshu focused only on getting the useful bits and filling up the information.

    ¡°Miss Lu.¡± Ye Zhenyan smiled. ¡°Taking it all forcefully is not a good choice.¡±

    Light blue sword-light surrounded Ye Zhenyan, and he sent it out a little bit. Everywhere within half a mile around him was filled with his Sword Intent. No matter where she went, the Sword Intent would prevent her from going further.

    ¡°How do you know I¡¯m taking it forcefully?¡± Lu Mingshu attacked calmly.

    Specks of sword-light followed her sword, leaving behind a mild golden trail mixed with the light blue sword-light.

    Ye Zhenyan smiled seeing that.

    Using that against my Sword Intent, huh? A smart move. She¡¯s ranked first in the New Generation Ranking after all. But, what a pity that I¡¯m the opponent!

    What outsiders weren¡¯t aware of was that, after Ling Wuxia became famous, Ye Zhenyan went to the Ancient Jade Summit and requested another fight. On the Ancient Snow Lake, he suppressed Ling Wuxia until she was unable to even attack. At thest moment, he lost to her because of her excellent control, which allowed her to power to seep into the Mystic Water Sword.

    After the fight, Ye Zhenyan went back to White Heron State and never left his house for half a year until he finally found a way to fill that loophole.

    Lu Mingshu chose the same method that Ling Wuxia did, but he was now immune to it!

    The light blue Sword Intent seemed to be permeable, but it kept joining into a web. No matter how much surface area Lu Mingshu¡¯s mystic force took up, it was strong and unbreakable.

    Whoosh!

    The sound of water gushing could be heard again, covering the specks of gold and dissolving it slowly.

    In the eyes of the crowd, all they saw was the mild golden sword energy being swallowed up by the light blue sword-light.

    Rays after rays.

    ¡°Oh no, it¡¯s ending.¡±

    ¡°Looks like that Miss is about to lose!¡±

    ¡°Not bad. She managed tost for quite a while with the Ye Family¡¯s third young master.¡±

    ¡°She should be quite capable, seeing her fight like this. Which aristocratic family is she from? Or is she a disciple of a top sect?¡±

    ¡°Her clothes look like she¡¯s from the south. A Zhongzhou citizen?¡±

    Ye Zhenyan was now on cloud nine.

    It was hard to have an opponent who could fight him this long; it was such a fun fight! What¡¯s more fun though was that he won!

    The taste of victory was so wonderful that no words could describe it.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Lu!¡± Suddenly, a tremendous wave surged, smashing down with a loud bang.

    Water could take on a thousand forms ¨C humidity, silent streams, rivers that could carry anything ¨C giving the world life. However, it could also be as heavy as a mountain and destroy the world!

    Within a mile around Ye Zhenyan, the Mystic Water Sword manifestation went on a rampage, sweeping away everything that was present.

    Fish jumped out of the water, turning into mincemeat after being crushed by the Mystic Water Sword manifestation. nks ands that were floating nearby had all turned into ashes.

    Even boats that were nearby were affected. The boats were now shaking vigorously.

    ¡°Powerful!¡± The crowd gasped in surprise.

    ¡°Indeed a Ye Family member.¡±

    ¡°The Ye Family¡¯s Mystic Water Sword has a fully justified reputation.¡±

    ¡°Brother!¡± Ah Ling tugged on Ah Lang¡¯s sleeve so violently that she nearly ripped it. ¡°Is Miss Lu losing?¡± Her eyes brimmed with tears.

    ¡°Uh, maybe.¡± Ah Lang furrowed his eyebrows.

    ¡°What will she do if she loses? Miss beat those other Ye Family disciples badly back at the eye of the Ming River!¡±

    Captain Ding sighed. ¡°Miss Lu is a sect¡¯s disciple. The Ye Family should take that into consideration.¡±

    Even though he said that, he didn¡¯t dare to be certain. Such arge aristocratic family like the Ye Family wouldn¡¯t put a small sect in their eyes. They could only hope that Miss Lu had a strong supporter.

    The tremendous waves went down along with the Sword Intent, and it was time to see Lu Mingshu all rolled up....

    Buzz!

    A gentle cry could be heard when the wave was about to get her.

    The wind swelled on the water, and her pale face was reflected in the waves.

    Ye Zhenyan stopped for a while, then tried to suppress her once again.

    But the waves didn¡¯t move.

    The golden rays that were originally swallowed up emerged, shining brighter than before.

    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°The miss¡¯s sword energy?¡±

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it already destroyed by the Ye Family¡¯s third young master?¡±

    ¡°Yeah! Why is it appearing again?¡±

    The crowd in the harbour were mostly pretty weak. There weren¡¯t many who could understand what was going on.

    On the Bon Voyage Fleet¡¯s biggest ship, a man came out of the cabin.

    The steward on the fleet saw it and went forward to greet him. ¡°Sir Ning, what brings you here?¡±

    It was a skinny middle-aged guy who looked ordinary. He looked cultured like a teacher instead of a martial artist.

    However, he was a Spirit Realm martial artist ¨C an elite amongst elites.

    Sir Ning looked around. Realizing that all his sailors had stopped their work and were watching the fight, he smiled at the steward. ¡°It¡¯s rare to see an interesting fight. Of course, I¡¯ll have to take a look too.¡±

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s just a fight between Harmonization Realm disciples. Sir is valuing them too much!¡± Since Sir Ning is one of the powerful ones amongst those of the same realm, these two must be very good since he¡¯s praising them!

    ¡°They have interesting things in the Harmonization Realm,¡± Sir Ning replied and stood by the edge of the ship.

    Seeing the unmoving wave and the mix of both Sword Intents, Sir Ning squinted his eyes and mumbled, ¡°Are the younger generation disciples that good now?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not the younger generation, it¡¯s them in particr.¡± A woman slowly walked up to him.

    The woman was almost in her thirties, with a ponytail and beautiful looks. She was also in the Spirit Realm.

    Sir Ning smiled widely at her. ¡°Junior Sister Yu, you¡¯re here to watch the fight too?¡±

    ¡°As you said, it¡¯s rare to see an interesting fight, so why not?¡± Junior Sister Yu said in monotone.

    The steward gasped upon hearing the conversation between the best of their fleet. Are they really that good? Even Miss Yu is saying it.

    A mild golden light appeared. At first, it was on par with the light blue light, but as time passed, it shone brighter and slowly overtook the light blue sword-light.

    Ye Zhenyan gave Lu Mingshu a death re.

    He was unable to understand what happened. When did her Sword Intent hide? Why couldn¡¯t he feel anything?

    No, if this continues, I¡¯ll lose. I must do something!

    Ye Zhenyan turned his sword, exerting all his mystic force.

    Whoosh!

    The water gushed, and the huge waves soared up.

    When the wavesnded on Ye Zhenyan, heunched an attack. The sword was now like water, fusing into the waves as if they were one.

    ¡°Go!¡± Ye Zhenyan stood up straight, and the silver leaf below him sped forward. Like lightning, he shed down.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Everyone cried out in rm upon feeling his grandeur.

 Chapter 221: Whatéˆ¥æªš Going on?

    <h4>Chapter 221: What¡¯s Going on?</h4>

    There was a hum.

    The tremendous waves crashed down, and the Sword Intent scattered all around.

    A mild golden light immediately followed and, like a huge hand, grabbed the tremendous waves.

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s eyes shone. The sword hissed loudly, rolling the tremendous waves and hitting them back.

    Ye Zhenyan¡¯s attack had already drained most of his energy. Seeing a tremendous wave suddenly crashing down on him, he could only forcefully block it with his sword. As if thousands of mountains were pressing down on him, he was sent flying.

    What¡¯s going on?

    As he fell, with water gushing into his mouth and nose, that was the only thing that came to his mind.

    I had the whole situation under control. How did she manage to break away from my Sword Intent at thest minute?

    ¡°Third Young Master, Third Young Master!¡± He heard the Ye Family¡¯s in-charge of Remainder Ind shouting in panic. Afraid that something will happen to me and hurt the Ye Family?

    Ye Zhenyan felt likeughing.

    He was someone who always had a clear grasp of the situation, grasping his opponent¡¯s ability and his own, and he knew how to make himself more capable of winning.

    But now, he lost.

    How he lost, what the opponent¡¯s ability was, how to break it... he didn¡¯t know any of it!

    ¡°What happened?¡± Since even Ye Zhenyan didn¡¯t know what happened, the crowd obviously didn¡¯t know either.

    ¡°Did he lose?¡±

    ¡°What the hell? Did he let her win on purpose?¡±

    ¡°But... why would he need to do that?¡±

    On the Ding family¡¯s boat, Ah Ling jumped up in happiness. ¡°Ah! Grandpa, did Miss Lu win?¡±

    ¡°I suppose so....¡± Captain Ding raised his eyebrows. It seemed that Lu Mingshu won, but the change was so fast that he didn¡¯t really understand.

    Sir Ning of the Bon Voyage Fleet stared at her oddly. ¡°Nice. Her tricks are pretty unique.¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Miss Yu nodded. ¡°Her skills remind me of an old friend....¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    ...

    Whoosh!

    Ye Zhenyan floated to the surface of the water.

    ¡°Third Young Master!¡± The in-charge ran toward him and held him tightly.

    But Ye Zhenyan pushed him away and stood on the silver leaf, drenched, and went over to Lu Mingshu.

    ¡°What did you do?¡± Ye Zhenyan asked.

    If I don¡¯t find out what happened, I can¡¯t rest in peace even if I die! He had never felt so frustrated in his life, even in the fight with Ling Wuxia.

    ¡°What do you mean ¡®what did I do¡¯?¡± Lu Mingshu raised her brows.

    She was still dry as she stood on her bronze leaf.

    ¡°Your sword energy was already dissolved by me. How did it reappear?¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked at him oddly. ¡°Do you really think it was?¡±

    ¡°Are you saying it wasn¡¯t?¡± He pushed his wet hair away in frustration.

    He had trained for so long to master the skill of dissolving someone else¡¯s mystic force in water. Why did he not seed this time?

    Lu Mingshu shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re too confident. Water can take any form and take in anything. It¡¯s such a pity that your technique took up such a huge area; that¡¯s why I could do what I did.¡±

    Ye Zhenyan stared at her nkly.

    ¡°Water can interfere with me, but it can interfere with you too.¡± She then took out her spiritual tool. ¡°You¡¯re right ¨C my sword energy was dissolved. However, this is the real killer.¡±

    ¡°Spiritual tool...¡± Ye Zhenyan mumbled.

    ¡°Yes. I activated it when I attacked and fused it into my sword energy. My sword energy was dissolved, but not the spiritual tool¡¯s power. If you had heard about how I fought during the Qilin Festival, you would know this is how I beat Kou Wei.¡±

    Ye Zhenyan¡¯s expression turned ck.

    It was a rune cage!

    ¡°It was that simple.¡±

    Ye Zhenyan¡¯s face turned green. He wanted to say that she didn¡¯t win with martial arts, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to do so.

    Martial artists spoke with their ability, but nobody ever said that spiritual tools weren¡¯t allowed. Everyone did whatever they could to win, and no matter what, a win was a win.

    ¡°Third Young Master!¡± Even after being pushed away, the in-charge crawled back again. I can¡¯t let anything happen to Third Young Master here, or else I won¡¯t be the in-charge anymore.

    This time, Ye Zhenyan didn¡¯t push him away. He let the in-charge bring him back to the boat silently. He didn¡¯t even say anything else. What¡¯s the use in talking after a loss? Just get stronger and fight again in the future!

    The crowd seemed to finally understand the reality of the situation.

    ¡°The Ye Family¡¯s Third Young Master really lost....¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°Hah, unexpected, right? That Miss is a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing, actually pretending to be weak....¡± Somebody came up with a theory.

    ¡°Who the hell is she? Daring to defeat the Ye Family¡¯s Third Young Master in their own territory.¡±

    ¡°I know, right? The Ye Family won¡¯t let her off!¡±

    ¡°If she dares to do so, her support must be very strong indeed.¡±

    ¡°Hopefully!¡±

    Lu Mingshu went back to the Ding family¡¯s boat.

    Seeing that there was nothing left to watch, the crowd went back to do their own things.

    ¡°Miss Lu!¡± Ah Ling shouted and rushed to her. ¡°You¡¯re awesome! You defeated him!¡±

    Seeing Ah Ling so excited brought a smile to Lu Mingshu face. ¡°It¡¯s just that he was too careless.¡±

    ¡°Even so, you¡¯re still very good! That¡¯s the Third Young Master of the Ye Family! The previous people who met him were no match!¡±

    ¡°Oh really?¡±

    ¡°Yeah! Miss, do you know that the Ye Family¡¯s generation...¡±

    Hearing Ah Ling talk, Lu Mingshu wiped the sweat from her face. ¡°Sir, I¡¯ll stay at the inn here first, and I may take a while. You can leave first if you need to.¡±

    Captain Ding looked at her for a moment. Remembering his grandchildren, he nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll wait first and see how things go.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    Bidding goodbye to Ah Ling andpany, Lu Mingshu went to the ind and found an inn in the market.

    As soon as she got a room, she took out a pill and swallowed it. She closed her eyes andy on her bed.

    That fight was extremely tough. The reason for her win wasn¡¯t actually as simple as she said.

    Of course, Ye Zhenyan would¡¯ve felt her runes if she put them in carelessly. She only won because she got the calctions right and managed to suppress the runes enough to hide their presence.

    Ye Zhenyan was very powerful, he wasn¡¯t overconfident, and the area of his attack was actually just right. It¡¯s just that, with the ability of a Harmonization Realm, one couldn¡¯t feel something if it was small enough.

    Lu Mingshu used her calctions to find a very small difference, and luckily, she got it right.

    No matter whether it was the calcting or suppressing the runes, it took a lot of her energy.

    She didn¡¯t have enough time to recover naturally. The Ye Family was too overbearing; defeating the Third Young Master of the Ye Family in front of so many spectators... who knew if they woulde to seek revenge?

    This was why she stayed in an inn. If she was on the boat, she might implicate the Ding family and then have nowhere to hide. She also wouldn¡¯t be able to disy more than 70% of her power.

    All she could hope for now was that she was worrying too much and that the Ye Family wasn¡¯t that petty.

 Chapter 222: Another Old One

    <h4>Chapter 222: Another Old One</h4>

    Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales

    It was a silent night, and a burnt smell filled the room from burning candles.

    Lu Mingshu sat in her bed quietly, trying to recover.

    The market was no longer bustling with activity, and the stalls were all closed. The only sound that could be heard now was the wind and the guards patrolling.

    Suddenly, the candle me wobbled.

    Lu Mingshu shot up and rolled to the ground frantically. In the next moment, the bed was now in two pieces.

    She looked at the bed and drew her sword slowly. ¡°How disappointing!¡± she sighed.

    ¡°Hmph!¡± someone huffed, but there was no one to be seen. ¡°Such an arrogant kid!¡±

    Ignoring the person¡¯s provocation, she asked calmly, ¡°May I know who this sir from the Ye Family is?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t deserve to know!¡± the other party said arrogantly.

    ¡°Heh.¡± Lu Mingshu smirked. ¡°It seems Sir hasn¡¯t broken through to the Spirit Realm. Perhaps you¡¯re one of those old men that have to spend their whole life in the Harmonization Realm?¡±

    ¡°You...!¡± Sword-light dashed toward her as the other party attacked in anger.

    Lu Mingshu bent down immediately to dodge the attack. She then counterattacked.

    Zzzzz~~

    A hiss could be heard, followed by a ng! as something banged into the broken bed frame, and there was an old man in ck.

    ¡°An old man indeed. After a kides a teenager, and now, an old man. Where¡¯s the creativity?¡±

    The old man¡¯s hair was extremely white. Even though he looked to be in his sixties, he may actually be in his hundreds already.

    ¡°A little bastard with no respect!¡± The old man chided.

    ¡°It¡¯s not as if you treated me kindly!¡± Lu Mingshu shouted back.

    She wasn¡¯t an idiot. He¡¯s here for my life, so why would I still be polite and nice?

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s stop here. Just tell me what you all want, okay? We will talk things out if we can, and if we can¡¯t, we¡¯ll just fight. What do you think, sir?¡±

    She was actually being polite now, but the old man didn¡¯t seem to buy it.

    He caressed his beard and nodded. ¡°Nice! Miss is better than others, and the Ye Family loves visitors the most. Come to White Heron State¡¯s Silver Leaf Mountain as a guest!¡±

    Lu Mingshu said nothing and just stared at him quietly.

    ¡°Well? Respond! An old man like me doesn¡¯t want to bully a child either.¡±

    Lu Mingshu smiled. ¡°Have you even gotten permission for this? Or rather, has your master gotten permission from his master?¡±

    The amount of ¡°masters¡± should have made him confused, but the old man¡¯s face changed.

    ¡°I guess you didn¡¯t. Am I right?¡± Lu Mingshu taunted. ¡°I advise you to do so before your master gets into trouble!¡±

    This made the old man feel guilty, but he gained confidence immediately. ¡°Ah, don¡¯t exaggerate.¡± He sneered. ¡°I knew who you are since the start. Let¡¯s not talk about your awkward situation in Nine Jade Pce; even if you were the big Miss, what could you do? Do you think first ce on the New Generation Ranking is that powerful?¡±

    Nine Jade Pce was an unconvincing middle-tier n, and it was only that high because of its three Assimtion Realm elders. The Ye Family was much more powerful, and they were in Beiming right now. Even the Seventh Truth tform would have to bow to them here.

    ¡°Fine, fine.¡± Lu Mingshu sighed. ¡°You¡¯ve said so much to tell me that, if you don¡¯t bring me back, you¡¯ll embarrass yourself, right? Then let¡¯s start.¡±

    Even though she said that so casually, she became more cautious.

    A Harmonization Realm disciple like this was way more powerful than what others thought. Due to being in the same realm for so long, he was very experienced. Even if his cultivation wasn¡¯t that high, when he attacked, even elites of the Harmonization Realm would have to back off. The sneak attack a moment ago showed that he was way stronger than Ye Zhenyan.

    However, no matter how powerful he was, it was meaningless. He was about to step into his coffin, so what need was there topete with the generation of his great grandson? They had bright futures, but all he had was white hair.

    That was the reason why such people were the hardest to deal with. To them, reputation was nothing; they only cared about benefits for their younger generation.

    ¡°Let this old man show you what true ability is!¡±

    Before he could do anything though, sword energy suddenly swelled up, and sounds of numerous explosions could be heard. Tables, cupboards, and more fell apart, and dust was everywhere.

    When the old man regained his senses, Lu Mingshu had already jumped out the window.

    He turned red with anger and yelled. ¡°This brat...!¡±

    She said, ¡°Let¡¯s start,¡± but before he could, she suddenly made a mess of the room and ran away!

    So cunning already! What will she be when she grows up?

    The old man held back his anger and jumped out of the window too.

    The inn was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. It was as if nobody heard what was going on.

    Sometime after both of them had left, a clerk came in, trembling with fear.

    Lu Mingshu stopped abruptly when she was outside of the market.

    The old man ran like mad behind her. Suddenly, he saw her white figure stopping.

    ¡°Old man, you¡¯re slow, eh?¡± Under the moonlight, he could see her smiling. ¡°Why even waste your energy on me?¡±

    ¡°Hmph! Shut up. We¡¯ll talk when I take you back!¡±

    This time, the old man didn¡¯t give her a chance to perform any tricks. He dashed forward andunched an attack.

    Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t perform any tricks. She just blocked the attack.

    Sword energy was everywhere, and both of them fought just like this.

    Soon, the old man felt that something was weird. Why is my mystic energy no longer smooth?

    Oh no, she poisoned me!

    He panicked andunched an attack before jumping away from the fight. ¡°Brat! Poisoning me, huh!?¡±

    ¡°Old man, you can¡¯t say it like that. When I¡¯m alone, I can do whatever I like, and I just like to smell poison. You¡¯re the one that broke into my room without permission,¡± she answered calmly.

    ¡°Bastard....¡± The old man finally understood. Since the moment he entered her room, Lu Mingshu was stalling for time. When he inhaled enough poison, she then escaped from the room to make him angry. He¡¯s old but only a Harmonization Realm cultivator, so he was easy to provoke. After being provoked, his blood flowed faster, and the poison spread throughout his body even quicker.

    This poison is really something. I couldn¡¯t even feel it.

    No, I must...

    He took out something, but some sword-light suddenly flew over, knocking the messaging device to the floor. Following that was rain-like sword-energy. ¡°You want to ask for help? Dream on!¡±

    The poison had already entered his head, and the old man¡¯s vision turned blurry. He regretted deeply. Why did I think that she was just an inexperienced kid? That I could deal with her quickly? Who knew that she¡¯s so cunning? I¡¯ve made the same mistake as the Third Young Master, and now I¡¯ve gotten myself into the water as well. Will my old life end here?

    As the old man was in despair, some wind gushed up and someone appeared.

    ¡°Girl, stop!¡±

    As the voice fell, a bluish figure appeared.

 Chapter 223: Spare You Some Face

    <h4>Chapter 223: Spare You Some Face</h4>

    Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales

    Sword energy scattered in all directions. Lu Mingshu only felt a vigorous force pushing her, and she went back a few steps, only barely stopping.

    She felt an iron-like taste gushing up her throat. She swallowed it down and turned to the person who just arrived.

    He was wearing the turquoise shirt that symbolized the Ye Family. He was bulky, and he had a messy beard and hair.

    It was another old man.

    He stood with his hands behind his back, and hisposure radiated power. It was a Spirit Realm elder.

    Lu Mingshu wiped the blood away from the corner of her mouth and stood upright. ¡°The Ye Family is really something else; even a Spirit Realm is here. Aren¡¯t you all valuing me too highly?¡±

    The Spirit Realm elder hummed. ¡°Youngdy, if a Harmonization Realm cultivator can¡¯t suppress you, why can¡¯t a Spirit Realm cultivatore?¡±

    Lu Mingshu was speechless. She bit her lips before sighing. ¡°You¡¯re actually able to throw away your face like that? I concede defeat.¡±

    If it was a Harmonization Realm enemy, she could still try to escape, but it was a Spirit Realm cultivator. What could she do other than concede defeat? The difference in ability was just too much.

    The bulky old man looked satisfied. ¡°Not bad, at least you have a clear view of the situation. This old Sir will try to not let you suffer.¡±

    After saying that, he nced over to the side.

    The old man in ck was now weak, so he had to roll over to the bulky old man. ¡°Seventh Master, please calm down! The in-charge is doing this for the Third Young Master!¡±

    The bulky old man looked at him coldly. ¡°Did I even me it on you? Get up! And bring her away!¡±

    A smile took over the ck-d old man¡¯s face. ¡°Yes!¡±

    He wasn¡¯t actually a Ye Family member, but just the sidekick of the Remainder Ind in-charge.

    Even though Lu Mingshu had never seen the old man before, she had met many prestigious people during the Qilin Festival. His aura showed that he was probably an outsider. There was a high chance that he was just a guard of Remainder Ind. In that case, he would have to follow the instructions given by the in-charge. When Lu Mingshu was talking about masters earlier, she was talking about the master of the in-charge ¨C in other words, a powerful Ye Family member.

    Sending an old man of such calibre was just looking down on me too much. The Ye Family¡¯s Third Young Master wouldn¡¯t do something so stupid.

    However, Lu Mingshu wasn¡¯t always right.

    For example, this Spirit Realm elder from the Ye Family didn¡¯t seem to know what had actually happened.

    So I still have to visit the Ye Family in the end? What a waste of time.

    The bulky old man cut off her train of thought; ¡°Youngdy, I suggest that you stay still! With my power, you have absolutely no chance of ying any tricks!¡±

    Lu Mingshu opened her mouth to say something, but she was cut off by a burst of brightughter. ¡°Ye Seventh Master, it¡¯s been a long time!¡±

    The bulky old man¡¯s eyes shone as he looked up toward the sky. ¡°Yu Ruohan?¡±

    Under the moonlight, a figure moved with the wind,nding elegantly.

    The woman was in her thirties and had a ponytail. She looked elegant.

    As soon as shended, she brushed away her sleeve and bowed. ¡°Seventh Master, I haven¡¯t seen you for quite a while. Have you recovered?¡±

    ¡°What does my injury have to do with you?¡± The Ye Seventh Master huffed.

    ¡°Seventh Master, aren¡¯t you being too cold?¡± When Yu Ruohan smiled, her eyes wrinkled, making the atmosphere more casual. ¡°We have known each other for so long, is it wrong for this younger sister to show you my concern?¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah? You¡¯re just here to show me concern, huh?¡± The Ye Seventh Master rolled his eyes.

    Yu Ruohan giggled. ¡°I can¡¯t hide from Seventh Master, I guess. I¡¯ll just get to the point then.¡±

    Ye Seventh Master sneered.

    Yu Ruohan turned toward Lu Mingshu. ¡°I hope that the Seventh Master can be lenient to this youngdy over here.¡±

    Ye Seventh Master nced at her coldly. ¡°Yu Ruohan, you aren¡¯t that important!¡±

    This didn¡¯t leave any face for her, but it didn¡¯t anger Yu Ruohan. She continued to smile at him. ¡°If I¡¯m not, the queen of Zhongzhou is, right?¡±

    ¡°What!?¡± Ye Seventh Master yelled. Yu Ruohan wasn¡¯t someone to speak without thinking, but... the queen of Zhongzhou, what was that supposed to mean?

    Yu Ruohan looked at him, and her eyes widened. ¡°Seventh Master, you aren¡¯t aware? When the Qilin Festival ended, she nearly made this youngdy stay!¡±

    ¡°Nearly?¡±

    Yu Ruohan smiled. ¡°Isn¡¯t it nice? If I had that chance when I was younger, I would have gone for it! But youngsters nowadays, they¡¯re rather arrogant! They don¡¯t even value the position of the Alioth Star Lord¡¯s wife... ah, I¡¯ve said too much, huh?¡±

    ¡°Said too much¡± indeed, except it was all on purpose.

    Ye Seventh Master looked like he was in deep thought. What Yu Ruohan said was enough to prove that the queen of Zhongzhou cared about this girl, and he had to take this matter seriously.

    Even though Beiming wasn¡¯t under Zhongzhou, the Zhongzhou royal family was in charge. The royalty of Dongyue and Xichuan had to bow down to the royalty of Zhongzhou, and the royalty of Zhongzhou was always in a position of power. The Ye Family also conducted business with Zhongzhou. If I offend the queen of Zhongzhou...

    Ye Seventh Master bit his lips and made up his mind. ¡°It was hard for Yu Ruohan to say something, so I¡¯ll spare you some face. But there won¡¯t be a next time!¡±

    Yu Ruohan bowed. ¡°Thank you for sparing me some face, Ye Seventh Master! Come visit our shipyard when you¡¯re free!¡±

    ¡°Heh, next time.¡±

    The Ye Seventh Master said half-heartedly and turned to the old man in ck. ¡°What are you doing there? Get back here!¡±

    The old man looked at Lu Mingshu with lips trembling as if he was pleading.

    Lu Mingshu understood and nodded. ¡°The poison isn¡¯t lethal, it only stops your meridians temporarily. You will recover tomorrow.¡±

    The old man sighed in relief. He bid goodbye and follow the Ye Seventh Master back.

    When they could no longer be seen, Lu Mingshu turned toward Yu Ruohan and bowed. ¡°Thank you for helping me out, Senior.¡±

    But Yu Ruohan didn¡¯t return the courtesy. ¡°If I didn¡¯t arrive, would you not have said that?¡±

    Lu Mingshu shook her head. ¡°Junior didn¡¯t n to.¡±

    Yu Ruohan¡¯s smile widened. ¡°Smarter than your master at least. That¡¯s not so easy.¡±

    Lu Mingshu stared at her in shock. ¡°Senior, you know my master?¡±

    Yu Ruohan nodded. ¡°Why do you think I would help you? I gain nothing from offending the Ye Family.¡±

    Lu Mingshu was currently lost.

    ¡°I¡¯m part of the Bon Voyage Fleet.¡± Yu Ruohanughed. ¡°I saw you fighting the Ye Family¡¯s Third Young Master and recognized your skills. I went to check and realized you indeed have something to do with my old friend.¡±

    This Yu Ruohan¡¯s background isn¡¯t simple! Even before the Ye Family knew about me, she did.

    ¡°Senior Yu, my master and Senior...¡±

    ¡°We travelled together when your master came to Beiming, but we met in Zhongzhou.¡±

    ¡°Ah....¡±

    Yu Ruohan looked around. ¡°Come with me first, it¡¯s unsafe to talk here.¡±

    Lu Mingshu agreed without any hesitation. ¡°Yes.¡±

    Our difference in ability is so great if Yu Ruohan really wanted to do something to me, there¡¯s no need to put on an act. Upon thinking this, she went with Yu Ruohan without much thought.

 Chapter 224: Hardships

    <h4>Chapter 224: Hardships</h4>

    Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales

    The moon was hanging up high in the sky, and the stars were thinly spread.

    Yu Ruohan walked in front, leading both of them out of the market, passing the harbour and into the shipyard.

    A fleet building up their own shipyard? They¡¯re rich as hell.

    The guards patrolling bowed as soon as they saw Yu Ruohan. Seeing Lu Mingshu trailing behind, they bowed to her as well before leaving.

    After passing through a few doors, they ended up in a small courtyard.

    Yu Ruohan brought Lu Mingshu in, and there was a cup of unfinished tea on the table.

    ¡°Take a seat.¡± Yu Ruohan pointed to a seat opposite her casually.

    ¡°Thank you, Senior.¡± Lu Mingshu looked around and sat down.

    Yu Ruohan didn¡¯t even care that the tea was already cold. She finished the cup of tea in one shot and passed Lu Mingshu a cup as well. ¡°If you want water, get it yourself.¡±

    Lu Mingshu stared at the cup nkly. She had never met a woman like Yu Ruohan before. She seemed to lead a rough and simple life, but she was unrestrained and elegant.

    ¡°Shocked?¡± Yu Ruohan smiled widely at her.

    Lu Mingshu nodded. ¡°Master never talks about his past.¡±

    The smile disappeared from Yu Ruohan¡¯s face. ¡°If it was me, I wouldn¡¯t want to talk about it either.¡±

    How high-spirited one used to be, to turn into today¡¯s dire and listless state...

    Both looked at each other in silence for a moment.

    They didn¡¯t know each other to start with, and the onlymon topic between them was the person they both knew, but that person was something that neither of them was willing to talk about.

    ¡°Senior, is my master very close to Senior?¡± Atst, Lu Mingshu made up her mind to ask.

    Yu Ruohan shook her head. ¡°Not really. We first met in Zhongzhou and nearly got into a fight. Afterwards, I settled in Beiming, and when he came to travel, we met again coincidentally. We can be called friends, I guess.¡±

    After pausing for a while, she looked at Lu Mingshu, eyes twinkling. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll tell you the truth; I used to like him a lot, but your master is too slow-witted. Back then, I was still young, so I didn¡¯t tell him. More than ten years have passed, and I¡¯m regretting it now. If I had told him, would everything still be the same? Hey, help me ask him when you get back, eh?¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked at her, dumbfounded. Does she mean that, or is she just joking?

    This sent Yu Ruohan intoughter. ¡°You¡¯re very serious, just like your master.¡±

    ¡°What do you n to do about the Ye Family?¡± Yu Ruohan asked, no longerughing.

    Lu Mingshu bit her lips and pondered. ¡°I¡¯ll see what the Ye Family does first.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re so sure that they¡¯ll give the queen of Zhongzhou face?¡± Yu Ruohan¡¯s expression was unreadable.

    Lu Mingshu blinked her eyes. What Yu Ruohan really meant was, ¡°Is your rtionship with the queen of Zhongzhou that good?¡± She¡¯s trying to probe for the truth!

    ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. Why would they bother with a younger generation member?¡±

    Yu Ruohan smiled thinly. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal to you, but not others.¡± Ah, she¡¯s still young, that¡¯s why she doesn¡¯t get it. ¡°Ye Zhenyan likes to hold grudges. Why would he justugh it off after you defeated him publicly?¡±

    Seeing Lu Mingshu staring at her feet, Yu Ruohan sighed. ¡°Typical youngster. Nevermind.¡± She pointed to a room behind her. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, there¡¯s no need to go back now. Rest here. We can still protect you for now.¡±

    Lu Mingshu stood up and bowed. ¡°Thank you for lending me a helping hand, Senior.¡±

    Yu Ruohan smiled a little. ¡°I d I could meet my old friend¡¯s disciple. It¡¯s just a small matter.¡± She then called over a servant girl. ¡°Clean up the guest room and receive this Miss.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± the servant girl answered and turned toward Lu Mingshu. ¡°Miss, please.¡±

    Lu Mingshu bowed to Yu Ruohan again before leaving with the servant girl.

    Under the flickering candlelight, a man walked out from a room. ¡°You went up against the Ye Family for her?¡±

    ¡°What, is she not worthy?¡± Yu Ruohan smiled at him thinly.

    It was a slender figure with a schrly appearance. It was Sir Ning. ¡°The conflict between us and the Ye Family is already worsening. It wasn¡¯t an appropriate move.¡± He furrowed his eyebrows.

    But Yu Ruohan shook her head. ¡°The past few years, the Ye Family has been suppressing us anyway. It wouldn¡¯t be any better even if I didn¡¯t intervene. Moreover, she has a close rtionship with the queen of Zhongzhou, so this is a good chance for us to get closer to Zhongzhou¡¯s royalty.¡±

    ¡°How can you be so sure that she¡¯s actually valuable?¡±

    Yu Ruohan grinned. ¡°If the news from Zhongzhou is true, then 80%.¡±

    Sir Ning pondered for a moment. In the end, he didn¡¯t object. He only sighed. ¡°Others think the Bon Voyage Fleet is well-off. Who knows what sufferings we have?¡±

    Speaking about this, Yu Ruohan felt mentally drained too. ¡°Not only the Ye Family. In Beiming, the aristocratic families are trying to eliminate us, the ordinary people. Luckily, we got the Mountain Whale this time, or it would¡¯ve been bad.¡±

    In the eyes of the Jianghu people, the Bon Voyage Fleet was more well-off than even some smaller aristocratic families. They were the only ones who knew about their own difficulties.

    Beiming wasn¡¯t peaceful and carefree the way it seemed in the eyes of others. Cultivating above the Harmonization Realm was like entering a snake pit because all the resources were controlled. For example, the Mountain Whale they caught this time; the Pure White Grace Pavilion had plenty of resources to afford a thousand mystic crystals. However, the Ye Family gave them too much pressure, and the pavilion didn¡¯t want to make things ugly, so the whale went to an aristocratic family.

    In the early days, Beiming used to be a paradise formoners. Ancient Jade Summit was Beiming¡¯s peak, standing alone, upying the most abundant resources in Beiming. Aristocratic families didn¡¯t hold much power; facing the dangerous river, they were too weak even if they banded together.

    That was why, despite the dangerous environment, it attracted many Jianghu people to stay in Beiming, and it slowly developed into a big power.

    The Bon Voyage Fleet and the Pure White Grace Pavilion were just two of the representatives. They gathered a group ofmoners and had a rather powerful position in Beiming.

    However, since the three biggest aristocratic families emerged, everything changed.

    The aristocratic families slowly started to eliminate themoners. Not only that, but they took over territories as well, then kicked themoner¡¯s out. Lower-level martial artists might not have felt it because the resources they needed for their cultivation weren¡¯t expensive or rare. However, after the Harmonization Realm, the aristocratic families had a tight hold of everything.

    The Bon Voyage Fleet and the Pure White Grace pavilion were obviously not easy to take out, but with the alliance formed by aristocratic families, their space in Beiming was slowly beingpressed.

    That was why, these years, the Bon Voyage Fleet had no choice but to explore new hunting grounds, and each trip cost a huge price.

    However, this could only postpone them being taken over by the Ye Family.

    ¡°As soon as the Ye Family gains a second Assimtion Realm Elder, their ambitions will be unstoppable,¡± Sir Ning said. ¡°Unless we gain an Assimtion Realm cultivator, we will soon be swallowed up by them too.¡±

    Hearing that, an idea popped up in Yu Ruohan¡¯s head. ¡°About that matter, what do you think if we find that girl as external help?¡±

    Sir Ning blinked. ¡°You want to let her go over to Jasper Sun Mountain?¡±

    Yu Ruohan grinned. ¡°Not suitable?¡±

    Sir Ning raised his eyebrows. ¡°She¡¯s good, but not as good as Ling Wuxia.¡±

    ¡°Well, she¡¯s better than our young ones.¡±

    Sir Ning hummed. ¡°Right.¡± He pondered for a moment before raising his brows. ¡°I¡¯ll go discuss this with Brother Mao.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your trouble, Senior Brother Ning.¡± Yu Ruohan nodded, smiling thinly.

 Chapter 225: Killing Numerous Birds with One Stone

    <h4>Chapter 225: Killing Numerous Birds with One Stone</h4>

    ¡°Seventh Master, servant did all this for Master! Third Young Master has always been pampered, and a trip to Remainder Ind wronged him. If both grandmasters find out, I¡¯m afraid that they would think it was Master who didn¡¯t take care of him well, that¡¯s why your servant wanted to take revenge for the Third Young Master! I swear to god that all I say is true and there¡¯s no lie!¡±

    Looking at his leg being hugged and his pants being used to wipe In-Charge Bi¡¯s mucus and tears, Ye Seventh Master shivered in disgust and kicked the in-charge away violently. ¡°Get lost!¡±

    ¡°Aiyo!¡± The in-charge rolled a few time before stopping, then scrambled up and crawled back to Ye Seventh Master. ¡°Seventh Master, Seventh Master!¡±

    ¡°Stop! Don¡¯te over!¡± Ye Seventh Master yelled.

    In-Charge Bi stopped immediately. ¡°Yes, yes.¡±

    Ye Seventh Master sighed in relief and sat down slowly. ¡°Ah Bi!¡±

    ¡°Servant is here.¡±

    ¡°These years, I have treated you well, haven¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you definitely did.¡±

    ¡°Then why did you try to bootlick Xiao San¡¯er?¡±

    ¡°Servant really only-¡±

    ¡°Speak the truth!¡± Ye Seventh Master yelled.

    In-Charge Bi dared not deceive him anymore. He kneeled on the floor, so low that his head was going to be buried.

    ¡°Seventh Uncle, who angered you now?¡± A particr voice came from outside, and shortly, Ye Zhenyan entered.

    Other than his pale face, he looked fine, as if he never experienced the traumatic events earlier.

    Seeing him, Ye Seventh Master stered a smile on his face. ¡°Xiao San, why not get some rest when you¡¯re still not feeling well?¡±

    Ye Zhenyan looked down at In-Charge Bi. ¡°It¡¯s just a minor injury, no big deal. Seventh Uncle is the one that doesn¡¯t look good! What did this ve do to anger Seventh Uncle?¡±

    Being reminded of the matter, Ye Seventh Master gave In-Charge Bi a death re. ¡°This dog, he sent someone to capture that Missy whose surname is Lu. If he handled it properly, whatever, but he only sent one person to get her! He didn¡¯t catch her, and that Missy embarrassed him! If I hadn¡¯t made it on time, where would we put our face? Best of all, that Yu Ruohan came to take that Missy back, so we don¡¯t even have another chance to make a move!¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s why Seventh Uncle is so angry. Nephew thought that it was because the in-charge didn¡¯t know who his boss is!¡±

    Ye Seventh Master bit his lips. ¡°Why would I be mad about that? We¡¯re both his boss. He¡¯s right to take revenge for you, but this is just too ugly. I won¡¯t let him off!¡±

    Ye Zhenyan nodded. ¡°Seventh Uncle is right. If he settled it, fine. Now, he has acted rashly and alerted the enemy. Ten deaths aren¡¯t enough for him!¡±

    ¡°Servant knows my mistake, servant knows my mistake. Seventh Master and Third Young Master, please be lenient and spare this dog¡¯s life!¡± The conversation made In-Charge Bi jump out of his skin and kowtow non-stop, pleading for them to spare him.

    However, they both turned a blind eye to him.

    Ye Seventh Master nced over at Ye Zhenyan. ¡°Xiao San, you want to get rid of her too?¡±

    ¡°Seventh Uncle thinks that I am a sore loser?¡± Ye Zhenyan replied coldly.

    ¡°Heh, of course not. You¡¯re so smart, you¡¯ll always do things with consideration.¡± Well, who the hell knows what you¡¯re thinking?

    Ye Zhenyan hummed. ¡°It¡¯s nothing if she defeats me, but Seventh Uncle should not forget that Jasper Sun Mountain...¡±

    Ye Seventh Master¡¯s expression changed. ¡°You mean...?¡± He pondered for a while and looked back. ¡°Can¡¯t be, right? How could she know about that?¡±

    ¡°Is Seventh Uncle sure?¡±

    Ye Seventh Master thought and looked at Ye Zhenyan, eyes widening with shock. ¡°Oh no, the Bon Voyage Fleet...!¡±

    ¡°They haven¡¯t had a good time these past few years,¡± Ye Zhenyan said calmly. ¡°Thest time Seventh Uncle went to discuss with them about taking in the fleet, they postponed it, didn¡¯t they?¡±

    Ye Seventh Master sneered. ¡°So what if they postponed? How long can they take? Idiots.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s enough to say that they are still unwilling to give up. I remember that Old Sir Mao has been in seclusion training for years, hasn¡¯t he?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°He wants to break through to the Assimtion Realm.¡±

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Ye Seventh Master looked at Ye Zhenyan proudly. ¡°How is it so easy to breakthrough? They don¡¯t have a blessednd, and...¡±

    Thest sentence wasn¡¯t finished, as Ye Seventh Master thought of something. ¡°Could it be...?¡±

    ¡°Seventh Uncle has noticed?¡± Ye Zhenyan stared at him. ¡°You should know that, once Old Sir Mao reaches the Assimtion Realm, it will be impossible for us to swallow up the fleet.¡±

    The Ye Family wasn¡¯t so greedy to take them down when there was an Assimtion Realm present.

    ¡°At this point, the Bon Voyage Fleet would surely grab hold of this precious chance. Why would they not sell the information in order to achieve what they want?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ye Seventh Master didn¡¯t want to admit defeat, but the truth had to be said ¨C he wasn¡¯t as smart as Ye Zhenyan. He only thought about this possibility when he mentioned Yu Ruohan.

    ¡°So what do you think we should do?¡±

    ¡°We could have initially taken her down quickly,¡± Ye Zhenyan said coldly, before giving In-Charge Bi a death re. ¡°But now, thanks to this ve, it¡¯s all gone.¡±

    Just a nce made In-Charge Bi¡¯s blood run cold, and chills ran down his spine. He immediately knew what trouble he had caused, and he dared not ask them to spare him anymore. He buried his head on the ground, not daring to look up.

    I¡¯m so done. With Third Young Master¡¯s character, and now, I messed up such a big event, and I still want my life? It¡¯s good enough if he only kills me....

    ¡°Third Young Master, Third Young Master!¡± Thanks to his reaction speed, which was fastest when he met with danger, In-Charge Bi immediately thought of an idea. ¡°Servant here has an idea!¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Ye Zhenyan looked at him, half smiling. ¡°Tell me about it. If it¡¯s good, I may consider letting you off.¡±

    ¡°Pure White Grace Pavilion! We can win the Pure White Grace Pavilion over!¡±

    ¡°What nonsense is that? They aren¡¯t the Bon Voyage Fleet, we can¡¯t take them in.¡± Ye Zhenyan furrowed his eyebrows.

    The Pure White Grace Pavilion had been making business for quite a while, and they had franchises in every one of the nine states. The Ye Family only had control over White Heron State; they weren¡¯t capable enough to take the Pure White Grace Pavilion down. In fact, they wanted to team up with the other two great families and take it down.

    ¡°Third Young Master, please hear me out!¡± Afraid that his hopes would be crash, In-Charge Bi wailed. ¡°The Pure White Grace pavilion is powerful and not as cooperative as the Bon Voyage Fleet, but we have people there.¡±

    ¡°So?¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t interfere with the Bon Voyage Fleet, but with the Pure White Grace Pavilion, we can. We only need to...¡±

    After In-Charge Bi finished, Ye Zhenyan side-eyed him for a moment but remained silent.

    In-Charge Bi looked at him, then at Ye Seventh Master. Both of their expressions were unreadable. Like a cat on hot bricks, he immediately added on. ¡°Third Young Master and Seventh Master! If all this works, it would be settled even without us doing anything. The fleet¡¯s hopes would be dashed, and they would have toe to us eventually. And the Pure White Grace Pavilion would lose trust.¡±

    Ye Zhenyan smiled and patted him. ¡°Well, this dog servant is quite smart, eh?¡±

    Hearing this, In-Charge Bi released a stone in his heart. My life is saved. ¡°Servant will go and get this done, and get it done perfectly!¡±

 Chapter 226: What Do You Need Me to Do?

    <h4>Chapter 226: What Do You Need Me to Do?</h4>

    Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales

    That night, Lu Mingshu had a good rest. She was unaware of what was happening when she was asleep.

    When she stepped out of her room, Yu Ruohan was already in the hall. Seeing Lu Mingshu enter, she shed Lu Mingshu a bright smile.

    ¡°Morning, Senior.¡± Lu Mingshu sat down where Yu Ruohan was pointing at.

    Yu Ruohan called over a servant girl to bring breakfast over.

    In many worlds, cultivators didn¡¯t like to eat because the food was too oily for them, but in this world, it was different. Martial arts needed to be trained from a young age, and everyone valued the nutrition from food. Even though Yu Ruohan could directly fuse nutrients into her blood already, eating was still the simplest way to gain mystic force.

    While they were eating, Yu Ruohan turned to Lu Mingshu. ¡°Where are you nning to go next?¡±

    Lu Mingshu thought for a while. ¡°I have a conflict with the Ye Family now. It¡¯s best if I don¡¯t stay here anymore. I guess I will go to ck Crane State next.¡±

    ¡°Do you have any goals other than travelling?¡±

    ¡°Goal?¡± Lu Mingshu paused. ¡°Erm, finding resources to forge a sword.¡±

    ¡°What resources are youcking?¡±

    She had acquired some Mystic Yellow Stones, so it was only Fairy Gravel that was left. ¡°Fairy Gravel. Has Senior ever heard about it?¡±

    Yu Ruohan nodded and understood. ¡°It¡¯s difficult to find. Ites mostly from meteorites, so it¡¯s all about luck.¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s why.¡± Lu Mingshu felt her head aching. Even in the Heavenly Wheel, it wasn¡¯t easy to get it. It depended on luck.

    ¡°But,¡± Yu Ruohan smiled thinly, ¡°I know a friend who has it.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Lu Mingshu squealed. ¡°Can Senior please refer me to him?¡±

    Yu Ruohan shook her head. ¡°No need for the trouble. I can get it for you.¡±

    Lu Mingshu was dumbfounded. When she finally regained her senses, she saw Yu Ruohan smiling brightly at her, eyes wrinkling. ¡°May Junior know what Senior needs in return?¡± she asked carefully.

    Yu Ruohan ced her chopsticks down and looked at Lu Mingshu with admiration. ¡°To be honest, I need to ask for your help. But please be at ease, it¡¯s not going to cause you harm, only benefits.¡±

    Even though Yu Ruohan said that, Lu Mingshu dared not believe until she heard the details.

    Yu Ruohan let out augh. ¡°Jasper Sun Mountain. Have you heard of it?¡±

    ¡°One of the mountains in Beiming. I heard that beasts have taken over the mountain, and no one is allowed inside.¡±

    Yu Ruohan said, ¡°Tianzhu Mountain, Jasper Sun Mountain, and the North Pole Mountain; three mountains in Beiming. Tianzhu Mountain is where Ancient Jade Summit is. There are no signs of mankind on the North Pole Mountain. As for Jasper Sun Mountain, it isn¡¯t filled with ferocious beasts. The real reason is that a grandmaster is living there.¡±

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s jaw dropped when she heard this. ¡°Grandmaster? Void Realm?¡±

    ¡°Yes, one can only be considered a grandmaster when he or she is in the Void Realm.¡±

    When one could see the world clearly, it would be apletely empty space for him. It was said that the number of grandmasters in China could be counted with one hand. Even if one counted the ancient grandmasters that were no longer alive, the number would not be more than ten.

    Every grandmaster was a powerful cultivator that surpassed even the powerful sects. When they became a grandmaster, there was nothing in the world they cared about anymore. For example, the grandmaster from Nine Jade Pce left ten years ago, and nobody knew where he went.

    It was as hard as finding a needle in the sea to find a grandmaster in this world.

    ¡°Is this for real?¡±

    ¡°Of course. There are witnesses.¡± Yu Ruohan nodded.

    ¡°In that case, why is this information not known to the public?¡±

    If there was really a grandmaster living in seclusion on Jasper Sun Mountain, Master would surely have written it down in his book, and someone in Zhongzhou would have told me before I left.

    Yu Ruohan smiled in response.

    Lu Mingshu understood what she meant from her smile.

    Why would they spread out the news that there¡¯s a grandmaster in Beiming? To them, one more person knowing was equivalent to one less chance for them.

    ¡°If it¡¯s fast, it¡¯ll be three to five years. It may even take up to ten years. The small stream of water connecting Jasper Sun Mountain to the Ming River will lower, removing the barrier. During that time, one can enter Jasper Sun Mountain.¡±

    ¡°So...¡±

    ¡°If someone¡¯s performance catches his eyes, he will ask him or her to stay with him for a period. You should know the benefits of this, right?¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded furiously.

    She used to envy Gao Xiang a lot because he was able to stay with Senior Uncle Zhuo daily and learn from him. An Assimtion Realm Elder was iparable to a Spirit Realm.

    Assimtion Realm cultivators were already so powerful, so what about the Void Realm? The higher their cultivation was, the bigger the difference. It was said that a Void Realm Elder was like a god. The world in his eyes was surely more exciting. If one could stay with a Void Realm grandmaster for a period of time, how much benefit would they gain? Everyone yearned for the chance.

    ¡°Senior hopes that I¡¯ll go?¡±

    Yu Ruohan nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Why me, though? Is Senior not eligible?¡±

    Yu Ruohan shook her head and sighed. ¡°To this grandmaster, the Spirit Realm is already fixed, and there¡¯s no point in teaching since we can¡¯t make any changes at this point. The Inner Breath Realm is too weak, so there¡¯s no point in wasting time. The Harmonization Realm is the most suitable since they¡¯re strong but still moldable. Even if I went now, he would not favour me.¡±

    ¡°I see....¡±

    After calming down and sorting out her thoughts, Lu Mingshu realized that the benefit was extremelyrge.

    ¡°When is the next time we can enter? And how many know about it? And how do we present ourselves to the grandmaster?¡±

    Yu Ruohan stuck out her finger. ¡°First question. Not long ago, we got news that the weak stream¡¯s water is decreasing slowly now. It will be in approximately three months.¡±

    Three months? Lu Mingshu nodded. Not too long, I can afford to wait.

    Yu Ruohan stuck out another finger. ¡°Secondly, only a few sects, aristocratic families, and various powers. About ten groups know about this, and every group will send three people. That means there will be thirty people entering Jasper Sun Mountain.¡±

    Third finger. ¡°I can¡¯t really answer this question. There¡¯s only two who have ever gotten the grandmaster¡¯s approval, and they have two different circumstances.¡±

    Lu Mingshu calmed down. ¡°Then, what does Senior gain from this? Even if the grandmaster approves of me, what will Senior get out of it?¡±

    ¡°If you get his approval, you can spend a period of time with him, and you can also request something. I hope that you could let us have the request.¡±

    ¡°If I get the grandmaster¡¯s approval, I would no longer be under Senior¡¯s control. Can Senior be at ease with that?¡±

    ¡°If we send you there and you go back on your words, we would be enemies with you from now on.¡±

    ¡°But if I never step into Beiming again, that threat is nothing to me, right?¡±

    Yu Ruohan smiled, unreadable. ¡°We have five Spirit Realms, are you sure you would like to offend us?¡±

    Lu Mingshu smiled. She really didn¡¯t think that five Spirit Realms would be that hard to tackle. If she got what she wanted, she was sure that she would be able to enter the Spirit Realm. When she did, five Spirit Realm enemies would be nothing to her. If I was such a scaredy-cat, I wouldn¡¯t have dared to fight the Ye Family¡¯s Third Young Master.

    ¡°So what does Senior want?¡±

 Chapter 227: A Favour

    <h4>Chapter 227: A Favour</h4>

    ¡°We, the Bon Voyage Fleet, have a Spirit Realm cultivator who is going to break through to the Assimtion Realm soon.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Congrattions, Senior.¡±

    Reaching the Spirit Realm wasn¡¯t too hard in the grand scheme of things; as long as one had the foundation and the luck, it was possible. However, one might not find an Assimtion Realm cultivator even in ten thousand people. The Assimtion Realm symbolized true power. No matter how big an aristocratic family or sect was, they could only be considered a small sect. Only with an Assimtion Realm elder could they be counted as an established sect that others couldn¡¯t just attack as they wished.

    If the Bon Voyage Fleet had an Assimtion Realm elder, it would no longer be a mere beast-hunting fleet, but a powerful party in Beiming, and they would have a chance to talk in other ces like Zhongzhou as well.

    ¡°As you know, the higher one¡¯s cultivation is, the more scarce the necessary resources be. Not only do you need extremely rare treasures, but you also need an entire blessednd to breakthrough. There aren¡¯t many blessednds in Beiming. Jasper Sun Mountain is obviously one of them with the grandmaster, but...¡±

    ¡°Ah, Senior¡¯s request would be to let your senior breakthrough to the Assimtion Realm in Jasper Sun Mountain?¡± Lu Mingshu understood her intentions immediately.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Yu Ruohan nodded.

    Seeing Lu Mingshu deep in thought, she shed her a smile. ¡°There¡¯s no need for an answer right now, you can take your time to consider. However, I hope that you¡¯ll swear not to spread this information either way.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± Lu Mingshu agreed without the slightest hesitation.

    Yu Ruohan stood up. ¡°I have something to do, so I won¡¯t apany you. You can stay here or go out for a walk if you want. As long as you stay in Remainder Ind, I can assure your safety.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded. The highest cultivation realm here was the Spirit Realm, and if Yu Ruohan dared to guarantee, there was nothing more to worry about.

    She packed up and got ready to bring Little Daze out for a walk.

    Little Daze was on cloud nine. It could follow her everywhere in the portable stable, but it couldn¡¯t walk around freely.

    ¡°Eh, you¡¯re looking thinner.¡± Lu Mingshu caressed its stomach.

    She stepped back to have a better look. ¡°Actually, it looks like you¡¯ve grown.¡±

    Before, Little Daze was still a young beast, so it was hard to tell what breed it was. Now, it was eating fish from the Ming River daily, so perhaps it was starting to grow better because of the food.

    But it was very well-fed to start with, so even if it was thinner than before, it was still chubby.

    Little Daze looked up at her, calling out in happiness as it raised its hoof up in excitement.

    ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±

    Little Daze nudged her.

    Feeling ticklish, Lu Mingshu looked down. To her surprise, Little Daze had grown wings. ¡°You have wings already!?¡±

    ¡°Neigh!¡± Little Daze looked at her proudly.

    Caressing its newly grown wings, Lu Mingshu smiled. ¡°Okay, I get it. You need to eat more now. I will get you some fishter ¨C barbequed ones!¡±

    Little Daze was now satisfied. It went over for her to get on.

    Both of them went around the bamboo forest next to the harbour for a few rounds. When they had warmed up, they went up to the harbour.

    When Little Daze finished its food, Lu Mingshu put it back in the portable stable and went to find the Ding family.

    ¡°Miss!¡± Seeing her, Ah Ling waved to her excitedly.

    There was only Ah Ling. Ah Lang and Captain Ding couldn¡¯t be seen anywhere.

    Lu Mingshu walked over to her. ¡°Ah Ling, where¡¯s your grandpa?¡±

    ¡°He went to stock up.¡± Ah Ling blinked. ¡°Is there anything you need?¡±

    She nodded. ¡°I need to stay behind because of some reasons, so I need to cancel the rental early.¡±

    ¡°Ah?¡± Ah Ling look at her in a daze. ¡°Miss, you¡¯ve rented it for half a year. Only one month has passed!¡±

    ¡°I have no choice, something came up suddenly. Quickly clear your goods and leave this ce. I have offended the Ye Family, and I do not wish to drag you all down too.¡±

    ¡°Erm...¡± Ah Ling bit her lips. ¡°Then what about Miss? Will you be fine?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I have something to rely on since I dare to stay, I just can¡¯t look after you guys as well, which is why I am asking you to leave earlier.¡± After saying this, she took out something from her pocket. ¡°Here, a gift for you.¡±

    ¡°Blood Tungsten!¡± Ah Ling opened her eyes wide.

    Lu Mingshu nodded. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to forge a mystic weapon? This should help you.¡±

    ¡°Miss, this is too precious....¡± Ah Ling dared not receive it.

    Lu Mingshu smiled thinly at her. ¡°Take it. It¡¯s just residue from my old sword, so I don¡¯t need it now.¡± Lu Mingshu patted Ah Ling. ¡°I need to go now, we¡¯ll meet again if fate allows.¡±

    Even though Lu Mingshu had left, Ah Ling was still standing at the bow of the ship. Seeing her turn around, Ah Ling waved with all her might. ¡°Miss, remember to visit us if you ever visit Beiming again!¡±

    ...

    ...

    In the Bon Voyage shipyard¡¯s private area.

    ¡°You told that youngdy?¡± Sir Ning¡¯s voice could be heard.

    Yu Ruohan nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°So, what did she say?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m more than 70% sure she¡¯ll agree,¡± Yu Ruohan said confidently.

    Sir Ning didn¡¯t look surprised. ¡°Well, it would be weird if she doesn¡¯t agree.¡±

    This was an extremely mysterious Grandmaster they were talking about. How many Grandmasters were there in all of China? Getting a Grandmaster¡¯s pointers was something that nobody could resist.

    ¡°Senior Sister Yu, even if she agrees, are you sure she¡¯ll even get the acknowledgement of the Jasper Sun Mountain Grandmaster?¡± a sharp voice said. It was from anotherdy; she was petite and charming, unlike Yu Ruohan. Even though she was no longer that young, her gracefulness wasparable to a teenage girl.

    Yu Ruohan smiled thinly. ¡°Junior Sister Xiu, how can I be sure of anything? We can¡¯t read the Grandmaster¡¯s mind.¡±

    ¡°And yet you still rmend her!?¡±

    ¡°Because she¡¯s better than our own disciples,¡± Yu Ruohan exined calmly. ¡°She¡¯s first on the New Generation Ranking, and those that can do that are pretty good. She even defeated the Ye Family¡¯s Third Young Master. None of our disciples could do that.¡±

    ¡°First? What bullshit, that¡¯s just luck.¡± Junior Sister Xiu sulked.

    ¡°Even if she only got first by luck, she still has the ability of someone in the top ten at the least.¡±

    ¡°But she¡¯s an outsider. How can you be sure that she¡¯ll do what we ask?¡±

    Yu Ruohan smiled warmly. ¡°You¡¯ve haven¡¯t seen her. She¡¯s a lot like Liu Jizhen. People like them, who are aiming for the pinnacle, wouldn¡¯t go back on their word. If they do, they won¡¯t be able to improve after the Spirit Realm.¡±

    ¡°Heh!¡± Junior Sister Xiu sneered. ¡°As if she could get to the Assimtion Realm anyway.¡±

    ¡°If Liu Jizhen wasn¡¯t paralyzed, I am sure that he could.¡± Yu Ruohan smiled.

    This was something that many believed. Liu Jizhen was outstandingly talented, and he was always known as a genius. He had strong basics too, so even when he got to the Spirit Realm, he did not stay stagnant. Moreover, he had the patience to polish his skills slowly, so it wouldn¡¯t have been hard for him to get to the Assimtion Realm.

    ¡°Liu Jizhen is Liu Jizhen, and Lu Mingshu is Lu Mingshu! What can you tell from a Harmonization Realm kid? Isn¡¯t it way too early?¡±

    Yu Ruohan smiled. ¡°Junior Sister Xiu, you need to know that there¡¯s a certain type of person in this world that shines from the moment they¡¯re born. Ling Wuxia is someone like that, and Lu Mingshu is too.¡±

    ¡°But how can she defeat Ling Wuxia...?¡±

    ¡°Since what Junior Sister Xiu says makes sense, then should we just give up?¡± Sir Ning interrupted sarcastically. ¡°She can¡¯t win over Ling Wuxia anyways, right?¡±

    ¡°You...!¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± A Daoist who was resting on a stone bed yelled after suddenly opening his eyes. ¡°I agree to this. Xuan Xiu, enough.¡±

    ¡°Brother Mao!¡±

    The Daoist looked over to a guy in grey. ¡°Zong Ting, what¡¯s your opinion?¡±

    Zong Ting answered, ¡°Junior Sister Yu makes sense.¡±

    It was four against one, sessfully shutting Xuan Xiu up.

    ¡°Fine, let¡¯s just hope that she¡¯ll be acknowledged, or else... hmph!¡±

 Chapter 228: Beat Me First

    <h4>Chapter 228: Beat Me First</h4>

    Lu Mingshu strolled back to the Bon Voyage¡¯s shipyard.

    Before she could even sit down, somebody came over with their weapon. ¡°You¡¯re Lu Mingshu, huh?¡±

    She looked up. The youngdy in front of her was in her twenties, with thin eyebrows, shinyrge eyes, and crimson lips. She was a beauty, but it was such a pity that she didn¡¯t have good manners. Herrge eyes stared at Lu Mingshu with grievance.

    ¡°Yes, may I know-?¡±

    ¡°Bon Voyage Fleet¡¯s herald, Wen Xin.¡±

    A herald was a position in a fleet in the middle echelon. Wen Xin had only just reached her twenties, and she only entered the Harmonization Realm about two or three years ago. She was considered rather capable.

    ¡°How may I help Miss Wen?¡±

    Wen Xin pointed her sword at Lu Mingshu. ¡°I heard that your skills are outstanding. I¡¯m here to learn from you.¡±

    Lu Mingshu furrowed her eyebrows. ¡°This is Senior Yu¡¯s residence. As a guest, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea.¡±

    Wen Xin sneered. ¡°Shut up. Talk with your ability if you want the slot!¡±

    As soon as she finished, a sword-light leapt at Lu Mingshu.

    Lu Mingshu looked at her weirdly. What¡¯s wrong with her? Forcing her problems on people after being rejected?

    Wen Xin stared at Lu Mingshu with hatred. After knowing that the weak stream was about to lower and that the fleet was preparing for this, she had been training hard all day, every day. Which Harmonization Realm disciple on their fleet would be better than her? The spot was hers for sure. But who would have expected that her master would suddenly return with a piece of news that it was now no longer hers?

    This was a chance to meet a Grandmaster, so how could Wen Xin just take this lying down? A random girl who suddenly popped out took her spot just like that? So what if she defeated Ye Zhenyan? Mistakes could be made during fights!

    An attack wasunched, and Lu Mingshu raised her hand to block.

    nk!

    Her sword energy returned with no result.

    This angered Wen Xin even more. She turned her mystic force into a mystic light and shed it down.

    This move angered Lu Mingshu. If you really want to fight, look for an appropriate time! Does she think I¡¯m afraid of her? I just didn¡¯t want to fight back right now!

    A sword hiss could be heard, and dragon appeared.

    Wen Xin felt that her attack not only did nothing to the other party, but the rebound force was big enough to send herself backwards.

    When she was angry, there was nothing else that she thought about.

    ¡°Hmph, arrogant much? Don¡¯t forget this is our fleet. I don¡¯t care who the hell you are, but if you want to go to Jasper Sun Mountain, you have to beat me first!¡±

    Wen Xin twisted her wrist and fished out another sword.

    She used a pair of swords, one long and one short. The longer one was urate while the shorter one was quick. It was as if there were two people cooperating, able to attack at the same time.

    It was normal for people to be familiar with just one hand. When using the other hand, it would be much weaker. However, it was different for Wen Xin; no matter which sword it was, it was as if they were her own limbs. It was obvious that she had trained since she was young.

    With her stance, it was like two people fighting one. Anybody who was weaker would be flustered going up against her.

    Plus, Wen Xin had blown her top. The sword-light dashed at Lu Mingshu like it wanted to cut her in half.

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s eyes shone as she sent her sword energy over to block the attack.

    Ding! Ding!

    Sounds of swords shing could be heard, and Wen Xin shouted as she jumped.

    ¡°Stop!¡± A mystic light came over and held Wen Xin. Therge force dispersed Lu Mingshu¡¯s sword formation, and some even hit Lu Mingshu.

    Yu Ruohan rushed over. She waved her sleeve and cleaned the ce.

    She squinted her eyes at both of the people in front of her. ¡°Junior Sister Xiu, Miss Lu is my guest. You letting your disciple treat my guest rudely is not a good thing.¡±

    The person who dispersed the force was Xuan Xiu. She came to stop her disciple and she was about to chide Wen Xin for her actions, but upon hearing Yu Ruohan, she changed her target of anger. ¡°How is Wen Xin wrong? Her spot was taken away so suddenly. Is she not right to at least see how good the other party is?¡±

    ¡°So that means you can juste into my courtyard without any reason and attack my guest?¡± Yu Ruohan looked at her with ck lines on her face. ¡°Is that how you are supposed to treat your elders?¡±

    ¡°Yu Ruohan!¡± Just like her disciple, the master was short-tempered as well. ¡°We have already agreed on the names, and you suddenly came up with someone else to take away Wen Xin¡¯s ce! Why can¡¯t we be angry about it? Are we supposed to just do whatever you say?¡±

    Yu Ruohan look at her weirdly. ¡°Snatching ces? Xuan Xiu, if not for your interference just now, how ugly your disciple¡¯s loss would¡¯ve been is obvious. I am just doing it for the fleet, what¡¯s wrong with that? Let¡¯s talk it out with Brother Mao if you aren¡¯t happy about it!¡±

    ¡°Oh, acting proud that Brother Mao stood on your side, huh? Why don¡¯t you just make it clear that you dislike me?¡±

    Sir Ning entered right at this moment.

    He looked at both of them and sighed. ¡°Can you both stop quarrelling for my sake?¡±

    ¡°Who wants to quarrel?¡± Like a cannon, Xuan Xiu shouted at everyone she saw. ¡°I have never seen anyone like Yu Ruohan ¨C siding with an outsider and hating her own junior niece!¡±

    ¡°Junior Sister Xiu, that¡¯s not true. Since when have I not treated Wen Xin like my own?¡± Yu Ruohan sighed.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Sir Ning calmly said, ¡°this is Junior Sister Yu¡¯s fault for not discussing with you, but it¡¯s all for the fleet.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, whatever.¡± That only made Xuan Xiu even angrier. ¡°I¡¯ve always known that I¡¯m just an outsider to you guys!¡±

    She then turned to Wen Xin. ¡°What are you still standing there for? Trying to make them hate you even more? Come!¡±

    ¡°Master...¡± Wen Xin dared not disrespect Yu Ruohan or Sir Ning. She only gave Lu Mingshu a death re before scrambling after Xuan Xiu.

    Seeing them leave, Yu Ruohan sighed before exchanging a nce with Sir Ning. She turned to Lu Mingshu and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for scaring you. My Junior Sister Xiu is not a bad person, she¡¯s just too hot-tempered. Her disciple is the same way.¡±

    Lu Mingshu shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± She paused for a while before continuing. ¡°So, if I go, Miss Wen Xin won¡¯t get the chance?¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped,¡± Yu Ruohan said. ¡°Every power only sends a few people in, that¡¯s what we agreed on. If there are too many people, Jasper Sun Mountain will be crowded and may anger the Grandmaster. If you go, she obviously can¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°But I haven¡¯t told you that I agreed yet!¡±

    Yu Ruohan looked at her in shock. ¡°You don¡¯t agree?¡±

    It was something that none of them expected. They said they would let her consider it, but they were basically 100% sure that she would agree. Who could resist the temptation?

    Seeing Yu Ruohan panic, Lu Mingshu felt better. ¡°I agree.¡±

    Yu Ruohan heaved a sigh of relief, only to hear Lu Mingshu continue, ¡°Why would I give up such a rare chance? Besides, if I don¡¯t agree now, your quarrel would be in vain, right?¡±

 Chapter 229: Two Plots

    <h4>Chapter 229: Two Plots</h4>

    ¡°This girl is not easy to deal with!¡± Sir Ning said as soon as they left.

    What Lu Mingshu really meant was, ¡°I know that you are purposely provoking me.¡±

    It was hard to deny that Yu Ruohan quarrelled with Xuan Xiu specifically to show Lu Mingshu how hard this chance was toe by.

    With Yu Ruohan¡¯s mild temper, how could she not know what Xuan Xiu was like? Why would she try to add on to the fire by talking things out with her when she was angry?

    ¡°So? Do you think that she¡¯s not a good choice?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not the best.¡± Sir Ning had a worried look on his face. ¡°We¡¯ve only known her for a day, and Liu Jizhen isn¡¯t even that close to you. The fleet¡¯s life and death are now in her hands, so I can¡¯t possibly be at ease.¡±

    Yu Ruohan smiled at Sir Ning. ¡°True. If it wasn¡¯t a critical time, I wouldn¡¯t make this decision either.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s ady, but she¡¯s way more decisive than me.¡± Sir Ningughed softly.

    ¡°Who asked us to not have a strong base?¡± Yu Ruohan sighed dejectedly. ¡°Putting aside the sects and aristocratic families, even the Pure White Grace Pavilion has a much stronger base. They have much more outstanding disciples to choose from, but we only have a few. If this didn¡¯t concern such an important matter, why would I give an outsider such benefits?¡±

    Sir Ning nodded. Even if the Grandmaster ended up seeing nothing in their disciples, it still benefitted them greatly just to enter Jasper Sun Mountain.

    Suddenly, something came to his mind. ¡°This youngdy is rather observant. Would she have guessed our plight?¡±

    ¡°How long do you want to hide it from her?¡± Yu Ruohan smiled thinly. ¡°Liu Jizhen may be straightced, but he¡¯s not dumb, and she¡¯s a lot like him. Our situation isn¡¯t exactly hard to guess either. She¡¯s agreed, but there¡¯s a high chance that she knows that we need her help, so we can¡¯t do anything bad to her.¡±

    ¡°What if she ends up seeding and can¡¯t resist the temptation? After all, it¡¯s a promise from a Grandmaster! If she asks him to teach her a skill, she¡¯ll reach heaven in a single bound.¡±

    ¡°That risk would still be there even if it was one of our own. After all, there¡¯s an example.¡±

    Both shared a nce and sighed.

    This was indeed a scenario that tested someone¡¯s heart. In the past, there were only two people that the Grandmaster saw potential in, and one of them betrayed their group. He should¡¯ve requested benefits for his family, but as if he was possessed, he changed his request at thest minute. Even though Lu Mingshu was an outsider that they just met, that person was rted to his group by blood.

    ...

    After agreeing, Lu Mingshu made requests without restraint. ¡°Firstly, I need a quiet environment with no disruptions. Secondly, I need detailed experiences of people who have gone to Jasper Sun Mountain. Thirdly, I need information about the previous two who gained acknowledgement.¡± Lu Mingshu paused for a while before continuing. ¡°And if it¡¯s possible, could I get the Fairy Gravel first? I¡¯ll have a higher chance of seeding if I could forge my sword beforehand.¡±

    ¡°We have already prepared your second and third request. I will pass it to youter. As for the Fairy Gravel, I will get it for youter as well.¡± Yu Ruohan then looked at her weirdly, ¡°But for the first point... isn¡¯t this ce good enough?¡±

    Lu Mingshu bit her lips.

    ¡°Oh, okay. We have an ind, you can use it for now.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Senior.¡±

    ...

    In the Ye Family¡¯s courtyard, Ye Zhenyan listened to In-Charge Bi¡¯s report with an ugly expression.

    ¡°...in summary, that¡¯s it.¡±

    ¡°So, that¡¯s what the Bon Voyage Fleet is currently nning?¡±

    In-Charge Bi looked carefully. ¡°For now, yes. Third Young Master is wise indeed!¡±

    In-Charge Bi admired the Third Young Master deeply. Back then, neither he nor Ye Seventh Master would have thought about this. The Third Young Master was always at home, yet he thought of it first. No wonder all the elders value Third Young Master so much. His foresight is extremely powerful.

    Even though he was being bootlicked, Ye Zhenyan didn¡¯t look happy. He only replied calmly, ¡°Okay, pass this message to the elder.¡± He paused before changing his mind. ¡°Nevermind, I¡¯ll do it myself.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± In-Charge Bi was secretly pleased with himself. Even though he had done some stupid things before, trying to get close to the Third Young Master was the cleverest thing that he had ever done. The Seventh Master may be taking control of Remainder Ind and have so much experience, but the Third Young Master is the one making the decisions! Decision-wise, the Seventh Master isn¡¯t as firm as the Third Young Master.

    ¡°Third Young Master, should we y some tricks?¡± He was feelingcent, and a trick came to his mind. ¡°It¡¯s too good for her if we let that girl get to Jasper Sun Mountain smoothly!¡±

    ¡°Idiot!¡± Ye Zhenyan chided. ¡°Think about it; this concerns the Bon Voyage Fleet¡¯s life and death. How importantly do you think they are taking this matter? Their ind is filled with five Spirit Realms, guarding it safely. Try to go in if you can!¡±

    As if he was sshed with cold water, In-Charge Bi was brought back to reality. He pped himself hard. ¡°Third Young Master is indeed right, I¡¯m such an idiot.¡±

    Looking at the in-charge pping himself cheekily, Ye Zhenyan didn¡¯t bother to say anything more. He may be a stupid dog at times, but he¡¯s still quite smart.

    He pondered for a moment. ¡°You said that Yu Ruohan fought with Xuan Xiu?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± After being scolded, In-Charge Bi thought twice before answering. ¡°Because of that girl, Xuan Xiu¡¯s disciple lost her spot on the list of disciples being sent to Jasper Sun Mountain, so she was upset....¡±

    ¡°How close are they?¡±

    ¡°They quarrel at times, but Yu Ruohan¡¯s patient, and she¡¯ll give in to her mostly,¡± In-Charge Bi answered almost immediately.

    Ye Zhenyan¡¯s smile was hard to decipher. ¡°No matter how good-tempered someone is, why would they give in to someone every day for years? Especially when she¡¯s not someone who shares a blood rtion?¡±

    In-Charge Bi stared nkly at Ye Zhenyan. ¡°Third Young Master means that...?¡±

    ¡°Take a close look at Xuan Xiu and look for a loophole.¡±

    In-Charge Bi immediately got what he meant. ¡°Servant understands. Third Young Master, please be at ease, I will do it perfectly for Third Young Master.¡±

    Ye Zhenyan sneered. ¡°One more mistake and you¡¯ll pay for it with your head!¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    In-Charge Bi went off.

    Ye Zhenyanid out some paper and started grinding ink while thinking about how he should write the letter.

    Previously, he could¡¯ve let Lu Mingshu off or even treated her nicely while making her stay in the Ye Family to prevent her from messing up important matters, given her rtionship with Zhongzhou. Now though, the Bon Voyage Fleet was involved, so he had to start thinking of new ideas.

    We can¡¯t offend Zhongzhou¡¯s royalty. The Ye Family has quite a lot of business there, and if the rumours are true, it would be hard to clean up the mess. But we have to suppress her no matter what. The previous two people that the Grandmaster chose leapt to heaven in a single bound. If this happens to my family, we would be the best among the three biggest aristocratic families in Beiming, and things would be way different for us.

    As Ye Zhenyan was writing the letter, In-Charge Bi bumped into Ye Seventh Master as soon as he left the room.

    ¡°Ai, isn¡¯t this In-Charge Bi? Did you get promoted?¡±

    Hearing this particr voice, In-Charge Bi dropped to the ground and knelt in front of Ye Seventh Master immediately. ¡°Seventh Master....¡±

 Chapter 230: Two Names

    <h4>Chapter 230: Two Names</h4>

    Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales

    On Emerald Mist Ind, Lu Mingshu flipped through the information that Yu Ruohan had given her.

    The Grandmaster had been living in Jasper Sun Mountain for a long time as if he was trying toprehend something in particr, and he had never left for the outside world.

    The sects and aristocratic families in Beiming learned about the Grandmaster long ago, and they knew that he didn¡¯t like to be disturbed.

    Fifty or sixty years ago, somebody broke through the mountain and caught the Grandmaster¡¯s eyes. He then learned some secret skills from the Grandmaster.

    After the lucky guy leapt into heaven in one shot, everyone learned about Jasper Sun Mountain¡¯s issue. Soon, they realized that every two years, the weak stream blocking the Jasper Sun Mountain entrance would weaken, and they could enter or exit the mountain freely.

    At the start, many people went. Even Assimtion Realm elders went to consult the Grandmaster. However, regardless of whether they were Assimtion Realm or Spirit Realm cultivators, they could only stop at the stream. Only Harmonization Realm disciples were able to pass through.

    The barrier opened up every two years, but for a long time, there weren¡¯t any more lucky people chosen. Just when everyone was about to give up, another one was chosen.

    On thest page of the information, there were the names of the two lucky people, and Lu Mingshu was dumbfounded.

    Both names were familiar to her.

    Lian Chi: an ordinary person who was now the sect leader of Ancient Jade Summit. He was currently in the Assimtion Realm, and he was one of the best in China right now.

    Zhao Yin: born from an aristocratic family in Beiming. One of the very few aristocratic family disciples during the Qilin Festival. Ranked second on the Hero Ranking.

    Before Lian Chi broke through to the Spirit Realm, he was just an ordinary disciple in Ancient Jade Summit. He got famous after breaking through to the Spirit Realm, then sessfully reached the Assimtion Realm and became the sect leader of Ancient Jade Summit, one of the three biggest sects. It had always been a marvel to everyone.

    Wow, so the marvel is rted to the Grandmaster.

    As for Zhao Yin, even though he was second on the Hero Ranking, he might not be weaker than first ce. Luck was something that affected the Qilin Festival, just like how Lu Mingshu got first ce. Zhao Yin was another man with ability.

    With these two examples, it was no wonder why the people in Beiming were rushing like mad ducks now.

    The Bon Voyage Fleet hadn¡¯t been established for long; only about thirty years or so. At the start, they weren¡¯t even allowed in the test of Jasper Sun Mountain. After that, they paid a very huge price, and the bigger powers agreed on letting them participate.

    The Grandmaster himself had never raised any rules and regtions. They were all raised by the participants themselves.

    For instance, the powerful sects and aristocratic families could send three disciples, the middle-tiered groups could send two, followed by the weakest forces, which could send one.

    Unfortunately, it was only one for the Bon Voyage Fleet.

    Seeing this, Lu Mingshu admired the courage of the fleet¡¯s upper echelon.

    She had only been known by everyone here for a day. After seeing her in the day, Yu Ruohan came to help her out at night and asked for her favour the next day.

    It¡¯s not something that normal people could do. Giving this precious chance to an outsider?

    And this was also enough to show how bad their situation was now.

    Lu Mingshu could tell.

    Under normal situations, the Bon Voyage Fleet shouldn¡¯t need to be so urgent about the matter. Even though it was hard to acquire a blessednd, they could go to an aristocratic family to borrow one. As long as they could pay the price, they would surely get it. And even if they couldn¡¯t get one in Beiming, they could travel somewhere else. In the worst case, they would have to travel to Zhongzhou, but they would surely be able to get a blessednd.

    However, the Bon Voyage Fleet didn¡¯t do that, which was enough to prove a few points.

    They were unable to leave Beiming, and it was a very urgent matter to them.

    She then connected it to how the Ye Family behaved and what Captain Ding said, so she could roughly guess what was going on.

    It was a tough situation that the fleet was facing now. The one who was going to break through to the Assimtion Realm couldn¡¯t leave Beiming because he was afraid that, after he left, the Ye Family woulde straight over and take fleet. So what if he seeded in reaching the Assimtion Realm at that point? The Ye Family had two Assimtion Realms, so he couldn¡¯t possibly go to them and snatch the fleet back.

    The situation was also urgent because a Spirit Realm wasn¡¯t enough to make the Ye Family give up. If he didn¡¯t get into the Assimtion Realm before the Ye Family ran out of patience, they would just take the fleet by force.

    Because of this, the fleet made a bet to trust an outsider like her. Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t believe that they were giving her the slot because of her master. Liu Jizhen and Yu Ruohan hadn¡¯t kept in touch for a long time, and rtionships needed to be maintained to be deep. There was no doubt it had faded by now. Lu Mingshu should already be thankful that Yu Ruohan lent her a helping hand earlier.

    Lu Mingshu calmed herself down and moved on to the next set of information.

    No matter what reason they have for giving me the chance, since I have decided to participate, I¡¯m going to do my best.

    ...

    Wen Xin¡¯s hung her head low, gulping down alcohol at the tavern¡¯s bar.

    A beauty like her would be popr at such a ce, but her gloomy face shooed away everyone who tried to talk to her.

    The stench of sweat and body odour filled the air. This was not a high-ss bar, but one that many boatmen and coolies gathered in to gamble and boast. It was a morous one.

    However, that didn¡¯t bother Wen Xin. Most of the Bon Voyage Fleet people were born as Jianghu people. They did what they wished and usually gathered at this kind of tavern that was a hubbub of gambling and drinking. Wen Xin wasn¡¯t some Miss from a rich family. She was already used to this kind of environment, so there was nothing to be bothered about.

    After a few moments, someone sat down beside her and called over the bartender. ¡°Give this Miss the best alcohol you have.¡±

    Wen Xin looked up at him with frustration. Do you think I can¡¯t afford high-ss alcohol? She was a herald of the Bon Voyage Fleet and a Spirit Realm Elder¡¯s disciple. No matter which identity she used, it wasn¡¯t something that others couldpare to easily.

    ¡°Get out of my god damn sight, nobody here wants you to treat them.¡± I just want to drink alone, can¡¯t you tell?

    ¡°Woah, Miss Wen, calm down!¡± The person giggled. ¡°Upset about the Jasper Sun Mountain matter?¡±

    Upon hearing the words ¡°Jasper Sun Mountain,¡± Wen Xin looked up at him abruptly.

    His looks were ordinary; neither handsome nor ugly. He was bulky, and he was wearing a sort of t-shirt. Most youngsters in Remainder Ind wore this type of clothing, and if they weren¡¯t working as a clerk, they would be working as a boatman to sustain their household¡¯s livelihood.

    ¡°Who on earth are you?¡± Wen Xin gave him a death re.

    A youngster like this who talks about Jasper Sun Mountain? Even my knee can tell that he¡¯s not simple. Only the core members of power sects and families know about it.

    The youngster smiled at her cheekily as he poured the alcohol that the bartender passed him into Wen Xin¡¯s cup. ¡°I heard that Miss Wen is unable to go to the mountain now.¡±

    Wen Xin¡¯s face fell. ¡°You can get the hell out of here if you¡¯re here tough at me!¡±

    ¡°Calm down, calm down!¡± The youngster grinned. ¡°I¡¯m just worried about Miss.¡±

    Wen Xin side-eyed him.

    In the noisy tavern, there was nobody who took notice of them.

    ¡°My young master feels indignant on Miss¡¯s behalf. You¡¯ve been there since you were young, yet you¡¯re nothingpared to an outsider? I really don¡¯t know what your elders¡¯ brains are made of.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you fucking dare badmouth my master and senior aunt!¡± Wen Xin growled, but she didn¡¯t make a move.

    The youngster shed her a wide smile. ¡°I¡¯m just speaking the truth. Miss Wen, elders make mistake too. They are humans.¡±

    ¡°So, what the hell does it have to do with you?¡±

    ¡°I just said that my young master felt indignant for you!¡± The youngster repeated.

    Wen Xin stared at him cautiously. ¡°Who the hell is your young master?¡±

 Chapter 231: Loaded with Treasures

    <h4>Chapter 231: Loaded with Treasures</h4>

    Lady Luck was on Lu Mingshu¡¯s side; after getting the Fairy Gravel, Brother Six sent over the remaining two materials.

    Lu Mingshu contacted the tool refining master and sent the materials over. ¡°Miss, when will it be ready?¡±

    ¡°Six months at thetest, three months at the earliest.¡±

    Lu Mingshu furrowed her eyebrows. ¡°I¡¯m in urgent need of it. I need the sword before three months, are you able to get it done faster?¡±

    There was a short pause before the master replied, ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡±

    After making the deal, they ended the conversation.

    Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t exit the Heavenly Wheel immediately. Instead, she started buying a bunch of things.

    To convince Lu Mingshu to help, the Bon Voyage Fleet spent a lot on her. Not only did they get her the Fairy Gravel, but also many spiritual medicines.

    These spiritual medicines were acquired from the fleet¡¯s hunt. It was rare in Lu Mingshu¡¯s world, but it was even rarer in the other worlds, letting her exchange for a lot of good stuff.

    As for the things she got from the Treasure Assembly, they were the real deal.

    One item was a carved bone that was broken in half. It was unknown which beast the bone belonged to, but there were weird and mysterious patterns carved on it. In a certain sense, it looked like a talisman. It was just a pity that it was broken in half, so there wasn¡¯t much energy left.

    The second item was a broken sword. The de was nowhere to be found, leaving behind only the hilt.

    Thest item was a ring covered with patterns. It was dull, so it was hard to tell what it originally looked like.

    She spent some time in the Heavenly Wheel to exchange for various items.

    As for the three items she got, they gradually showed their true features after she had cleaned them carefully.

    Now, the bone carving was back to its creamy white colour, faintly emitting a little bit of power. She copied the patterns on it and passed the bone to Brother Six.

    Brother Six was ted to see the patterns. ¡°Little Sister Seven, you got some good stuff here! This should be something left behind by witches during the early days, and it has profound power! Do you want to sell it?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll need to trouble Brother Six for help.¡±

    ¡°No worries, I¡¯ll find you a good buyer. As long as we find the correct person, this could be sold at a high price.¡± Brother Six was now on cloud nine. As the middleman, the higher the price was, the more he would get too.

    After ending the call with Brother Six, Lu Mingshu took out the second item. The sword hilt was solid. Since she couldn¡¯t recognize the material used, she just passed it to the tool refining master.

    The tool refining master got back to her quickly. ¡°How did you get this?¡± She was pleasantly surprised.

    Before Lu Mingshu could even reply, the master realized that her words were rude, and she immediately changed her tone. ¡°This must¡¯ve been given by a senior. It¡¯s made out of three materials....¡±

    She talked non-stop about the sword. This tool refining master was generally quiet, but when she spoke about forging, she became another person.

    Hearing what she said, Lu Mingshu pondered for a while. ¡°So, can my sword use this hilt?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± The tool refining master sounded eager to try. ¡°This hilt has a peculiar smelting technique. If you don¡¯t mind, may I do some research with it? If we could use it on your sword, it will enhance the quality.¡±

    ¡°Sure, sorry for the trouble.¡±

    The tool refining master went off happily.

    Lastly, the ring turned out to be silver after cleaning it. The craftsmanship was simple, but not rough. The material was a rare one that didn¡¯t exist in her world.

    Lu Mingshu copied down the patterns and slowly figured them out.

    The research took her three days. After she finished, she realized it was a mysterious and powerful rune.

    She wore the ring on her finger and activated her mystic force ording to the pattern on the ring.

    The mystic force was exerted, and mild golden mystic light surrounded the entire room. Lu Mingshu thought of a move, and the sword-energy moved like a rainbow, scattering like mist. Everything within the mystic light was shed into pieces.

    Lu Mingshu couldn¡¯t believe what was happening.

    She was aware of her ability. In order to manipte sword-energy so finely, one needed very precise control. It wasn¡¯t impossible for Lu Mingshu to perform such a move before, but it was extremely difficult. However, she did it just now without much effort.

    Silence filled the room for a moment. She reactivated the ring, and it gave off light. A ray of sword-energy scattered the light and moved like a fish in water. Lu Mingshu was able to feel everything within the light with great precision.

    The lightsted for an hour before it started to dim.

    Lu Mingshu heaved a sigh of relief.

    This is indeed a treasure! That light is like a barrier. Anything that enters will be totally under my control, and my sword can move freely like a fish in water!

    If I had this before, I would¡¯vested longer during the fight with Wei Chunqiu.

    The only con was that her mystic force could only power it for a very short period.

    Such a powerful thing would vite thews of nature if it could be activated for long periods.

    In the Heavenly Wheel, Lu Mingshu was focusing on increasing her power, but she was unaware of the disturbance she had caused outside.

    ...

    Ancient Jade Summit, in a snowy cliff cave:

    A youngdy was sitting in the cave, feeding some red-crowned cranes.

    She was fair and sweet. The shirt she was wearing was as white as snow, making her look like an icy beauty. However, she was different from Lu Mingshu because of her outstanding features and politeness. She looked graceful, which dissolved the chillness, giving her a gentle and kind aura like jade.

    This was Ling Wuxia. Anyone who met her in person would agree that her name suited her perfectly; perfect like jade.

    ¡°Senior Sister, are you even listening to me?¡± Beside her stood a girl in ck clothes who had been talking non-stop for half an hour. She was now stomping because she was angry at theck of response.

    ¡°Why are you so worried?¡± Ling Wuxia chuckled while looking at the red-crowned cranes eating.

    ¡°I¡¯m not worried, I just feel angry for you!¡± The girl huffed. ¡°After the Qilin Festival, these blind people only talk about Lu Mingshu, Kou Wei, and Wei Chunqiu, saying how interesting their fight against the barbarians was. Some even call it ¡®the three elites against the barbarians!¡¯ Pui! Where do they even put Senior Sister at? No matter what, you are the best in the top three sects. Ability-wise, only the two Wei¡¯s are able to fight you. Other than them, who in the Harmonization Realm can? When they both breakthrough to the Spirit Realm, the Harmonization Realm would be all Senior Sister¡¯s! That Lu Mingshu is just in lucky. How could she beparable to you when it was her first time?¡±

    ¡°And look how pretentious she is! Senior Sister likes to wear white, so she does it too! Senior Sister does not like to talk, so she does the same too! Everything she does is copied from you, is she not embarrassed? Why doesn¡¯t she look at herself in the mirror? She¡¯s nowhere near you!¡±

    Ling Wuxia facepalmed. ¡°Yi Lan, Nine Jade Pce¡¯s uniform has always been white.¡± Being situated on a snowy peak, Nine Jade Pce¡¯s clothing had always been white. In Ling Wuxia¡¯s case, Ancient Jade Summit¡¯s uniform was ck, but she preferred white clothing.

    As for looks... she took a nce at the drawing that Yi Lan brought and shook her head. The girl in the drawing was skinny and looked reclusive, which was very different from herself. Ling Wuxia wore white clothes because she was conscious of her appearance, unlike Lu Mingshu, who was born with the icy-beauty aura.

    ¡°Senior Sister!¡± Yi Lan whined after her Senior Sister¡¯s retort. ¡°I¡¯m going to leave you alone if you keep acting like this!¡±

 Chapter 232: Flawless as Jade

    <h4>Chapter 232: wless as Jade</h4>

    Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales

    Seeing her junior sister in a stomping fit, Ling Wuxia giggled at her actions. ¡°I know you¡¯re feeling indignant on my behalf, but it¡¯s alright. There¡¯s no reason for you to feel indignant for me; it was my own decision to not attend the Qilin Festival. What does it have to do with me whether someone else gets to shine during the festival?¡±

    ¡°But...¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just a name.¡± Ling Wuxia threw all the food left in her hands and wiped it. ¡°As you said, when the two Wei¡¯s breakthrough to the Spirit Realm, the Harmonization realm will belong to me, so why should I be bothered about her? Moreover, even though I may be younger than those two, I have already gained enough experience to break through to the Spirit Realm as well. This Lu Mingshu is still a newbie in the Harmonization Realm, so she still has time to polish herself. If I bother with her, won¡¯t I be putting myself on a lower level?¡±

    Hearing Ling Wuxia, Yi Lan felt that it made sense. To go from the Harmonization Realm to the Spirit Realm, one must spend at least twelve years, and some even stayed for two more years to have a stronger foundation. Ling Wuxia was twenty-four now. She was about 90% of the way into the Harmonization Realm. At the fastest, she would need three years, and if she was slow, it would be five years. On the other hand, Lu Mingshu only entered the Harmonization Realm recently. No matter what, she would need at least ten years to break into the Spirit Realm. Why bother about a Harmonization Realm disciple when you¡¯re in the Spirit Realm?

    However...

    ¡°I just feel it¡¯s unfair for you! The queen of Zhongzhou used to think highly of Senior Sister, but after a while, she¡¯s over there praising Lu Mingshu continuously. She even wanted to marry...¡±

    Yi Lan felt that the queen was quite unfair. Doesn¡¯t she know who my senior sister is? The Alioth Star-Lord is nothing much; it¡¯s just a name, and he¡¯s even handicapped. This kind of person still wants to get my senior sister? Senior Sister is the best disciple in Ancient Jade Summit, and she may even be the sect master in the future. Why would she want the name of being the Alioth Star Lord¡¯s wife?

    However, as soon as Yi Lan checked back, the queen of Zhongzhou already had a new candidate, which made Yi Lan feel displeased. It was as if something that belonged to her had been snatched away.

    This was the evil side of humans; even if they didn¡¯t want something, they would feel upset if the attention was given to someone else.

    Yi Lan had been following Ling Wuxia since she was young. She looked up to Ling Wuxia like an idol and felt the same happiness, sorrow, anger, and joy. Sometimes, Ling Wuxia had to keep quiet about things because of who she was, but Yi Lan could say anything she wanted freely.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t she reject it?¡± Ling Wuxia took her snow jelly tea and sipped it.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m angry....¡± Yi Lan was dying to bite somebody¡¯s head off. Who is my senior sister? She obviously has the rights to reject it, but Lu Mingshu doesn¡¯t! Does she think she¡¯s just like Sister Senior and looks down on the Alioth Star-Lord too? Who is she to copy my senior sister¡¯s actions?

    ¡°So you were hoping that she would have married him?¡±

    ¡°Erm...¡± Yi Lan bit her lips. That would make her unhappy too. Even though Senior Sister sessfully shoved it away, the favour that was on Senior Sister has been given to Lu Mingshu. She just makes me angry, that¡¯s all.

    ¡°You¡¯re unhappy about this and you¡¯re also unhappy about that. Will you only be happy if Lu Mingshu doesn¡¯t exist?¡±

    ¡°Senior Sister!¡± Yi Lan stomped after being teased by her senior sister.

    This sent Ling Wuxia intoughter. ¡°Haha, chill out! Don¡¯t you find it boring to be angry about this? You¡¯re nearly blowing your top while she doesn¡¯t even lose a single hair, and for what?¡±

    ¡°I just dislike her!¡± Yi Lan pouted.

    As Ling Wuxia was about to reply, a crane¡¯s cry from above cut her off.

    She looked up to the sky to see a child on the crane. Before hended, he called out to Ling Wuxia. ¡°Senior Aunt Ling, the sect master has asked to see you.¡±

    ...

    Ling Wuxia stepped into the Void Pce

    ¡°Senior Sister Ling, here.¡± The young disciple politely showed Ling Wuxia her way to the discussion hall.

    Upon reaching the discussion hall, she saw that many were already seated inside. The sect master of Ancient Jade Summit, Lian Chi, sat on the seat of honour. The rest of the important Elders of Ancient Jade Summit sat by the side.

    ¡°Sect Master, senior uncles and aunts.¡± Ling Wuxia bowed.

    Seeing her enter, all of them smiled proudly at her with a ¡°This is my junior niece¡± type of pride.

    Lian Chi looked kind. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be polite.¡±

    After Ling Wuxia had greeted all of them, she stood up straight with hands at her side. With all the elders here, there was no seat for her.

    ¡°Today, I call you here because we heard a piece of news,¡± Lian Chi started. ¡°Do you know the first rank on the New Generation Ranking?¡±

    Her again? Yi Lan just talked about her, and now I¡¯m hearing about her again. Ling Wuxia couldn¡¯t help but feel like both of them were enemies on a narrow road.

    ¡°Lu Mingshu from Nine Jade Pce? Disciple has heard the news.¡±

    ¡°Great that you know. She¡¯s here in Beiming to travel after the Qilin Festival.¡±

    Ling Wuxia nodded calmly. Her response made the Elders happy. My junior niece is so outstanding. No matter how much potential Lu Mingshu has, Ling Wuxia is still the best.

    Lian Chi continued on. ¡°She¡¯s here in White Heron State and has caught the Bon Voyage Fleet¡¯s eye, which means that there¡¯s a chance that they will go to Jasper Sun Mountain.¡±

    Now, Ling Wuxia had no choice but to take it seriously. If her sect master called her here, this piece of news was at least 90% confirmed.

    ¡°That means that she¡¯s going to be my opponent?¡±

    Lian Chi nodded. ¡°What do you think about it?¡±

    Ling Wuxia pondered. ¡°Even though there are many different views on her, disciple feels that one can be considered capable if they can make it into the top ten of the New Generation Ranking. Even though her rank is higher, based on the fight between her, Wei Chunqiu, and Kou Wei against the barbarians, she may not be as good as them. However, she¡¯s about as strong as Yue Lingyin, give or take.¡±

    Yue Lingyin was a bit older than Ling Wuxia. During the previous Qilin Festival, she got into the New Generation Ranking as a newbie. She became famous before Ling Wuxia, but since some of her aspects were weaker than Ling Wuxia¡¯s, she had been overtaken.

    However, deep in Ling Wuxia¡¯s heart, she was aware that Yue Lingyin wasn¡¯t an easy opponent if they fought. She figured that she would win, but it wouldn¡¯t be easy.

    Her attitude toward things made the elders even more pleased. Confident but not arrogant ¨C an attitude that the best disciple of one of the top three sects should have.

    Lian Chi smiled at her. ¡°Your basics are better than hers, but the Grandmaster does not look for basics. Bear in mind that you¡¯re there to get his approval, not victories.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Ling Wuxia answered seriously.

    Having said that, Lian Chi switched topics. ¡°What did you gain from these past few days of practice?¡±

    Lian Chi was in the Assimtion realm. Upon hearing his question, Ling Wuxia¡¯s eyes twinkled, and she told him everything and asked a bunch of questions she had about her practice. Lian Chi answered them on the spot, and even the other Elders were paying full attention.

    Nobody spoke about Lu Mingshu again. Ancient Jade Summit was a top sect, so even if Lu Mingshu was ranked first, it wasn¡¯t something they would pay attention to. It was just a Harmonization Realm disciple. To them, they had much more important things to do. After they heard Ling Wuxia¡¯s answer, they felt at ease and didn¡¯t even speak about Lu Mingshu defeating Ye Zhenyan.

 Chapter 233: Different Thoughts

    <h4>Chapter 233: Different Thoughts</h4>

    While Ancient Jade Summit treated it calmly, the smaller sects and aristocratic families treated it as a very important matter.

    With Ling Wuxia, they already stood a tiny cloud of dust of a chance, and now, there was a Lu Mingshu popping up out of nowhere. Was fate trying to make them give up directly? But who knew when the Grandmaster would see something in someone again? And the weak stream may not lower again even after ten years.

    ¡°Is it here?¡± In Lone Cloud State, a young guy from the Huo Family asked his guard impatiently.

    Before the guard could answer him, someone sped over so quickly that he raised up a pile of dust behind him. ¡°Elder Brother!¡±

    A youngster ran toward the guy swiftly, and he looked very simr to the Huo Family guy.

    He pounced toward the guy and supported himself with the door. ¡°Here!¡±

    ¡°Let me see it!¡±

    Almost snatching it, the guy took a scroll and opened it up immediately.

    Lu Mingshu, born in Nine Jade Pce, daughter of Fu Shangqing...

    He scanned through the paragraph and re-read the content again slowly.

    The younger man leaned toward his brother and read it with him. ¡°Another Ling Wuxia! But even fiercer.¡±

    Ling Wuxia was born in a wealthy family and was pampered since she was young. She only needed to perform perfectly. However, this new girl got her reputation from being ruthless and cold.

    After reading it, the older guy threw the scroll away in anger and walked up and down the living room in a panic. ¡°One Ling Wuxia is enough, and now there¡¯s Lu Mingshu. Do the heavens not want us to seed? We might not get a chance next time!¡±

    ¡°Brother,¡± the younger guy spoke up. ¡°Don¡¯t be disheartened! It¡¯s not like the Grandmaster chooses the strongest person.¡±

    For example, Zhao Yin wasn¡¯t the strongest of the bunch, but the Grandmaster saw something in him. Look at where he was now; second on the Hero Ranking, and everyone knew about him. It was a sure thing that he would reach the Assimtion Realm.

    The older guy shook his head. ¡°What do you know? Zhao Yin may not have been the strongest, but he only just entered the Harmonization Realm back then and wasn¡¯t famous yet. Not to mention, his body constitution was better and he was smarter than everyone else. Otherwise, why would the Grandmaster see something in him?¡±

    ¡°Even so, Elder Brother, you shouldn¡¯t give up!¡±

    ¡°Of course not.¡± The older guy looked down, dejected. ¡°Now, I¡¯m afraid I can only depend on luck.¡±

    The younger guy rolled his eyes and looked at him. ¡°Elder brother, this Lu Mingshu has only just arrived here in Beiming, and she already has a beef with the Ye Family. With Third Ye¡¯s attitude, he will surely be unhappy with her.¡±

    ¡°So?¡± The older guy shook his head. ¡°Third Ye has already been defeated by her, so there¡¯s nothing he can say.¡±

    ¡°If we can¡¯t do it the normal way, we can y some tricks.¡± The younger guy smirked, hiding his contempt for his brother. ¡°There¡¯s still the Zhang Family. Forget about Ling Wuxia, but Lu Mingshu isn¡¯t from Beiming, so why should we fight alone? If three aristocratic families join together, would we be unable to kick Lu Mingshu out?¡±

    ¡°This...¡±

    ¡°If Elder Brother¡¯s afraid of trouble, then I¡¯ll do it. I will contact them as soon as I get back.¡±

    Hearing his younger brother, the guy nodded. ¡°If you say so, then I¡¯ll heed your advice.¡±

    ...

    In Gemstone State, there was yet another situation.

    ¡°The Ye Family is really good!¡± The head of the Zhang Family, sitting on the seat of honour, shed the letter in front of the others andughed. ¡°They let the Pure White Grace Pavilion go against Lu Mingshu and even agreed to the Huo Family¡¯s request. Not only that, they even passed that message to Ancient Jade Summit. Such a pity that Ling Wuxia doesn¡¯t care much.¡±

    One girl and one guy sat near him. They were about twenty years old, and they looked simr.

    The girl smiled at him. ¡°No matter how smart Ye Zhenyan is, he¡¯s no match for Father.¡±

    The leader shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate him. He¡¯s indeed smart, but he¡¯s still too young.¡±

    ¡°Father, so should we ignore the Huo Family¡¯s invitation?¡± the guy asked.

    ¡°Why not?¡± The leader shook his head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t cost us anything either way.¡±

    The guy furrowed his eyebrows, ¡°The Huo Family is rude and impetuous, how could they do it like this? If this leaks, we would be dragged down too!¡±

    But his father smiled thinly at him. ¡°Lin¡¯er, that¡¯s why we should let the Huo Family stand at the front!¡±

    The guy stared at him nkly, obviously dumbfounded.

    His father didn¡¯t bother to say anything more. He called over his personal servant. ¡°Go and reply to the Huo Family that I already know.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Father.¡± The girl looked at him with worry. ¡°Should we really ignore this? Lu Mingshu¡¯s a strong opponent!¡±

    ¡°Who said that we are going to ignore this? I only ask you guys to not leave traces.¡± Their father said. ¡°You must follow the momentum of the situation in order to aplish the most with the least amount of effort.¡±

    ¡°Momentum of the situation?¡± The pair of children furrowed their eyebrows, deep in thought.

    ¡°If we fail, we make an enemy of Lu Mingshu. With Ling Wuxia around, we have a slim chance to start with,¡± the head of the Zhang Family said seriously. ¡°You two are the future of the Zhang Family. You need to keep this in mind!¡±

    Both stood up and bowed. ¡°Yes!¡±

    ...

    The room was now filled with golden lights, and wisps of sword-energy collided with each other during the process. Suddenly, the sword-energy scattered and turned into smaller wisps of sword-energy, like needles. They were extremely sharp and fierce.

    Lu Mingshu kept her mystic force, and the golden light dimmed immediately, disappearing totally in the blink of an eye

    Lu Mingshu stared at her new ring. This is simr to Wei Chunqiu¡¯s secret skill. Fusing mystic light into the Physical Manifestation of Sword Intent was Wei Chunqiu¡¯s secret skill. She didn¡¯t know how he did it, but this ring gave a rough idea. If Wei Chunqiu¡¯s skill was at 100% power, hers was only 30%.

    However, with this ring, it opened up a new route for her. There was no need for her to imitate him anymore, and it had other advantages too.

    Lu Mingshu took some Mystic Dewdrops.

    These were extremely precious treasures. When the queen gifted them to her in front of everyone that day, many Spirit Realm elders were green with envy. This string of Mystic Dewdrops had many usages; one could consume them or use them to make a treasure. Lu Mingshu went to read a book about them in the Heavenly Wheel and chose a pathway that other people were unlikely to take ¨C nourishing them directly.

    These items were from the deep sea, and they were so shiny that they lit up the whole room. With that, one could go anywhere in the water. However, the fight with Ye Zhenyan was hard because she couldn¡¯t really get much force from the dewdrops. If we ever meet again, he would surely be blown away.

    Finally, thest issue was her sword.

    After giving the tool refining master the Fairy Gravel, she had already waited for two months. I wonder if I¡¯ll get it before I go to Jasper Sun Mountain.

    The sword she was using now was already riddled with gaping holes. That day when she fought Ye Zhenyan, it was barely enough for her to use it, but if the opponent was Ling Wuxia, there was no way she could fight with it at all.

    Since she was worried about it, she had a feeling to go into the Heavenly Wheel. When she entered, she saw a leaf trembling non-stop.

    Lu Mingshu reached out for it.

    ¡°The sword is ready. Come and get it.¡± A straightforward message.

    Lu Mingshu was on cloud nine. She immediately contacted the tool refining master. ¡°Miss, I¡¯m here for the sword!¡±

    After a while, a thing wrapped in ck cloth was sent over.

    Followed by the tool refining master¡¯s voice, ¡°This sword is the work that I¡¯m most proud of in my life. Use it with care and don¡¯t ruin my reputation!¡±

 Chapter 234: Lunar God Sword

    <h4>Chapter 234: Lunar God Sword</h4>

    This tool refining master had always been concise andprehensive, but when speaking about her work, she would turn into an olddy who couldn¡¯t stop talking about her hobby. She told Lu Mingshu about the process in detail and the hardships she faced while forging it. The tool refining master even told her all the pros and cons of it. Lastly, she threatened Lu Mingshu to cherish the sword and look for her again to improve the sword when Lu Mingshu became stronger.

    Lu Mingshu agreed to all her requests. After settling the bill, Lu Mingshu sped off excitedly to try the sword, ignoring the tool refining master¡¯s reluctance.

    Opening up the ck cloth, she could see the silver sheath.

    Lu Mingshu yed around with it.

    This kind of silver was not eye-catching, and many would ignore it. However, if one observed it clearly, they would realize that there were a lot of hidden patterns and runes that contained the treasure aura.

    Before forging the sword, the tool refining master asked for Lu Mingshu¡¯s height and the length of her palm. After learning that she was only sixteen, the tool refining master made some room for growth. The tool refining master strived her best to forge a sword that would absolutely fit the owner well.

    Now that it was in Lu Mingshu¡¯s hand, she felt that this sword fitted her perfectly.

    After she finished ying around, she shed the sword down, and a rainbow-coloured light flew out. The bright sword-light reflected in her eyes like clear water.

    The sword-light coiled around her and, with a quick waved, it shed everything into pieces within three miles.

    Oh my god!

    Lu Mingshu was shocked as she looked at the sword in her hand.

    She never knew how a good weapon could improve one¡¯s cultivation, but she knew now!

    If she had this during the Qilin Festival, she would¡¯ve had a more interesting fight with Wei Chunqiu.

    She caressed her new sword. The sword was slender, so thin that it was almost invisible. She could see her reflection on the sword¡¯s clear and wless de. She slowly ran her hand over the sword. When she reached somewhere near the sword hilt, she felt a bumpy texture.

    She looked down to realize a row of words was on it. ¡°As bright as moonlight ¨C Lunar God.¡± There was a very small engraving at the bottom, with a ¡°Dan¡± in the middle.

    ¡°Dan¡± was the name of the tool-refining master. Many tool refining masters had the habit of leaving their name on their products.

    But naming the sword itself without the owner¡¯s permission... Whatever, they have their strange hobbies, and it¡¯s a good sword. She didn¡¯t really care about this little detail.

    Besides, her name ¨C Lu Mingshu ¨C was rted to the moon, so calling it Lunar God made it rted to her own name.

    ¡°Congrattions on your sword.¡± A voice could be heard, and in no time, Yu Ruohan was already in front of her.

    ¡°Senior Yu,¡± Lu Mingshu greeted.

    Yu Ruohan smiled at her. ¡°It¡¯s ready?¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll still have to thank Senior for the Fairy Gravel.¡±

    Yu Ruohan smiled thinly. ¡°Just exchanging for our mutual needs.¡±

    Seeing her serious face, Lu Mingshu realized what Yu Ruohan was here for. ¡°Does Senior have something important to tell me?¡±

    ¡°The weak stream is almost fully lowered. Within five to three days, it will be gone.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fast!¡± Lu Mingshu felt that it was a pity. If I had more time to get used to Lunar God, I would surely perform better.

    ¡°Get ready quickly. If you take too long, we will be at a disadvantage.¡± Yu Ruohan shook her head. ¡°Since your sword is ready, then let¡¯s just go now.¡±

    ¡°What else do I need to prepare?¡± Lu Mingshu asked.

    ¡°We have already done everything for you.¡± Yu Ruohan gave her a thin smile. ¡°Come along with me.¡±

    ...

    Lu Mingshu and Yu Ruohan left Emerald Mist Ind and returned to the shipyard.

    Lu Mingshu followed her all the way to the shipyard into the most unassuming courtyard.

    ¡°Senior brothers, Miss Lu is here.¡± Yu Ruohan walked in swiftly and greeted them all.

    Lu Mingshu went in after her. There were four people in the room. Other than Sir Ning and Xuan Xiu, there were two others that she had never seen before. One was in a robe with cranes embroidered on it, dressed like a Daoist. The other one was in a grey robe, with no expression.

    The Daoist must¡¯ve been the leader of the fleet, Mao Xuan. The other one would be Lin Zongting.

    ¡°Greetings to all seniors.¡± Lu Mingshu bowed.

    Mao Xuan gave her a smile and reached out his hand. ¡°No need to be so polite.¡±

    When Lu Mingshu stood up straight, Mao Xuan looked at her, smiling. ¡°How prepared are you, little girl?¡±

    ¡°Not fully prepared, but I guess I could endure a fight.¡±

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Somebody interrupted her. ¡°Do you even know who your opponent is? It¡¯s Ling Wuxia. Ling Wuxia! Please do not be that arrogant.¡±

    Of course, it was Xuan Xiu who said this. After so long, she still felt indignant for Wen Xin.

    Lu Mingshu stered a smile on her face. ¡°There¡¯s no 100% in this world. As long as I try, there¡¯s always a chance of winning.¡± She paused before continuing. ¡°How else would I get first ce in the Qilin Festival?¡±

    Lu Mingshu never spoke about her cing on the New Generation Ranking in front of others because, to her, it wasn¡¯t something very impressive. However, Xuan Xiu¡¯s attitude irked her.

    Mao Xuan smiled thinly, and he secretly had a better impression of Lu Mingshu. Rumours said that this Miss was fierce. He couldn¡¯t tell at first, but now he could. It should be this way. Withoutpetitiveness, how would one improve?

    ¡°Ling Wuxia wouldn¡¯t dare to im 100% confidence either. Just do your best.¡±

    Lu Mingshu bowed. ¡°I¡¯ll have to make Senior¡¯s Fairy Gravel worth it.¡±

    ¡°Hehe.¡± Mao Xuan smiled broadly and urged Lu Mingshu to stand straight. ¡°This poor Daoist is at ease seeing this girl¡¯s attitude. Zongting.¡±

    The grey-robed Lin Zongting raised his eyebrows and walked to the table. He pulled out numerous items from his sleeve and ced them on the table. ¡°There are poisonous substances on Jasper Sun Mountain, this is the medicine to protect you. This is a temporary tent to protect you from beasts...¡±

    He exined the items on the table one by one. Some were worth a lot, while some were cheap, but they all had their uses. She could see that they put a lot of effort into this.

    Lu Mingshu paid attention to his exnation. After he was done, Lu Mingshu thanked him sincerely. ¡°Thank you for your trouble.¡±

    ¡°It will be worth it if you keep your promise,¡± Lin Zongting answered in monotone.

    Lu Mingshu remain silent. No matter how many vows she made now, it would be worthless. Only when she got the approval of the Grandmaster and kept her promise would it actually matter.

    After Lu Mingshu left, Mao Xuan turned to Lin Zongting. ¡°Zongting, what is your opinion?¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t change now anyway, can we?¡± Lin Zongting retorted. ¡°We have observed her for two months, and we can see that she deserves to be on the New Generation Ranking.¡±

    Mao Xuan smiled widely.

    If they had a choice, they would not want to send her there or put the life and death of the fleet in her hands. However, since they decided to do so, it was obvious that they would observe her. During her stay on Emerald Mist Ind, they observed her 24/7. If she tried to y any tricks, choosing a new candidate right away would be way better than wasting the chance on her.

    Now, they saw that Lu Mingshu was okay. She had been working hard on improving herself and took the matter seriously.

    She was also rather capable as well. It was a surprise that a sect like Nine Jade Pce would have such a disciple.

    They were already 100% prepared. Now, it was up to Heaven¡¯s will whether they would fail or seed.

 Chapter 235: First Time Meeting

    <h4>Chapter 235: First Time Meeting</h4>

    Chapter 235 ¨C First Time Meeting

    A small boat set sail from Remainder Ind¡¯s harbor and slowly made its way into the Ming River.

    However, one couldn¡¯t tell that in this small and ordinary boat sat three Spirit Realms.

    Remainder Ind soon disappeared into the horizon, and the boat remove its canopy.

    Lu Mingshu sat at the end of the boat, enjoying the breeze.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think that this will be child¡¯s y.¡± Xuan Xiu red at her coldly. ¡°You have a huge conflict with the Ye Family, so they will surely try to scheme against you.¡±

    ¡°What happens, isn¡¯t it because of you all? Me and that Third Ye is just a small thing, nothing as important as the fight between powerful parties,¡± she replied calmly.

    ¡°This...¡± It had been three months, and no one had said anything about the matter. Being exposed by Lu Mingshu suddenly, Xuan Xiu couldn¡¯t help but feel awkward.

    Seeing this, Yu Ruohan immediatelyughed, trying to make the situation less tense. ¡°Well, you should really be on guard with every single person anyway since they are all your opponents, after all.¡±

    Lu Mingshu kept quiet and nodded. No matter what, the fleet was still her support, and there was no point in offending Xuan Xiu. She just needed to remind Xuan Xiu that she wasn¡¯t an idiot who didn¡¯t know the truth.

    Jasper Sun Mountain was not that close to Remainder Ind. Even with this specially-made light-weight boat, it would take at least six days to reach it.

    Lu Mingshu seized the moment to instill her mystic force into Lunar God and familiarize herself with it.

    She also listened to Yu Ruohan¡¯s and Sir Ning¡¯s stories about Bei Ming at times.

    Time flew by quickly, and it was soon the fifth day. They met a boat that looked simr to theirs.

    The boats got closer to each other, and somebody came out from the other boat. ¡°So, it¡¯s the Bon Voyage Fleet. Nice to meet you here.¡±

    Sir Ning stood up to greet the other person as well. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s Brother Zhang! We¡¯re sure fated to bump into each other in such a ce!¡±

    ¡°This is the head of the Zhang family, Zhang Zhihong, along with his pair of twins, Zhang Jingyu and Zhang Rulin.¡± Knowing that Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t know them, Yu Ruohan whispered to her.

    Lu Mingshu nodded.

    The information booklet that Yu Ruohan gave her a while ago spoke about the twins. The Zhang Family was one of the three biggest aristocratic families in Beiming, and their best disciples were this pair of twins. Both were extremely outstanding, and they understood each other so well that they seemed to have telepathic powers.

    This pair of dragon and phoenix twins reminded Lu Mingshu of something unpleasant. Thus, when they made their appearance, Lu Mingshu had a rude expression.

    ¡°So this is Miss Lu, huh?¡± Zhang Zhihong grinned from ear to ear upon seeing Lu Mingshu. He looked like a good-natured old man. ¡°Indeed outstanding and living up to her name!¡±

    Lu Mingshu stood up and bowed, but said nothing.

    Seeing Lu Mingshu¡¯s ugly expression, Zhang Jingyu felt unhappy. She nudged her brother and gave him a nce.

    Zhang Rulin shook his head softly, indicating for her to not make any move and m down.

    The Bon Voyage Fleet and the Zhang family weren¡¯t considered close, so after a few conventional greetings, both went back on their own paths. One was at the front and one was at the back, leaving a suitable gap in between them.

    ¡°Beware of the Zhang Family,¡± Yu Ruohan told Lu Mingshu ¡°The Ye Family is tantly arrogant, but you can¡¯t tell how the Zhang Family will behave. They might backstab you at the critical moment.¡±

    ¡°Senior had a bad experience with them?¡±

    ¡°Not me, but the fleet.¡± Yu Ruohan sighed.

    Lu Mingshu asked no more.

    At noon, they met another boat. This boat belonged to a small sect, and simr to themselves, they could only send a single Harmonization Realm over. Both parties had a pleasant chat. The disciple who they had selected kept looking at Lu Mingshu, trying to start a conversation, but there was nothing to say.

    Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t not have the mood to talk to anyone else, and she didn¡¯t care anyways. She focused fully on her meditation.

    By day six, they met many people. Aristocratic families, small powers like them, and various sects.

    Some were on good terms with Sir Ning and the rest while some were just acquaintances. Some even pretended they didn¡¯t see the fleet¡¯s boat.

    However, no matter what kind of terms they were on with the fleet, Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t care about any of them.

    I¡¯m not nning to join forces with anyone anyway.

    In the distance, a peak that reached the clouds could slowly be seen. This was one of the three mountains in Beiming, Jasper Sun Mountain.

    The closer they got, the less everyone talked. The trip to the mountain was silent.

    Another ship came from another route.

    Yu Ruohan sneered upon seeing the ship. ¡°The Ye Family really does have grand style.¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked up andughed softly in reply.

    Most boats that traveled to Jasper Sun Mountain were small. At most, they only brought a boat that could fit ten. It¡¯s not that no one could afford bigger, but it was showing respect to the Grandmaster.

    The Ye Family was indeed the best. Even though they didn¡¯t bring a cruise liner ¨C which wouldn¡¯t be surprising if they did ¨C their boat was ten times bigger than the rest of the boats at Jasper Sun Mountain.

    A young gentleman in turquoise walked to the bow of the ship from the cabin. He spared nobody a look except Lu Mingshu.

    Lu Mingshu stered a smile on her face upon meeting the death re before looking away.

    Why bother about somebody whom I already defeated?

    As the mountain got nearer, the boats queued at the weak stream to enter.

    They didn¡¯t go far. Everyone stopped outside and started finding a ce to set up their tents.

    Lu Mingshu looked around to see that nobody from Ancient Jade Summit could be seen. ¡°Where is Ancient Jade Summit?¡±

    ¡°One of the top three sects, and the sole one in Beiming, of course they¡¯ll show up in style. Look, here they are.¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked over at where Yu Ruohan was pointing. A red smoke-like thing swept across the sky.

    Lu Mingshu narrowed her eyes. To her surprise, it was a Scarlet Fire Four-Winged Bird pulling a small flying vehicle.

    In this way, it was unique but also respectful. It was way smarter than the Ye Family.

    Lu Mingshu smiled thinly, but it quickly disappeared. Ling Wuxia ¨C how many times had she heard this name? Especially over thest half-year, this name was always ringing in her ears.

    At first, everyone thought Lu Mingshu would never be as good as Ling Wuxia. She would just be famous for a short while. When she ranked first, they said that she was still iparable to Ling Wuxia.

    Of course, she also had supporters. Some felt that she was as good as Ling Wuxia, or maybe a bit lesser, and they couldn¡¯t wait to see both of them fight to see who was better.

    But, when did I say I wanted to fight her?

    No matter what, a girl being ced on the same level as Kou Wei and Wei Chunqiu would obviously be outstanding. Lu Mingshu never doubted Ling Wuxia¡¯s reputation and ability.

    However, their first meeting in real life was a bit different from what she expected. This extremely well-known best disciple of Ancient Jade Summit and the ¡°only fairy left in the human world¡± was a bit different from what she expected.

    The Scarlet Fire Four-Winged Birdnded in front of Lu Mingshu¡¯s eyes. Its speed slowed, and itnded on the ground.

    The vehicle opened up, and many people streamed out of it.

    Compared to the smaller aristocratic families and sects, their style was really different.

    No matter what they wore, everyone walked out confidently with spirited and vigorous steps.

    ¡°Senior Sister!¡± As soon as Yi Lan jumped of the vehicle, she called for her immediately.

    Ling Wuxia stepped down calmly.

    Seeing Yi Lan looking around, Ling Wuxia quickly made a scan and found Yi Lan¡¯s target. ¡°There.¡±

 Chapter 236: Friendly or Proud?

    <h4>Chapter 236: Friendly or Proud?</h4>

    Yi Lan looked over at where Ling Wuxia was looking, and she saw a skinny youngdy not too far away.

    It was currently summer, and she was wearing summer clothes, all in light green. However, this light color still made her look cold.

    She¡¯s tactful at least, not wearing white anymore. Yi Lan rolled her eyes.

    If Lu Mingshu could read Yi Lan¡¯s mind, she would probably scoff at her. Lu Mingshu herself never wore white; it was only because it was the color of Nine Jade Pce¡¯s uniform that she wore white. Hui Niang had even said that a girl should wear brighter colors. White was too cold and made one seem unlucky.

    Yi Lan was cursing at Lu Mingshu in her heart silently, but her senior sister seemed to be walking toward the person she was cursing at.

    ¡°Senior Sister!¡± Yi Lan shouted. Hey, even if you don¡¯t like her, you can¡¯t be so direct as to find trouble with her. You still have serious matters here!

    Yi Lan was like a cat on hot bricks watching Ling Wuxia standing in front of Lu Mingshu and shing her a wide smile. ¡°Lu Mingshu?¡±

    This made Lu Mingshu¡¯s jaw drop. She had always thought that such a famous person, who was said to be noble and virtuous, would be rather proud. Who would have thought that she was such a friendly and polite person?

    ¡°Yes. Miss Ling Wuxia?¡±

    Ling Wuxia nodded. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m Ling Wuxia. I didn¡¯t have the opportunity to meet you in person during the Qilin Festival, but I¡¯m d that Miss Lu is here in Beiming, and I¡¯m honoured to meet you.¡±

    ¡°I dare not ept your graciousness.¡±

    Ling Wuxia took a good look at her and giggled. ¡°I¡¯m quite busy right now, so I can¡¯t have a longer chat with you. If Miss would do me the honour, pleasee to Ancient Jade Summit to visit.¡±

    Lu Mingshu gave no reply. She bid her goodbye and watched Ling Wuxia stroll off.

    As soon as Ling Wuxia came back, Yi Lan pounced onto her almost immediately. ¡°Senior Sister! What did you say to her?¡±

    ¡°I invited her to the Ancient Jade Summit to visit.¡± Ling Wuxia gave a vague reply and nodded to Ye Zhenyan as a greeting.

    ¡°What on earth?¡± Yi Lan whispered. ¡°You invited her over?!¡±

    ¡°She may not even want toe.¡± Ling Wuxia raised eyebrows and smiled.

    ¡°Best she doesn¡¯t, or she¡¯ll find out what the best disciple of a top sect is like!¡± Yi Lan huffed.

    Ling Wuxia burst intoughter. ¡°No need to wait until then, she¡¯ll find out soon.¡±

    ¡°Senior Sister, why are you helping her!?¡± Yi Lan whined.

    ¡°I¡¯m not, I¡¯m helping you!¡± Ling Wuxia jabbed Yi Lan¡¯s head. ¡°Stop thinking about all this. Are you here to learn or to pick a fight?¡±

    Yi Lan pouted and said nothing more.

    ¡°Miss Lu, what¡¯s your opinion?¡± Elsewhere, Yu Ruohan asked Lu Mingshu softly.

    Lu Mingshu grabbed her sword and nodded. ¡°She lives up to her name indeed.¡±

    This sword was worthy of being refined by a master. She had only nourished it with her mystic force for a few days, and it already had spirituality. As soon as Ling Wuxia got close to her, the sword couldn¡¯t stop vibrating, as if reminding her that this was a very strong opponent.

    ¡°You¡¯re not bad either.¡± Afraid that she would lose her confidence, Yu Ruohanforted her. ¡°The Grandmaster does not look for the strongest. Zhao Yin was just an average disciple. Besides, you¡¯re plenty strong as well.¡±

    Lu Mingshu gave a smile in response. Why would I be afraid of her if I wasn¡¯t afraid of Kou Wei or Wei Chunqiu? In fact, the more powerful the opponent, the morepetitive she felt. If everyone was like Ye Zhenyan, then this would be boring.

    As soon as Ancient Jade Summit arrived, the whole atmosphere was hyped up. All sects and aristocratic families went up to greet them.

    Sect or aristocratic family, they all needed resources to develop, and Beiming was quite isted. It was a ce with more water thannd, and there were many roaming beasts. It was already at its limit to provide for such a huge sect like Ancient Jade Summit. Other than Ancient Jade Summit, there were only two or three sects on the level of Nine Jade Pce that were worth mentioning. As for aristocratic families, they were limited in scale by their bloodlines since they didn¡¯t ept outsiders. The top three aristocratic families were way more famous than Nine Jade Pce, but in fact, they were simr to or weaker than it.

    Ancient Jade Summit was not a sect that was easy to please, so all the aristocratic families and sects would bootlick them as much as they could.

    Ye Zhenyan came along with his elders. When both parties were making their conventional greetings, he went up to Ling Wuxia. ¡°Miss Ling, could we have a chat?¡±

    Ling Wuxia raised her eyebrows in curiosity and went along to the side with him.

    ¡°That Lu Mingshu isn¡¯t easy.¡± Knowing Ling Wuxia well, he cut to the chase.

    ¡°Oh?¡± That was Ling Wuxia¡¯s only reply.

    ¡°I had a fight with her. Miss should have heard about it, right?¡±

    Ling Wuxia nodded. She heard about it before she came, and to her, it was nothing shocking. Even Yi Lan didn¡¯t care about the matter. To Ancient Jade Summit¡¯s disciples, Ye Zhenyan was only powerful in the water because he had his family¡¯s skills. He was basically nothing if he fought onnd. On the other hand, Lu Mingshu had first ce in the New Generation Ranking, so it would be weird if she lost to him.

    Thus, Ling Wuxia was uninterested in Ye Zhenyan¡¯s topic. What¡¯s there to discuss when it¡¯s so obvious?

    But Ye Zhenyan couldn¡¯t read the mood. He continued on, ¡°She had something that caught even Kou Wei off guard.¡±

    ¡°That spiritual tool, right?¡± Ling Wuxia pre-empted him.

    ¡°Yeah...¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Ling Wuxia interrupted. ¡°Thank you for the information, Mister Third Ye.¡± She bowed and went off.

    Ye Zhenyan wanted to discuss it with Ling Wuxia, but he never expected to be cut off by her. His unfinished words were still in his throat as he watched her quickly leave.

    Ye Zhenyan then registered what happened after a while, and he snorted in disgust.

    Initially, I wanted to give Lu Mingshu a surprise by using Ling Wuxia, but whatever. That arrogant bitch! I hope that she loses to Lu Mingshu and gets embarrassed! He couldn¡¯t really figure out how Lu Mingshu defeated him even after hearing it. He went back to think about it for quite a while, yet he still didn¡¯t get it. He only found out the reason when he asked his martial grandfather.

    During the past three months, he stayed at home all day to understand how she beat him. Ling Wuxia was very powerful, and Lu Mingshu was indeedckingpared to her, but Ye Zhenyan would rather fight Ling Wuxia than Lu Mingshu.

    That girl is too crafty! Even Grandfather said that it was all because of her unimaginably good control over her force. I thought my move no longer had any loopholes, but she still found one.

    There were two possibilities if one lost and couldn¡¯t understand how it happened. Either Lady Luck was on the opponent¡¯s side, or they were just stronger.

    Ye Zhenyan didn¡¯t want to admit it, but it was indeed the second reason. She was stronger than him. Not basics-wise, and obviously not martial-arts-wise. It was something that Ye Zhenyan couldn¡¯t put his finger on, but if he had to describe it, perhaps... talent?

    At this moment, a teenager from the Huo Family walked over sneakily. ¡°Third Uncle!¡±

    Ye Zhenyan looked over to see a Huo Family younger generation disciple. ¡°What?¡± he answeredzily. Being the top three aristocratic families in Beiming, the Ye Family, the Huo Family, and the Zhang Family had various arranged marriages. By right, a younger generation disciple should address him as cousin uncle, or for short, uncle.

    The teenager tiptoed and whispered. ¡°Nephew has an idea...¡±

 Chapter 237: Entering the Mountain

    <h4>Chapter 237: Entering the Mountain</h4>

    ¡°The barrier is gone!¡±

    Hearing this, everyone present started smiling from ear to ear.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Ye Zhenyan stood up and went forward to the entrance first.

    The others moved after him quickly, not wanting to be left behind.

    Upon reaching the entrance, everyone stopped there silently. One person from each power went forward.

    Sir Ning represented the Bon Voyage Fleet.

    Ten of the representatives stood together to have a discussion for a short while before an old man voiced out loud, ¡°Okay, time is precious, so those who are entering, please stand by the side.¡±

    The younger ones paid full attention and stood quietly at the entrance.

    After counting heads and confirming twice, the old man nodded to signal them. ¡°In you go.¡±

    This time around, Ye Zhenyan didn¡¯t get to go first. Instead, it was Ancient Jade Summit¡¯s three disciples.

    The sequence of entering was decided by how powerful a group was. Ancient Jade Summit went first, followed by the sects and aristocratic families in Beiming that were worth mentioning. After them were smaller sects, and then powers like the Bon Voyage Fleet.

    Lu Mingshu noticed that there was no one other than Ancient Jade Summit who sent three disciples. The middle-ss sects and top three aristocratic families sent two, and everyone else could only send one.

    The first to enter was obviously Ling Wuxia, followed by a male disciple and a female disciple. For the aristocratic families, the Zhang Family sent the twins, Zhang Rulin and Zhang Jingyu. As for the Huo Family, Lu Mingshu couldn¡¯t recognize them. When she nced over at the Ye Family¡¯s side, her jaws dropped; other than Ye Zhenyan, which was expected, the second disciple was Ye Mingguang.

    Usually, with Ye Mingguang¡¯s background and his estrangement with the Ye Family, it was almost impossible for him to be picked. However, he was now here.

    Was it because of the spring hunt? If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s no wonder that Ye Zhenxing came to fight me. Helping Ye Mingguang was ruining their chances for this.

    But what¡¯s done is done, and there are no regrets. So what if I spoiled their n? Come fight me if you¡¯re unhappy!

    It was now Lu Mingshu¡¯s turn. She threw her bronze leaf into the water and rode the waves of the weak stream into Jasper Sun Mountain

    ¡°Eh?¡± Yu Ruohan narrowed her eyes at the Pure White Grace Pavilion¡¯s participants.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Junior Sister Yu?¡± Seeing her face, Sir Ning asked.

    ¡°The Pure White Grace Pavilion participants look weird.¡± Yu Ruohan furrowed her eyebrows.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Sir Ning didn¡¯t seem to notice anything.

    ¡°They aren¡¯t any of the ones we thought woulde. They are very unfamiliar.¡±

    Sir Ning shrugged it off. ¡°Maybe they are just like us, finding external help?¡± The Pure White Grace Pavilion was now in the same situation as them.

    This was a perfect exnation, but Yu Ruohan still felt weird. ¡°The Pure White Grace Pavilion base is stronger than us, and they have many outstanding disciples. Why would they need external help?¡±

    Xuan Xiu huffed. ¡°Senior Sister Yu, what are the disciples of the Pure White Grace Pavilion worth? To be very honest, Wen Xin is better than them!¡±

    Yu Ruohan knew that Xuan Xiu felt bad for her disciple, so she decided not to quarrel with her. Besides, Xuan Xiu made sense; the Pure White Grace Pavilion had a strong foundation, but only if notpared to the really powerful sects and families. The disciples with a lot of potential were all part of a greater sect or family, so the White Grace Pavilion didn¡¯t have a chance to recruit the truly talent disciples. Even if the disciples had a stronger foundation, they were just simr to Wen Xin.

    ¡°I may be thinking too much....¡±

    ...

    The weak stream wasn¡¯t actually weak at all.

    On her bronze leaf, Lu Mingshu braved a huge wave, which nearly threw her off more than once.

    This was her first test upon entering Jasper Sun Mountain.

    This weak stream not only had turbulence, but the water quality was special too; nothing would float on it. As soon as someone stepped on it, one would sink like they weighed a thousand kilograms. It was extremely hard to get through the stream.

    There was a total of thirty people going into the mountain, and they all showed their special skills.

    Ling Wuxia was the most elegant and unconventional. With just a fiddle of her sleeve, some silk dropped to the water surface, and she stepped on it just like that.

    As light as a feather, and she didn¡¯t even seem stable, but no matter how huge the waves were, she was still slow and steady. The waves seemed to avoid her as she got closer.

    The three aristocratic families and upper-ss disciples all had their methods to brave it. Even if they weren¡¯t as elegant as Ling Wuxia, it was still a piece of cake to them.

    On the other hand, it was more difficult for the middle and smaller sects. Every time a wave passed by, they turned pale.

    With the silver leaf under his feet, Ye Zhenyan nced over at Lu Mingshu. Seeing that she was being tossed into the air by the huge waves, he looked at her in disdain.

    Hmph, it¡¯s just a botched copy of our family¡¯s silver leaf, so of course, it won¡¯t be as good. So what if she got first on the New Generation Ranking? This is Beiming!

    At this moment, he saw Lu Mingshu narrowing her eyes as she tried to focus her mystic force. Her wrist within her sleeve turned bright blue. The light then went into the water, and the waves below her were all dispersed. Thus, she now had a smooth ride.

    Ye Zhenyan¡¯s eyes widened in shock. What¡¯s going on?

    Ling Wuxia turned toward her andughed softly. ¡°Mystic Dewdrops are indeed treasures. With them, Miss Lu could conquer waves even ten timesrger with ease. It seems like Miss Lu is invincible on water now.¡±

    She wasn¡¯t loud, but all Harmonization Realms had good hearing, so everyone nearby heard it. They all turned toward Lu Mingshu immediately.

    Lu Mingshu smiled lightly and made eye contact with Ling Wuxia.

    Mystic Dewdrops? Oh yeah! There was news saying that the queen of Zhongzhou admired her a lot and even gave her a string of Mystic Dewdrops.

    Ye Zhenyan stared at her shining wrist, eyes green with even.

    Mystic Dewdrops were treasures of the world. They originated from the deep sea and could only be acquired after a thousand years. If one had a single Mystic Dewdrop, they would not fear any water in the world anymore. It was hard to get one, but she had a string of them!

    Ye Zhenyan was itching to snatch it from her right now, but of course he wouldn¡¯t do such a thing. Everyone knew that they belonged to the Zhongzhou royalty. If he stole them, Zhongzhou would surely not spare him. Haish! What a pity.

    The crowd said nothing and went forward together. After a minute, they sawnd.

    Ling Wuxia waved her sleeve and jumped ontond first.

    Following behind her was Ye Zhenyan, Lu Mingshu, and the rest

    The smaller sect disciples that didn¡¯t have any secret skills were fatigued. Afternding, they were all as white as a sheet of paper, and many couldn¡¯t even stand straight.

    Just a weak stream to enter the mountain, yet it¡¯s already so hard to deal with. Gaining the Grandmaster¡¯s approval would surely be even harder.

    However, the benefit of doing it was so great that no one was willing to give up.

    For example, Zhao Yin was said to have just entered the Harmonization Realm when he was chosen. He was from a small aristocratic family, so perhaps Lady Luck would stand by their sides too.

    Afternding and having a good look around, Zhang Jingyu was the first to speak; ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why is Jasper Sun Mountain like this?¡±

    Where they were currently standing had broken rocks everywhere. When one looked into the distance, it was all soil and rocks. There weren¡¯t many nts to be seen.

    Their seniors who had been here before said that Jasper Sun Mountain was all green, like a paradise in the mortal world.

    Ye Zhenyan looked over to Ling Wuxia in surprise as well.

    However, Ling Wuxia looked very calm. ¡°It¡¯s only switching the environment. An Assimtion Realm elder can do it too.¡±

    Many nodded at her theory. It was true; once one reached the Assimtion Realm, there weren¡¯t really restrained by the world anymore. Changing the environment around them wasn¡¯t a surprising thing to do. However, most would make their environment lively and lush. This Grandmaster was really different to change his environment into something like this.

 Chapter 238: Whatéˆ¥æªš the Question?

    <h4>Chapter 238: What¡¯s the Question?</h4>

    Everyone had different motives. As they observed the environment, they were now nning their next steps and observing what the others were doing.

    Especially Ling Wuxia; all eyes were on her, waiting to see what she was going to do.

    Ling Wuxia carefully examined the environment before turning to her two juniors. After some whispers, the three of them made their way off.

    Some disciples from sects that had good rtions with Ancient Jade Summit scrambled in front of her immediately. ¡°Senior Sister Ling, where are you heading?¡±

    Ling Wuxia didn¡¯t bother to conceal her n. ¡°To the peak!¡± She then shed him a smile and went off with her two juniors.

    Many followed after Ling Wuxia¡¯s footsteps.

    After Ling Wuxia left with a bunch of people following behind her, only half were left at the shore.

    This half was mostly made of middle-tier powers, and it was capable as well. Among the three aristocratic families, only the Huo Family went with Ling Wuxia. The Ye Family and the Zhang Family remained on the shore, along with the few sects in Beiming that were worth mentioning.

    Even if Ling Wuxia took the right path and they followed, they wouldn¡¯t get any benefits. After all, the Grandmaster was only going to choose one. They were all clear in their hearts how outstanding Ling Wuxia was. All of them grew up in Beiming and witnessed it personally, so they knew they were inferior to her in every respect. However, the Grandmaster wasn¡¯t looking for the strongest, so who knew if they might be lucky enough to be the one that the Grandmaster chose?

    For example, Zhao Yin¡¯s ability was only average. It was said that the Grandmaster liked how good he was at nning things.

    In that case, one could not follow Ling Wuxia¡¯s footsteps, or the only person who would gain anything would be Ling Wuxia.

    But what should I do now? Most had this question in their head.

    Ye Zhenyan gave everyone death res. He took a look to see if Lu Mingshu was doing anything out of the ordinary before he made his way off. Ye Mingguang hesitated for a while before running after him.

    Others talked it over with their fellows and made a decision one after another.

    In the blink of an eye, there weren¡¯t many left on the shore now.

    Lu Mingshu noticed a girl in ck standing alone. She looked like she had very strong basics, but Lu Mingshu was unaware of which power she was from.

    Lu Mingshu ignored her and focused on the surroundings.

    Jasper Sun Mountain was at least ten thousand meters tall, and yet they couldn¡¯t see a single bit of green. There was only loess and broken rocks everywhere. It was totally unlike what she had seen on the map. If it was really like what Ling Wuxia said, then the Grandmaster designed it this way on purpose. Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t buy that exnation.

    During the past three months, except improving herself, she also memorized the information that Yu Ruohan had given her and went through every small detail one by one. As the saying went, know yourself and know your enemy, and the chance of winning would be higher.

    There had already been seven rounds of testing up to this point, and it was easy to determine patterns when something repeated itself twice, let alone seven times.

    Lu Mingshu came up with her own theory. This test isn¡¯t as clear-cut as they said. Every time the barrier disappears, the environment of this mountain changes. This is the question set by the Grandmaster. Only when the problem is identified can one win.

    Not everyone realized this. At least, the Bon Voyage Fleet and the smaller powers mostly didn¡¯t. Even the Huo Family didn¡¯t know much.

    But Ling Wuxia would definitely know. From the previous records, Ancient Jade Summit disciples would be able to figure out the question. It¡¯s just that their answers never satisfied the Grandmaster.

    So, what is it about this time? A deserted ce and a mountain filled with broken rocks. This isn¡¯t a ce where one can cultivate. With such an environment, what would the question be?

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s mind was filled with thoughts. Suddenly, she realized something. Ling Wuxia chose to make her way up the peak... is it because she guessed the question? It will be hard to defeat her, I guess.

    However, Lu Mingshu was d for her character, which was to never me her surroundings. No matter how bad her situation was, she would think of an idea to get herself out of it. She never lost confidence even if she fell behind.

    She pondered for a moment before releasing Little Daze from the portable stable.

    Little Daze was extremely excited to be able toe out of the stable. It licked her hand profusely.

    ¡°Ah, okay!¡± Lu Mingshu caressed its wings, which had grown quite a lot. ¡°Let¡¯s go for a walk first.¡±

    With that, she got on Little Daze and let it go wherever it wanted.

    ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, the question should be about cultivation in adversity.¡± She patted Little Daze. ¡°But we can¡¯t even find any mystic force in such a bad environment!¡±

    Little Daze neighed as if it was unamused.

    The made Lu Mingshu burst out intoughter. ¡°Nobody here is as smart as you!¡±

    Since it was a test, there would surely be an answer. There would definitely be mystic force present in this mountain, it was simply a matter of whether they could find it or not.

    Ling Wuxia chose the easiest method, which was to get to the peak. No matter how bad a mountain was, the peak was the ce with most spirituality. For example, it was always bathed in the essence of the sun and the moon.

    Little Daze was a precious beast, so it was sensitive to mystic forces. Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t even give it any direction before it started galloping toward the peak. This was how good precious beast senses were.

    However, this wouldn¡¯t be enough. If it was such an easy question, why would only Zhao Yin and one other figure it out after seven rounds? So she should...

    ¡°Who said that this is changing the environment? This is obviously a cover up, covering the real look of the mountain.¡± Lu Mingshu then tapped Little Daze excitedly. ¡°Let¡¯s go there!¡±

    ...

    Ling Wuxia stopped half-way.

    ¡°Have you noticed where Lu Mingshu went?¡± she asked her juniors.

    Her junior brother shook his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t take note.¡±

    Her junior sister pointed to a direction. ¡°She didn¡¯t follow. She stood at the shore for a moment before she went off with her mount.¡±

    Ling Wuxia bit her lips and pondered.

    ¡°Senior Sister Ling,¡± the junior sister started. ¡°Aren¡¯t you valuing her too highly? The Bon Voyage Fleet is such a small power, what would they know?¡±

    ¡°I agree.¡± The junior brother nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t believe there would be anyone as lucky as Zhao Yin, able to solve the question identally.¡±

    ¡°Do not say such things. She¡¯s the first ce in the New Ranking, and even Kou Wei lost to her.¡± Ling Wuxia shook her head.

    ¡°She¡¯s just in lucky!¡±

    ¡°But she gave themands during their fight with the barbarians. That alone proves her ability.¡± Ling Wuxia looked at them sternly. ¡°She may not know worldly affairs well and she may be weaker than Kou Wei, but she¡¯s definitely scheming. She has fast reactions, strong observation skills, and she¡¯s agile. Are you perhaps afraid that you¡¯ll be too strong that you don¡¯t even value such an opponent?¡±

 Chapter 239: Playing a Trick?

    <h4>Chapter 239: ying a Trick?</h4>

    Jasper Sun Mountain was about ten thousand meters high, and it upied more than a hundred miles of territory. With Lu Mingshu¡¯s cultivation, it was impossible for her to go around the whole area within a short time. Thus, she took note of key ces when she first arrived and brought Little Daze to them all.

    She once bought a book in the Heavenly Wheel written by an array master from another world. His world specialized in arrays, and with just a few words, he exined arrays clearly from the view of a person who made them.

    The master mentioned in his book that arrays weren¡¯t actually created by humans, but something given by the gods. They were simply a principle of the world; humans only discovered thews and found ways to use them. Many mountains, rivers, beautiful ces, and blessednds were in line with thews naturally. They were even more sophisticated than artificial arrays.

    Jasper Sun Mountain was a blessednd, and that wouldn¡¯t change just because the environment was being altered by some kind of array. Otherwise, it would be a huge waste of blessednd.

    After roaming around a few key ces, Lu Mingshu roughly had the answer in her heart already.

    ¡°Little Daze, let¡¯s change the trick, shall we?¡±

    ...

    Turning around to see that there was a bunch of younger disciples following her, Ling Wuxia nudged her junior sister. ¡°Junior Sister Zuo, I need your help.¡±

    Junior Sister Zuo immediately came to her side. ¡°How may I help you, Senior Sister Ling?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a powerful enemy nearby ying some tricks, and it¡¯s unfavourable to us. You¡¯re careful and have a great observation, so I hope you can go check the other party out.¡±

    Their trip was obviously centered on Ling Wuxia, and the two disciples had already been reminded to listen to her. Hearing her, Junior Sister Zuo nodded. ¡°Senior Sister, please be at ease. I¡¯ll head over now.¡±

    And without hesitation, she went off.

    ¡°Senior Sister Ling, what do you need me to do?¡± the junior brother asked.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get to the peak first.¡± Ling Wuxia smiled at him.

    Even though she said that, some disciples following behind her hesitated upon seeing Junior Sister Zuo leaving. Most still followed behind Ling Wuxia, but some changed their mind and followed Junior Sister Zuo. However, this Junior Sister Zuo had strange and agile movements. In the blink of an eye, she vanished into thin air. Those who followed were now at a loss and could only turn back.

    Jasper Sun Mountain was indeed high; their group only got to the peak when the sun had set.

    Ling Wuxia immediately looked for a suitable ce to set up a tent, as if she was preparing to stay for the night. Seeing this, many people dispersed and found a ce to set up a tent as well.

    It was a silent night, and it was the first night since the disciples entered the mountain. It was so quiet that one could even hear a pin drop.

    In her tent, Ling Wuxia sat there silently to improve herself while patiently waiting for her junior sister¡¯s news. That was the most important thing right now.

    However, Ling Wuxia was unaware of her junior sister¡¯s situation at the moment. Junior Sister Zuo was currently at a loss on what to send in her message.

    This Junior Sister Zuo obviously had her ways of finding people.

    Unfortunately for her, Jasper Sun Mountain was so big that, by the time she found Lu Mingshu, it was already night time. All she saw was Lu Mingshu next to a waterfall, scribbling on the ground furiously. It was too dark for her to see what Lu Mingshu was drawing, she only knew that it wasplicated.

    Junior Sister Zuo hesitated for a while before sending the message through a secret skill.

    On the peak, Ling Wuxia heard a very light buzz beside her ear. Someone without the basics for this skill wouldn¡¯t even sense anything wrong.

    Ling Wuxia opened her tent. A bird as small as her thumb flew to her.

    She took the white silk from the bird¡¯s legs and opened it up. Seeing what was on it, she furrowed her eyebrows.

    ¡°Junior Brother He,¡± she called softly.

    Junior Brother He immediately lifted his tent¡¯s opening. ¡°Senior Sister!¡±

    Ling Wuxia passed the silk over to him.

    Junior Brother¡¯s face changed immediately upon seeing the silk. ¡°Array!¡±

    Junior Sister Zuo was good at hunting down prey and spying while Junior Brother He was very knowledgeable. When he saw what was on the silk, he immediately figured out the main gist of it.

    ¡°This Lu Mingshu knows how to use arrays? When did Nine Jade Pce learn about arrays?¡±

    There wasn¡¯t much about arrays in their world. Only some powerful factions like Seventh Truth tform had anything about arrays.

    Junior Brother He used to think of Lu Mingshu as nothing and felt that the rumours were insane, but now, he dared not look down on her. He had tried to learn arrays for a long time, but he, unfortunately, didn¡¯t understand math, which prevented him from learning.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about that right now.¡± Ling Wuxia bit her lips. ¡°We¡¯re in trouble.¡±

    Before Junior Brother He could ask, a ray of light shed past them.

    At the foot of the mountain, under the moonlight, a ray of light became brighter and shot into the air like fireworks.

    Pop!

    An explosion could be heard.

    This rmed those who were at the peak. A group of disciples immediately ran out of their tents to have a look.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±

    ¡°What is that?¡±

    ¡°Fire?¡± A disciple rubbed his eyes.

    Someone hit him hard on his head. ¡°Are you mad? There¡¯s only mud and rock here, how could there be fire?¡±

    ¡°Where is this lighting from?¡±

    The people at the peak were busy discussing what was happening. At the foot of the mountain, Junior Sister Zuo was scared out of her skin.

    She only just sent her senior sister a message, and then Lu Mingshu took a mystic crystal and put it on the floor. Within seconds, the mystic crystal shone, and the scribbles on the floor lit up like they were set on fire.

    She¡¯s... ying tricks?

    She was so shocked that she didn¡¯t even realize Lu Mingshu was walking toward her.

    ¡°This youngdy, what are you looking at?¡±

    Hearing this, she turned around abruptly. ¡°You...¡± Being caught spying, she couldn¡¯t help but feel awkward.

    ¡°Ling Wuxia sent you here, huh?¡±

    Junior Sister Zuo calmed down quickly and smiled. ¡°Senior Sister Ling is always smart. She guessed that you were ying tricks after all.¡±

    ¡°Tricks? What tricks?¡± Lu Mingshu sneered.

    ¡°Lying through your teeth, huh?¡± Junior Sister Zuo pointed to the scribbled ground.

    ¡°Girl.¡± Lu Mingshu grinned at her. ¡°You don¡¯t even know what that is, so how can you say that it¡¯s a trick?¡±

    Lu Mingshu sighed. ¡°What a disappointment from Ancient Jade Summit.¡±

    Hearing this, Junior Sister Zuo blew her top and yelled at Lu Mingshu. ¡°Why are you talking shit about my sect when it¡¯s only me here?¡±

    ¡°Am I wrong?¡± Lu Mingshu turned her back against her. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll stop teasing you. Take a look and you¡¯ll know what it is.¡±

    Lu Mingshu extended her hand to draw in the air. Like a string being pulled by her, the light followed her movements.

    Different strings were drawn into a unique shape. With a boom, it rose up into the sky.

    In a sh, the whole ground started to shake.

    Rumble Rumble!

    Something started moving because of this vibration. It slowly changed position, and mystic force burst out.

    ¡°Eh?¡± On the peak, Ling Wuxia could feel something. ¡°This ce...¡±

    Everyone turned towards the same direction. No matter how good or bad they were, they could clearly feel that there was mystic force gushing out from somewhere.

 Chapter 240: Why Donéˆ¥æª› We Team Up?

    <h4>Chapter 240: Why Don¡¯t We Team Up?</h4>

    Jasper Sun Mountain was filled with loess and broken rocks. There wasn¡¯t any lifeforce or mystic force anywhere.

    To most of the disciples, it was like sitting on pins and needles to be ced in such an environment. All of them were the best disciples of their sect or family, so which of them didn¡¯t have the best resources that their family or sect had? The ce for their daily cultivation was none other than the ce with the most beautiful scenery and excellent mystic force. If the test held here wasn¡¯t life-changing, who would want to grit their teeth and endure it?

    However, at this moment, mystic force gushed out, and the wind blew past them. The light wind made all of them feel morefortable.

    Under the moonlight, many looked up to see a valley in the middle of the mountain gushing up with a mystic force like a fountain.

    Ling Wuxia lifted up the opening of her tent and ran out. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    Junior Brother He said no more and jumped down a steep incline, dashing after his senior sister.

    It was too dark right now, and the duo of junior brother and sister senior was way too fast, so the others only realized what happened after a short while.

    ¡°Hurry up! Ling Wuxia has already left!¡±

    ¡°Is that where the Grandmaster is staying? Who found it? And why did it suddenly appear?¡±

    ¡°How did they find it, and when?¡±

    ¡°Maybe it just started shining on its own?¡±

    ¡°This... let¡¯s just go.¡±

    At this moment, the Ye Family brothers and the Zhang family siblings realized it too.

    Ye Zhenyan¡¯s face turned pale upon seeing this. ¡°This...¡± He fished out his sword and made his way over immediately.

    After two steps, he turned around and yelled at Ye Mingguang. ¡°What are you still doing there? Can¡¯t you see the opportunity?¡±

    Ye Mingguang hurriedly followed behind him. After spending two days with his cousin, he roughly knew what he was like ¨C moody, enigmatic, and extremely tyrannical.

    He was able to put up a tough front with Ye Zhenfan and Ye Zhenxing, but not his third brother. Whether it was power or intelligence, they were too far apart. Fortunately, Ye Zhenyan didn¡¯t discriminate against him like the others did. Even though he shouted at him a lot, Ye Zhenyan treated him like his own younger brother, making him feel much better.

    On the other hand, Zhang Jingyu was bewildered by the situation. ¡°Brother, what¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go take a look,¡± Zhang Rulin muttered.

    The other disciples that were dispersed around had the same reaction too.

    For a moment, the thirty disciples on Jasper Sun Mountain hurried to the valley in the middle of the night.

    Amongst these people, two figures could be seen moving up and down, one pursuing the other closely.

    ¡°Where are you nning to hide!?¡± Junior Sister Zuo shouted, and a ray of mystic light shot out along with a flying stone toward Lu Mingshu.

    Lu Mingshu spun back and used her sword-light to strike the stone away. ¡°If was you, I wouldn¡¯t trade power for trickery. Why are you using a hidden weapon? That¡¯s not the path to true power.¡±

    Being jeered at by Lu Mingshu, Junior Sister Zuo was about to blow her top. ¡°Who the heck do you think you are? Why is a Nine Jade Pce disciple acting like a bastard in front of an Ancient Jade Summit disciple?¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± Lu Mingshu sneered. ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m first on the New Generation Ranking, while you¡¯re nothing!¡±

    After saying that, she jumped onto Little Daze. Little Daze neighed and dashed ahead madly, far away from Junior Sister Zuo.

    Junior Sister Zuo wanted to eat Lu Mingshu alive right now. I¡¯m an Ancient Jade Summit elite, yet she says I¡¯m nothing? She gritted her teeth and went after Lu Mingshu with great haste.

    Lu Mingshu seemed rxed, but in fact, that was the opposite of how she felt at the moment.

    Since she¡¯s able to enter Jasper Sun Mountain, this Junior Sister Zuo is obviously an elite of Ancient Jade Summit. She may not be as good as Kou Wei, but she¡¯s at least on Ye Zhenyan¡¯s level. This type of opponent wasn¡¯t someone she could defeat easily. If Lu Mingshu wanted to defeat her, she would have to put in her maximum effort. However, everyone on this mountain was against her, so she wouldn¡¯tst at that rate.

    ¡°Little Daze, speed up!¡± Being held up by Junior Sister Zuo, she wasted a lot of time.

    Having followed Lu Mingshu since it was young, Little Daze knew what she was thinking. It struggled for a while before it started to fly.

    ¡°You¡¯re flying!¡± Lu Mingshu was pleasantly surprised. She caressed its wings. They¡¯ve really grown a lot.

    Little Daze neighed proudly and pped its wings with all its might, taking her in another direction.

    There were already quite a few people standing there when she reached the valley.

    The Zhang siblings, Ling Wuxia and her junior brother, and more.

    Watching Lu Mingshu get down from her mount, many looked at her with envy. It¡¯s not that they didn¡¯t have their own mount, but flying mounts were rarely seen among Harmonization Realms.

    This was the first time it had flown, so Little Daze was now panting hard. Lu Mingshu caressed it and pacified it before letting it go back into the portable stable.

    ¡°Senior Sister!¡± Junior Sister Zuo puffed, running toward Ling Wuxia as soon as she saw her.

    As soon as she was going toin, Ling Wuxia put her to a stop with a look and patted her back. ¡°Junior Sister has worked hard. Rest for a while first.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m okay...¡± Junior Sister Zuo looked at Ling Wuxia walking toward Lu Mingshu in a daze.

    ¡°Miss Lu.¡± Ling Wuxia greeted her with a thin smile.

    Lu Mingshu returned the courtesy but said nothing. Let¡¯s see what she has to say now.

    ¡°Miss has brilliant skill; I admire you very much.¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked at her in shock. Ling Wuxia saying this showed that her junior sister had already sent her a message about the situation, and saying it out loud like this showed that she wasn¡¯t embarrassed that she sent someone to spy on Lu Mingshu.

    Well, she¡¯s right. Upon entering the mountain, we¡¯re all opponents, and there¡¯s no reason why she shouldn¡¯t do something like that. It could even be said that she¡¯s way smarter than the others.

    ¡°Does Miss Lu have any opinion on the situation right now?¡± Ling Wuxia sounded like she was sincerely asking Lu Mingshu for an opinion.

    Lu Mingshu blinked her eyes before ncing over at the Zhang siblings, who were preparing to take in all information.

    ¡°Ah, that should be my question to Miss Ling. You¡¯re the elite of Ancient Jade Summit, and you are obviously more aware of what the mountain is likepared to me, who knows very little about it. I¡¯m sure you would have a better suggestion.¡±

    Hearing her excuse, Ling Wuxia didn¡¯t seem to be angry. She shed Lu Mingshu a wide smile. ¡°Miss Lu, I¡¯ll be straightforward right now, seeing the situation. You are new in Beiming, and the Bon Voyage Fleet is not a big power, so it can¡¯t give you much help. With your limited information, fighting with us now or taking a step forward before us now, the chances of you winning are still going to be small. Instead of having both sides suffer, why don¡¯t we team up? What do you think?¡±

    ¡°Team up?¡± Lu Mingshu narrowed her eyes. ¡°How do we do that when there¡¯s only one person who¡¯s going to win?¡±

    Ling Wuxia shook her head, smiling. ¡°Miss Lu, who wins is up to the Grandmaster. Even if you defeated all of us, you would still be on the losing end if he doesn¡¯t approve of you.¡±

    This made sense, and it was the truth, but Lu Mingshu couldn¡¯t help feeling suffocated hearing it. ¡°Then what does Miss Ling suggest we do?¡± she asked in a monotone.

    ¡°We¡¯re in an unknown situation right now, and it¡¯s not going to benefit any of us if we act against each other right now. I suggest we ascertain the real situation first before we decide on our next move.¡± Ling Wuxia turned to the Zhang siblings. ¡°Brother Zhang, what do you think?¡± she asked loudly.

    Zhang Rulin and Zhang Jingyu exchanged a nce. ¡°We agree with Miss Ling.¡±

    Ling Wuxia then continued to ask the other disciples who were present for their opinion, and no one refused.

    ¡°Miss Lu, how about you?¡±

 Chapter 241: You Donéˆ¥æª› Dare?

    <h4>Chapter 241: You Don¡¯t Dare?</h4>

    If I don¡¯t agree now, then won¡¯t I be going against everyone here?

    ¡°Since Miss Ling has said so, what else can I say?¡± She sneered.

    But Ling Wuxia grinned like a Cheshire cat as if she didn¡¯t know that Lu Mingshu was being sarcastic. Ling Wuxia then raised her voice happily, ¡°Everyone, being so intelligent, Miss Lu has found a hint for us, which is this valley. Since we aren¡¯t sure of what¡¯s going on right now, we shall team up first to figure it out before we fight for victory. How does that sound?¡±

    Everyone agreed immediately, and some even praised Ling Wuxia profusely. ¡°Senior Sister Ling is indeed broad-minded. If you¡¯re willing to lead us, why would we not be willing?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, only Senior Sister Ling has such bearing!¡±

    The disciples from the smaller sects who had been following Ling Wuxia since the start spoke highly of her.

    Lu Mingshu watched this with a wooden expression.

    Ye Zhenyan sneered at this, and he saw Ye Mingguang furrowing his eyebrows. ¡°What, you feel indignant for Lu Mingshu, huh?¡±

    Ye Mingguang lowered his head and kept quiet. Would he not know that I was only able toe on this trip all thanks to Lu Mingshu? Ye Mingguang was reclusive and reticent. He didn¡¯t know how to bootlick Ye Zhenyan, unlike his other cousins, but he was aware that his third brother wasn¡¯t someone that he could offend.

    Shockingly, Ye Zhenyan shook his head. ¡°Ling Wuxia is indeed nasty.¡±

    Ye Mingguang looked at him with wide eyes. Thest thing he ever expected was that his third brother would be on Lu Mingshu¡¯s side. Ever since he was defeated by her on Remainder Ind, Ye Zhenyan never left the house until this trip, where he wanted to take the chance to humiliate Lu Mingshu. Ye Mingguang thought that he would take his revenge right now.

    ¡°What? Is it so weird?¡± Ye Zhenyan sneered and rolled his eyes ¡°Just because I¡¯m not happy with Lu Mingshu doesn¡¯t mean that I¡¯m happy with Ling Wuxia!¡± I took the initiative to be nice, yet she ignored it? I still remember that incident!

    Ye Mingguang bit his lips and muttered, ¡°Third brother, Miss Ling is well-liked by everyone else. You shouldn¡¯t say such things.¡±

    Outside of Ye Mingguang¡¯s expectations, Ye Zhenyan didn¡¯t rage upon hearing this. ¡°Of course. Ling Wuxia is very good at acting. You¡¯re not an idiot; be pragmatic when taking actionter, okay?¡±

    Ye Mingguang nodded silently before hearing Ye Zhenyan mutter, ¡°Hmph, that witch thinks she has everything under control and looks down on me. I want to see who will have thestugh!¡±

    ¡°Brother.¡± Elsewhere, Zhang Jingyu called for her elder brother softly.

    Zhang Rulin threw her a nce, signalling for her to not continue. ¡°Since she¡¯s going to be at the front, just do what she says.¡±

    Zhang Jingyu nodded.

    The sun was slowly rising, and most of the disciples were here.

    Everyone looked at Ling Wuxia, waiting for her to give instructions.

    Ling Wuxia looked over to see the valley covered with trees and filled with mystic force. It¡¯s indeed a blessednd, but sadly, I¡¯m only in the Harmonization Realm, so I can¡¯t tell more with just a nce.

    Ling Wuxia pondered before speaking up, ¡°Everyone since we¡¯re unclear on the situation, let¡¯s explore around, shall we?¡±

    This was the most inevitable and obvious choice right now. The crowd had no objections.

    Ling Wuxia nodded and smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s split up. At least two in a group, and five at most. Is that okay?¡±

    ¡°Miss Ling¡¯s suggestion is the best.¡±

    ¡°Anything. It¡¯s up to Senior Sister Ling.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s get into groups.¡± Ling Wuxia smiled widely.

    The Ancient Jade Summit disciples obviously went as a team. Those who came to Jasper Sun Mountain as a pair went together too. The ones left were the disciples from smaller powers. Since they were all from Beiming, they already knew each other and had some connections, so most of them went with people they were familiar with.

    When the teams were formed, only two were left out.

    One of them was Lu Mingshu. The big sect disciples and aristocratic family disciples all disliked her, while the smaller sect disciples didn¡¯t dare to get near her.

    They all lived in Beiming, so why would they go over to bootlick an outsider and offend all the powers in Beiming?

    The other one who was left out was the girl in ck that Lu Mingshu noticed when she first arrived. She was always alone, and she seemed unfamiliar with the people around her.

    Seeing this, Ling Wuxia went over to them, smiling. ¡°What a coincidence. Why don¡¯t you two make a team?¡±

    Lu Mingshu and the girl exchanged a nce and nodded in agreement.

    Ling Wuxia then smiled widely at them and pped. ¡°That¡¯s great. Let¡¯s set off right now.¡±

    The other disciples went in separate directions, and Ling Wuxia bowed to Lu Mingshu. ¡°Miss Lu, I¡¯ll make my way off first. See youter.¡± After this, she went off with her junior sister and brother.

    Lu Mingshu looked over at the girl in ck. The girl hesitated for a moment before going toward her. ¡°Where should we go?¡±

    ¡°What is your opinion?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± She shook her head.

    Lu Mingshu nced around and picked up a stone from the ground, throwing it casually. ¡°There?¡±

    The girl nodded without saying anything.

    One in front and one behind, both went toward the direction where the stonended.

    After a moment, Lu Mingshu turned toward the girl. ¡°How should I address you?¡±

    The girl kept quiet for a moment. Just as Lu Mingshu thought that she wouldn¡¯t reply, she said, ¡°Ying.¡±

    ¡°Your given name or surname?¡±

    ¡°Does it matter?¡± the other party answered in monotone. ¡°It¡¯s just a form of address.¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked at her before turning back.

    After a short silence, the girl in ck suddenly asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you retort?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t seem to understand what she meant.

    ¡°Ling Wuxia,¡± she continued. ¡°You found this ce, but she took advantage, and everyone else only remembers her now. Why did you let her be?¡±

    ¡°Are you not from Beiming?¡± Lu Mingshu narrowed her eyes.

    The other party remained silent.

    ¡°Why would I retort?¡± Lu Mingshu answered calmly. ¡°She has been famous for a long time, and all the Beiming disciples look up to her already. Even if I fought her over it, nobody would be on my side anyway.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re just giving up, huh?¡± The girl sneered. ¡°Aren¡¯t you first ce on the New Ranking ¨C the one who defeated Kou Wei? Why are you afraid to fight back? Or perhaps you really defeated Kou Wei by luck?¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked at her weirdly. ¡°Why are you so agitated?¡±

    The girl continued, ¡°Ah, I thought that first ce on the New Ranking was something special. Who knew she doesn¡¯t live up to her name?¡±

    Hearing the girlmenting about her so angrily, Lu Mingshu decided to just ignore her. ¡°I don¡¯t need to report to anyone, let alone you.¡±

    ¡°You...!¡± The girl in ck was faintly angry. ¡°I¡¯m here with you because I have no choice. If there¡¯s a fightter, I won¡¯t stand on your side.¡±

    Lu Mingshu stered a smile on her face and said nothing else.

    On the surface, Ling Wuxia gained the upper hand, but Lu Mingshu felt otherwise. If it was that simple, why would this test have no winners for years and years until suddenly Zhao Yin came along? It¡¯s good that they went with Ling Wuxia; now I won¡¯t be disturbed.

    Besides, my energy is limited. Why would I waste any on Ling Wuxia now when I can save it and defeat her in one go at the critical moment?

 Chapter 242: The Zhang Twins

    <h4>Chapter 242: The Zhang Twins</h4>

    Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales

    Chapter 242 ¨C The Zhang Twins

    After two hours, the edge of a roof could be seen amongst the greenery in the valley. They went closer to realize that it was a pce courtyard.

    Lu Mingshu and the girl in ck went into the pce courtyard.

    ¡°Why is there no one here?¡± The girl furrowed her eyebrows.

    ¡°It would be weird if there was,¡± Lu Mingshu replied.

    The girl thought for a while before she realized the reason. This was part of the Grandmaster¡¯s test; if there was someone here, wouldn¡¯t that make things too easy for them?

    The courtyard was gorgeous, but there wasn¡¯t much yang energy here. There were many decorations, but not many daily appliances. It looked cold, and it seemed that no one stayed here.

    ¡°Let¡¯s split up.¡± Lu Mingshu turned to the girl.

    The girl in ck nodded, and they both went into different rooms.

    Lu Mingshu nced over the area and took the details down in her heart. She changed these details into numerical values and put them into her mind before she went to the next room.

    This courtyard wasn¡¯t big, and it was rather neat. After half an hour, Lu Mingshu stopped.

    She then leaned on a pole to review the details she acquired over the past half hour. Suddenly, she widened her eyes in shock.

    Hearing some rumbling, the girl in ck came over immediately. Seeing Lu Mingshu tearing down the pce, she yelled at her in anger, ¡°What the hell are you doing?!¡±

    ¡°Taking down the house!¡± Lu Mingshu stopped her actions and turned toward the girl, shing her a wide smile. ¡°Isn¡¯t that obvious?¡±

    ¡°You...! This is where the Grandmaster lives! You¡¯re so disrespectful! If you anger the Grandmaster, do you want me to die with you?¡±

    ¡°What, you don¡¯t dare to?¡± She hummed, not taking any more notice of the girl in ck.

    The girl in ck was now ready to skin Lu Mingshu alive. ¡°What does it have to do with me daring or not?¡± Seeing that Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t have any intention of stopping, the girl in ck fished out her sword to stop Lu Mingshu. ¡°Stop it!¡±

    Lu Mingshu turned around to attack her.

    Lu Mingshu was very skilled with swords, and at this moment, she put her full ability on disy. The girl in ck had no choice but to give it her all as well. The fight caused mystic light to scatter all around the room, and, being made ofmon wood, it was destroyed at an even faster rate.

    The girl wanted to stop this fight, but she couldn¡¯t.

    They fought all the way to the other rooms. Crackling and rattling, followed by small explosions ¨C every room they entered, they tore it down.

    The girl in ck was now extremely angry, and she screamed bloody murder, ¡°Lu Mingshu, are you a lunatic?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll know whether I¡¯m a lunatic or not soon enough.¡±

    After this, another sword-light shed out. Amidst crashing sounds, half of the courtyard¡¯s roof copsed to the ground. Perhaps the sword struck a critical point, because with a Boom!, the whole beam of the roof fell down, followed by different parts of the courtyard without stop.

    The debris started falling on them, covering them with wood and forcing them to stop their fight.

    The girl in ck exerted mystic light, congealing it into a protective cover to prevent the fragments from injuring her. Is this Lu Mingshu a mad dog? Oh great, now the ground is moving too.

    The vibrating didn¡¯t stop, and suddenly, she lost her bnce.

    The girl in ck shrieked. As soon as she wanted to help herself up, a sword-light stopped her. Because she wanted to avoid the sword-light, she lost herst chance and fell into the darkness.

    What New Ranking¡¯s first ce, bullshit! She¡¯s sick!

    That was thest thing that crossed her mind before she fell unconscious.

    After some time, the girl slowly got back her senses. Everything seemed blurry, and she could hear some sounds beside her.

    As she was about to get up, somebody covered her mouth.

    With that, she suddenly became more alert. As she started to struggle free, she heard a whisper; ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡±

    Ying swallowed down her urge to take out her sword and sh Lu Mingshu. She wasn¡¯t used to having people in such close proximity to herself, and she couldn¡¯t stand someone sticking onto her.

    She side-eyed Lu Mingshu. This was the first time she saw Lu Mingshu in such close proximity. This face seemed to be a young but mature-looking face. Lu Mingshu looked more like a kid than the descriptions said.

    Ying heard some noise, reminding her of the situation she was in.

    ¡°Brother, where is this?¡±

    Ying could recognize this voice; it was Zhang Jingyu¡¯s voice.

    Indeed, what Ying heard next was Zhang Rulin¡¯s voice. ¡°Should be something that the Grandmaster made.¡±

    After some moments, Ying could hear Zhang Jingyu¡¯s reply. ¡°Uncle Zhao is right. If we do not know how to seize the opportunity and waste our time outside, we¡¯ll lose the chance.¡±

    ¡°Yeah! Father¡¯s the smartest, after all, talking about this with Uncle Zhao early.¡±

    Ying narrowed her eyes. ¡°Uncle Zhao?¡± Zhao Yin, is it? So, the Zhang Family has already nned it out. Ever since Zhao Yin left Jasper Sun Mountain, he never said anything about his experience, and even Ancient Jade Summit didn¡¯t dare to force him out of respect to the Grandmaster. Who knew he was already on the Zhang Family¡¯s side?

    The Zhang Family was indeed quiet and sneaky. The Ye Family seemed powerful, but the Zhang Family was the truly powerful one.

    ¡°That Ling Wuxia and Lu Mingshu are now in a fierce fight. I don¡¯t know if they can even find this ce.¡± Zhang Jingyu sounded pleased with herself. ¡°Father reminded us to take note of them and take advantage of the situation. Now though, I doubt that¡¯s needed. We¡¯re already ahead of them.¡±

    Zhang Rulin shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t getcent. We don¡¯t know Lu Mingshu well, and Ling Wuxia is the best disciple in Ancient Jade Summit and would most likely be able to find it. Just look at her; even though she lost to Lu Mingshu previously, she seized the chance to turn the tables.¡±

    ¡°So? Aren¡¯t we the first to notice it? You¡¯re always looking at her as if she¡¯s some goddess, but she was just lucky to be born in a better ce! Why is there a need to tter her so much?¡±

    ¡°Haish, what are you thinking?¡± Zhang Rulin sounded exasperated. ¡°What is Ancient Jade Summit like? They have so many elites over there; if she was just lucky, how could she be where she is right now?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just admit that in your ¨C men¡¯s ¨C eyes, Ling Wuxia is always the best!¡±

    ¡°What does it have to do with my gender? Younger sister, stop spouting nonsense ande search for a way out with me.¡±

    ¡°Fine....¡±

    The twins slowly moved further away, and their conversation could no longer be heard.

    Ying gave Lu Mingshu a death re.

    Lu Mingshu retrieved her hand and wiped it clean before tidying up her clothes.

    The girl in ck narrowed her eyes at Lu Mingshu. ¡°Where is this ce, and what¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°Do you think that the test the Grandmaster set up is simple?¡± Lu Mingshubed her hair and tied it up once again.

    The girl in ck stared at her weirdly. ¡°You did that on purpose, huh? Destroying the courtyard, I mean.¡±

    Lu Mingshu said nothing. She just side-eyed the girl.

    The girl in ck continued to probe despite theck of response. She felt a chill run down her spine. ¡°How did you know there was something not right about the courtyard?¡±

    Lu Mingshu once again ignored her question.

    Ying realized she had asked a stupid question. What am I thinking, why would she tell me her secret skill?

    ¡°Ah, we should get going soon.¡± Lu Mingshu stood up. ¡°This isn¡¯t a hard round, and most will arrive soon. We should cherish our time.¡±

    Even if one hadn¡¯t learned about arrays before, they could notice the abnormality. It was just that, if one knew about arrays, they would have a better understanding and could get ahead of the curve.

 Chapter 243: Great to Have the Question

    <h4>Chapter 243: Great to Have the Question</h4>

    The girl in ck only realized they were in the middle of the mountain when she stood up.

    This was the work of Mother Nature ¨C leaving the middle hollow in the shape of a bowl, allowing sunlight to reach the ground and reflect off the stream and the rocks off the mountain. It was rather dream-like.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. The Zhang twins are already in front of us.¡± Lu Mingshu tapped Ying.

    Ying kept quiet and followed.

    After a few moments, Ying suddenly thought of something and red at Lu Mingshu. ¡°Didn¡¯t I say that I¡¯m not cooperating with you?¡± Why the heck is shemanding me?

    Lu Mingshu turned back and shed her a smile. ¡°What, are you not going to pay for what you ate?¡±

    Ying choked at Lu Mingshu¡¯s words. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± This loony says that as if I slept with her and am unwilling to be responsible for it. What the hell?

    ¡°You have already gotten the benefits, but now you don¡¯t want to cooperate with me. Aren¡¯t I being taken advantage of?¡±

    ¡°This...¡± bitch. As someone who wasn¡¯t really good at quarrelling, Ying kept her mouth shut.

    She¡¯s right anyway. If not for her, I wouldn¡¯t have found out about the courtyard so quickly.

    ¡°Come, let¡¯s get going now. You may be willing to waste time, but I¡¯m not.¡± Lu Mingshu continued her journey.

    Ying bit her lips and gave Lu Mingshu a death re before following at a fast pace.

    Moving through the middle of the mountain was quite the walk. It had been quite some time, but they still had yet to see the end.

    Ying wanted to say something on several asions, but seeing Lu Mingshu in front, she swallowed her words. I¡¯m older than this bastard, maybe even twice her age! What does she see me as? When I was fighting for my life, where the hell was she? I doubt she was even in her mother¡¯s womb!

    Lu Mingshu led the way and checked thepass from time to time. Thepass was stable, which meant that the maic field here was stable. And that meant there were no traps set up here.

    She raised her eyebrows and thought about it.

    In the deserted Jasper Sun Mountain, she found this valley and the entrance to the blessednd. However, the same question wouldn¡¯t be asked three times. Since she was here now, that meant that the question was different. What is it now?

    After much pondering, a ray of light came into their eyes. They were now at the end.

    Both of them blinked their eyes to try to get used to the surroundings.

    After that, they started to get used to the light, and they observed their surroundings.

    There were flourishing greenery and a neat pathway. Lu Mingshu bit her lips before taking another step.

    ¡°What are you, a snail?¡± The girl in ck finally found a chance to roast Lu Mingshu. ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried the Zhang twins are a step ahead?¡±

    Lu Mingshu ignored her and let her take a step forward first.

    As soon as the girl in ck finished her words, she felt something behind her. She immediately took out her sword and shed it in half.

    Whoosh!

    With that, blood was everywhere, and two halves of a ferocious beast were lying on the ground in a puddle of blood.

    Chills ran down her spine. She looked back to see where the beast came from, and what she saw left her rooted to the ground. ¡°The entrance... the entrance is gone!¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked over to where she was pointing and hummed in response. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s gone. We don¡¯t want to go back anyway.¡±

    Seeing Lu Mingshu so calm, the girl in ck felt safer and looked at her, eyes twinkling. ¡°You expected this?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Then why aren¡¯t you surprised?¡±

    ¡°Because I¡¯m smart!¡±

    The girl in ck sent Lu Mingshu a death re.

    Seeing this, Lu Mingshu burst intoughter. ¡°Look, what¡¯s the hardest part of this test?¡±

    ¡°When you don¡¯t know the question?¡± The girl in ck bit her lips.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Lu Mingshu nodded. ¡°This Grandmaster likes riddles, I guess. He doesn¡¯t give the question but asks for answers. This kind of situation is the most headache-inducing. One has strength but can only wait around in a daze. Thus, it¡¯s better like this, don¡¯t you think? The environment suddenly changing can reveal the question!¡±

    Ying nodded. True.

    ¡°Then what do we do now?¡± Subconsciously, she started to take Lu Mingshu as the leader. ¡°Just keep killing beasts?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, just kill them!¡± Lu Mingshu winked and fished out her sword. ¡°This should be something that you¡¯re good at, right?¡± Lu Mingshu asked, staring at something that was eyeing them from the bushes.

    ...

    Zhang Jingyu was like a cat on hot bricks.

    ¡°Brother, why are there so many!?¡± She whined, jumping back and forth.

    Zhang Rulin fought with his heavy rod. He quickly looked over his surroundings. ¡°There¡¯s a house there!¡± he shouted in glee. ¡°Let¡¯s head over there.¡±

    They were surrounded by ferocious beasts as soon as they arrived, and it was a tough journey with never-ending beasts rushing toward them.

    As soon as Zhang Jingyu heard him, she sighed in relief. It¡¯s good enough that we can find a house to rest for a while. The pair of siblings killed the beasts on the way as they moved toward the house.

    ...

    When Ling Wuxia saw the pce courtyard that had copsed, she sighed in defeat. ¡°Somebody beat us to it!¡±

    Junior Sister Zuo nced over the ce. ¡°Perhaps they did it by chance? Senior Sister Ling, we can catch up soon if we hurry now.¡±

    ¡°Who would do this just by randomly fighting? It¡¯s obvious that they did it intentionally.¡± Ling Wuxia shook her head, disagreeing with what Junior Sister Zuo said.

    ¡°Who do you think it is?¡±

    Three of them exchanged nces. Lu Mingshu.

    This made Junior Sister Zuo feel extremely unhappy. ¡°It may not be her. The Grandmaster is so brilliant, how could she see through his test?¡±

    On the other hand, Junior Brother He furrowed his eyebrows. This is not something obvious, so how could she find it so quickly? Such a weird person; she must be monitored closely.

    If Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t know about arrays, it would¡¯ve taken her days to find the mountain valley. If Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t purposely tear down this pce courtyard, it would¡¯ve taken her days to find the entrance.

    This made him feel uneasy. The enemy is always one step ahead. We could get back the upper hand once, but can we do it every time?

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get moving and not waste time.¡±

    Ling Wuxia¡¯s cool demeanour put their minds at ease. Senior Sister Ling has never lost before, so we will never lose following her!

    ...

    A sword-light flew out, and a beast dropped to the floor.

    Ye Mingguang had already lost track of how long he had been killing. He could only feel his hands getting numb, and sweat was trickling down his face now.

    St! The ferocious beast¡¯s blood sshed on his face. Ye Zhenyan nced over at him and yelled, ¡°What fucking nonsense are you pulling now? Go to the side if you¡¯re going to drag me down!¡±

    Being chided, Ye Mingguang gritted his teeth and picked up his sword once again.

    Ye Mingguang never doubted his third brother. If he pulled his third brother down during this trip, he would not have a ce in the Ye Family. However, if his third brother acknowledged him, neither Ye Zhenfan nor Ye Zhenxing could do anything to him ever again.

    This was his only chance to be a true Ye Family disciple. I must not lose it!

    As time passed, more and more people found the entrance and entered.

    They were all surrounded by beasts. Those who couldn¡¯t defeat them escaped, but for those who could, they gritted their teeth and reached the destination.

 Chapter 244: Open, Close

    <h4>Chapter 244: Open, Close</h4>

    ¡°Brother, shut the door!¡± Zhang Jingyu shouted at Zhang Rulin.

    Zhang Rulin swept a beast out with his heavy rod and shut the door immediately.

    Zhang Jingyu pushed the furniture in the room over to the door immediately, pressing it against the door.

    The twins leaned against the table near them. Hearing the ferocious beasts squealing and scratching the door, they sighed in relief.

    God bless this house. Luckily, the house here is beast-proof.

    ¡°Brother.¡± Zhang Jingyu panted. ¡°Did we win?¡±

    Zhang Rulin shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not that simple.¡±

    If it was that simple, why did only Zhao Yin seed after such a long period of time?

    ¡°Then what do we do after this?¡±

    Zhang Jingyu was now at a loss. The ferocious beasts are so frightful, what should we do if there are still tests?

    After sitting for a long time, the sounds slowly disappeared, indicating that the beast left.

    Just as the pair of twins rxed, they heard noises outside the house again.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Zhang Jingyu grabbed onto her brother tightly. Is the beast here again?

    ¡°Shhh!¡± Zhang Rulin signalled her to keep quiet, and he moved over to figure out what was going on outside.

    The beasts were roaring, fresh blood was everywhere, and the sound of a sword.

    ¡°There are others.¡±

    Zhang Jingyu felt relieved after hearing that answer. As long as it¡¯s not after us again, then it¡¯s all okay. But...

    ¡°Somebody¡¯s right behind us? Who could it be?¡±

    Zhang Rulin went to the window and peaked out of it. The sight in front of him made him knit his eyebrows. ¡°It¡¯s... Lu Mingshu.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Zhang Jingyu narrowed her eyes. ¡°She¡¯s that fast?¡±

    Zhang Rulin bit his lips.

    ¡°Brother, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Hey, should we let them in?¡± Zhang Rulin whispered to his sister.

    ¡°Uh...¡±

    The siblings stared at each other with hesitation. They were here first, and this was their advantage. If they let others in, that was equivalent to relinquishing their advantage, but if they didn¡¯t, what would the Grandmaster think of them? Selfish? Cold-blooded?

    In a short while, Lu Mingshu and the girl in ck were already at the door.

    The girl in ck knocked on the door hard. ¡°Open up!¡±

    The twins remained silent.

    She then kicked the door hard again. ¡°Don¡¯t pretend, I know you¡¯re in there. Hurry up!¡±

    Zhang Jingyu threw a nce at her brother. This is a great chance! Father reminded us to act when we discovered a chance. We should take down Lu Mingshu now so we will have one rival less.

    Zhang Rulin shook his head in response. No, it would be way too obvious. We can sabotage someone, but we can¡¯t have it lead back to us. Even if Lu Mingshu doesn¡¯t have Nine Jade Pce supporting her, what about the Zhongzhou royalty? And the girl in ck is from the Pure White Grace Pavilion. If we pull her down too, what will the Pure White Grace Pavilion do to us?

    ¡°Open up,¡± Zhang Rulinmanded.

    ¡°Brother!¡± Zhang Jingyu whined.

    Ignoring her, Zhang Rulin pushed the furniture blocking the door away at lightning speed.

    As soon as the door opened, the two girls entered immediately and closed the door.

    Zhang Jingyu stared at them nkly. ¡°Are you guys... okay?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, thanks for your concern.¡± Lu Mingshu shot her a nce.

    Both of them looked fine and energetic, but they were drenched in the blood of the ferocious beasts. There were no injuries to be seen, and they didn¡¯t seem to be tired.

    Is it that simple? I nearly dropped dead after reaching this ce with Brother!

    Lu Mingshu scanned around the house.

    This was a two-story house, styled like the pce courtyard that she tore down. Exquisite, but it seemed like a ce that nobody lived in.

    Lu Mingshu took a good look at everything and went into deep thought.

    ¡°What can you tell from it?¡± The girl in ck nudged her.

    Lu Mingshu side-eyed her. ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t want to cooperate with me?¡±

    Ying looked like she was about to skin Lu Mingshu immediately. What¡¯s wrong with her? Petty freak.

    Fortunately, Lu Mingshu stopped there. ¡°I can¡¯t see anything.¡±

    ¡°Oh, okay....¡± Ying rolled her eyes lightly. You¡¯re not that good anyway, I see!

    ¡°However,¡± Lu Mingshu continued, ¡°that¡¯s why it¡¯s weird.¡±

    Ying suddenly felt anxious. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s normal to have a house in the middle of nowhere?¡±

    ¡°What about it?¡± Ying red at her, unable to understand her meaning.

    Lu Mingshu sighed to herself loudly. ¡°Why do I always have to spell it out for you?¡± Ignoring the death re sent at her, she continued, ¡°There¡¯s nobody here in the house, just like the courtyard we found. It¡¯s like a prop. Since it¡¯s a prop, it will give us hints. So, if that courtyard was to show us the entrance, then what¡¯s the purpose of this?¡±

    Ying thought about it. ¡°For us to rest?¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded. ¡°That¡¯s part of it.¡± This house was located at a ce that could calcte their level of perseverance. It should be a benchmark to see how far one could go; those who could make it here would be considered passing, and those who couldn¡¯t be eliminated.

    ¡°What about the second reason?¡±

    ¡°To enter the next segment, I guess?¡± Lu Mingshu whispered. ¡°There should be a site for it, right?¡±

    Ying stared at her dumbfounded and looked up at the house abruptly.

    ¡°What are you guys talking about?¡± Zhang Jingyu asked curiously.

    ¡°About what¡¯s in this house,¡± Lu Mingshu answered.

    What¡¯s in this house? Chills ran down Zhang Jingyu¡¯s spine. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t try to scare people!¡±

    Lu Mingshu smiled at her and found a ce to rest.

    The beasts started to get further from them. When she recovered, she heard sounds outside the house.

    ¡°Is there anyone in there? Please open up!¡±

    All of them exchanged nces.

    It was the voice of Junior Sister Zuo. Ling Wuxia and her juniors had arrived.

    They had already let Lu Mingshu in, so why not Ling Wuxia too? The Zhang siblings opened up without hesitation.

    The trio entered and immediately shut the door.

    ¡°Phew.¡± Junior Sister Zuo sighed in relief and bowed to the Zhang siblings. ¡°Thank you so much....¡±

    As soon as she finished, she saw Lu Mingshu and the girl in ck standing at the side. ¡°Why are you here?¡± She raised her eyebrows.

    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be here?¡± Lu Mingshu rolled her eyes.

    Junior Sister Zuo wanted to retort, but she was held back by Ling Wuxia. ¡°It¡¯s okay, we are all in the same boat now. It¡¯s no use fighting against each other.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Senior Sister.¡± Junior Sister Zuo answered and gave Lu Mingshu a deadly stare.

    Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t even bother to spare them a nce.

    However, Ling Wuxia came over on her own ord. ¡°Miss Lu.¡±

    ¡°What does Miss Ling want from me?¡±

    ¡°I dare not want anything.¡± Ling Wuxia smiled thinly. ¡°Seeing your skills, I just wanted to ask for your opinion since we¡¯re stuck in here now.¡±

 Chapter 245: Sixteen

    <h4>Chapter 245: Sixteen</h4>

    Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales

    Ying raised her eyebrows and red at Ling Wuxia.

    She knew what Ling Wuxia was thinking, as well as her motive. This girl isn¡¯t evil, just that the way she does things is... always beating around the bush.

    Of course, that¡¯s just what I think. Everyone else sees her as a gentle and fair person who¡¯s patient as well.

    Ying was dying to see how Lu Mingshu would react to this. Would she still let Ling Wuxia have the upper hand like the previous time?

    ¡°My opinion is that...¡± She heard Lu Mingshu start.

    Everyone present turned toward her. Even though they disliked her due to many reasons, it was a fact that she was good in areas that others weren¡¯t, which allowed her to be better.

    ¡°We should submit ourselves to the will of heaven.¡±

    This annoyed Junior Sister Zuo. ¡°You can just say you¡¯re unwilling to share. There¡¯s no need to be so rude.¡±

    Lu Mingshu rolled her eyes at her, showing that she wasn¡¯t interested in replying.

    This blew Junior Sister Zuo¡¯s top. ¡°Are you deaf? Can¡¯t you hear that I¡¯m talking to you?¡±

    ¡°Can you chill out? Are all the Ancient Jade Summit people like this?¡± Lu Mingshu stared at her weirdly. ¡°Miss, you¡¯re so intelligent. There¡¯s no way you can¡¯t read my face.¡±

    Junior Sister Zuo narrowed her eyes.

    Lu Mingshu smirked and pointed to her own face. ¡°It reads, ¡®I¡¯m not interested in talking to you.¡¯¡±

    ¡°This...!¡±Junior Sister Zuo pointed at her, fuming.

    Lu Mingshu looked away and plopped down by a corner. ¡°A friendly reminder by the way, there are still peopleing. Rest now before everyone else gets here!¡±

    Ling Wuxia pulled Junior Sister Zuo away to a corner, and the Ancient Jade Summit trio found a spot to rest.

    ¡°Senior Sister!¡± Junior Sister Zuo was seeing red. ¡°Why are you tolerating that annoying witch?¡±

    Ling Wuxia shook her head. ¡°She¡¯s right. There are others who wille soon, so we should take the chance to rest now.¡± She paused before continuing. ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, the next segment willmence soon.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Junior Sister,¡± Junior Brother He interrupted to pacify her. ¡°We have more important things to deal with right now, she¡¯s not our priority.¡±

    Hearing her seniors, she had no choice but to agree with them. ¡°Okay, I got it.¡±

    On the other hand, the girl in ck rolled her eyes at Lu Mingshu. ¡°I swear, you¡¯re such a weirdo. You said that you wanted peace, yet you¡¯re being such a rude kid right now?¡±

    ¡°Are you concerned about me?¡±

    Ying nearly ripped her to pieces after hearing this. It¡¯s so embarrassing. Now I sound like I care about her. ¡°Who would worry about you!? Could you stop being such a self-centred freak who loves herself too much?¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t care, why are you overreacting?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Whatever. Seize this time to rest, you will meet more annoying things shortly.¡±

    After that, the Ye brothers and the Huo brothers came in, followed by a few sect disciples.

    When the sky turned dark, no more came over. There was a total of sixteen in the house.

    Everyone was aware that those who didn¡¯t make it here were eliminated.

    The sky was now dark, but no one dared to light the house up knowing that there were beasts outside.

    In the silent night, the sixteen disciples in the house didn¡¯t get to sleep. It was so dark that they couldn¡¯t see anything, but they could hear faint breathing sounds, which made everyone anxious.

    None of them slept peacefully that night.

    The sun finally rose up, and the crying of the ferocious beasts got further and further away. Everyone started to rx.

    The foreign aggression was settled, but the tension started rising between them.

    Those who managed to reach the house passed the first segment. So what¡¯s next?

    ¡°Guys!¡± In the anxious tension, Ling Wuxia spoke up.

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s mouth moved a bit. It was unknown whether she was sneering or smiling.

    But what Lu Mingshu thought meant nothing to Ling Wuxia. Ling Wuxia stood up and spoke, ¡°I guess that everyone¡¯s aware of our situation now. So, may I ask for your opinions on the next step?¡±

    A disciple answered almost immediately, ¡°Senior Sister Ling, we will listen to you now. You can just say anything that you want now. ¡±

    ¡°I agree!¡± Someone supported him. ¡°Among us, you¡¯re the most capable, farsighted, and responsible. You¡¯re the best to take make the decisions now. There¡¯s no need to ask.¡±

    ¡°Same for me. Anything Miss Ling says.¡±

    ¡°Me too.¡±

    Ling Wuxia shed them a wide smile and pped, signalling for them to keep quiet. ¡°Since everyone says so, then I won¡¯t beat around the bush.¡± She nced over at Lu Mingshu and the girl in ck. ¡°It¡¯s a good situation and a bad one too. It¡¯s good that we all have passed the first segment, but it¡¯s bad that we¡¯re at a loss as to our next step.¡±

    ¡°Senior sister, so what shall we do?¡± Being impatient, Junior Sister Zuo interrupted her.

    ¡°Hey, calm down.¡± Ling Wuxia smiled thinly at her while making her way to the window. ¡°There are still beasts lurking outside. I think that they are trying to block our way.¡±

    This sent all the disciples present panicking.

    ¡°Oh my god, what should we do?¡±

    ¡°Are we going to be trapped here forever?¡±

    ¡°Most likely not. Why would the Grandmaster trap us here? There is obviously a way out.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah! That¡¯s why it¡¯s a test!¡±

    ¡°Senior Sister Ling, you have an idea right now, right?¡±

    Ling Wuxia nodded, smiling at them. ¡°I do have an opinion, and feel free toment on it.¡± She pointed out the window. ¡°Since they do not want us to leave, it shows that they want us to proceed to the next segment here.¡±

    The crowd nodded in agreement.

    ¡°So what does Miss Ling suggest we do?¡±

    Ling Wuxia looked around the house and pped her hands. ¡°The clue should be here. With all of us, we should find it quickly.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m on it, let¡¯s get started.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, what are you guys waiting for?¡±

    The crowd stood up excitedly, waiting for Ling Wuxia¡¯smand.

    But Ling Wuxia turned to Lu Mingshu instead. ¡°Miss Lu, what about you?¡±

    Being stared at, Lu Mingshu nodded emotionally. ¡°Miss Ling is right.¡±

    ¡°So, do you approve?¡±

    Lu Mingshu smiled. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s not a bad idea.¡±

    Upon hearing this, Ling Wuxia smiled like a Cheshire Cat. ¡°That¡¯s great. Since Miss Lu is fine with it too, then let¡¯s start.¡±

    The crowd immediately separated and flipped the house upside down, not sparing any corner.

    Ying followed Lu Mingshu everywhere. Suddenly, she spoke up, ¡°Oh! I know now.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Lu Mingshu replied casually.

    ¡°You just dislike them.¡±

    Lu Mingshu gave her a thin smile and continued her search.

    ¡°Such a pity that I thought you were mature. Who knew that you¡¯re just a petty kid who wants to shame them?¡±

    ¡°So why are youining?¡±

    Ying looked at her nkly. Comining? Who¡¯sining?

    ¡°Be at ease. There¡¯s an advantage to her being a hypocrite. She won¡¯t treat me badly for now.¡±

    ¡°...I don¡¯t give a damn about you!¡± Ying rolled her eyes and said firmly.

 Chapter 246: Who?

    <h4>Chapter 246: Who?</h4>

    ¡°What are you hiding? Surrender it!¡±

    ¡°What did I hide? Stop bullshitting please!¡±

    ¡°Oh, asking me what you hid? I saw everything!¡±

    ¡°What the heck did you see? Me searching for things is equivalent to hiding things now? Watch your mouth, Ding Si!¡±

    ¡°Not hiding? Then take out your mustard seed pouch!¡±

    ¡°Who are you to ask me to do anything? If I suspect that you¡¯re hiding things, I can just ask you to take your mustard seed pouch out to have a search and you¡¯ll do it?¡±

    This attracted the attention of everyone present, and soon, the two people were surrounded.

    ¡°What¡¯s all thismotion about?¡± Ling Wuxia stepped in. ¡°Calm down, guys.¡±

    Seeing Ling Wuxiaing over, the guy named Ding Si turned around toin immediately. ¡°Senior Sister Ling, I saw Shao Ziping hiding something. I imagine he wants the advantage for himself!¡±

    ¡°Ding Si is bullshitting!¡± Shao Ziping yelled back at him. ¡°It¡¯s my own stuff, but he says I stole it after one nce. Senior Sister Ling, please administer justice!¡±

    Ding Si was still unwilling to spare him. ¡°I saw it with my own eyes. You said that you didn¡¯t hide anything, right? Just take out your mustard seed pouch and we shall see!¡±

    ¡°Who the hell are you to do this...?¡±

    And with that, they got into a fight.

    ¡°Chill out, guys! Miss Ling is here now, so what¡¯s there to fight over? Listen to her first.¡±

    Ling Wuxia bit her lips and turned to the guy called Shao Ziping. ¡°Junior Brother Shao, if you don¡¯t do it, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to convince the masses....¡±

    ¡°Senior Sister Ling! Do you know what you¡¯re asking? It¡¯s disrespectful to search someone¡¯s mustard seed pouch whenever you feel like it.¡±

    Ling Wuxia looked apologetic. ¡°It¡¯s a different case right now. If you don¡¯t prove it, I¡¯m afraid...¡±

    Lu Mingshu stood at the side, watching as a bystander. The girl in ck went over to her and sneered. ¡°Crushing her own foot while lifting a rock. She wants to be a middle-man, but now she has to offend someone, eh?¡±

    Hearing no reply from Lu Mingshu, Ying couldn¡¯t help but ask again, ¡°What, are you upset about this?¡±

    ¡°One versus ten ¨C who¡¯s more important?¡± Lu Mingshu side-eyed her.

    ¡°But offending someone like this, her perfect reputation would be no more....¡± The girl in ck stared at her nkly.

    ¡°Since when is she perfect?¡± Lu Mingshu smiled thinly at her. ¡°Do you know what¡¯s best about Ling Wuxia?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°She is always clearly aware of what the most important thing is for herself.¡± After saying, she raised her chin slightly toward Shao Ziping. ¡°Do you believe that he really hid something?¡±

    The girl in ck looked away ufortably before nodding with much hesitation.

    ¡°Once the item is found, Ling Wuxia would only be more prestigious, not less. Wait and see, there¡¯s a nice showing up.¡± Lu Mingshu winked.

    One versus ten; how could Shao Ziping win over the majority? In no time, they snatched his mustard seed pouch and rummaged through it.

    ¡°This!¡± Ding Si held something up high. ¡°I saw him taking this from the statue of the Buddha!¡±

    The item that Ding Si was holding was a wooden te.

    Ling Wuxia reached out for it, and Ding Si passed it over on his own initiative. ¡°It was on the statue.¡±

    At a corner of the first floor, there was a small shrine with an unknown statue. The statue¡¯s hand was spread out, but there was nothing on it.

    Ling Wuxia flipped the wooden te around. There were two words written on it.

    ¡°Remove half.¡±

    The crowd stared at each other weirdly.

    What¡¯s the meaning behind that?

    After a moment of silence, somebody broke it, ¡°Does the Grandmaster want us to remove half of the group from here?¡±

    Nobody answered him, but their expressions gave them away.

    Remove half, the meaning was obvious. Since there were sixteen people, quite a few people would have to leave.

    However, nobody felt that they were the ones that should be removed.

    ¡°You get out first!¡± someone shouted. It was Ding Si, who was pointing a finger at Shao Ziping. ¡°A snake-like you should not stay!¡±

    He was smart for choosing a good starting point. Many nodded in agreement.

    Shao Ziping raised his head and had his arms akimbo. ¡°Who said that I have to give whatever I found? There¡¯s only one winner, so why should I give you anything? It belongs to the one that found it!¡±

    ¡°You have a lot of nerve!¡± Ding Siughed grimly. ¡°We agreed to cooperate, but you¡¯re doing the opposite. You don¡¯t have the rights to get the Grandmaster¡¯s approval!¡±

    ¡°This is just my way of doing things! You don¡¯t have the right...¡±

    But it was difficult for one Shao Ziping to win over the majority. Within no time, he was already at the door.

    ¡°Senior Sister Ling!¡± Even now, Shao Ziping still trusted Ling Wuxia fully. He pounced over to grab onto her, but he was pulled away by the others. Even so, he didn¡¯t stop trying. ¡°Senior Sister Ling, there are lots of beasts outside, what if something happens to me...?¡±

    Hearing this, those grabbing him stopped.

    The test had been conducted so many times, and there was not one time that someone died.

    Ling Wuxia stood at the window for a moment. ¡°Look, the beasts seem to be leaving.¡±

    Others went up to have a look. That indeed seemed to be the case.

    ¡°So that means that we can leave now?¡±

    ¡°Or the ¡®remove half¡¯ has other meanings to it?¡±

    ¡°The ferocious beasts have left, which shows that we are right! Half of us must go!¡±

    ¡°Yes, this is it!¡± Ding Si yelled. ¡°Shao Ziping, why are you still not going out!?¡±

    Even with everything being said, why would Shao Ziping dare to do it? It was his life that he was betting!

    ¡°Junior Brother Shao, please try it. If there¡¯s something wrong, I¡¯ll save you immediately.¡±

    ¡°This...¡± Shao Ziping hesitated. He knew that it was impossible to stay behind, after all, this, but the beasts were not a joking matter.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you trust my senior sister¡¯s words?¡± Junior Sister Zuo shouted at him. ¡°Me and Senior Brother He are here too. With three of us promising you, are you convinced?¡±

    Shao Ziping was speechless. Under the eyes of all, he stepped out of the house.

    He looked back with every step he took before disappearing into the woods.

    After a few moments, they still didn¡¯t hear his call for help. Everyone sighed in relief that they were safe, but they were internally panicking. One down, but who¡¯s next?

    Remove half ¨C which meant, out of sixteen, eight had to go. Now they one had left, they still needed to get rid of seven. Who would be the ones to leave?

    The crowd looked at each other, filled with alertness and evil intentions.

    It was just a wooden tablet, but the temporary alliance of sixteen was about to turn into a bloodbath.

    Ling Wuxia and her juniors, the Zhang twins, the Ye brothers, the Huo brothers ¨C these made up nine. There were four disciples from Beiming¡¯s well-known sects, including Ding Si. Finally, there was Lu Mingshu and the girl in ck.

    All eyes looked around, then all stopped on the girl in ck.

    The Huo Family¡¯s elder¡¯s son, Huo Feng, pointed at the girl in ck. ¡°You, out!¡±

    The others remained silent, but from their expressions, it was obvious that they had the same thought.

    Ying rolled her eyes and turned a deaf ear to him.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you hear me?¡± Huo Feng yelled. ¡°Not listening to me when I speak nicely, you feel like you¡¯ve lived enough, huh?¡±

    Ying side-eyed him. ¡°May I know who you are?¡± In other words, why should I listen to you?

    ¡°You¡¯re just a small fry from Pure White Grace Pavilion, my dear,¡± Huo Feng said sarcastically.

 Chapter 247: Group Fight

    <h4>Chapter 247: Group Fight</h4>

    Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales

    ¡°Gentleman Huo, is it?¡± Ying chuckled.

    Huo Feng snorted and looked at her proudly.

    ¡°But if we are talking about power, you should also shut up, right?¡±

    ¡°You...!¡± Huo Feng looked at her in anger. This girl really doesn¡¯t give others face.

    ¡°Okay, so let¡¯s just do the elimination by the support that we have. Firstly, us two.¡± She pointed at herself and Lu Mingshu.

    ¡°Followed by you guys.¡± She pointed at the sect disciples now.

    ¡°Then you.¡± She pointed at the top aristocratic families and sects of Beiming.

    Ying threw her hands up in the air. ¡°In the end, it will end up with Ling Wuxia winning, so why don¡¯t we all just leave now?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Huo Feng, who was all brawn and no brains, was now speechless.

    ¡°Hehe.¡± Ling Wuxia chuckled gently, finally speaking up. ¡°Miss does make a point. So, what does Miss suggest we do then?¡±

    ¡°Of course, choose by ability.¡± Ying seemed to smile, yet not smile. ¡°Since the Grandmaster looks at our ability, not our support.¡±

    ¡°Not a bad idea.¡± Ling Wuxia nodded.

    ¡°So, we¡¯re going to fight then?¡± Ye Zhenyan¡¯s eyes shone. ¡°One-on-one, or a group fight?¡±

    ¡°A group fight, duh!¡± Zhang Jingyu interrupted. ¡°How long would we take to finish all the one-on-one fights? If we did that, we might as well open up an arena!¡±

    Hearing that, everyone thought of the same thing.

    It was obvious who would win in a one-on-one fight. The Ancient Jade Summit would surely take up three spaces, and Ye Zhenyan and Huo Feng would take up one too. Lu Mingshu would also take one; she may not be as good as Ling Wuxia, but she certainly had the same standard as Ye Zhenyan at least. At that point, how many chances would everyone else have to get the leftover ces?

    So, a group fight was obviously better!

    ¡°Okay, then let¡¯s have a group fight!¡±

    ¡°I agree too.¡±

    ¡°Then it¡¯s settled.¡±

    The Ancient Jade Summit disciples obviously agreed with this. They had the biggest group, and the most powerful members too. No matter whether it was a one-on-one or group fight, they would be at an advantage. As for the big three aristocratic families, Ye Zhenyan and Huo Feng believed in their abilities, and for the Zhang Family, a group fight was the twins¡¯ idea in the first ce. The teamwork between them would let them get the upper hand.

    Seeing all of theming to an agreement, Ying went over to Lu Mingshu and whispered, ¡°They are obviously aiming at us!¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this what you wanted?¡± Lu Mingshu side-eyed her.

    Ying sneered. ¡°A bunch of idiots!¡±

    If everyone else could form an alliance, why couldn¡¯t they? She and Lu Mingshu were in the same situation, and if they worked together...

    Silence took over the house once again. The air was filled with tension.

    Suddenly, a creaking could be heard. Somebody kicked a chair, and it was as if a high-tension string was cut.

    Swoosh! Huo Feng acted first, shing toward Ying.

    Ye Zhenyan attacked at the same time, sword pointing at Lu Mingshu without hesitation.

    The group fight started just like that. In the blink of an eye, the fifteen people were entangled in a fight.

    Lu Mingshu fished out her sword too.

    The house was very small. Under normal situations, it was too small for two people to fight in here, let alone fifteen. With so many people fighting, it minimized their ability. Now, it was a fight to see who was able to bring the most of themselves.

    Lu Mingshu nced around the room quickly, inputting the statistics into her brain

    The space was way too small, and there were too many people, causing confusion and many factors for disruption. On the other hand, it was also an advantage for Lu Mingshu; limited space meant limited statistics to analyze.

    Dragon-like sword-light forced Ye Zhenyan to back off, and Ying fished out her sword to block Huo Feng¡¯s attack.

    Both of them then retreated to the same corner.

    ¡°Stand here and don¡¯t do anything,¡± Lu Mingshu whispered to her. ¡°I¡¯ll ensure that you¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    Ying opened her mouth to say something, but before she could, Lu Mingshu was already gone. ¡°Why should I listen to you? You told me to stand here, so I should?¡± she mumbled in annoyance.

    After some hesitation, Ying chose to stand there and do nothing.

    Three rays of sword-light came for Lu Mingshu at the same time.

    One from Ye Zhenyan, one from Junior Sister Zuo, and one from Zhang Jingyu.

    Lu Mingshu smirked. ¡°Loser!¡± she said, and mystic light erged. Therge sword-light went horizontal, forcing the three to move back.

    Junior Sister Zuo stepped back two steps and looked at Lu Mingshu with wide eyes.

    She had already memorized Lu Mingshu¡¯s details until she knew them by heart. Didn¡¯t she just enter the Harmonization Realm recently? Even though she may be better than normal disciples, she¡¯s obviously weaker than Kou Wei and Wei Chunqiu. I¡¯m not as good as Senior Sister Ling, but she couldn¡¯t possibly force me back with one strike, not to mention Zhang Jingyu and Ye Zhenyan at the same time. Only Senior Sister Ling would be able to do this!

    Junior Sister Zuo looked over at Ling Wuxia.

    Among the fifteen, she was the only one who wasn¡¯t engaged in the fight. She stood in the corner, looking at the fight with a smile stered on her face.

    Seeing Lu Mingshu forcing back three people at the same time, her gaze turned cold, but she soon recovered and stered a smile back on her face.

    ¡°Senior Sister?¡± Junior Sister Zuo couldn¡¯t tell what she meant.

    Ling Wuxia turned toward her and mouthed, ¡°Be patient and do your best.¡±

    Junior Sister Zuo felt encouraged. She gained her courage and went up against Lu Mingshu again.

    Ye Zhenyan was now fuming with anger. Who the fuck is a loser here? He gritted his teeth in anger and went up again.

    Being forced back, Zhang Jingyu looked at her brother in shock. ¡°Brother!¡±

    Zhang Rulin hummed in response and shook his head.

    Zhang Jingyu immediately understood his indication and changed her target.

    Neither of the twins expected Lu Mingshu to be so strong, only losing to Ling Wuxia and not others. Since that was the case, they would obviously change their target. They weren¡¯t like Ye Zhenyan, having a personal grudge against Lu Mingshu.

    Ying stood in the corner and fought the Huo brothers on her own, but she had the upper hand.

    Those who saw this were very shocked. This girl in ck didn¡¯t seem to be capable, and everyone knew that she had been hired by the Pure White Grace Pavilion. No one expected her to be this strong. The Huo Family was always belligerent; even if the whole family was put together, their brains were still not as good as Ye Zhenyan¡¯s. However, ability-wise, Huo Feng was possibly even stronger than Ye Zhenyan, and it was two against one, yet they didn¡¯t take her down?

    This group fight was not like what everyone expected!

    Soon, someone was eliminated.

    ¡°Ah!¡± A sect disciple was nearly hit by Ye Zhenyan ¡®s sword. To avoid it, he moved out of the house.

    The second one to fall was due to Lu Mingshu¡¯s fight with Junior Sister Zuo and Ye Zhenyan. To avoid Ye Zhenyan¡¯s attack, she grabbed a random disciple to block, and he was thrown out of the house by Ye Zhenyan.

    In no time came a third one. Ying was charging toward Huo Feng, and when Huo Feng went against her, some mystic light hit the other Huo Family disciple.

    ¡°Sixth Brother!¡± Huo Feng gave Ying a death re and continued to charge at her.

    The fourth was Ding Si, who was pushed out in the chaos.

    Following that, Zhang Jingyu was sabotaged. ¡°Brother!¡± Unfortunately, Zhang Rulin was trapped, so there was nothing he could do except watch her get pushed out.

    The next one was also a sect disciple. Other than Ancient Jade Summit, no more sect disciples were left.

    Now, there was only one more to go.

 Chapter 248: Reverse

    <h4>Chapter 248: Reverse</h4>

    The house sunk into a weird silence.

    Even Huo Feng and Ying stopped their fight.

    There were still nine left in the house, and everyone was looking at each other with vignce.

    The three from Ancient Jade Summit, the Ye Family brothers, Zhang Rulin, Huo Feng, the girl in ck, and Lu Mingshu.

    Who would be thest one to get eliminated?

    Obviously not the Ancient Jade Summit disciples; they were all very powerful on their own, and they had the most people. No one present could reach their level now.

    As for the Ye Family brothers, even though Ye Mingguang wasn¡¯t as good as Ye Zhenyan, them joining forces wasn¡¯t something that people could belittle.

    Huo Feng wasn¡¯t very intelligent, but his ability was a different story.

    As for Lu Mingshu, not mentioning her being the first ce on the New Ranking, just that attack that stopped three people at once made many fear her.

    The girl in ck ¨C she was initially the one that everyone thought would be eliminated first, but she was much better than expected. Even the Huo brothers could not take her down after joining forces. Perhaps only Lu Mingshu and Ling Wuxia were more powerful than her.

    This made it obvious as to who should be kicked out now.

    Zhang Rulin. The twins were not easy to deal with, but as someone used to coordinate with each other, his ability would surely decrease without his sister present.

    All of them exchanged a nce, and in no time, the Ye brothers, Huo Feng, and the girl in ck went up to Zhang Rulin immediately.

    No matter how strong Zhang Rulin was, it would be tough for one to go against four.

    Ye Zhenyan stopped finding trouble with Lu Mingshu. He wasn¡¯t an idiot; no matter how much he despised Lu Mingshu, he wouldn¡¯t go after her with something so important on the line.

    Huo Feng was brainless, but at least he knew that it was best to target a push-over instead of someone strong.

    Zhang Rulin immediately sensed the danger and tried to dodge.

    The house was just too small though. With just two steps, Zhang Rulin felt that his heart was going to jump out at any moment.

    Lu Mingshu was blocking him.

    Oh my god. Zhang Rulin felt dismayed. There was four chasing him from behind and a tigress blocking him in front. How unlucky can I be? I¡¯ve nned it all out, and then the Grandmaster chooses such a topic! All his ns and tricks went down the drain.

    Lu Mingshu raised her eyebrows and fished out her sword.

    Zhang Rulin prepared to dodge the attack. He had already seen how good Lu Mingshu was. If he was really no match for her, then he would concede defeat. As long as I¡¯m alive, there¡¯s still a chance....

    Wait, what!?

    Zhang Rulin stood rooted to the ground as he watched Lu Mingshu run past him to assault someone else, and the target was...

    Junior Sister Zuo!

    Nobody expected this to happen. Even those who were going after Zhang Rulin couldn¡¯t react fast enough and were staring at Lu Mingshu dumbfounded.

    Ling Wuxia¡¯s eyes shone. A white ray of light rolled up, and mystic force moved toward Lu Mingshu like torrential waves.

    From the start of the group fight, Ling Wuxia had never fought anyone once. All of the aristocratic families and sects in Beiming knew that she wasn¡¯t an easy target. Fighting her would just be embarrassing themselves. If they angered Ling Wuxia, the consequences wouldn¡¯t be simple.

    This was the first time that Lu Mingshu saw how good Ling Wuxia was.

    She made a judgement as soon as she sent out an attack.

    Ling Wuxia was younger than Kou Wei and Wei Chunqiu, and she was less mature, but her mystic force and skills were more than fantastic. She was no doubt even better than those two.

    But Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t back off. Instead, she attacked once more, sword-light reaching Ling Wuxia.

    The two mystic lights collided. Lu Mingshu then turned back to the girl in ck. ¡°Ying!¡±

    Ye Zhenyan and the rest then saw the girl in ck leaping high up, going against Ling Wuxia.

    At the same moment, Lu Mingshu diverted her attack toward Junior Sister Zuo.

    From preparing to attack to the sword-light reaching Junior Sister Zuo only took about a second. Still in shock, Junior Sister Zuo was staring at her nkly. When she realized what was happening and prepared to counterattack, it was already toote.

    ¡°Junior Sister!¡± In the mess, Junior Brother Heunched an attack at Lu Mingshu immediately.

    Due to the attack being too hurried, there was less than half of his true strength in the attack. Lu Mingshu immediately congealed a mystic light shield and allowed the sword-light to hit it.

    The shield wobbled, but it didn¡¯t crack. At the same time, she reached out, and sword-light rushed toward Junior Sister Zuo, breaking her shield, and then Lu Mingshu pushed her out.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Junior Sister Zuo cried out in rm and was pushed out of the door just like that.

    At the same time, Ling Wuxia shot Lu Mingshu a deadly re and sent Ying flying away with one punch before dashing toward her junior sister.

    But it was toote.

    Some sword-light blocked her way, cutting off her mystic light.

    Missing the opportunity, Ling Wuxia could no longer get Junior Sister Zuo back. She could only watch her fall out of the door just like that.

    Lu Mingshu took a step back and sheathed her sword as if nothing happened.

    ¡°Junior Sister Zuo!¡± Junior Brother He yelled, throwing himself at the door.

    The changes were so fast that, after a few attacks, the situation waspletely different.

    Zhang Rulin was dumbfounded. So were Huo Feng and the Ye brothers.

    Junior Sister Zuo was kicked out... right in front of Ling Wuxia?

    All of them looked at Ling Wuxia.

    Ling Wuxia looked like she was about to kill, and the smile on her face was gone.

    This was perhaps the first time in her life that somebody had embarrassed her in this way. Her junior sister was kicked out right in front of her, and even after trying to save her, she failed.

    The others then looked at Lu Mingshu.

    They knew that Lu Mingshu wasn¡¯t a weakling, but no one expected her to be so crafty that even Ling Wuxia was at a loss.

    And the girl in ck... since when did she be Lu Mingshu¡¯s ally? Even Huo Feng couldn¡¯t defeat her. The alliance between these two was...

    The crowd immediately realized the changes in the house.

    They once thought that the ¡°weak¡± girl in ck and the ¡°lone¡± Lu Mingshu would possibly be able to take down the rest, but not Ling Wuxia.

    How did the situation suddenly reverse?

    Ye Zhenyan and the rest soon realized why Lu Mingshu assaulted Junior Sister Zuo instead of going for Zhang Rulin.

    The three from Ancient Jade Summit were the strongest team here. The three of them never separated, taking the lead here. Only by kicking out Junior Sister Zuo would Lu Mingshu weaken their ability, and by embarrassing Ling Wuxia, the situation could shift in Lu Mingshu¡¯s favor.

    None of the aristocratic family disciples dared to belittle Lu Mingshu anymore. Even a brainless idiot like Huo Feng could recognize her ability.

    Squeak~~

    The door moved, making a squeaking sound.

    ¡°Junior Sister Zuo!¡± Junior Brother He shouted.

    ¡°Senior Sister Ling!¡± Junior Sister Zuo scrambled up, trying to get back into the house, but it was toote.

    Bang! The doors shut tightly as if they knew the game of getting rid of the half had just ended.

    Sixteen, now down to eight.

    Silence took over the house once again. The people present could even hear a pin drop.

    This time, the tension in the air was way heavier than the previous situations.

    Ye Zhenyan looked over at Zhang Rulin. Both exchanged a nce, and they immediately knew what the other was thinking and moved toward each other.

    Huo Feng realized what was happening and looked at them.

    Both Zhang Rulin and Ye Zhenyan nodded in agreement. With that, Huo Feng got closer to them...

    Forming an alliance between the three aristocratic families.

 Chapter 249: The Ming River?

    <h4>Chapter 249: The Ming River?</h4>

    Nobody said anything.

    Only eight were left from the crowd of sixteen, making the house more spacious, but the tension was only getting heavier.

    Eight people split up into three groups, creating a bnce: the Ancient Jade Summit disciples, the three biggest aristocratic families, and the team of Lu Mingshu and Ying.

    ¡°Okay, so what should we do next?¡± Lu Mingshu started as if nothing just happened.

    Hearing her, Ye Zhenyan and the rest wanted to give her a standing ovation. Acting as if nothing has happened after potentially offending Ling Wuxia?

    Ling Wuxia was staring at her own hand quietly.

    ¡°What suggestions does Miss Lu have?¡± Ling Wuxia sounded as calm as ever, but if one was very observant, they could tell that she sounded a bit uptight.

    ¡°I¡¯m still young and not as knowledgeable. I¡¯ll do whatever Miss Ling says.¡±

    Hearing this, everyone present felt the need to give her a p on her face.

    Ye Zhenyan rolled his eyes a million times. Oh wow, this girl. Comes to Beiming just to embarrass us and Ling Wuxia, and now she¡¯s acting polite? Bitch!

    Ying grinned and shook her head. I¡¯m almost ten years older than this lunatic, and yet it seems like my years have been in vain....

    ¡°Well, okay then!¡± Ling Wuxia pped her hands. ¡°Since one round is down, the hint for the next round should already be out. Let¡¯s search for it.¡±

    This time around, the search was quiet. Everyone did what they were supposed to and nobody made a single noise.

    Zhang Rulin was the one to break the silence; ¡°Hey, look at this!¡±

    He was pointing at the Buddha statue. The statue¡¯s palm, which once held the wooden tablet, was now shining, and the light was flowing into the ground.

    Wherever the light reached, it lit up the entire ce.

    When the light was underneath all eight of them, the house disappeared in the blink of an eye.

    In a split second, everyone lost their bnce and fell. The light then disappeared, and when the eight of them looked up again, the house was nowhere to be seen.

    What was now in front of them was a hazy, continuous mountain peak, and the ground was covered with crushed rocks and loess.

    Everyone initially suspected that this was part of Jasper Sun Mountain. However, after some observation, they realized it wasn¡¯t. Jasper Sun Mountain was extremely high and magnificent, unlike this huge, gentle slope. There was a really huge difference.

    ¡°Why did he bring us here?¡± Over the past two days, Ying had picked up a habit, which was to ask Lu Mingshu about her opinion.

    ¡°Shush!¡± Lu Mingshu nudged her. ¡°Listen, guys.¡±

    The rest listened carefully to the surrounding. They could hear the sound of the wind and a drum-like rumbling sound.

    ¡°Water!¡± Ye Zhenyan shouted out loud.

    The eight of them immediately went toward the sound, and within no time, they found a river moving down the slope. Like the Milky Way, it flickered with glitter on the surface, making a mad dash downstream to the river at the foot of the slope.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me we have to go down there?¡± Ying muttered.

    Hearing this, the Ye family brothers¡¯ eyes lit up. Oooh~ water! That¡¯s good! The water is where they had an advantage. During the group fight, they were at somewhat of a disadvantage.

    ¡°Hold up,¡± Junior Brother He started. ¡°That¡¯s not normal water.¡±

    Everyone looked over at him.

    Following beside Ling Wuxia quietly, his presence wasn¡¯t very strong. However, as an elite of Ancient Jade Summit, he was definitely reliable and smart.

    ¡°That¡¯s not normal water? Then what kind of water is it?¡± Ye Zhenyan huffed. The Ye Family was the ancestor of water, but even he didn¡¯t notice it.

    ¡°Third Ye, you can try it with your silver leaf.¡± Ling Wuxia shed him a smile.

    Ye Zhenyan looked at her weirdly and threw Ye Mingguang a nce.

    Ye Mingguang understood him and threw his silver leaf on the water, leaping onto it.

    The next minute, everyone saw Ye Mingguang¡¯s face change, and he seemed to be sinking into it. Fortunately, Ye Mingguang leaped back to the shore and kept his silver leaf in time.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Ye Zhenyan asked when Ye Mingguang returned to shore.

    Ye Mingguang wiped the water off from his face. ¡°It¡¯s weird; the silver leaf couldn¡¯t float.¡±

    The Ye Family¡¯s silver leaf could not only provide energy for the user, but it was also a spirit tool. The materials used, the method of forging, and runes carved on it... on the water, the silver leaf could already float even without the help of the user. With more refining, one could control it like his or her own limbs. The silver leaf was a major factor of the Ye Family¡¯s sess in water-based skills.

    But this water made the silver leaf unable to float?

    Ye Zhenyan refused to believe it. He tried it himself, but the results were the same.

    ¡°Why is this happening?¡± He looked at Ling Wuxia and her junior.

    Ling Wuxia nced over at Lu Mingshu, intentionally or otherwise. ¡°This is the true Ming River!¡±

    ¡°The Ming River...¡± Ye Zhenyan frowned, deep in thought. Suddenly, he looked up in horror. ¡°The Ming River of Youdu?¡±

    Ling Wuxia nodded slowly. ¡°Yes. The Ming River that leads to the capital of hell, Youdu.¡±

    Ye Zhenyan went white. Youdu, the capital city of hell. Wasn¡¯t it just a legend? Or did it really exist?

    ¡°But other than things being unable to float on it, there¡¯s nothing unusual....¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s just because this is only the surface,¡± Ling Wuxia slowly exined. ¡°I¡¯m guessing that this is still quite far from the main part of the Ming River.¡±

    ¡°So, what the hell does this got to do with us?¡± Huo Feng fidgeted impatiently. ¡°Are we going to row there?¡±

    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be that simple.¡± Ling Wuxia hummed. ¡°With our cultivation, it isn¡¯t impossible for us to just fly straight there, but if that were the case, the test would be too easy.¡±

    ¡°Look!¡± Suddenly, Ye Mingguang called out to them.

    The other seven looked toward the direction he was pointing, but all they could see was a dim ray of light flickering in the water as if it wasing from the bed of the river.

    ¡°There¡¯s treasure in there?¡± Ying moved closer to have a better look.

    Some exchanged nces, and Ling Wuxia raised her eyebrows. ¡°Maybe.¡±

    ¡°So that means the Grandmaster wants us to hunt for treasure in the water?¡± Huo Feng frowned. ¡°What¡¯s there to test when we are just going to swim?¡±

    Junior Brother He side-eyed him, eyes filled with arrogance. ¡°Gentleman Huo, do you believe that it will be easy toe back up once you¡¯ve entered the river?¡±

    ¡°Why not? Even if I don¡¯t have a spirit tool, I have plenty of energy myself!¡± Huo Feng continued.

    ¡°Because...¡± Ling Wuxia chose to answer with action. She took a feather from her sleeve and covered it with mystic light.

    The feather was thrown into the river. With the mystic light, it wasn¡¯t swallowed up by the huge waves, but it slowly sank and disappeared into the river.

    ¡°Even a feather can¡¯t float on the Ming River¡¯s water. If we have to look for treasure down there, it¡¯s indeed not an easy topic.¡±

    The crowd kept quiet.

    So in other words, there was basically no answer to this question?

    Suddenly, they heardughter. ¡°Heh....¡±

    It was from Lu Mingshu.

    ¡°You have an idea?¡± the girl in ck asked.

    Lu Mingshu held her hand out. A blob of water flew out of the river,nding on her palm. ¡°Since we know this is the Ming River, have you all not heard of the saying?¡±

    ¡°Which one?¡±

    ¡°The water of the Ming River isn¡¯t water at all.¡± She sped her hand. Mystic light lit up before quickly disappearing. The blob of water soon turned into... gas?

    The crowd stared at her in amazement.

    Especially Junior Brother He. He was known to be very smart and knowledgeable, but he had never heard of this before.

    After some time, he had a thought. ¡°That¡¯s just the outeryer. How can you be sure that it¡¯s the same situation for the deeper parts too?¡±

    ¡°Try it then!¡± Lu Mingshu pped her hand, and the mystic lightnded on the river. In front of their eyes, the turbid water turned into gas.

    Knowledgeable? No one in this world could be more knowledgeable than me!

 Chapter 250: Being Tricked

    <h4>Chapter 250: Being Tricked</h4>

    The information that the nine different stems of the Ming River possessed different formidable power was recorded in the books that belonged to the other worlds that she found in the Heavenly Wheel.

    The Ming River that they were all looking at now was just an outeryer. It wasn¡¯t even considered a branch.

    ¡°Since this isn¡¯t water, then let¡¯s just go!¡± Huo Feng looked at the rest impatiently.

    Laughing, Ying rolled her eyes. ¡°Sure, if you want to die so badly.¡±

    ¡°You...!¡± Huo Feng saw red, but there was nothing he could do to her.

    Ling Wuxia smiled and nodded. ¡°Then let¡¯s all depend on ourselves. Good luck!¡± She turned toward Junior Brother He and threw a piece of white silk on the river before leaving on it.

    Junior Brother He followed suit.

    In white-coloured clothing and riding on silk.... They really do think they¡¯re immortals.

    Lu Mingshu grabbed her sword tightly and sneered.

    When Ling Wuxia reached the area where the light was flickering, mystic light was released from her body. Upon meeting with mystic light, the water evaporated into gas, and she slowly sank into it.

    Junior Brother He did the same.

    Seeing them disappearing, Huo Feng immediately turned to his alliance. ¡°Do we go too?¡±

    Ye Zhenyan facepalmed. ¡°If Brother Huo isn¡¯t afraid, then go ahead!¡±

    But the idiotic Huo Feng couldn¡¯t tell that Ye Zhenyan was being sarcastic. He leapt up high and borrowed his weapon¡¯s energy to help him reach the destination. Due to him being too heavy, he sank down immediately after he activated his mystic light. Huo Feng immediately swung his weapon to borrow some energy and reduce his speed of sinking.

    There were only five left on the shore now, and Ye Zhenyan was currently side-eyeing the other group. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you two moving?¡±

    Lu Mingshu and Ying exchanged a nce. Ying took a deep breath and jumped into the water.

    She was followed by Zhang Rulin.

    When all the others had entered the water, Ye Zhenyan stared at Lu Mingshu like a predator looking at his prey. It seemed like he set his mind on her being his guinea pig.

    Lu Mingshu said nothing and jumped up like lighting. She then, like the others, sunk into the water slowly.

    The Ming River¡¯s water evaporated as soon as it came in contact with the mystic force. Lu Mingshu lost her bnce and started to fall downwards.

    She continued to release sword energy, striking it against the surging waves to slow the force of sinking.

    After being in this situation for about an hour, Lu Mingshu¡¯s feet finally touched a solid object.

    The riverbed was dim, and the water flowing by created shadows, making it even darker.

    Not long after, the Ye brothers arrived too.

    Due to being unfamiliar with the surroundings, the eight of them dared not wander around too much.

    Being in a deadlock for a moment, Huo Feng took the initiative; ¡°Since we¡¯re all here already, let¡¯s rely on our own ability?¡±

    Ling Wuxia nodded in agreement. ¡°Sure. All the best to everyone.¡±

    She then left along with Junior Brother He.

    The young masters from the three aristocratic families discussed what to do before leaving together.

    Lu Mingshu and Ying were the only ones left.

    ¡°Should we go too?¡± Ying asked.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Throughout the journey, neither of them said anything.

    The Ming River was dead; there were no living things around, and other than the rumbling sound of water, only their breathing could be heard.

    All of a sudden, Lu Mingshu took out her sword andunched an attack. Lunar God shone brightly in the dim river.

    Ying felt chills down her spine and immediately dodged the attack. ¡°What the fuck?!¡±

    Sword energy passed by her, destroying a lump of shadow.

    Lu Mingshu sheathed her sword and threw her a nce. ¡°What are you afraid of?¡±

    Ying looked at the lump of shadow near her like an idiot. ¡°What ¡®s that?¡±

    ¡°A ghost of the Ming River.¡±

    ¡°Ghost?!¡± Ying nearly choked on her saliva.

    After the war between mankind and the barbarians, ghosts were no longer seen in this world, as if they had vanished into thin air.

    ¡°Yeah! The Ming River leads to the capital of hell, Youdu. Some spirits that are infected by the Nine Serenities¡¯ vital energy will turn into ghosts as time passes. ¡±

    Ying nodded, and something suddenly came to her mind. ¡°You seem to know a lot about these things.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just some stuff I heard about.¡± Lu Mingshu shrugged it off. ¡°Let¡¯s go now.¡±

    ¡°Okay....¡±

    The girl in ck trailed behind her fast.

    ¡°Why do you seem to be so familiar with this ce? Have you been here before?¡± Ying asked after a moment.

    Lu Mingshu snickered from the front.

    ¡°Why the hell are youughing?¡±

    ¡°I thought that you¡¯d be able to hold it in a little longer.¡±

    ¡°...¡± In only two days, Ying had been left speechless by Lu Mingshu for about a thousand times. Is this witch really only sixteen? I¡¯m about ten years older than her, yet I¡¯m always following her orders.

    For example, Ying hated Lu Mingshu when they first arrived and had no intention of helping her with anything. But after walking around with her for a bit, she inexplicably became Lu Mingshu¡¯s follower.

    I¡¯m just being used, right? Ever since they became partners, Lu Mingshu always took the initiative to make the decisions. No matter what situation they were in, Lu Mingshu was always the decisive one. So as the days passed by, Ying started to rely on Lu Mingshu for decision-making.

    ¡°Are you doing this on purpose?¡± Ying gritted her teeth.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Tricking me into being your partner.¡±

    Lu Mingshu turned back to look at her, shing her a wide smile, dimples showing.

    Ying stared nkly at her. Lu Mingshu had never really smiled at her sincerely. She actually does look good smiling.

    ¡°It¡¯s not my fault that you¡¯re so gullible.¡±

    ¡°You...¡± Ying cursed, but being too distracted by the fact that Lu Mingshu looked good while smiling, she wasn¡¯t really angry.

    ¡°I need a friend.¡± Lu Mingshu continued. ¡°I¡¯m alone in Beiming, and the group supporting me is a lone wolf too. All the sects and aristocratic families see me as their enemy, and even if they don¡¯t, they won¡¯t cooperate with me since I¡¯m an outsider. You¡¯re the only one that I could be friends with.¡±

    ¡°But I don¡¯t want to....¡±

    ¡°Of course you don¡¯t.¡± Lu Mingshuughed. ¡°Then we can be partners at least. Look, I¡¯m more reliable than others and decisive. It¡¯s a good deal, right?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ying didn¡¯t respond. Why did I never guess it?

    ¡°How much did the Pure White Grace Pavilion recruit you for?¡±

    Ying remained silent.

    ¡°The Pure White Grace Pavilion has given up, haven¡¯t they?¡± Ying was unsure whether Lu Mingshu was talking to her or herself. ¡°The pressure of the aristocratic families is all on them, isn¡¯t it? The Bon Voyage Fleet is easy to take over, but not the Pure White Grace Pavilion, which has such a strong foundation.¡±

    ¡°Why does recruiting me mean they¡¯re giving up?¡± Ying side-eyed her. ¡°I¡¯m not bad.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re good.¡± Lu Mingshu nodded. ¡°But you have no more potential.¡±

    Ying said nothing.

    ¡°You aren¡¯t young anymore, are you? Your cultivation is at the peak of the Harmonization Realm, but I feel that your energy is somehow weird, which I guess is because of some problem in your cultivation. Someone like you is never the best candidate, no matter how good you are.¡±

 Chapter 251: Little Boo

    <h4>Chapter 251: Little Boo</h4>

    Ying was left speechless.

    Lu Mingshu was right. The Grandmaster wanted someone who could be taught, and she was already fixed. Speaking of potential, even Ye Mingguang was way better than her.

    ¡°So, why are you here? What¡¯s the motive of Pure White Grace Pavilion?¡± Lu Mingshu bored a hole through her body.

    Ying shivered upon being stared at in this manner.

    Lu Mingshu wasn¡¯t expecting to actually get an answer from Ying. She looked at the hill that was shining and smiled to herself. ¡°Here... thest battle starts.¡±

    ...

    ¡°Senior Sister...¡± Junior Brother He called out softly, trying to look at Ling Wuxia¡¯s facial expression.

    Ling Wuxia currently had a poker face, trying to find her way through this dark riverbed.

    After a while, she responded, ¡°Yes?¡±

    Hearing her irritation, Junior Brother He looked at his feet and muttered, ¡°That Lu Mingshu is good, but she¡¯s disliked by her own sect, and she¡¯s always too arrogant. I feel that we need not y along with her. The Grandmaster can surely tell who¡¯s better.¡±

    ¡°Are you asking me to give in to her attitude?¡±

    This tone made Junior Brother He shiver. He slowly looked up to see Ling Wuxia smiling a smile so bright that it was creepy.

    ¡°Junior is ignorant, I was just making a randomment....¡±

    Ling Wuxia sighed. ¡°My reputation is nothing, but Ancient Jade Summit¡¯s is more than just this. If she sessfully gets the spot, do you think Ancient Jade Summit would still have a ce in this world?¡±

    This hit Junior Brother He hard. Senior Sister Ling was the sessor disciple of Ancient Jade summit. If Lu Mingshu won thispetition, Ling Wuxia would lose her title as one of the top three Harmonization Realm disciples in China. Lu Mingshu had already shone during the Qilin Festival by defeating the barbarians with the two Wei¡¯s. On top of that, Ling Wuxia was absent for the festival. There was already somemotion about how Lu Mingshupared to Ling Wuxia. Even though they had yet to meet and fight at the time, most people believed that Ling Wuxia was superior. However, if Lu Mingshu defeated her this time...

    The sessor disciple¡¯s reputation was intertwined with Ancient Jade Summit¡¯s reputation. If she lost, Ling Wuxia¡¯s legend would be no more, and then how would the sects and aristocratic families look at them?

    ¡°Senior Sister is right. We have to fight for it. Senior Sister¡¯s ability is obviously the best here, it¡¯s just that Lu Mingshu is good because she knows a lot of weird tricks, not because she¡¯s stronger. However, if we go against her with strength, we would have to worry about all her strange skills....¡±

    ¡°Junior Brother, you¡¯re still young.¡± Ling Wuxia smile sincerely at him. ¡°That¡¯s exactly why we should take her down with strength ¨C to show that our strength is good enough to tackle whatever tricks she throws at us, and our reputation can be saved.¡±

    ¡°...Junior gets it now.¡±

    ...

    Eight people in total and they were all moving toward the same hill to meet.

    ¡°Are we supposed to go in?¡± Huo Feng pointed at the cave entrance.

    ¡°Probably?¡± Zhang Rulin shrugged.

    They all exchanged nces, and Huo Feng was the first to say something. ¡°Since none of you dares, I¡¯ll do it!¡±

    He took out a Firefly Stone from his mustard seed pouch and went in carefully.

    The others stared at him nervously.

    Ye Zhenyan narrowed his eyes. Don¡¯t tell me this idiot would be so lucky as to guess what the Grandmaster wants and end up being chosen? If that happened, we all would surely vomit blood. But I don¡¯t dare to go in first. Thus, Ye Zhenyan shook the thought off and prepared himself.

    Huo Feng soon disappeared into the cave. Even after some time, nothing was heard from him. Everyone exchanged nces, and Zhang Rulin was the next to enter, followed by the Ye brothers trailing behind him.

    There was four more left. Both Lu Mingshu and Ling Wuxia were unwilling to step in first. Ying rolled her eyes and went in without waiting for anyone. ¡°Childish people who still want to argue now. I¡¯ll go first!¡±

    Since they had joined forces, Lu Mingshu had no choice but to follow after Ying.

    Ling Wuxia and her junior brother werest.

    This was a sequestered cave that was totally dark. The flowing of the Ming River water made the atmosphere eerie.

    Eight people held their breath and held onto their weapons nervously, preparing for any surprise tests.

    When they reached the end of the cave, there weren¡¯t any tests like they expected.

    The cave in the bottom of the river was not only dark and eerie, but there was also nothing in it at all.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Huo Feng looked around frantically.

    The path was blocked, and the eight of them were now looking around with suspicion.

    Creak! A sound broke the silence.

    Swoosh! They all prepared tounch an attack.

    Silence took over the surroundings again.

    Creak! Creak! The creaking sound continued.

    The crowd looked over to where the sound wasing from. An item rose up from a mountain of pebbles.

    Ye Mingguang jumped up in shock, and Ye Zhenyan red at him.

    The crowd looked over to realize that it was a one-meter-tall... bronze statue?

    It was small, but its figure was defined and delicate. It looked like a living thing. The bronze statue carried a small golden basket on its back, but it was unknown what it was.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Zhang Rulin whispered, looking over at Ling Wuxia.

    ¡°Witchcraft,¡± Junior Brother He mumbled. ¡°Witches know how to make puppets....¡±

    ¡°Will it attack us?¡± Huo Feng asked. Even though he was an idiot, he asked the most relevant question.

    As Junior Brother He was about to reply, the bronze statue let out a creaking sound as it looked at them. ¡°Are you here for an adventure?¡±

    ¡°Is this thing talking to us?¡± Huo Feng pointed at his nose, not able to believe what just happened. Isn¡¯t this a statue? How is it talking to us? Holy crap.

    ¡°Yes,¡± the bronze statue answered him to everyone¡¯s surprise. The statue sounded like a robot; monotone and the same pause between words. ¡°Are you here for an adventure?¡± the statue repeated again.

    Everyone shared a nce. ¡°We are here to learn from the Grandmaster,¡± Zhang Rulin answered.

    The bronze statue blinked its eyes. ¡°Little Boo understands now; Master was talking about you guys.¡±

    Their eyes shone upon hearing this. This was something the Grandmaster left for them?

    ¡°You¡¯re called Little Boo?¡± Ying asked.

    ¡°Yes. My name is Little Boo,¡± the bronze statue answered slowly.

    Ying found this interesting and prompted further. ¡°Are you a human? How can you talk?¡±

    ¡°Little Boo isn¡¯t human.¡± The bronze statue blinked its eyes. ¡°But Little Boo has intelligence.¡±

    ¡°Intelligence?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°What you mean is that you¡¯re same as us?¡±

    ¡°Of course. Master said that, as long as Little Boo is hardworking, I can be just as good as humans, and maybe even better.¡±

    ¡°So-¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± Ye Zhenyan rolled his eyes and stared at Ying angrily. We are in a hurry and yet she acts like she¡¯s ying with a kid?

    Ye Zhenyan then turned to the bronze statue and asked it softly, ¡°Since you¡¯re intelligent, please tell us how we can meet Senior Grandmaster.¡±

    The bronze statue looked down and pouted. His robotic voice sounded sad, ¡°Can¡¯t meet Master anymore.¡±

    Hearing this, many eyes widened in surprise. Junior Brother He furrowed his eyebrows and interrogated, ¡°What do you mean? Is it that we can¡¯t meet the Grandmaster, or that you can¡¯t see your master anymore?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t see my master, and you guys won¡¯t get to meet the Grandmaster.¡±

    Many stared at him nkly, overwhelmed by the answer.

    ¡°Is it that Senior Grandmaster is no longer here, or he doesn¡¯t wish to see us?¡±

    The bronze statue blinked its eyes. ¡°Master left.¡±

 Chapter 252: The Gift

    <h4>Chapter 252: The Gift</h4>

    What are we supposed to do now?

    The eight of them looked at each other, at a loss.

    They travelled here with all their might, using their blood, sweat, and tears, and when they finally arrived, some bronze statue came out to tell them that the Grandmaster wasn¡¯t even here? What did they work so hard for then?

    Was this bronze statue even reliable? What if it was just messing around with them?

    Huo Feng raised those exact questions, which irritated Junior Brother He. ¡°Why don¡¯t you make a puppet for us? It¡¯s intelligent, which means that it will only be more and more human-like. Even my sect¡¯s Assimtion Elder can¡¯t produce such a thing!¡± He sneered in reply.

    It was easy to breed a beast or another living thing to be more like a human, but this was a puppet. It wasn¡¯t even a living thing!

    ¡°Little Boo is telling the truth!¡± The bronze statue sounded angry. ¡°Little Boo is here to stand guard because Master left. Master said to tell those who came here-¡±

    ¡°Tell them what?¡± Ye Zhenyan and Zhang Rulin cut him off in sync.

    ¡°Master said: ¡®It¡¯s not easy for you to reach this ce. This old man has left the mountain, and I have a gift for all of you....¡¯¡±

    ¡°Where is it?!¡± they all asked together.

    Even though it was disappointing that the Grandmaster had already left, it wasn¡¯t bad to get a gift from him! A gift from the Grandmaster might be some rare item that no one had ever heard of before.

    Crack! Crack! The bronze statue cracked its head, and the cave started to rumble.

    ¡°Oh my god, what is this?¡±

    ¡°Is it going to copse?¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡± Ye Mingguang let out a shriek. The ground below him cracked, leaving a hole in the middle. Losing his bnce, he nearly fell into it.

    Thankfully, Ye Zhenyan was just beside him and managed to pull him up.

    ¡°The ground¡¯s sinking!¡± the girl in ck shrieked. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±

    Lu Mingshu felt that she was losing bnce. Luckily, she jumped up in time and avoided the fall.

    Boom! The ground where she was initially standing copsed.

    It was the same for the others. They all had to stand together due to the non-stop copsing. In the end, they had no choice but to squeeze together around Little Boo.

    Oh god. If it cracks here as well, will we all die together?

    Senior Grandmaster, not only did you leave, you¡¯re trying to kill us too?

    Fortunately, they were safe. When the eight had almost no more space left for them to stand, the cracking stopped.

    ¡°Look over there!¡± Ying whispered.

    Lu Mingshu looked up. The sight of the cave had indeed changed.

    Except for where Little Boo was standing, the other parts of the cave had copsed, but notpletely. Every two meters, there was a small circr area left, enough for a person to stand. Looking down, they looked like stone pirs.

    nk! Somebody identally kicked a pebble, and they eventually heard a Plop!

    ¡°Water?

    After entering the cave, due to the mystic light, the Ming River¡¯s water had all evaporated into gas. Why was the water down there unaffected? Was it because it was too deep, or some other reason?

    All eight of them looked further to realize that there was a stone table ced closely to the stone walls, and there was obviously things on it.

    Everyone¡¯s eyes lit up.

    Was that the gift that Little Boo was talking about? It was so shiny, so it must be some precious treasure! Getting a gift from the Grandmaster would make this trip worthwhile too!

    However...

    All eight of them stared at each other carefully.

    There seemed to be only three things on the table, which meant that only three would get something, but there was eight of them here.

    ¡°The gift is right there.¡± They could hear Little Boo¡¯s voice ringing throughout the cave. ¡°All of you may go and get it now.¡±

    However, none of them moved.

    Before they were clear on the situation they were in, acting may cause trouble for themselves.

    ¡°Little Boo,¡± Ying asked softly. ¡°There are only three gifts for us?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°But we have eight people here. What should we do?¡±

    Creak, Creak... After a moment, Little Boo replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    The atmosphere was even tenser now.

    Little Boo said that it didn¡¯t know, which meant that they were free to do it however they wanted. Which meant, eight people fighting for three treasures....

    ¡°Little Boo,¡± Lu Mingshu started, breaking the tension slightly. ¡°If I don¡¯t want the gift, can I take you instead?¡±

    The crowd looked at her as if she was mad.

    To be honest, Little Boo was the rarest thing in the whole room, given its intelligence and ability to talk. It was also possible that the Grandmaster only made one such puppet.

    But so what? How could ite in handy for them? It couldn¡¯t help with their cultivation or improving their skills. It was only fun to y with.

    Did she lose her mind? Maybe to a child, Little Boo was very interesting, but to them, what was the use of it?

    Crack! Crack! After a moment, Little Boo replied, ¡°Depends on your luck.¡±

    It then disappeared in between the rocks and could no longer be seen.

    What¡¯s going on? They all looked at each other in confusion.

    Did Little Boo¡¯s disappearance mean they could start?

    The first to act was Huo Feng. All Huo Family disciples were rash and rough. He leaned forward and dashed toward the stone table.

    Seeing this, Ying fished out her sword to block his way.

    Zhang Rulin followed closely behind her.

    Ying did a somersault and dodged Zhang Rulin¡¯s attack,nding on a stone pir.

    The Ye brothers started acting too. Both of them rushed toward the stone table.

    This time, it was Junior Brother He blocking the way.

    Sword-light crossed as Ye Zhenyan and Junior Brother He fought mid-air. Their ability was not bad; after a single attack, both parties backed off to their own stone pirs.

    Lu Mingshu and Ling Wuxia were the only ones left on the spot.

    Both exchanged a nce, but neither of them moved.

    Ling Wuxia was very sure of Lu Mingshu¡¯s ability now. What was even scarier was that, after just a few months, she was obviously stronger than the rumours. Her martial arts ability was about the same as Yue Lingyin¡¯s level, but with her numerous tricks that nobody knew, she would easily defeat Yue Lingyin.

    This made Ling Wuxia sigh. Yi Lan once said that, when the two Wei¡¯s broke through to the Spirit Realm, Ling Wuxia would be the best in the Harmonization Realm. Ling Wuxia never disagreed with that, but now, with Lu Mingshu¡¯s tricks...

    If she was given a few more years, Lu Mingshu would learn even more tricks. The best in the Harmonization Realm...

    As Ling Wuxia was full of worry, Lu Mingshu was worrying too.

    Even though Ling Wuxia wasn¡¯t as confident as the two Wei¡¯s and her character wasn¡¯t perfect, she was indeed strong. When she kicked Junior Sister Zuo out of the house, she knew that Ling Wuxia was only weaker than the two Wei¡¯s.

    Kicking out Junior Sister Zuo was all thanks to Ying distracting Ling Wuxia. Lu Mingshu knew clearly that it would¡¯ve been impossible for her to defeat Ling Wuxia.

    Looking at the data, the odds would be 30-70. Lu Mingshu would only have a 30% chance of winning, and Ling Wuxia would have the other 70%.

 Chapter 253: The Fallen

    <h4>Chapter 253: The Fallen</h4>

    The battle didn¡¯t cease just because those two weren¡¯t involved.

    Huo Feng fished out his sword and attacked Ying.

    At the same time, Zhang Rulinunched an attack too.

    Both of them were from aristocratic families and knew each other well. Even though this was their first time working together, no loopholes could be found in their cooperation.

    Sword-energy waves took over the area, and Ying had no choice but to back off.

    Huo Feng then seized the chance to leap toward the stone table.

    This time, a beam of sword-light struck in front of him to block him.

    Ying took this chance to leap high and go straight at Huo Feng, blocking his way.

    Junior Brother He saw this as an opportunity and joined the fight as well.

    Four of them got into a group fight in no time.

    Because Lu Mingshu and Ling Wuxia didn¡¯t join the battle, Ying and Junior Brother He formed an alliance to stop Huo Feng and Zhang Rulin.

    Seeing this, Ye Zhenyan smiled. Why would he miss this chance? He turned to Ye Mingguang, signaling him.

    Ye Mingguang understood immediately and dashed to the stone table.

    Ying fished out her sword and her mystic light erged, rushing toward Ye Mingguang.

    Just as that happened, Ye Zhenyan went for the stone table too.

    ...

    Below Jasper Sun Mountain, Yu Ruohan sat there, furrowing her eyebrows silently.

    ¡°Here.¡± Sir Ning ced a cup of tea in front of her.

    Yu Ruohan¡¯s train of thought was cut off. She took the cup of tea and sighed.

    ¡°Are you still worrying?¡± Sir Ning sat in front of her.

    Yu Ruohan nodded. ¡°How could I not? This is the fleet¡¯sst chance.¡±

    To be honest, it wouldn¡¯t affect them much even if the Bon Voyage Fleet disappeared. They were both in the Spirit Realm, and they were experts even among their realm. No matter where they went, they would not suffer. However, the fleet was their blood, sweat, and tears. Who knew how much effort they put in just to reach their current point?

    Sir Ning nodded in agreement. ¡°I¡¯m worried too. For the past two days, I have been asking myself if I made a wrong choice, but I keep convincing myself that I didn¡¯t.¡±

    No matter what, Lu Mingshu was an outsider. Who would not be worried? Even an insider like Zhao Yin betrayed his family. He was sent to get the Grandmaster¡¯s secret sword skills to help the Zhao Family, but in the end, he changed his mind and asked the Grandmaster to help him break through to the Spirit Realm.

    Everyone saw it too. Zhao Yin broke through to the Spirit Realm and became famous during the Qilin Festival by getting on the Hero Ranking. Maybe soon he would break through to the Assimtion Realm.

    The Zhao Family could still grow more powerful, but it would take much longer.

    Even someone¡¯s own family member could do such a thing, so what about Lu Mingshu, an outsider?

    ¡°As I said, we shouldn¡¯t have given her the Fairy Gravel so soon. Only when she seeds and does what she promised.¡±

    Yu Ruohan shook her head. ¡°Senior Brother Ning, if she really seeds, our Fairy Gravel would be nothing to her anymore. She could get anything she wants. I wanted to treat her better and let her think that we have good will toward her.¡±

    ¡°True....¡±

    The wind blew the tent¡¯s cover, allowing them to see what was happening outside.

    They saw the Ancient Jade Summit¡¯s Elders fishing. They looked rxed, and they had been fishing ever since they sent Ling Wuxia and the rest over. They weren¡¯t worried at all. To them, having such an outstanding junior meant there was nothing to worry about ¨C the win would definitely be hers.

    ¡°Hey look! Someone came over again!¡± They heard noises.

    Yu Ruohan stood up in a hurry, lifting up the cover.

    Yesterday, the first batch of disciples who were eliminated were sent out.

    As expected, most were disciples from smaller powers who weren¡¯t very good.

    Now, it was the second batch.

    Yu Ruohan stared at the entrance.

    A few smaller sect disciples, the sixth child of the Huo Family, Zhang Jingyu, and... Zuo Shiyun from Ancient Jade Summit!

    Yu Ruohan stared at them for quite a moment. She only looked away and sighed in relief when she didn¡¯t see the one she was looking for.

    ¡°She persevered.¡± Seeing Sir Ninge to her, she whispered.

    Sir Ning nodded. ¡°With her ability, other than Ling Wuxia, she should be able to deal with anything.¡±

    ¡°I hope so.¡±

    Ling Wuxia was exactly the problem.

    At the Ancient Jade Summit tent, Zuo Shiyun stood in front of her elder, tears flowing down like a waterfall.

    ¡°So, in summary, you did nothing and still got kicked out?¡±

    Zuo Shiyun whimpered. ¡°Senior Uncle...¡±

    ¡°As your Senior Uncle, I suggest you not talk about this after getting back!¡± The elder waved his hand and went into the tent.

    Zuo Shiyun stared at his back dumbfounded.

    Yi Lan went to her and narrowed her eyes. ¡°Senior Sister Zuo, what do you want to do byining? You want us to beat up Lu Mingshu? She has support, and it¡¯s your own fault for giving her a chance to kick you out!¡±

    Zuo Shiyun raised her eyebrows. An Elder chiding her was enough, but who did Yi Lan think she was?

    ¡°You still know that I¡¯m your senior sister?¡± She sneered.

    ¡°Yeah! Aren¡¯t you embarrassed?¡± Yi Lan side-eyed her. ¡°I thought you would be able to help Senior Sister, yet you just embarrassed her! Might as well have let me go instead!¡±

    After this, Yi Lan went off after the elder, not sparing her another nce.

    Zuo Shiyun stood rooted to the ground, face turning white.

    Do you need to be that harsh on me for failing one time? I never embarrassed or burdened Senior Sister Ling. I was only sneak-attacked by Lu Mingshu, so I should be med for not noticing it? Why does it seem that my existence is just to support Ling Wuxia...? Does anyone even care about me...?

    ...

    In the cave, six people were in a group fight.

    Ying and Junior Brother He had joined forces, blocking the three aristocratic family disciples from getting the treasure.

    As for the three aristocratic family disciples, they all had different thoughts. Even though they had joined forces, they didn¡¯t have the upper hand because they weren¡¯t united enough.

    Junior Brother He was like an ant on fire.

    Why is Senior Sister still not doing anything? I may not be able to make it over there. Even though he seemed to be as good as Ying, due to theck of experience and Ying being so crafty, after a while of not focusing...

    Suddenly, a sword was now pointing at him. Ye Zhenyan got him while he was deep in thought.

    Szzz! The sword cut him, and blood flowed out.

    Ling Wuxia finally did something. She threw out her silk, pulling Junior Brother He back in no time.

    At the same time, Lu Mingshu moved too. She didn¡¯t go for Ling Wuxia, but instead, she went for the stone table.

    Zhang Rulin and Huo Feng reached out immediately to block.

    Lunar God was now unsheathed. It was bright and pretty. nk!

    Huo Feng felt that his hand was suddenly very heavy, and he couldn¡¯t bnce himself. He leaned back to bnce himself.

    But it was toote; Ying reached out as he was bncing himself, and she pushed him.

    With that, Huo Feng fell down with a shriek.

    Shocked, Zhang Rulin dodged in time and avoided Lu Mingshu¡¯s attack.

    The change in situation shocked everyone present.

    All eyes were on the ce where Huo Feng fell.

    What would happen if he fell from here? Would he get back up again?

    ¡°Brother Huo?¡± Zhang Rulin called.

    No response.

    Chills ran down their spines.

    The Jasper Sun Mountain test had never once took lives, so they fought without any restraint, but now...

 Chapter 254: Two More Down

    <h4>Chapter 254: Two More Down</h4>

    Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales

    Creak Creak¡ª In the silence, Little Boo emerged from the pile of rocks.

    ¡°Oops. You can¡¯t get back in after you fall.¡±

    So, Huo Feng¡¯s not dead?

    This made everyone sigh in relief.

    Fortunately, he¡¯s fine.

    It¡¯d better if we didn¡¯t know each other. We have connections some way or another, and if he was really dead, it would be hard for the rest of our days.

    Since nobody would die...

    Ying¡¯s eyes shone, and another attack wasunched in Zhang Rulin¡¯s direction.

    Luckily for him, Zhang Rulin was flexible and reacted quickly. He leaned backward and looked at the Ye brothers.

    Huo Feng was no longer in this battle now. Ye Zhenyan was sure that, if he didn¡¯t save Zhang Rulin and join forces with him, they would both be gone too.

    Sword energy emerged, and water rose up toward Ying.

    On the other hand, Junior Brother He looked over at Ling Wuxia and went for Lu Mingshu.

    Ling Wuxia let out her silk and leapt over to the stone table.

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s eyes shone, and her sword energy switched directions.

    Zzz~! Junior Brother He¡¯s mystic light shield had a crack. Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t stop her attack; she went straight for Ling Wuxia.

    Even with that, it was still a simple thing for Ling Wuxia. Thankfully, Ye Mingguang was fast enough to get in her way and block her.

    The situation sunk into a weird atmosphere again. Because it was confirmed that no death would happen, everyone went all-out.

    Ye Zhenyan looked over at Zhang Rulin, exchanged nces, and they both pounced on Junior Brother He.

    Lu Mingshu wasn¡¯t bad, and Ying was very experienced. Getting rid of either of them would be hard. Choosing the easiest one to get rid of now was easy ¨C Junior Brother He.

    Losing this helper, Ling Wuxia would be less scary.

    Compared to Ye Zhenyan¡¯s group, Lu Mingshu and Ying would want to get rid of Ling Wuxia even more. These three tigresses weren¡¯t weak, and in the end, Lu Mingshu and Ying would be rather tired after fighting Ling Wuxia....

    In conclusion, it was the perfect n. If Junior Brother He was really eliminated, a lot of good things would happen to them.

    But how easy could it be to get rid of Junior Brother He? He was an Ancient Jade Summit elite, and even though he wasn¡¯t as good as Ling Wuxia, he would¡¯ve been on the New Generation Ranking during the Qilin Festival had he participated. And with Junior Sister Zuo as an example, Ling Wuxia wouldn¡¯t let it happen.

    As soon as Zhang Rulin and Ye Zhenyan attacked, Ling Wuxia immediately reacted.

    She threw out her white silk, and an energy wave swept past the ce. As urate as a sword, it sliced through the area.

    Seeing this, Ying exchanged a nce with Lu Mingshu ¨C to attack Ling Wuxia together!

    With Lu Mingshu only, Ling Wuxia had no less than a 70% chance of winning, but with Ying added in, it would quite possibly be a bnced fight.

    Ling Wuxia didn¡¯t ignore their attack though. Everyone saw her leap into the air, mystic light erging, and her Sword Intent was everywhere.

    This was the first time that she actually fought in Jasper Sun Mountain.

    If she continued to not fight, she would lose the upper hand.

    How could she allow that to happen? To Ling Wuxia, losing was never an option!

    The chain of Mystic Dewdrops on Lu Mingshu¡¯s wrist shone brightly with mystic force, and the blue light dispersed through the area.

    As if the chain of Mystic Dewdrops had frozen, the blue light shone everywhere, every part of the cave submerged with Water Intent.

    Like a fish swimming in the deep sea!

    Ling Wuxia took out a jade from her pocket and threw it over at Lu Mingshu.

    Boom! Lu Mingshu flew back, and the blue light disappeared.

    At the same moment, Junior Brother He seized the chance andunched an attack at Zhang Rulin.

    The impact was so huge that no one was left unaffected. Zhang Rulin was dumbfounded by the sudden impact that threw him back. Being unable to react in time, the attack was sessful. Zhang Rulin then dropped off the stone pir.

    ¡°Brother Zhang!¡± Ye Zhenyan dashed toward him.

    But why would Ying miss this chance? She blocked Ye Zhenyan¡¯s route immediately, and all Ye Zhenyan could do was watch Zhang Rulin fall.

    Now, there was only six left!

    ...

    ¡°I¡¯m not worried that they¡¯ll fight.¡± Yu Ruohan looked at her feet. ¡°I¡¯m only worried that...¡±

    She looked over at the Ye Family, and Sir Ning nodded.

    Ancient Jade Summit was obviously powerful, so they had no reasons to y any tricks. Among the three big aristocratic families, the Huo Family was famous for being straightforward and enjoying fights, so they weren¡¯t much of a threat either. However, Ye Zhenyan liked to y mind games, and Zhang Rulin was very good at manipting people. If they joined forces... Yu Ruohan and Sir Nin weren¡¯t 100% sure that Lu Mingshu would be craftier than them.

    No matter what, she was only sixteen, so how much experience could she have?

    There was always someone better.

    Suddenly, they heard some noises outside.

    Yu Ruohan flipped up the cover and dashed outside.

    Who is it this time around?

    Everyone saw that there were bubbles emerging from the entrance as if something was about toe out.

    At this point in time, the Spirit Realm elders all looked out of their tents.

    Under the eyes of everyone, someone emerged from under the water.

    Pui! Huo Feng came out, spitting out a mouthful of water.

    ¡°Elder brother!¡±

    ¡°Young Master!¡±

    The Huo Family rushed to the water, still in a daze, and pulled Huo Feng up hurriedly.

    ¡°Haish!¡± The Huo Family elder sighed dejectedly. Sixth Huo was out already, and now that Huo Feng was out too, the Huo Family had no more hope.

    Yu Ruohan patted her chest.

    Luckily, it¡¯s not Lu Mingshu.

    After a while, more bubbles could be seen from the entrance.

    With Huo Feng as an example, the rest were suddenly in a panic, afraid that it would be their own disciple.

    ¡°Brother!¡±

    Seeing the person, Zhang Jingyu rushed forth.

    The Zhang Family was dejected, while the rest heaved a sigh of relief.

    As long as it wasn¡¯t from their family...

    Just then, Xuan Xiu walked over. ¡°Senior Sister, Senior Brother, I overheard the Huo Family members saying that...¡±

    ...

    Six of them, on six of the stone pirs.

    Ling Wuxia and Junior Brother He. Ying and Lu Mingshu.

    Ye Zhenyan looked at himself, then at Ye Mingguang, and gritted his teeth.

    No matter how arrogant he was, he knew that they were now hopeless. He could maybe deal with Junior Brother He or Ying, and if he was lucky, Lu Mingshu, and but he would never beat Ling Wuxia. They were way stronger than him, and he only had Ye Mingguang as apanion now.

    Speaking of pure ability, Ye Mingguang was the weakest among the eight. It was only thanks to Lady Luck being on his side that he could persevere until now. However, if things got real, Ye Zhenyan and Ye Mingguang wouldn¡¯t be enough to go against Ling Wuxia or Lu Mingshu.

    Huo Feng first, now Zhang Rulin. The three aristocratic families were now down to one. The Ye Family was now alone.

    But even if he were to die, he would pull someone down with him!

    Ye Zhenyan¡¯s eyes lit up, and mystic light covered his sword as he dashed toward Ying, who was the closest.

    Ye Mingguang acted too. He knew that he wasn¡¯t good enough, so he just cooperated fully with Ye Zhenyan.

    With the brothers joining forces, Ying was now at a loss.

    Lu Mingshu reacted immediately, her sword moving toward Ye Zhenyan.

 Chapter 255: Iéˆ¥æª’l Give It All Back

    <h4>Chapter 255: I¡¯ll Give It All Back</h4>

    Ye Zhenyan fished out a mirror all of a sudden. The blood on his hand covered the mirror, and it quickly moved toward Lu Mingshu.

    He didn¡¯t even care about the injury Ying caused. He just focused everything on tackling Lu Mingshu.

    ck! Their swords met.

    In the blink of an eye, Ye Zhenyan abruptly pulled out from his scabbard. He held the de and went for Lu Mingshu¡¯s chest!

    Ying gasped.

    It was at such close proximity, and he went for her chest. Did Ye Zhenyan want her dead?!

    Just at this time, Ye Mingguang suddenly stopped his attack and pounced at Ye Zhenyan.

    ¡°Third Brother, no!¡±

    For him to go after Lu Mingshu, Ye Zhenyan gave up everything else, and this pounce from Ye Mingguang made him lose his bnce.

    ¡°You¡ª!¡± The brothers were in a mess, and both of them fell just like that.

    Plop!

    There were only four left now, and they were all dumbfounded.

    Everything passed by in a sh, and they were unable to react.

    What just happened? Ye Zhenyan wanted Lu Mingshu¡¯s life, but he was spoiled by his own brother? That Ye Mingguang is insane!

    Ling Wuxia smiled and shook her head. ¡°This twelfth young master of the Ye Family has strong morals.¡±

    She was aware of what happened between Lu Mingshu and the Ye Family. Lu Mingshu helped Ye Mingguang and offended Ye Zhenfan and the rest. They tried to assault her, but they were the ones taken down instead, which caused Ye Zhenyan to step out. Ye Mingguang benefited quite a lot from Lu Mingshu; he wouldn¡¯t have been given the chance toe here if not for her.

    Was Ye Zhenyan regretting it now? At the crucial moment, he was beaten by his own brother.

    When Lu Mingshu finally reacted, she cleaned her blouse and looked at Ling wuxia. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing to help those in need, right?¡± she said in a monotone.

    She never expected Ye Mingguang to do this. She helped him out of pity, and she never expected him to pay her back. Besides, even if Ye Mingguang hadn¡¯t done that, she would have only suffered minor injuries. Lu Mingshu had her ns.

    But since the other party had already done so, she should be grateful no matter what.

    ¡°Okay, so now, there¡¯s only us four.¡± She looked back and smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s continue.¡±

    ...

    ¡°What? The Grandmaster has left?¡±

    Xuan Xiu nodded. Yu Ruohan and Sir Ning stared at her in a daze.

    The three of them sat in silence, at a loss for words.

    They still thought that they would have a chance. If Lu Mingshu won, Mao Xuan could use the blessednd to break through to the Assimtion Realm, and they could keep the Bon Voyage Fleet. But now, even if Lu Mingshu ended up as the chosen one, it was no longer their matter.

    Gift? Why the hell would they need a gift? The blessednd was what they needed, and only that!

    The Grandmaster had already left, so they would never get that chance now. Who knew when he would be back, if at all? And without his permission, who would dare to enter?

    They suddenly lost their way.

    After a few moments, Sir Ningughed bitterly. ¡°God¡¯s ns supersede humans¡¯. If this is fate, we should abide by it.¡±

    Yu Ruohan¡¯s eyes were brimming with tears.

    ¡°Senior Brother...¡± Xuan Xiu sniffed.

    Sounds could be heard from outside. It was the Ye Family brothers sent out now.

    If not for the previous matter, they would have been celebrating with firecrackers. How happy would they be if they could go without being under their control? But now, what did it have to do with them anymore?

    Yu Ruohan held back her tears and forced a smile. ¡°It¡¯s fate. Since God nned this, we have nothing more to say. Let¡¯s wait for Lu Mingshu toe out, and we can go back to pack up. The fleet is so big, so we can sell it for a high price!¡±

    Speaking about this, Xuan Xiu could no longer control her tears. Tears flowed down her cheeks as she sobbed.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Yu Ruohan hugged her. ¡°Junior sister, as long as we are together, we can always go to other ces, and anywhere is fine. We can build another Bon Voyage Fleet even if this one is gone.¡±

    As Yu Ruohan wasforting her junior sister, tears streamed down her face too. All of them had worked so hard, and to lose it just like that...

    Piak! As soon as the Ye brothers were pulled up, Ye Mingguang was given a p.

    Ye Zhenyan was covered with water. His long eyshes were soaked, and his eyes were like a venomous snake. He looked at his twelfth brother, fuming with anger. ¡°No wonder they do not want to admit your mother! Betraying your own to help others!¡±

    The Ye Family members who were about to move forward stood rooted to the ground.

    What made the third young master so angry?

    Ye Mingguang¡¯s cheek turned red immediately. He looked at his feet, not daring to look into Ye Zhenyan¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°What? Do you not know what to say?¡± Who knew that Ye Zhenyan would be even angrier when he didn¡¯t receive an answer? ¡°Did the Ye Family not treat you well? Don¡¯t you still want to be here?¡±

    Ye Mingguang fidgeted and mumbled, ¡°But Third Brother, if you kill her, we will be in trouble. The Zhongzhou-¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t bullshit!¡± Ye Zhenyan yelled. ¡°You know that I¡¯m aware of what I¡¯m doing. Why don¡¯t you admit it was just because you¡¯re selfish?!¡±

    ¡°Yes....¡± Ye Mingguang looked up, his cheek still red, but no fear could be seen from his eyes. ¡°If not for her, I would not be here, thanks to Ninth Brother. I couldn¡¯t just watch her die.¡±

    ¡°If she doesn¡¯t die, then you will!¡± Ye Zhenyan looked at him coldly.

    Instead of apologizing, Ye Mingguangughed. ¡°I already have enough! So what if you are one of the three biggest aristocratic families? Bullying and stepping on the poor.... My mother¡¯s dead, and I have no father, so what¡¯s the point of having a surname of Ye? I¡¯m just a bastard anyway!¡±

    ¡°Okay, fine!¡± Ye Zhenyan sneered. ¡°Do you think you can just say that and it¡¯ll be over? Who¡¯s the one who fed you, and where do you think you got your cultivation?¡±

    Ye Mingguang smiled. ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll give it all back!¡±

    After saying that, he proceeded to hit himself in his crown chakra point.

    ¡°Ah!¡± The crowd was shocked. No one expected him to do as he said.

    Piak! It was too fast. Ye Mingguang was bleeding, and he could feel that his mystic force was all gone. He looked up in excruciating pain and mumbled, ¡°I will no longer have the surname of Ye. Are you happy now?¡±

    Ye Zhenyan reached out to stop him, but it was toote. He retrieved his hand.

    He stared at Ye Mingguang with a peculiar gaze, not knowing how to feel.

    After a while, he spoke, ¡°Fine! Since it¡¯s your choice, I promise you that no one from Ye Family will pick on you, and neither will anyone protect you!¡±

    Ye Mingguang sneered and jumped to the side, plopping down.

    Now that his cultivation was gone and his meridians were paralyzed, it was unknown whether he could recover. Even if he did, it would be hard to get his cultivation back.

    But it was okay. Since he chose to do this, he was ready to face the consequences.

    He may regret it as time passes, but so what? I felt rather happy right now.

 Chapter 256: Second Time

    <h4>Chapter 256: Second Time</h4>

    Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales

    Ye Zhenyan felt flustered.

    Not only did he lose, but he was also betrayed by his own.

    At this time, the Bon Voyage Fleet¡¯s elders seemed to be looking at him. Seeing them, he felt even angrier.

    ¡°What, you think we¡¯re a big joke now?¡± Ye Zhenyan sneered. ¡°Do you know you will also be betrayed by your own?¡±

    Since the fleet could no longer escape their fate, Xuan Xiu¡¯s mood was already very bad, so she looked at him coldly.

    Ye Zhenyan looked at her, dumbfounded.

    Xuan Xiu sneered. ¡°She told you that she convinced me to attack Lu Mingshu, right?¡±

    Seeing Ye Zhenyan¡¯s eyes widen in shock, she felt way better. ¡°Third Young Master Ye, you think you have everything in your control, huh? What makes you think that I would pull the entire fleet down just because my disciple¡¯s chance was taken away? We, the Bon Voyage Fleet, are nothing but united. No matter what, an outsider could not destroy the bond between us and our siblings. Wen Xin only said that because I lied to her! I have already banned her from going out since she came back, and she¡¯s no longer my disciple! Hmph! Betraying your own and helping others indeed!¡±

    Thatst sentence was exactly what Ye Zhenyan said to Ye Mingguang.

    Ye Zhenyan was now as red as a tomato, as if someone had pped him hard on his face.

    Thinking about it, the ns he had for Jasper Sun Mountain this time around were all in vain.

    Talking the Pure White Grace Pavilion into joining forces with him, and then their helper became Lu Mingshu¡¯s friend. Using Wen Xin¡¯s resentment against the Xuan Xiu, but it turned out he was the one being schemed. He joined forces with the Huo Family and the Zhang Family, but one by one, they were eliminated. Even his own brother sided with an outsider.

    For the first time in his life, he was doubting his ability.

    Ever since he showed his ability, his grandfather gave him the power of deciding on things andmanding. In the Ye Family, he was the one who held the biggest amount of power. He had always believed that he was the most capable person in Beiming of his generation. Even Ling Wuxia, who was way more powerful, couldn¡¯t beat his mind games. But now, he had nothing but losses....

    ...

    Mystic light and sword energy were everywhere in the cave.

    Ling Wuxia looked serious.

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s ability was better than rumours. If the rumours are urate, that meant that she improved very quickly.

    Does she not meet any bottlenecks? Ling Wuxia narrowed her eyes.

    She was born talented. After reaching the Harmonization Realm, she became famous. She could remember how she always had lightning-speed improvement.

    But what about Lu Mingshu? Counting from the day she entered the Harmonization Realm, only a year had passed. The rumours she heard clearly stated that Lu Mingshu only defeated Kuai Xin with luck during the Heavenly Doorpetition, and it was said that she had to y a bunch of tricks to do so.

    How good was Kuai Xin? Even though he was going to break through to the Spirit Realm soon and was one of the best in Nine Jade Pce, he was only around Zhang Rulin¡¯s standard. He was even worse than Ye Zhenyan.

    The Qilin Festival soon followed. In such a short span of time, Lu Mingshu had improved a lot.

    At the start, she was only a bit better than Yu Kuang. With the fights that cameter, Lu Mingshu could with almost equally with Kou Wei and Wei Chunqiu on stage. Ling Wuxia could confirm that she was about the same level as Yue Lingyin, give or take.

    But now? Ling Wuxia dared to say that Lu Mingshu could defeat Yue Lingyin.

    So, Junior Brother He, who was only a bit better than Yu Kuang, couldn¡¯t take her down.

    Perhaps even she herself couldn¡¯t take her down.

    Who knew what would happen after another year?

    This thought brought chills down Ling Wuxia¡¯s spine.

    It wasn¡¯t a surprise for Ling Wuxia to lose to Kou Wei and Wei Chunqiu. She was younger than them, and her basics weren¡¯t as strong as theirs... but what about Lu Mingshu? Could Ling Wuxia magnificently break through to the Spirit Realm with the title of Best in the Harmonization Realm?

    Suddenly, sword energy appeared in front of her. The sharp sound brought her back to reality.

    Upon realizing that she was daydreaming during a battle, Ling Wuxia bit her lips and got herself back to reality. She focused and threw the piece of white silk out.

    Swoosh! Rainbow mystic light shone brightly.

    Lu Mingshu grabbed her sword tighter and focused on the battle.

    With this fight, she learned more about Ling Wuxia and collected more data. Compared to the fight between Kou Wei and Wei Chunqiu, she was able to do more for this battle.

    Firstly, Ling Wuxia was still not at the peak yet, which gave Lu Mingshu a better chance to defeat her. Secondly, thanks to Lunar God increasing her ability, Lu Mingshu was able to do better than the Qilin Festival. Thirdly, Lu Mingshu was able to exert all her ability, but Ling Wuxia wasn¡¯t because...

    the sword energy with mild golden traces in it was everywhere in the cave. The whole cave was now filled with it.

    Everywhere the white silk moved, the mystic light on it would be shattered by the sword energy.

    The whole situation was rather weird now.

    The whole cave was their battlefield, leaving Ying and Junior Brother He nowhere to stand.

    Seeing the mystic light and sword energy in front of her, Ying¡¯s face changed.

    If Ling Wuxia was this strong, then Ying¡¯s part was...

    The more Ling Wuxia fought, the more frustrated she felt. There must be something that she did, and I missed it. Why do I feel so constrained? What did she do?

    Every bit of mystic light was destroyed by the sword energy at the most crucial point. The stone pirs that she stood on limited her ability too, as she constantly needed to think aboutnding before attacking.

    Why is Lu Mingshu not affected? It¡¯s as if she can fly, alwaysnding at the ces that are hard to bnce on.

    Suddenly, Ling Wuxia could hear her junior brother yelling.

    Ling Wuxia turned around to have a look.

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s eyes lit up at Ling Wuxia turning away her attention.

    Good chance!

    The mystic force burst out from her body and flowed to her fingertips, the mild golden aura erging in an instant, covering all four of them.

    Lunar God swept past them, striking with a brilliant light. The light looked like moonlight, and it slowly changed into a sharp de.

    Like a surging wave, the sword light gushed up through the golden aura.

    ¡°Senior Sister, look out!¡± Seeing exceptionally bright sword energy, Junior Brother He¡¯s heart nearly jumped out of his throat as he pounced onto her.

    Ling Wuxia was taken aback, and she threw out her silk immediately.

    But it was toote; the sword energynded on Junior Brother He, making him fall.

    Plop!

    The white silk went after him, but it didn¡¯t catch him.

    The second time. This was the second time she failed.

    The first time, she was toote to even notice, and her junior sister was eliminated right in front of her. The second time, she was distracted, so she had to watch her junior brother get eliminated just like that.

    Ling Wuxia looked up. The look in her eyes was something no one had ever seen.

    She was really angry now!

 Chapter 257: Missing

    <h4>Chapter 257: Missing</h4>

    The white silk opened up and turned into snow, covering the cave with a thick nket of white.

    Mystic light and sword energy crossed paths, spanning the whole cave.

    Ying blinked and fished out her sword, trying to defend herself.

    Ling Wuxia was indeed Ling Wuxia. No matter how much white silk there was, she hadplete control of all of it.

    I¡¯m not even her target and it¡¯s so difficult to keep myself safe, so what about Lu Mingshu?

    Ying looked over, and she was taken aback by what she saw.

    Like her, Lu Mingshu was now in mid-air. However, she was twisting and turning in mid-air, looking rxed.

    She had seen how Lu Mingshu tackled Ye Zhenfan and the rest, and this was the same situation. It was just that Ling Wuxia was way stronger than the others, so she would be more difficult to counter.

    But to summarize the whole situation, Ling Wuxia was too unlucky.

    Her trick could even take down Wei Chunqiu. All the white silk could turn into a web that trapped one inside.

    However, Lu Mingshu knew tricks from out of this world, which made this kind of trick easier for her to counter.

    Lu Mingshu could find a gap no matter how small it was, which made the web a small issue for her.

    And she also adapted very quick. As soon as Ling Wuxia changed her formation, Lu Mingshu changed her method of attacking too.

    Time ticked by and the white silk web slowly became smaller.

    Such a big-scale attack took up a lot of energy, so of course, it couldn¡¯tst long.

    Lu Mingshu slowlynded on a stone pir.

    ¡°Are you done?¡± she asked, smirking.

    She only got a death re from Ling Wuxia.

    ¡°The best Ancient Jade Summit disciple is only like that, huh?¡± Lu Mingshu sneered and jumped up high, fishing out her sword.

    Ling Wuxia waves her hand, and the mystic light turned red.

    Does such an idiot think that was everything? Never underestimate me....

    Wait!

    Lu Mingshu suddenly jumped past her and rushed to the stone table.

    Ling Wuxia had no time to think as she followed suit behind Lu Mingshu.

    Not killing her is fine, but I must get all the treasure!

    Seeing this, Ying rushed forth too and dashed toward the table at lightning speed.

    Lu Mingshu reached out her hand and grabbed two of the items. Thest item was a mirror, but as soon she had her hands on it, Ling Wuxia and Ying ced their hands on it too.

    The three of them all grabbed onto the mirror in mid-air, ready to fight.

    But unexpectedly, the mirror lit up, swallowing them inside.

    In the blink of an eye, the cave was empty.

    Only some remnant sword energy was left.

    ...

    ¡°Here, here!¡±

    Bubbles could be seen from the entrance.

    Spit! Junior Brother He rose up.

    ¡°Huh? Him?!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s He Wenxing! So that means...¡±

    There were only thirty disciples who were participating in thispetition, so it was easy to keep track of who was eliminated.

    ¡°Ling Wuxia, Lu Mingshu, and the one that the Pure White Grace Pavilion sent....¡±

    ¡°Wow, that girl...?¡±

    Both were from small powers, which were always the first to get eliminated. But today, they managed to get to thest three and even eliminate a disciple from Ancient Jade Summit with Ling Wuxia present. This was very shocking.

    It was such a pity that, no matter how strong these forces¡¯ external help was, it was all going to go down the drain.

    The grandmaster had already left, so no one would protect them from being robbed by the bigger powers.

    ¡°Where is Senior Sister Ling?¡± Yi Lan grabbed He Wenxing as he came up from the water immediately.

    ¡°In... in there!¡±

    ¡°Why are you here? What¡¯s going on in there?¡±

    He Wenxing described what happened while nearly choking on water.

    Yi Lan was like a cat on hot bricks now. ¡°What? So Senior Sister is in danger?¡± She then blinked her eyes, realizing something seemed weird. ¡°No way, Senior Sister is so strong, nothing bad will happen to her. Wait and see. The ones whoe out next will be those two!¡±

    Not to mention the Bon Voyage Fleet and Pure White Grace Pavilion, everyone was waiting here.

    Yu Ruohan may have been extremely disappointed, but she wasn¡¯t so irresponsible as to leave Lu Mingshu here and head back now.

    As for the rest, they were here to see the result.

    They may have been hopeless, but the final result was still worth the wait.

    ¡°Did Ling Wuxia lose?¡± someone whispered.

    ¡°Impossible. Her ability is well-proven!¡±

    ¡°But if the other two join forces...¡±

    ¡°They might somehow force a tie with her?¡±

    ¡°Maybe, that¡¯s unpredictable.¡±

    ¡°Oh, true....¡±

    Life was unexpected. Even though Lu Mingshu was nowhere near Ling Wuxia, she could still sustain herself for a while under Ling Wuxia¡¯s attacks. And even though the Pure White Grace Pavilion¡¯s external help might have been unknown, if she couldst until now, her ability was somewhere near Ye Zhenyan at least. As the saying went, the wisdom of the masses exceeds an individual....

    They had all thought that this time around, the winner would surely be Ling Wuxia. Who would have guessed that things would change at the most crucial moment?

    Man could indeed not outsmart God.

    The crowd was waiting for the results, but nothing was heard or seen even though the sky had turned dark.

    The Ancient Jade Summit¡¯s Elder was very anxious.

    From what Disciple Zuo and Disciple He said, all of the participants should¡¯ve been out already. Why was there still nothing?

    ¡°Senior Uncle, what do we do?¡± Yi Lan went up and down anxiously.

    The Elder stroked his beard and sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s wait for a while. Junior Niece Ling should be fine.¡±

    If she wasn¡¯t, he would be in trouble when they got back.

    A night passed, and there was still nothing.

    The Ancient Jade Summit Elder could no longer sit still. He stood up and prepared to venture into Jasper Sun mountain.

    Yu Ruohan and the rest of the Bon Voyage Fleet followed him. No matter what, they were the ones that got Lu Mingshu to join. If something bad happened to her, they had to be responsible for it. Nine Jade Pce wasn¡¯t much, but Zhongzhou wasn¡¯t something anyone would want to offend.

    However, even with a bunch of Spirit Realms nearly turning over the whole mountain, they were still unable to find any traces of the three of them.

    What Ming River? There wasn¡¯t any entrance like what those eliminated disciples said.

    The news was brought back, and an Assimtion Realm Elder from Ancient Jade Summit came.

    Lian Chi came to Jasper Sun Mountain personally, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t find them.

    What he had least expected was that thisst trip to Jasper Sun Mountain would lead to losing his sect¡¯s sessor disciple.

    Elsewhere, the five from the Bon Voyage Fleet camped. After Xuan Xiu brought the message back, Mao Xuan and Lin Zongting rushed over.

    But even Lian Chi ¨C an Assimtion Realm Elder ¨C couldn¡¯t do anything, so what could they do?

    ¡°Brother Mao, please think of something!¡± Xuan Xiu pleaded. ¡°We can¡¯t just sit here!¡±

    Mao Xuan sat on the floor crossed legged. He opened his eyes and looked at Lin Zongting. ¡°Zongting, what do you say?¡±

    ¡°Tell Zhongzhou.¡± Lin Zongting sighed.

    ¡°W-what?¡± Xuan Xiu looked at him with wide eyes. ¡°The queen of Zhongzhou? Lu Mingshu is now lost because of us, so she would surely not let us off if she learns about this!¡±

    ¡°Even if we wanted to, how long could we hide this? Let¡¯s not even talk about how fast and reliable their intelligencework is. Ling Wuxia is missing too; can this be hidden forever? It¡¯s better for us to tell them before they find out themselves.¡±

    Sir Ning nodded in agreement. ¡°Zongting is right. We must say it ourselves. If the queen is angered, they would make us bankrupt at most. If we don¡¯t tell her though, we will have to face even more dire consequences.¡±

    Actually, there was no reason they shouldn¡¯t report it. Jasper Sun Mountain was a very desirable opportunity for any Harmonization Realm disciple. Even Ling Wuxia came!

    Who could have guessed that this would happen in the end?

    ¡°Brother Mao?¡±

    Mao Xuan looked up slowly and pointed at Yu Ruohan. ¡°Go deliver the news then. Sister Yu, make a trip there.¡±

 Chapter 258: News

    <h4>Chapter 258: News</h4>

    Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales

    Back in Tianyun City, in the pce:

    Like always, the queen was busy with her work.

    ¡°Your Highness.¡± Xiahou Shan came in.

    ¡°Yes?¡± The queen didn¡¯t even look up.

    Without Ding Qingqing around, she had be busier. It wasn¡¯t easy to find a suitable helper in such a short time.

    ¡°A Spirit Realm cultivator came from Beiming, called Yu Ruohan. She said that she¡¯s one of the founders of the Bon Voyage Fleet and hopes to see Your Highness.¡±

    The queen waved her hand. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal, just settle it yourself.¡±

    Even as the founder of the Bon Voyage Fleet, she was still not that important for the queen to meet her.

    ¡°Your Highness,¡± Xiahou Shan felt it was better to tell her. ¡°Miss Lu went to Beiming, and the news brought back was that thest ce she was seen was Remainder Ind, where this fleet is located.¡±

    The queen finally ced her brush down and looked up.

    ¡°So what¡¯s the main point?¡±

    ¡°Miss Lu...¡± Xiahou Shan muttered, finding it hard to speak about it, ¡°has gone missing.¡±

    ¡°Missing?¡± The queen¡¯s face turned dark.

    ¡°Yes. Does Your Highness want to learn more from Miss Yu that came?¡±

    Even though Lu Mingshu wasn¡¯t actually her daughter-inw, Lu Mingshu¡¯s status in the hearts of both the mother and son had increased a lot.

    ¡°What are you still standing there for? Get her in here!¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡± The queen furrowed her eyebrows. ¡°Do not spread this news, especially not to Xing¡¯er.¡±

    ¡°Your servant understands.¡±

    After a while, Yu Ruohan came in.

    ¡°Greetings to Your Highness, I¡¯m Yu Ruohan.¡± Yu Ruohan looked beaten. Even before leaving Beiming, she hadn¡¯t slept while camping at the mountain. Then travelling to Zhongzhou non-stop was a chore too.

    ¡°Spare the courtesy.¡± The queen went up and lifted her up. Yu Ruohan was a Spirit Realm after all. ¡°Please take a seat, Miss Yu.¡±

    Yu Ruohan didn¡¯t beat around the bush. ¡°Your Highness, Miss Lu has been missing for ten days. Let me summarize the whole situation...¡±

    Since the Grandmaster had already left, there was no need to keep it a secret. Yu Ruohan told the story from the beginning.

    After she had finished, the queen stared into space nkly.

    ¡°Your Highness, should we...?¡± Xiahou Shan asked softly, ¡°Should your servant get someone down to Beiming right now?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± The queenmanded. ¡°You will go!¡±

    Xiahou Shan blinked her eyes and looked at the queen, dumbfounded. She was currently so busy that she couldn¡¯t leave the queen right now, yet the queen was sending her to Beiming?

    ¡°But the matters on my hands now...¡±

    ¡°Let Lin Zixin take over first.¡± The queen rubbed her forehead. ¡°If you do this well, you will be rewarded greatly.¡±

    There was nothing more that Xiahou Shan could say, so she agreed. ¡°Yes....¡±

    ¡°Miss Yu.¡± The queen turned to her, smiling gently. ¡°I¡¯ll have to trouble you to get back to Beiming right away....¡±

    ...

    ¡°How long has it been?¡±

    ¡°Four months, Young Master.¡±

    ¡°Four months have passed, huh?¡±

    Seventh Truth tform, Alioth Star Lord¡¯s pce:

    Xie Lianzhen stared nkly at the map pasted on the wall. His eyes followed from Tianyun City to the Ming River, then to the bank, checking everything out one by one.

    ¡°From here, to here...¡± he mumbled. ¡°Green Hills Bank, White Heron State, Remainder Ind....¡±

    Xie Zhanghui couldn¡¯t help but smirk at him. ¡°Young Master.¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡± Xie Lianzhen hummed.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired?¡± Xie Zhanghui had followed him for more than ten years, and this was the first time he had seen his young master in this state. Staring at the map daily, guessing where Miss Lu was and what she was doing right now. Even when there wasn¡¯t an answer to it, he still enjoyed it and never got tired of it.

    What was there to even guess? Xie Zhanghui didn¡¯t get it. Xie Lianzhen could even look at the map with heart-eyes. Is this what love is? Turning into a possessed idiot, that¡¯s not something I want to try.

    The Alioth Star-Lord smiled, tender and soft as water. ¡°It¡¯s a tough thing to be alive, but this is something in my life that¡¯s not tough.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Xie Zhanghui rolled his eyes. ¡°Young Master, don¡¯t forget, you¡¯re about to enter seclusion soon. How are you going to do that with so much on your mind?¡±

    ¡°Why do you have so many opinions about me?¡± Xie Lianzhen sighed. ¡°I will discard all the distracting thoughts when the timees.¡±

    Xie Zhanghui side-eyed him. Discard all the distracting thoughts? Don¡¯t lie to yourself!

    But what was the use of saying so much? Xie Lianzhen wouldn¡¯t take it in, so Xie Zhanghui could only continue to watch him be an idiot.

    Somebody knocked on the door.

    ¡°Senior Brother Xie, the medicine is done.¡±

    Xie Zhanghui took the medicine. ¡°Okay. Go do your stuff.¡±

    He then took the medicine to Xie Lianzhen. ¡°Young Master.¡±

    Xie Lianzhen furrowed his eyebrows and looked at the medicine in disdain. ¡°Smelly.¡±

    ¡°Good medicine tastes bitter.¡± Xie Zhanghui coaxed. ¡°This is thest bowl you¡¯ll have to take. After this, your true energy will be smooth. You can get out of seclusion early if you break through to the Spirit Realm early, then you can go find Miss Lu.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true.¡± Xie Lianzhen nodded.

    Seeing him gulp down the bowl of medicine, Xie Zhanghui heaved a sigh of relief. At the same time, the urge to roast his young master was irresistible.

    In the past, he always thought that his master¡¯s lifestyle was no good for him; it was too depressing, and he seemed like a zombie. Xie Zhanghui had always hoped that his young master would be more cheerful and positive, but now, he missed the depressing young master.

    He indeed found the will to live and was way more cheerful, however...

    Nevermind, it was hard to exin in a few words.

    Xie Zhanghui took the empty bowl and started, ¡°Do you want to visit Her Highness?¡±

    ¡°No need.¡±

    ¡°But seclusion takes quite a long time!¡± Xie Zhanghui blinked his eyes. ¡°Aren¡¯t you on good terms now?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s very busy right now. I do not want to bother her with such a small matter.¡± Xie Lianzhen smiled. ¡°Quickly arrange for my seclusion. The earlier I breakthrough, the earlier I can get out.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Then your servant shall go now.¡± Xie Zhanghui bowed.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah. You¡¯re so naggy right now.¡±

    ¡°...¡± You¡¯re so abnormal right now, how can I not be naggy? My goodwill is going down the drain.

    But that was only what he thought. If he said it out loud, Xie Lianzhen wouldn¡¯t let him off, so he swallowed his words back into his belly.

    As soon as he left the room, he saw Xie Lianzhen¡¯s informant rushing toward him.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Xie Zhanghui eyed him. Swaggering over here in broad daylight, was he afraid that others wouldn¡¯t know what their rtionship was? Could this informant still be used?

    ¡°Guardian Xie.¡± The informant didn¡¯t even feel that there was something wrong. He grabbed onto Xie Zhanghui and wiped his sweat that was trickling down his head. ¡°Big news!¡±

    ¡°What news is so big that you don¡¯t even care if people know who you are?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say to bring you any news of Miss Lu no matter what price I have to pay?¡± the informant stuttered.

    Xie Zhanghui¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Is Miss Lu in trouble?¡±

    The informant nodded. ¡°This morning, somebody came to see Her Highness...¡± He summarized the whole story and tried to catch his breath. ¡°Your servant brought this piece of news to you almost immediately!¡±

    This is indeed a serious matter, but the young master is going into seclusion soon... how do I tell him?

    As Xie Zhanghui was pondering, he realized that something was out of ce. He immediately pushed all the things in his hand to the informant and ran back to the room at lightning speed.

    ¡°Young Master!¡±

    The door was ajar, and all that he saw was an empty wheelchair, with Xie Lianzhen nowhere to be found.

 Chapter 259: How Many Are There?

    <h4>Chapter 259: How Many Are There?</h4>

    ¡°Can you repeat that? Xing¡¯er is gone!?¡± the queen shrieked.

    ¡°Yes.¡± The newly elected female emissary to take over for Xiahou Shan dared not look at the queen. ¡°It was Guardian Xie who said so. Does Your Highness want to call him over?¡±

    ¡°Call him!¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    After some moments, Xie Zhanghui came in.

    ¡°Greetings, Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°Get up.¡± The queen didn¡¯t even care about the courtesy and went straight to the point. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®Xing¡¯er is gone¡¯?¡±

    Xie Zhanghui didn¡¯t dare to hide from her and told her everything.

    The queen fumed with anger, face turning red. ¡°This bastard! Does he know what situation he¡¯s in? He broke through all of a sudden that day, but with his unstable basics, he nearly became paralyzed! If not for the Grand Elder, he would be dead right now! He only just recovered and is going to break through soon, yet now he¡¯s acting like a monkey!¡±

    Xie Zhanghui looked at his feet, not daring to speak up for Xie Lianzhen.

    Besides, what she said was absolutely right!

    A sudden breakthrough may cause obsession, which was way more dangerous than a failed breakthrough. It may cause one to be paralyzed, and there was no cure for it. Since he was still riled up from that incident, it was best to break through to the Spirit Realm right now. Dragging it out may lead to unexpected consequences. What if he could never breakthrough in the future?

    ¡°Your Highness,¡± Xie Zhanghui asked carefully, ¡°what do we do now?¡±

    ¡°What can we do? Find him!¡± The queen rubbed her temples, feeling dizzy. ¡°Where¡¯s Xiahou Shan?¡±

    ¡°Reporting to Your Highness, Emissary Xiahou went to find Miss Lu as Your Highness instructed,¡± the female emissary replied.

    Realizing that she was so angry that she couldn¡¯t think properly, the queen looked down in deep thought for a moment. ¡°Inform her about this and ask her to search for both of them.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The female emissary went off, leaving only Xie Zhanghui and the queen in the pce.

    The queen ced her brush aside and signalled Xie Zhanghui toe over. ¡°Come here.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Xie Zhanghui nodded and went to the table.

    The queen signalled him toe nearer and whispered, ¡°Did his illness act up recently?¡±

    Xie Zhanghui shook his head. ¡°Probably not.¡±

    ¡°Probably?¡± The queen was unhappy with his answer.

    Xie Zhanghui nodded. ¡°Young Master has been in a good mood recently, and normally it won¡¯t act up. But after that day, Young Master started doing things quite differently. Even this servant does not know how to describe it.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Different how?¡± Even though they had made up, the queen was busy with her work, so there weren¡¯t many chances to meet her son. Xie Zhanghui, who was with Xie Lianzhen 24/7, would know him better.

    Xie Zhanghui bit his lips. ¡°I don¡¯t really know... it just feels different.¡±

    ¡°Is it him?¡±

    Xie Zhanghui shook his head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like it.¡±

    The queen sighed and buried her face in her hands. She felt like her brain was going to burst soon.

    This son is sure here to take revenge. Can¡¯t he be more peaceful? Everything seems to be okay, and all of a sudden, here¡¯s another matter.

    But no matter what, the problem still had to be solved.

    ¡°What do you mean by ¡®it doesn¡¯t seem like it¡¯?¡±

    Xie Zhanghui blinked his eyes. He then carefully said his thoughts, ¡°Your Highness, your servant thinks that it might be another one.¡±

    The queen stared at him nkly. She felt like she was going to faint soon.

    Another one? That means...

    She recalled the day where Xie Lianzhen went crazy. The expression in his eyes looked like a different person, one that she had never met.

    ¡°How long?¡± The queen¡¯s voice became hoarse.

    ¡°I have never seen him before,¡± Xie Zhanghui answered. ¡°The first time was when Young Master recovered.¡±

    The queen felt her head ringing. So that means it wasn¡¯t Xie Lianzhen who recovered, and he may have even gotten worse?

    She leaned on her chair, feeling dead.

    ¡°You...¡± After a while, the queen found her voice again. ¡°Zhanghui, go get him back.¡±

    ¡°Your Highness.¡± Xie Lianzhen looked at her with wide eyes. He had only been Xie Lianzhen¡¯s servant, and no one else. The queen never instructed him to do things not rted to Xie Lianzhen because they had been trying to separate the different identities, but now...

    ¡°I can¡¯t let him go on like this anymore.¡± The queen gritted her teeth. ¡°No matter who the hell he is, bring him back!¡±

    Her tone showed how determined the queen was.

    Xie Zhanghui looked down. ¡°Yes.¡±

    ...

    Going back to Seventh Truth tform, Xie Zhanghui sighed when he saw the empty wheelchair.

    He slowly pushed the door to the secret chamber, where every generation of Alioth Star-Lord went into seclusion.

    Behind the stone walls, there was a seclusion room connected to the hill.

    In the simple and crude stone-wall room, a ck robe was ced on the stone bed.

    He took the ck robe and fiddled with it, his mind wandering elsewhere.

    In the past, his young master he would always enter this room and leave from the other door, and Xie Zhanghui pretended that he didn¡¯t notice anything. He just continued to serve Xie Lianzhen alone.

    But this time around, the other party don¡¯t even bother to hide his actions and disappeared right in front of his eyes.

    There was still something that he didn¡¯t tell the queen, which was that the two different identities, while they may be very different in terms of characteristics, had something simr about them.

    Both of them had the same person in their heart.

    Xie Zhanghui once thought that, with this simrity, they could finallybine into one. However, it seemed the situation was bing more and messier.

    Who¡¯s the new one? Is this trip going to be good for Young Master, or will it lead to more destruction?

    ...

    ¡°Get up, get up!¡± a voice rang beside Ying¡¯s ears.

    This made Ying fume with anger. Who¡¯s so blind as to disturb me when I¡¯m sleeping? I¡¯ll kill you in...

    Wait, where the heck am I?

    She sat up abruptly.

    She looked around. It was a very shabby hall, floor covered with straw mats, and there were some others like her, lying on the floor.

    What¡¯s going on?

    Following that, she realized that her mystic force was all gone!

    Ying looked up, face turning as pale as a sheet of paper. What did it mean to be a martial artist without mystic force? It was just waiting to get ughtered!

    She slowly recalled what happened. She participated in the Jasper Sun Mountainpetition, representing the Pure White Grace Pavilion. She went through the test and went to a cave underwater....

    So, it was that mirror? I¡¯m here, so where are the others?

    ¡°Yo!¡± Someone popped out behind her.

    Ying nearly jumped out of her skin. She turned back and realized it was Lu Mingshu.

    Ying heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Can you not do that?¡± she whispered.

    ¡°You frightened? You have no guts.¡± Lu Mingshu smirked.

    Both of them looked ridiculous currently.

    Ying¡¯s ck clothes were covered with mud. It was even worse for Lu Mingshu; her light green skirt was dirt-stained and all worn-out, the arrogance and aura she used to have nowhere to be seen. It was shabby evenpared to a poor vige girl!

    Ying side-eyed her in disgust.

    As if able to read her mind, Lu Mingshu sighed, ¡°Look at Ling Wuxia beforementing on me.¡±

    Ling Wuxia¡¯s here?

    Ying looked over to the direction that Lu Mingshu was pointing. Ling Wuxia was standing in a corner. She had been wearing white, and since her clothes had a lot of light muslin, the sight was even more unbearable.

    What would they think if they saw the sessor disciple of Ancient Jade Summit in this state?

    Yingughed in her heart.

 Chapter 260: Where Is This?

    <h4>Chapter 260: Where Is This?</h4>

    Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales

    ¡°Are you happy now?¡± Lu Mingshu asked.

    Ying coughed and looked at her with a poker face.

    ¡°Can you tell me your name now?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I already tell you? It¡¯s Ying.¡±

    Lu Mingshu stared at her for a while. ¡°Beiming is rather far from Xichuan, right?¡±

    Ying nodded, but after realizing she Lu Mingshu just said, she turned to her and gave a deadly re.

    But Lu Mingshu was just smiling thinly at her, and her dimples could be seen.

    ¡°How did you know?¡± Ying stared at her fiercely.

    ¡°How could I not tell?¡± Lu Mingshu raised her eyebrows. ¡°I grew up there too.¡±

    ¡°Where did I make a mistake?¡± Ying probed, not wanting to give up.

    Lu Mingshu sighed and pointed to Ying¡¯s hand. ¡°No matter how hard you try to change them, your skills are the same as mine, so you¡¯re obviously from Nine Jade Pce.¡±

    Ying didn¡¯t respond. The three words ¡°Nine Jade Pce¡± made her heart clench.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s your name?¡± Lu Mingshu repeated her question.

    There was no reply right away. Ying stared at her feet for a moment before answering, ¡°Zhou Ruying.¡±

    ¡°Zhou... Ruying?¡± Lu Mingshu paused after her surname before continuing.

    Zhou Ruying looked up, and it was unclear whether she was tired or relieved. ¡°Yes. Zhou Miaoru¡¯s Zhou.¡±

    ¡°So, my stepmother sent you here, huh?¡± Lu Mingshu looked at her calmly.

    ¡°Yes, here to kill you.¡± Zhou Ruying nodded.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Why didn¡¯t I? Ying bit her lips. She couldn¡¯t really answer.

    The Pure White Grace Pavilion was bribed by the Ye Family into finding someone to deal with Lu Mingshu, and Ying needed a chance to fulfil her mission, so she used the name of the Pure White Grace Pavilion to get into Jasper Sun Mountain.

    At the start, she was really set on dealing with Lu Mingshu. Ying was d that they became partners, as it would give her a great chance.

    But unconsciously, she became used to cooperating with Lu Mingshu and started focusing on the test instead.

    Soon, they were in the cave, and she no longer had a chance.

    Actually, that wasn¡¯tpletely urate; if she had chosen to join forces with Ling Wuxia, Lu Mingshu would¡¯ve surely been dead by now.

    But Ying didn¡¯t do so.

    ¡°Because I didn¡¯t. Even if I want to now, it¡¯s toote, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded. ¡°Of course, I wouldn¡¯t have let you have a chance anyway since I already knew about it. However...¡± she looked at Ying, ¡°can you go back without killing me?¡±

    Zhou Ruying continued to stare nkly into space, not answering.

    ¡°Zhou Miaoru won¡¯t let you off, will she?¡±

    Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t even need Zhou Ruying¡¯s answer to know the consequences she would face. ¡°If I¡¯m not dead, you¡¯ll be homeless.¡±

    Zhou Ruying remained silent.

    Growing up in the Zhou Family, Zhou Ruying knew Zhou Miaoru like the back of her hand. The gentle and caring mother was just a mask, hiding the disgusting and selfish side of her.

    That was what the Zhou sisters were like.

    For example, she was born way more talented than her sisters. On the other hand, Zhou Yinru¡¯s cultivation was stagnant at the Harmonization Realm. Seeing Zhou Ruying about to break through to the Spirit Realm, Zhou Yinru was overtaken by jealousy and sabotaged Zhou Ruying¡¯s medicine, causing Zhou Ruying¡¯s body to be damaged and forever remain in the Harmonization Realm, ruining her future.

    Zhou Miaoru knew about this, but not only did she not care, she even took the opportunity to turn Zhou Ruying into a killing machine that worked for her.

    Zhou Ruying didn¡¯t even know how she had survived the past few years.

    How will Zhou Miaoru punish me for failing my mission? Perhaps kick me out because I¡¯m no longer useful to her anymore?

    ¡°How does Zhou Miaoru control you?¡± Lu Mingshu asked sincerely. ¡°Poison? Will you die if she does not give you the antidote?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Zhou Ruying shook her head.

    ¡°Then why are you still listening to her?¡± Lu Mingshu asked again. ¡°The world is a big ce. No matter what, you¡¯re a Harmonization Realm cultivator. You would surely be able to survive out there.¡±

    Zhou Ruying didn¡¯t respond. That question had never crossed her mind, and it probably never would have if she hadn¡¯t failed her mission today.

    She was an orphan taken in by the Zhou Family. Since she was about Zhou Yinru¡¯s age, she grew up with her, so it never crossed her mind.

    Seeing her not responding, Lu Mingshu stopped asking. Well, being in that environment, she has her own difficulties. It¡¯s not right to keep probing.

    ¡°She finally couldn¡¯t take it anymore, huh?¡± Lu Mingshu said mockingly. ¡°I thought she would be smarter, but I guess she¡¯s just an idiot.¡±

    Even though it sounded crude, it was actually a very good idea. If Zhou Ruying killed Lu Mingshu, all of Zhou Miaoru¡¯s problems would be solved. However, what happened afterwards might not be as pleasant as Zhao Miaoru hoped.

    ¡°Whatever, let¡¯s talk about itter.¡± Lu Mingshu looked up. ¡°Let¡¯s figure out a way to deal with this.¡±

    As she was talking, somebody walked in.

    Some guys wearing the same kind of clothes came in. As if they were choosing animals, they took most of the people in the hall, leaving only three: Lu Mingshu, Zhou Ruying, and... Ling Wuxia.

    Zhou Ruying would¡¯veughed if the situation wasn¡¯t so serious.

    Zhou Ruying was different; what had she not gone through while working for Zhou Miaoru? On the other hand, Lu Mingshu and Ling Wuxia... an icy lone wolf and an immortal fairy in a mortal¡¯s world who had always been worshipped. When had these two been in such an embarrassing situation? Such sorry figures, with a bunch of people looking at them like they were trash. It was such a joke.

    ¡°Do you know where we are?¡± Zhou Ruying asked.

    Lu Mingshu shook her head. ¡°I only woke up slightly earlier than you.¡±

    ¡°So, we...¡±

    ¡°I asked someone. It¡¯s something like, we were on the road and some human traffickers picked us up as ves to sell.¡±

    Zhou Ruying really wanted tough out loud. Was this considered good luck or bad luck?

    ¡°This doesn¡¯t look like Beiming.¡±

    ¡°No need to guess; this is another world,¡± Lu Mingshu told her frankly.

    ¡°Another world?¡± Zhou Ruying felt chills down her spine. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°In other words, we are in a different dimension.¡± Lu Mingshu picked up a stick and started drawing on the ground. ¡°This circle is where we were.¡± She then drew another circle, connected to the previous one. ¡°This is another world. They¡¯re connected somehow, but they are two different worlds.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Zhou Ruying stared at her nkly. ¡°How do you know so much?¡±

    ¡°Have you forgotten where I grew up? Heavenly Ascension Pavilion is filled with books.¡±

    Zhou Ruying bit her lips.

    ¡°So, what do we do? Can we go back?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Lu Mingshu took out the mirror. ¡°Let¡¯s see.¡±

    Suddenly, a white shadow pounced over. It was Ling Wuxia. ¡°Give me that!¡±

    Lu Mingshu jumped up and tried to kick her.

    However, Ling Wuxia dodged it.

    Even without mystic force, the skills of a martial artist wouldn¡¯t just disappear.

 Chapter 261: Burn

    <h4>Chapter 261: Burn</h4>

    Creak!

    Hearing the door open, both of them stopped the fight and sat down before the people came in.

    Three people walked in.

    The first one was a human trafficker, who started shouting at them to get up. The other two were a teenage girl and boy.

    ¡°There!¡± The human trafficker pointed at Lu Mingshu andpany.

    ¡°These are the only ones left?¡± The girl looked disappointed.

    ¡°Yes, I sold the rest.¡±

    ¡°Senior Brother.¡± The girl looked over to the guy. ¡°What now?¡±

    ¡°Should we just deal with it and buy what¡¯s left...?¡±

    ¡°But they...¡±

    ¡°They are the only ones left, what¡¯s there to choose from?¡± The guy sighed before turning to the human trafficker. ¡°How much?¡±

    ¡°One sprit stone!¡±

    ¡°So damn expensive!?¡± the guy yelled. ¡°Look at them; they are talentless and can only be used as ves. How is that worth a spirit stone? I can¡¯t do that....¡±

    ¡°Haish, Mister, if you don¡¯t want them as ves, what do you want? To train them? They might be talentless but look at their bodies. They can be put to good use on your bed!¡±

    Being a crude man, the trafficker said whatever was on his mind, making the other guy turn as red as a tomato. The girl side-eyed him and shouted, ¡°What the hell are you talking about!? We are buying people for a decent cause, don¡¯t spout a bunch of bullshit.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, Miss.¡± The trafficker apologized but obviously didn¡¯t listen to what she said. ¡°I really can¡¯t lower the value any more. In fact, if I sell them to the Scarlet Lantern Brothel, I would earn even more than that....¡±

    After much bargaining, the human trafficker finally sold the three of them for the price of two spirit stones.

    From the corner of her eyes, Zhou Ruying could see Ling Wuxia gritting her teeth. Ancient Jade Summit¡¯s sessor being treated like this must have been something new to her.

    On the other hand, Lu Mingshu had a poker face as usual.

    With their situation, it was best that they were sold as ves. Who the hell would want to be sold to a brothel?

    ¡°You three,e along!¡± After paying, the girl yelled at them.

    The three of them exchanged nces and stood up reluctantly.

    After exiting the human trafficker¡¯s courtyard, Zhou Ruying was stunned.

    Oh my goodness.

    In front of her eyes was a city ¨C a towering city filled with gold and jade!

    And that wasn¡¯t metaphorical; the city was literally made of golden walls and jade floor tiles!

    Where the heck are we? Tianyun City is nowhere near this!

    It was the same for Ling Wuxia too. Even Ancient Jade Summit¡¯s sessor disciple had not seen such luxurious things. It was not just a single building made of gold and jade, but the whole city... a city that one couldn¡¯t even see the end of.

    Seeing these two country bumpkins, Lu Mingshu sneered.

    As soon as she woke up, she realized that something was out of ce; the human trafficker wore a piece of jade that was covered in runes. If she wasn¡¯t wrong, this was a world of truth-seeking ¨C a world that was way more advanced than theirs.

    ¡°You three, take note!¡± The girl pointed at the symbol on their hands that the human trafficker gave them before they left. ¡°With this, you better not think of running away, because no matter where you go, we can find you and take you back.¡±

    The trio exchanged nces and followed behind them quietly.

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s guess was proven right as she passed through the streets.

    Atst, they reached a worn-out Taoist temple.

    ¡°Senior Brother, Senior Sister, you¡¯re finally back!¡± A young girl around twelve ran up to them. ¡°How is it? All settled?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all done!¡± The girl pointed at the dirty trio. ¡°There, that¡¯s them.¡±

    The girl looked at them in disgust. ¡°So dirty! And they are so old! It¡¯s probably toote for them to refine their vital energy!¡±

    ¡°What can we do? They were the only ones left.¡± The guy smiled thinly. ¡°Go boil some water and change them.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± The girl walked away before turning back abruptly. ¡°Why do I need to boil it myself? Hey,e with me, you three!¡±

    The trio then followed her to the kitchen.

    ¡°Do as you¡¯re told. I¡¯ll go get you clothes. If you don¡¯t, you will starve tonight!¡±

    As soon as the girl left, Ling Wuxia couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore; ¡°What is this ce? Why is it so weird?¡±

    There was no response.

    Lu Mingshu went to fetch water, and Zhou Ruying chopped the firewood.

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m talking to you!¡±

    Zhou Ruying looked at her with a deadpan expression. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what she said? If we don¡¯t get this done, we¡¯ll starve tonight.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Anyway, Miss Ling, where¡¯s your bearing?¡± Zhou Ruyingughed. ¡°The bearing that a sessor disciple of Ancient Jade Summit should have? Not there anymore, huh?¡±

    Ling Wuxia was in a dark mood at the moment. What she had gone through this day had grinded away at her patience.

    ¡°Why are you still daydreaming? Light the fire!¡± Lu Mingshu poured the water into the cauldron and looked at her.

    ¡°Me? Set up the fire?¡± Ling Wuxia pointed at her nose, looking at Lu Mingshu unbelievably. Does she think that I¡¯m her ve?

    ¡°I get the water, she gets the logs, so this would be your job.¡± Lu Mingshu side-eyed her.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t those people outside only at the Inner Breath Realm? Can they even stop me if I want to leave?¡± Ling Wuxia pointed at the door.

    Lu Mingshu put the bucket down and stared at her, raising her eyebrows. ¡°So? Have you already forgotten that you do not have any mystic force right now? Skills are nothing without that.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ling Wuxia swallowed back her words. On their way here, she realized that this city was weird, as everyone had some amount of mystic force no matter how bad they were. Even though there weren¡¯t many Harmonization Realms, it wasn¡¯t that rare; one could pass by at least three just by walking on the streets.

    ¡°Are you still not going to do it?¡± Zhou Ruying threw the logs to her. ¡°We have already done our part, so it¡¯s not our problem when Masteres back,¡± she said, purposely emphasizing the word ¡°Master.¡±

    Ling Wuxia was foaming at the mouth, but she calmed herself down and did as told.

    When the girles back and saw them doing their chores, she smiled in delight. ¡°Not bad, obedient people! Hey, the one lighting the fire, are you stupid? How do you expect to have fire if you don¡¯t blow on it properly? Stupid.¡±

    Being chided, Ling Wuxia was about to blow her top, but she couldn¡¯t do anything except endure it.

    After the water was boiled, under the girl¡¯smand, the three went to wash up and changed into a new set of clothes.

    When they came out, the ¡°masters¡± were dumbfounded.

    ¡°Senior Brother...¡± The girl tugged on the guy¡¯s shirt. ¡°I think we are the ones who got a bargain....¡±

    The guy nodded unconsciously. Of course, when the trafficker said that he could have sold them to the Scarlet Lantern Brothel at a high price, they thought he was exaggerating, but it seemed he was telling the truth.

    The guy started coughing. Of course, I don¡¯t visit those ces. I just happened to see the leaddy when I passed by.

    Among these three, two were extremely good looking. One¡¯s looks were extremely pure, while the other¡¯s looks were bewitching. Thest one wasn¡¯t that pretty, but her figure was on point.

    ¡°Senior Brother!¡± the girl shouted, shooting death res at him.

    Realizing his mistake, the guy turned bright red and coughed awkwardly. ¡°What are your names? And how old are you guys?¡±

 Chapter 262: Names For You Three

    <h4>Chapter 262: Names For You Three</h4>

    The trio remained silent.

    The girl then nodded. ¡°They should be nameless, right? Those sold as servant girls are normally called Big Girl or Little Girl at home....¡±

    You¡¯re the Little Girl!

    Looking at Ling Wuxia¡¯s eyes that were about to pop out soon, Zhou Ruying felt like she was about to be breathless from trying to hold back herughter.

    Even though they weren¡¯t in a good situation, seeing Ling Wuxia¡¯s face brought joy to the sorrow.

    ¡°Then let me name them?¡± The younger girl jumped up excitedly.

    ¡°Of course!¡± The teenage girl nodded, smiling at her.

    The little girl jumped onto a chair and stood in front of the three. She pouted while pondering hard for names. ¡°You shall be called Xiao Hua, which means Little Flower!¡± (Note: a name for dogs.)

    Pff! Seeing Ling Wuxia¡¯s green face, Zhou Ruying could no longer contain herughter.

    ¡°Why are youughing? Is the name that I chose not a nice one?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s a nice one.¡± Zhou Ruying kept herughter and looked at the girl seriously. ¡°The name Miss gave is perfect.¡±

    The girl jumped up happily. ¡°You called me Young Miss?¡±

    Zhou Ruying nodded. ¡°You are the masters, so I should call you Young Miss.¡± She then turned to the teenage guy and girl. ¡°This is Young Master, and this is Elder Miss.¡±

    The teenage girl and guy were not old either. Being called as such, they smiled happily too.

    ¡°You really know how to talk. Then, I¡¯ll leave you the nicest name.¡± The little girl pped her hands. ¡°You¡¯ll be Xiao Yu, which means Little Rain.¡±

    Zhou Ruying continued her act. ¡°Thank you for the name, Young Miss.¡± Xiao Yu is better than Xiao Hua, I guess?

    ¡°And you.¡± The girl pointed at Lu Mingshu. ¡°Xiao Yue, which means Little Moon.¡±

    These three servant girls ¨C Xiao Hua, Xiao Yu, and Xiao Yue ¨C were now like bread fresh out of the oven.

    Lu Mingshu had a poker face. Xiao Yue is better than Xiao Hua, I guess?

    The guy then asked another question. ¡°What¡¯s your age? You¡¯ll start.¡± He pointed at Ling Wuxia.

    ¡°Twenty-four.¡±

    The guy sighed. ¡°Too old.¡± He then leaned closer. ¡°Are you sure? You don¡¯t look anywhere near twenty-four.¡±

    Of course. The higher one¡¯s cultivation, the younger they look. I¡¯m already in the Harmonization Realm, so why wouldn¡¯t I look younger than I am?

    But obviously, Ling Wuxia would not say that out loud.

    The guy then pointed at Lu Mingshu. ¡°What about you?¡±

    ¡°Sixteen.¡±

    The guy nodded, looking satisfied. ¡°Just right.¡±

    ¡°You?¡± He looked at Zhou Ruying.

    ¡°Thirty.¡±

    The teenage girl facepalmed. ¡°Don¡¯t joke around. How could you be thirty? You must be around the early twenties, right?¡±

    ¡°Elder Miss, I¡¯m really thirty.¡±

    The guy coughed and sighed. ¡°Okay, thirty it is then. Even though we bought you, starting from now on, you three will be disciples of the Tranquil Void Monastery. Is that clear?¡±

    What the heck? Weren¡¯t we bought to be servant girls?

    ¡°Take this Secret of Refining Vital Energy and learn it. You must be able to sense energy within a month, do you understand?¡± The guy took out a thick book and passed it to them.

    ¡°...¡± This is really unexpected!

    ¡°Senior Brother, they do not know how to read,¡± the teenage girl reminded him.

    ¡°Oh, right.¡± The guy furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°But I don¡¯t have the time to teach them!¡±

    ¡°Leave it to me!¡± Once again, the little girl volunteered. ¡°Senior Brother, please be at ease. I¡¯ll contribute to our Tranquil Void Monastery!¡±

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll leave it to Yan¡¯er then.¡±

    ...

    After a day of confusion, they were given a small room in the back.

    This Tranquil Void Monastery wasn¡¯t small, but it was worn-out. This was probably the first time Ling Wuxia had ever experienced such a thing. Even their nkets had holes in them.

    The three slept on a shabby mattress. Ling Wuxia and Lu Mingshu were on the sides, and Zhou Ruying was in the middle.

    To save money, the lights were out at an early time.

    Lu Mingshu suddenly heard something by her ears. She opened her eyes and grabbed a hand that was reaching for her under the nkets. ¡°What do you want?¡±

    Another hand was immediately raised up.

    Lu Mingshu raised her legs too. She rolled down the bed and started fighting in the darkness.

    Zhou Ruying sat up and yawned. ¡°Please, what¡¯s the point in fighting without mystic force?¡±

    Both paused and stopped.

    Indeed, without mystic force, there was no point in fighting. In the past, they would¡¯ve torn this house down when they attacked, but now, it was just two people exercising in the middle of the night.

    ¡°Ah, enough!¡± Zhou Ruying rubbed her face. ¡°Just put your hatred aside for now, please. You two, what situation are we in right now?¡±

    Ling Wuxia huffed andid back down.

    ¡°I say, Miss Ling, you¡¯re not so bad with such an attitude. Why do you put on a mask and pretend to be some else? Isn¡¯t it heavy?¡±

    ¡°None of your business,¡± Ling Wuxia replied coldly after a few moments.

    ¡°Leave her alone if she wants to do it,¡± Lu Mingshu said in a monotone. ¡°Just stop touching me at night. I thought you were a pervert for a second.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Figuring Ling Wuxia was fuming with anger, Zhou Ruyingughed and tried to ease the tension. ¡°Whatever, we all want to go back. Let¡¯s talk about it when we get back, huh?¡±

    After a while, she could hear Ling Wuxia sulking. ¡°Tell Lu Mingshu to take out the mirror.¡±

    ¡°I grabbed it first, why should I give it to you?¡±

    ¡°Who knows what you will do to it?¡±

    ¡°This is how you beg people, huh? It¡¯s with me now, and you have no rights to it.¡± Lu Mingshu sneered.

    Lu Mingshu could hear a familiar noiseing from Ling Wuxia¡¯s side. After a few seconds, Ling Wuxia said, ¡°I can¡¯t open my mustard seed pouch right now, but I can promise you that I¡¯ll pay you what you deserve.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need money.¡± Lu Mingshu rolled her eyes.

    Yes, she was poor at the moment, but only because she spent everything on upgrading her abilities. If she really wanted to, there were plenty of ways for her to earn money in the Heavenly Wheel.

    Ling Wuxia snickered. ¡°So much for talking nicely.¡±

    Zhou Ruying wiggled her eyebrows. ¡°You could get on your knees and beg.¡±

    ¡°You-!¡±

    ¡°Just kidding!¡± Seeing that Ling Wuxia was about to blow her top, Zhou Ruyingughed. ¡°No worries, if the mirror still worked, Lu Mingshu would have left already. Why would she stay here with us?¡±

    Ling Wuxia stared at Lu Mingshu, not buying it.

    ¡°Am I right?¡± Zhou Ruying nudged Lu Mingshu.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Lu Mingshu answered unwillingly. ¡°I looked at it as soon as we arrived. There¡¯s no response. I guess it has used up all its energy.¡±

    ¡°Energy? How do we recover it?¡± Ling Wuxia asked immediately.

    ¡°How would I know?¡±

    ¡°You might as well have said nothing.¡± Ling Wuxia sneered.

    ¡°Then you tell me what to do!¡± Lu Mingshu retorted.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Just shut the hell up, guys!¡± Zhou Ruying felt her head throbbing. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about that. Did you realize that this world is quite weird?¡±

    Of course, Lu Mingshu realized that. She even came here to train in the past, but only in deserted areas, not the cities.

    ¡°Have you both read that book? Without mystic force, it¡¯ll be hard to survive in this world. Maybe our chance lies there....¡±

 Chapter 263: Free Gift

    <h4>Chapter 263: Free Gift</h4>

    Lu Mingshu was astonished by what Zhou Ruying said and looked over at her in the dark.

    She had thought of this too, but she didn¡¯t realize that Zhou Ruying would too. Thus, she was astonished.

    She had been searching for the reason she couldn¡¯t open her mustard seed pouch. Her mystic force was gone all of a sudden, and she couldn¡¯t even connect to the Heavenly Wheel in this world.

    Lu Mingshu had been to a truth-seeking world before when she was younger. The Heavenly Wheel brought her there when she was a newbie. However, for some reason, her mystic force was gone this time around.

    She had read a lot of books and guessed that this world might be suppressed by rules and regtions.

    There were different regtions in different worlds. This was known as the Heavenly Dao.

    And to be honest, she hadn¡¯t really been to another world before; she only went through the Heavenly Wheel with her spirit, and there was a difference between that and going with one¡¯s real body.

    After seeing the book given by the guy today, she thought of the same idea as Zhou Ruying.

    Mystic force cultivated in one world was probably unable to be used in a different world. So, why not use the method of cultivating native to this world to get her mystic force back?

    Actually, energy in every world was the same. Mystic force, spiritual force, elementary force, and even magic ¨C it was all the same. It was only because of their specific skills and ways of training that caused the energies to differ.

    For example, mystic force was intrinsically powerful while spiritual force emphasized improving the user¡¯s power.

    ¡°You mean... learn to cultivate from that book?¡± Ling Wuxia asked.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Zhou Ruying said. ¡°It¡¯s not that difficult, right? I read through the book, and it¡¯s kind of simr to our cultivation.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡± Ling Wuxia nodded.

    ¡°Before we go back, let¡¯s work together properly, shall we? We don¡¯t actually have any beef between each other, right?¡±

    Honestly, there wasn¡¯t much conflict between them. It was just Ling Wuxia trying to stay above Lu Mingshu, and Lu Mingshu had embarrassed Ling Wuxia a couple of times.

    Ultimately, it wasn¡¯t any great hatred. In their current situation, it was simple enough to team up.

    Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t feel like she suffered any losses, while Ling Wuxia had great patience.

    Tolerate!

    They put aside their differences and promised to team up.

    ¡°Are you going to sleep?¡± Zhou Ruying looked over to Ling Wuxia, who was sitting at the edge of the bed. ¡°I¡¯m pretty tired without mystic force.¡±

    Ling Wuxia nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡±

    The trioid down, and Lu Mingshu snickered.

    She knew the main reason Ling Wuxia was going after her; she had acquired all three of the items.

    Because Zhou Ruying failed her mission, she was more worried about going back to the Zhou Family, not the three items. But it was different for Ling Wuxia; if she could not bring even a single thing back, that would be a terrible failure.

    However, Lu Mingshu wouldn¡¯t take anything out. No matter what tricks I used, I got it all, so why should I give it away?

    ...

    This city was called Volt Wing City, and this Tranquil Void Monastery was, somehow, a gang.

    There were many gangs in Volt Wing City, and they were all under the government¡¯s control.

    ¡°Every three years, the government will perform an inspection. Only gangs with five members or more will be recognized. If we aren¡¯t recognized, all our property will be confiscated.¡± The little girl Yan¡¯er rambled on. ¡°So, you all should work hard! They are going to perform inspections next month.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    The trio sitting on the floor nodded at the same time. So, that¡¯s why they had to buy us. This gang is too poor, so nobody wants to join, and they were so broke that they could only afford the cheapest ves.

    Such a poor ¡°gang.¡±

    Not mentioning Ling Wuxia, who was from a big sect, even Lu Mingshu and Zhou Ruying pitied their current state.

    ¡°Second Miss,¡± Lu Mingshu asked, ¡°may I know what the gang leader¡¯s cultivation is?¡±

    ¡°Senior Brother? The fifth level!¡± Yan¡¯er said proudly.

    ¡°...¡±

    Even though none of them knew what the fifth level meant specifically, but it was basically the Inner Breath Realm. An Inner Breath Realm gang leader...

    Talking about what these guys had been through, it wasn¡¯t easy for them either. They once had a master and another senior brother. However, their master just died not long ago, and their senior brother died in a fight when he went out to travel.

    Thus, the small and worn-out monastery only left behind these three youths to depend on each other for life, and they were about to close down due to having insufficient members. Thus, they had to buy people.

    ¡°Do you guys understand? It¡¯s not easy to get a sense of energy in a month!¡±

    ¡°...understood,¡± the trio answered, uninterested.

    In fact, Yan¡¯er only taught them how to read it twice, and her exnations were rather haphazard. If Lu Mingshu andpany were actually uneducated servant girls, the trio would surely understand nothing.

    Yan¡¯er was still young, and she didn¡¯t really understand it yet. She genuinely thought that she had taught them well, and shemanded them to start training.

    The trio each took a corner to practice.

    During dinner time, the gang leader ¨C Xiang Zichen ¨C stared at them weirdly. ¡°You guys... can sense energy already...?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Obviously. Was it even possible for them to not be fast? Three Harmonization Realms who already had great basics couldn¡¯t be fast? It only took them one hour to get the breathing technique right.

    The teenage girl, Xiang Zimei, looked at them in shock. ¡°Are you sure? They look like they have no potential!¡± Did we get three geniuses for free?

    Lu Mingshu rolled her eyes internally. You¡¯re a newbie yourself, yet you¡¯re saying that we have no potential? It¡¯s only due to the Heavenly Dao that we seem to have no potential.

    ¡°Master was right! Without testing, we won¡¯t know how good someone can be.¡± Xiang Zichen epted this shocking news quickly. ¡°We really found some treasures!¡±

    ¡°Yes, Senior Brother!¡± Xiang Zimei squealed. ¡°The monastery is now preserved. We didn¡¯t let Old Master down....¡±

    Suddenly, they could hear knocking at the door. ¡°Junior Nephew, open the door!¡±

    Xiang Zichen face turned pale. ¡°Oh no, Senior Uncle is here!¡±

    ¡°Oh my god! What do we do?¡± Xiang Zimei jumped up and started pacing back and forth.

    Yan¡¯er scooped up everything that was on the table and slid them under the table. ¡°Senior Sister, hide them! If not, Senior Uncle will take them with him!¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes, yes!¡± Xiang Zimei remembered what she was supposed to do and started hiding things.

    Like cats on hot bricks, the three of them were now running around.

    The Lu Mingshu trio looked at them weirdly. It¡¯s just a Senior Uncle, is there a need for all this drama?

    ¡°Junior Nephew, open up!¡±

    ¡°Coming!¡± After tidying up, Xiang Zichen went to open the door.

    Suddenly, he was blocked by Zhou Ruying. ¡°It¡¯s just a small task, Gang Leader need not do it himself.¡± She shed him a big smile.

 Chapter 264: A Scary Servant Girl

    <h4>Chapter 264: A Scary Servant Girl</h4>

    A fat old man was banging on the door profusely.

    Suddenly, his fistnded on empty air, and the door was opened.

    A slender and fair servant girl stood in front of him and smiled brightly. ¡°This must be Second Grandfather, right? Sect Master invites you in.¡±

    The old man narrowed his eyes and stared at the servant girl in front of him in confusion. He then looked up at the board above the door.

    Tranquil Void Monastery... this is the right ce. Where the hell did this servant girle from?

    ¡°Second Grandfather?¡±

    ¡°Ah? Oh!¡± The old man scratched his head. ¡°Your Sect Master... Xiang Zichen?¡±

    The servant girl giggled. ¡°Of course. Who else would it be? Here, Second Grandfather. Servant is called Xiao Yu, and I serve Second Miss.¡±

    The old man followed the servant girl in confusion. When he entered the side pce hall, Xiang Zichen was indeed sitting there.

    Not only was Xiang Zichen there, but even Xiang Zimei and Yan¡¯er were sitting there with serious looks on their faces.

    Other than them, there were two gorgeous servant girls beside Xiang Zichen, one massaging him and the other making tea.

    Weird. Today feels extremely weird... I don¡¯t even dare to take anything.

    ¡°Senior Uncle.¡± Seeing him enter, all three stood up to greet him. Xiang Zichen smiled and ushered him to a seat, smiling thinly. ¡°Please have a seat.¡±

    The old man coughed and looked at them in doubt. ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Xiang Zimei asked. ¡°Just following the rules.¡±

    As the old man sat down, the three of them sat down too.

    ¡°Rules?¡±

    After saying that, the servant girl who was making tea came over. ¡°Second Grandfather, here¡¯s your tea. Please enjoy it.¡±

    Seeing the fair hand of the servant girl, the old man reached out to grab it. Unexpectedly, the servant girl shuddered and poured the tea onto his hand identally.

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    Xiang Zichen and his juniors started panicking.

    Lu Mingshu, who was standing behind Xiang Zichen, pushed him back down. On the other hand, Xiang Zimei received a nce from Zhou Ruying and sat back down herself.

    ¡°Hey, you idiot servant, clean up for this old man right now!¡± the old man yelled and looked over to Xiang Zichen. ¡°Junior Nephew, you¡¯re getting richer now, eh? You can even afford servant girls.¡±

    ¡°Heh.¡± Xiang Zichen chuckled. He didn¡¯t know what to say, and remembering what Zhou Ruying said, he decided to just keep quiet.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, your ve is all thumbs, I¡¯m so sorry....¡± Ling Wuxia ¡°frantically¡± apologized and immediately took out a cloth to help him clean up. ¡°Unfortunately,¡± she banged against the candle oil on the table, which fell onto the old man along with the lit candle.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± The old man screamed. Being doused with oil and then a lit candle...

    He jumped up frantically and patted his crotch profusely. ¡°Water, bring water!¡±

    ¡°Ah, sorry! Servant didn¡¯t mean to!¡± The servant girl, ¡°Xiao Hua,¡± turned fully pale.

    ¡°Second Grandfather, water¡¯s here!¡± The servant girl, ¡°Xiao Yu,¡± took the pot of tea that Ling Wuxia was making and poured it on his crotch.

    ¡°Ah...!¡± A miserable shriek rang across the monastery.

    Lu Mingshu tried to hide herughter. This old fellow, who asked him to flirt with Ling Wuxia? That was the goddess who had all the ns in Beiming in the palm of her hand, and she could be considered the most bitchy person in Beiming. Why would she let anyone take advantage of her?

    After everything was put out, the old man looked like he was dying. ¡°You guys, you...!¡±

    ¡°Senior Uncle...¡± Xiang Zichen went over, at a loss on what to do.

    ¡°Second Grandfather, do you need servant to get a doctor over?¡± Zhou Ruying asked, giving him a fake smile.

    ¡°That¡¯s too expensive!¡± Ling Wuxia pouted, ¡°Servant heard that cold water can heal burn injuries. This Servant will get Second Grandfather some water right away!¡±

    This made the old man panic. ¡°No need!¡± he screamed. He threw Xiang Zichen and Xiang Zimei a dirty nce before limping off.

    As soon as he left, Yan¡¯er jumped up, grinning from ear to ear. ¡°There he goes. There Senior Uncle goes!¡±

    ¡°Yay!¡± Xiang Zimei ran to her and gave her a high five.

    In the room, Xiang Zichen was the only one who looked gloomy. ¡°Will anything happen if Senior Uncle leaves just like that?¡±

    ¡°What could possibly happen?¡± Ling Wuxia threw the cloth on the table and rolled her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re a coward. His cultivation is no higher than yours, so there¡¯s nothing for you to be afraid of in the first ce.¡±

    ¡°But that¡¯s Senior Uncle!¡±

    ¡°Heh.¡± Ling Wuxia said nothing more. ¡°Senior Uncle¡± your head. If you can¡¯t be as cunning and controlling as me, then at least learn from Lu Mingshu and talk with your fist!

    ¡°You guys...¡± Xiang Zimei stared at them weirdly. ¡°Who are you guys?¡±

    Zhou Ruying tidied her clothes and smiled gently. ¡°We are servant girls that you bought, aren¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Lu Mingshu interrupted. ¡°It¡¯s basic courtesy to admit things when we are using their space, right?¡±

    Zhou Ruying and Ling Wuxia couldn¡¯t retort.

    They had wanted to keep things a secret, but who could¡¯ve known that that old man would be so annoying? Thus, they couldn¡¯t help it and ended up giving themselves away.

    Xiang Zimei was already suspecting them, and in order to stay here safely, they needed to settle this matter.

    ¡°In short...¡± Lu Mingshu smiled. ¡°We three met with some incident, and now we need to stay here for a period of time. To thank you all, we will help you solve your troubles.¡±

    ¡°Sisters, are you the honourable seniors spoken of in the books?¡± Yan¡¯er whispered.

    ¡°Not that good, but better than you all.¡± Zhou Ruying chuckled.

    Xiang Zichen and Xiang Zimei exchanged nces.

    These three were so dominating that they didn¡¯t even need cultivation to dominate Xiang Zichen and his juniors.

    ¡°Then...¡± Xiang Zimei asked cautiously, ¡°what do you need us to do?¡±

    ¡°Nothing.¡± Ling Wuxia smiled. ¡°We are just here to lodge, no need to bother with us.¡±

    ¡°Oh, okay....¡±

    Xiang Zichen looked around as if there was something that he wanted to say. He stood up abruptly and bowed. ¡°Seniors, I have a request.¡±

    Before he could continue, Ling Wuxia cut him off. ¡°Forget it, we won¡¯t agree.¡±

    ¡°Senior...¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the big deal in letting him say it?¡± Seeing her act this way, Zhou Ruying interrupted in annoyance. ¡°Oh kind and very caring Miss Ling, you aren¡¯t acting very friendly and kind right now. Where¡¯s your mask?¡±

    Speaking of that, it got on Ling Wuxia¡¯s nerves. If not for you two country bumpkins, I would still be in Beiming as the goddess I am!

    ¡°What does it have to do with you whether I put my mask on or not?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Zhou Ruying shrugged, looking at her nails. ¡°I just want to show those people in Beiming how the sessor disciple of Ancient Jade Summit is acting right now.¡±

    ¡°You...!¡±

    Seeing that they were about to quarrel, Lu Mingshu stepped in. ¡°You had quite a happy time yesterday withmenting on how I acted, and yet you¡¯re doing the same thing now?¡±

    Ling Wuxia huffed and looked away.

    Zhou Ruying coughed and sat down. ¡°She¡¯s the one who wants to fight. She¡¯s cherishing every moment she has where she can live without the mask!¡±

    Ling Wuxia looked like she was about to skin Zhou Ruying.

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Lu Mingshu facepalmed and turned to Xiang Zichen. ¡°What is it? I¡¯ll hear you out.¡±

 Chapter 265: Ranking Match

    <h4>Chapter 265: Ranking Match</h4>

    ¡°Help you guys in the ranking match? What¡¯s that?¡± Zhou Ruying asked.

    Xiang Zichen sighed. ¡°The ranking match... a match held in Volt Wing City and the gangs participate in them. It¡¯s more like gambling. Master died because he lost his precious flying sword in the match....¡±

    ¡°Gambling is not a good thing, so why participate?¡± Lu Mingshu furrowed her eyebrows.

    ¡°We must participate!¡± Xiang Zimei interrupted. ¡°In Volt Wing City, the higher a gang is ranked, the lesser taxes the gang has to pay. The top ten would not only not have to pay taxes, but there are also even rewards! When master was alive, we always paid the second-grade tax. We will be downgraded if we do not participate. As for the gambling, Master did it because of he...¡±

    ¡°So, you want to get your master¡¯s flying sword back?¡±

    The trio nodded.

    ¡°Sorry for being straightforward,¡± Lu Mingshu started, ¡°but with your ability, you are just going to lose it again even if you get it back.¡±

    ¡°True.¡± Zhou Ruying nodded in agreement. ¡°Unless...¡±

    ¡°Unless what?¡±

    Zhou Ruying shook her head. ¡°You get stronger.¡±

    Xiang Zichen sighed dejectedly. ¡°That¡¯s almost impossible. Zimei and I do not have good body structures, so I don¡¯t know if we can even reach the Foundation Realm! Yan¡¯er has a better chance, but she¡¯s too young right now.¡±

    ¡°How long does it take to reach the Foundation Realm on average?¡± Ling Wuxia, who was standing at the side watching this unfold, interrupted.

    ¡°Er... the fastest in this city was twenty years old!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯ste!¡±

    ¡°Oh no, it¡¯s not!¡± Xiang Zimei quickly exined. ¡°Most people reach the Foundation Realm from twenty-five to forty years old.¡±

    Zhou Ruying turned to Lu Mingshu. ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, their Foundation Realm is our Harmonization Realm, right?¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded.

    ¡°Is the Harmonization Realm that hard to reach? The oldest people reach the Harmonization Realm at twenty, and elites reach it at the age of fourteen. The difference is too much!¡±

    ¡°Hey,¡± Lu Mingshu nudged her. ¡°You didn¡¯t ask about their lifespan.¡±

    ¡°Lifespan?¡± Zhou Ruying turned back to the trio. ¡°How long can you all live?¡±

    Xiang Zichen bit his lips. ¡°If we don¡¯t get into the Foundation Realm, Zimei and I could live about a hundred years?¡±

    Zhou Ruying¡¯s and Ling Wuxia¡¯s eyes widened in shock.

    ¡°And if you get into the Foundation Realm?¡±

    ¡°At least two hundred. If we take good care of our health, we could live up to three hundred.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ling Wuxia and Zhou Ruying were speechless. Three hundred... that¡¯s the lifespan of an Assimtion Realm elder!

    ¡°Do you get it? That¡¯s why they¡¯re different from us.¡± Lu Mingshu realized it long ago. Different worlds had different cultivation speeds, but different lifespans as well.

    ¡°Wow, three hundred...¡± Zhou Ruying said.

    ¡°Do you wish to stay?¡± Lu Mingshu side-eyed her.

    Zhou Ruyingughed and changed the topic. ¡°What do we get in return for helping you three?¡±

    ¡°I...¡± Xiang Zichen stared at them nkly. Their monastery was very poor, so what could they afford to give?

    ¡°Spirit stones!¡± Lu Mingshu pointed out. ¡°We can help you with the ranking match, but we need a lot of spirit stones.¡±

    Xiang Zimei blinked. ¡°Senior, you can just bet if you want that! A lot of people are going to gamble during the ranking match!¡±

    ...

    After they finished talking, the Lu Mingshu trio went back to the room at the back.

    ¡°What¡¯s a spirit stone?¡± Zhou Ruying asked as they entered the room.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you see it when we were sold to them?¡± Ling Wuxia answered, side-eyeing her. ¡°They¡¯re like mystic crystals, but not as pure. I¡¯m guessing that about a hundred spirit stones are equivalent to a mystic crystal.

    Lu Mingshu nodded. Ling Wuxia may be slightly bitchy, but her ability is indeed there. Just one look and she could tell what a spirit stone is.

    ¡°What do you want spirit stones for?¡± Ling Wuxia raised her eyebrows. ¡°Aren¡¯t our mystic crystals-¡±

    ¡°Do you have any?¡± Lu Mingshu cut her off. ¡°We can¡¯t open our mustard seed pouches, remember?¡±

    Ling Wuxia kept quiet.

    Lu Mingshu sighed and took out the mirror.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Ling Wuxia reached out for it.

    Lu Mingshu kept the mirror immediately and pointed at her. ¡°Do you believe I¡¯ll leave you here if you do that again?¡±

    ¡°You would dare!?¡±

    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I? What can you do to me here?¡±

    Ling Wuxia was fuming with anger.

    ¡°Ah, just get to the point.¡± Compared to Ling Wuxia, Zhou Ruying didn¡¯t really care about the treasures. No matter who got it, as long as she was taken along, it was all good. Besides, she worked with Lu Mingshu before, so she still trusted her.

    ¡°I suspect that it¡¯s not usable now because it has run out of energy.¡±

    ¡°So, you want to use the spirit stones to recharge it?¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded. ¡°The energy in this world is simr to ours. I also asked around to find out that, when a magic tool can no longer be used, one should use spirit stones to recharge it. Everyone in this world knows about it.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm...¡± Zhou Ruying pped. ¡°Let¡¯s try it then.¡±

    Both of them looked over to Ling Wuxia.

    Ling Wuxia looked at them, face turning ck. ¡°Just try it then! I¡¯m not afraid of you all!¡±

    ...

    To participate in the ranking match, they first needed to get their mystic force back.

    Even though the monastery was small and broken, it was enough for them. The three went into their respective rooms and started to train.

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s meridians were still in good shape, and so were her skills. Her current situation was like a swimming pool without water; just fill it up, and it would be good to go. There was nothing hard about it, it just required time.

    In the room, Lu Mingshu took out three items.

    Firstly, the mirror that sent them here.

    Secondly, a book.

    Thirdly, a bronze straw.

    Lu Mingshu examined the first two items for a bit before putting them away. It was already known what the usage of the mirror was, and the book was just a book about skills.

    As for the bronze straw, the material looked simr to the bronze statue ¨C Little Boo¡¯s material.

    She yed around with it, and there seemed to be nothing special. Suddenly, an idea popped into her head, and she put her newly cultivated energy into it.

    Crack! Crack! Sounds could be heard from the straw. Lu Mingshu jumped up, and it dropped to the floor.

    More cracking sounds could be heard, and the straw started to expand. It then turned into a ball and split in half.

    Clink! A bronze man jumped out.

    ¡°Oh, Little Boo is out?¡± It blinked its eyes and looked at Lu Mingshu. ¡°Are you the one who brought Little Boo out?¡±

    ¡°...that¡¯s what you meant by luck?¡± Lu Mingshu asked.

    Crack! Little Boo paused. ¡°Yes. Master said that Little Boo is the most precious thing.¡±

    ¡°So, am I your master now?¡± Lu Mingshu burst outughing.

    Little Boo¡¯s eyes shone. After some time, it spoke, ¡°Yes, Master.¡±

    Getting the bronze man, Lu Mingshu was more than pleased. The book and the mirror may have been valuable, butpared to the one and only Little Boo, they were nothing to Lu Mingshu.

    How much would the Grandmaster¡¯s precious servant, who followed him around every day, know? She currently couldn¡¯t enter the Heavenly Wheel, and having Little Boo by her side would make things better.

 Chapter 266: The Bet

    <h4>Chapter 266: The Bet</h4>

    Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales

    At the heart of Volt Wing City, there was a za. Wooden signs were ced here to show that this was where the ranking match would be held.

    There was a vast crowd in the restaurant located beside the za.

    ¡°It¡¯s gonna be interesting this year! There are so many who signed up!¡±

    ¡°Yeah! It¡¯s filled with elites! Look, the Hidden Dragon n¡¯s Di Jun, Golden Wind tform¡¯s Fu Lin... these people rarelye out!¡±

    At a table by the side of the road sat two men; a bulky man whose face was as red as a tomato and a Daoist with thin, almond-shaped eyes.

    Hearing the discussion of the other customers, the bulky man pped. ¡°Brother He, it¡¯s time for you to get rich again!¡±

    The Daoistughed. ¡°Haha, don¡¯t say that. I¡¯m no match for the elites.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be humble, man, it¡¯s me! You won Old Man Xiang¡¯s flying swordst year, I¡¯m even drooling.¡±

    This made the Daoist proud of himself.

    His cultivation was not fantastic and his ability was average, but he was certainly vicious enough!

    Every year, he would be here for the ranking matches without fail. He would look around for a suitable target and gamble with them to get big rewards.

    There was no need for him to go hunting or do bitter work. With this method, he could live a good life without worries.

    ¡°Look, aren¡¯t those Old Man Xiang¡¯s disciples?¡± The bulky man pointed over to a guy and girl.

    The Daoist squinted his eyes to have a better look. The pair of teenagers who were walking over was indeed Old Man Xiang¡¯s disciples.

    ¡°Brother He, look at the sword he¡¯s carrying!¡±

    There was no need for the bulky man to say it. How could the vicious, almond-eyed Daoist not see it?

    The sheath was a dull silver colour, but the spiritual energy that it was emitting could enchant anyone!

    Didn¡¯t they say that, after Old Man Xiang died, his disciples were in dire straits? Did they hit the jackpot recently?

    The Daoist chugged his wine and walked toward the two teenagers slowly.

    Xiang Zichen felt a pat on his back and looked. Seeing the Daoist, his face turned ck. ¡°Daoist He, what do you need?¡±

    Daoist He clicked his tongue and stered a smile on his face. ¡°Junior Nephew Xiang, it¡¯s been a long time since we met, and this old man is just here to greet you. Is that so weird?¡±

    ¡°Stop it!¡± Xiang Zichen flicked his hand away. ¡°I still have to take revenge for my master!¡±

    ¡°Aiyo, Junior Nephew Xiang, what¡¯s this about? Since when do we have such a feud? I¡¯m upset about Brother Xiang passing away too!¡±

    ¡°Get lost! If you didn¡¯t trick my master into gambling with you, why would he lose his flying sword? Because of that, he was injured and bed-ridden and...¡±

    Seeing Xiang Zichen¡¯s eyes welling with tears, Daoist He panicked and immediately patted his back. ¡°Hey, Junior Nephew Xiang, he had to admit defeat since he was willing to bet! I talked to him about it properly. Look, there¡¯s evidence that I didn¡¯t cheat him!¡±

    ¡°But my master...¡±

    ¡°Haish!¡± Daoist sighed and pouted. ¡°I¡¯m upset about Brother Xiang¡¯s death too! If I had known this would happen, I would¡¯ve returned the sword that day!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re willing to return it?¡± Xiang Zichen¡¯s eyes lit up.

    Daoist He¡¯s face turned ck. ¡°You see... there are rules and regtions to gambling. I can¡¯t possibly return everything I won.¡±

    This made Xiang Zichen blow his top. ¡°You think it¡¯s funny joking around with me, huh?!¡±

    ¡°No, no, no.¡± Daoist He shook his head frantically. ¡°This old man just meant that everything has its rules and regtions. Even thieves don¡¯t want to go home empty-handed! If I return everything just like that, my luck would...¡±

    ¡°So, what are you saying?¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we do this? Let¡¯s bet on a match. If you win, I¡¯ll give you the flying sword. Brother Xiang would be happy to see that too, right?¡± Daoist He smiled widely at him

    ¡°No! Who would want to gamble with you?¡± Xiang Zichen yelled. ¡°Before my master died, he instructed me to never gamble again!¡±

    ¡°Junior Nephew Xiang,¡± Daoist He coaxed. ¡°This can¡¯t be called gambling, it¡¯s just a formality. You¡¯re going to participate in the ranking match, right?¡±

    Xiang Zichen nodded.

    Daoist He caressed his beard and shed Xiang Zichen a bright smile. ¡°Then I¡¯ll gamble with you: for all rounds, if you can win one fight, I¡¯ll return the sword to you.¡±

    ¡°Just one fight?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Just one!¡± Daoist He grabbed him and pulled him to a table. ¡°If Junior Nephew doesn¡¯t trust me, then let¡¯s write a gambling contract right now. But there¡¯s a rule to follow; Junior Nephew must bet something valuable too.¡±

    ...

    After a while, Daoist He went back to his table, whistling and grinning from ear to ear.

    The bulky man moved over to him. ¡°Brother He, you¡¯re really returning the sword to him?¡±

    Daoist He smirked and sipped some wine. ¡°How could that be possible? Not only will he not get it back, but he will also lose the sword in his hands too!¡±

    ¡°That kid may not be very good, but he has a chance of winning at least one fight.¡±

    Daoist He winked andughed out loud. He ced the betting contract in front of the bulky man. ¡°See for yourself.¡±

    The bulky man moved closer to take a look. On the paper was written, ¡°Win a fight for all rounds.¡±

    The bulky man looked up in shock. ¡°You mean...?¡±

    ¡°¡® Win one fight¡¯ and ¡®win one fight for all rounds¡¯ have different meanings.¡±

    ...

    ¡°Idiot!¡± Ling Wuxia stood up, clutching the gambling contract in her hand. ¡°So this is how your master lost, huh?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Xiang Zichen hurriedly shook his head, afraid that his master was being dragged down like an idiot too. ¡°Master was just provoked by him!¡±

    ¡°Conmen depend on others to serve food right to them.¡± Zhou Ruying looked at her hand in thought. She was experienced, so what had she not encountered before?

    Win one fight for the whole ranking match would mean that, as long as Xiang Zichen won a single fight, he would win the bet. However, win one fight for each round meant that, no matter who the opponent was, he would have to win at least one fight every round.

    If Xiang Zichen was that good, the Tranquil Void Monastery would not be in its current state.

    ¡°Senior,¡± Xiang Zichen whispered. ¡°Is it too hard for you?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s hard about it?¡± Lu Mingshu replied coldly. ¡°Only three total wins for the three rounds? I can do that by myself.¡±

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t belittle me.¡± Zhou Ruying stood up. ¡°I may not be as famous as you guys, but I hardly lose when ites to fighting.¡±

    She was trained in killing and assassination, so she was urate and fast. People like Zhou Ruying might not be famous, but they were never weak.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never lost in my life.¡± Ling Wuxia smiled proudly.

    Seeing Ling Wuxia, Lu Mingshu smiled thinly. ¡°What a coincidence, I always get first ce inpetitions.¡±

    First for the Heavenly Doorpetition and first for the Qilin Festival.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s get it done.¡± Ling Wuxia smiled at Xiang Zichen. ¡°Have you registered for us?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Xiang Zichen nodded.

    Xiang Zimei ran in.

    ¡°All done?¡± Zhou Ruying asked her.

    ¡°Yes. As soon as the ranking match starts, me and Senior Brother will go and bet.¡± Xiang Zimei tried to catch her breath.

    Thinking of what was waiting for her, Xiang Zimei felt extremely excited.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go practice now,¡± Lu Mingshu said. ¡°We can help you once, but not forever. After this, you¡¯re on your own.¡±

 Chapter 267: A Piece of Cake

    <h4>Chapter 267: A Piece of Cake</h4>

    The structure of Volt Wing City was as different as night and daypared to cities in the world that Lu Mingshu and the rest came from.

    This was a city of immortals ¨C a ce where all the cultivators stayed. In a city of immortals, the cultivators formed gangs and held a small amount of power. With this, they had a footing in the city.

    The ones with little power only cared about being able to feed themselves, while the ones who held more power would strive to take control of this city of immortals.

    Thus, the ranking match was a grand asion in Volt Wing City.

    The ranking match to fight for control over the city was only held once every thirty years. Only the ten biggest powers or those who had cultivation above the Solid Pellet Realm could take part.

    To the Tranquil Void Monastery, who was close to losing their gang entirely, that had nothing to do with them. What they were looking at was the normal ranking match that was held every year, which was the determining factor in how much they had to pay the following year in taxes.

    There were three sses of taxes: the first-ss paid the least and the third ss paid the most. When Xiang Zichen¡¯s master was still alive, they paid the second-ss tax, but they downgraded to the third-ss tax as soon as his master died.

    To them, who were almost bankrupt, it was a heavy burden. Even without the tax, they could only survive for one more year before the gang fell apart.

    This situation made Lu Mingshu and the other two feel like their brains were going to burst. How was it possible to save them?

    Ling Wuxia had never met with such problems before. Who would dare to find trouble with Ancient Jade Summit? As for Lu Mingshu, she was technically in a sect, but for practical purposes, she might as well not be.

    Surprisingly, Zhou Ruying was the one who gave better ideas.

    ¡°It¡¯ll just go down the drain,¡± Zhou Ruying pointed out. ¡°As you mentioned, the cultivation in this world is slow, so how many years would we have to wait until he can stand on his own? We can¡¯t stay for that long. Besides, even with more money, their brains can¡¯t be saved...¡±

    They were the type to help others count the money after getting fleeced!

    ¡°So, it¡¯s impossible to save the monastery?¡±

    Zhou Ruying shook her head. ¡°The best thing to do is disband the gang, find a bigger power, and rely on them. Look at Xiang Zichen, does he look like a sect master?¡±

    Lu Mingshu and Ling Wuxia shook their heads.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be a sect master. As long as he gets a little better and there¡¯s a power for him to rely on, he¡¯ll be able to protect himself.¡±

    Lu Mingshu and Ling Wuxia were convinced by her.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s...¡±

    ¡°Teach as much as we can.¡± Zhou Ruying sighed. ¡°It¡¯s difficult to create a master by teaching skills at thest minute, but what else can we do?¡±

    All of them knew that, at this point, the Tranquil Void Monastery¡¯s fate was in God¡¯s hands. Xiang Zichen and Xiang Zimei weren¡¯t gifted and didn¡¯t have good aptitudes, but their world had a lesser chance of encountering a bottleneck in cultivation, so maybe it would be easier for them to breakthrough.

    Thus, the three of them started training.

    To their surprise, training in this world¡¯s vital energy went well, and the benefits were clearly there. The spiritual energy in this world was gentler than mystic energy, which was rather ruthless.

    Maybe it isn¡¯t such a bad thing to be trapped here for some time.

    ...

    ¡°It¡¯s starting! It¡¯s starting!¡±

    As soon as the ranking match began, the za of Volt Wing City was packed like sardines in a can. The surrounding restaurants were fully booked too.

    Of course, the Tranquil Void Monastery wasn¡¯t that rich, so they could only stand with the crowd.

    After watching a few matches, Zhou Ruying could no longer stand it. ¡°Why are the cultivators in this world so weak? When I was in the Inner Breath Realm, I could take down ten people on my own!¡±

    ¡°Their cultivation is too low. When they reach higher cultivations, you will know how scary the people in this world can be.¡±

    At the lower cultivations, their magic wouldn¡¯t have taken form yet. With their speed, Lu Mingshu and the rest would surely win. But as soon as these cultivators passed the Solid Pellet Realm, it wouldn¡¯t be nearly as easy. Lu Mingshu saw one such cultivator in the Heavenly Wheel before, and even with her world¡¯s martial arts, she knew she would lose for sure if they fought.

    ¡°Hurry, it¡¯s our turn now!¡± Xiang Zichen nudged Zhou Ruying.

    ¡°Yeah, I know, don¡¯t panic.¡± Zhou Ruying patted him. ¡°Remember toy a bet.¡±

    Xiang Zichen and his two juniors went toy a bet while the Lu Mingshu trio went up topete.

    The first match was against a gang simr to the Tranquil Void Monastery.

    Zhou Ruying went up first and finished her opponent in three attacks. Lu Mingshu went up right after her and finished it with one attack.

    There wasn¡¯t even a need for Ling Wuxia topete.

    For the next fight, it was Zhou Ruying and Ling Wuxia.

    Third fight...

    Facing lower-level cultivators, it was better for a martial artist to just go straight up. Before the other party could cast any spells, they were already attacked. As for those who used weapons, they were extremely reliant on their spiritual energy, so their actual skills were full of mistakes.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± In the casino, Xiang Zichen and his juniors won another round. The took the spirit stones and ran outside.

    Zhou Ruying made it clear to them that they should not bet more than two games. With their age, people would surely target them, and they would end up losing it all.

    Meanwhile, Zhou Ruying and the rest won the fifth fight and could proceed to the next round.

    At this time, Xiang Zichen and his juniors came running over.

    ¡°Seniors, Seniors!¡±

    Looking at Lu Mingshu and the rest eating melon seeds out of boredom, Xiang Zichen was all smiles. ¡°Look at all this money!¡±

    From owning only ten spirit stones, he now had five hundred!

    However, the trio didn¡¯t seem to be fascinated by it.

    Five hundred spirit stones were the equivalent of only five mystic stones, which was basically nothing to them.

    ¡°Keep it up, and remember to put down a bigger bet.¡± Zhou Ruying pointed at his spirit stones. ¡°Also, go get some clothing that a servant would wear.¡±

    ¡°For what?¡± Xiang Zichen looked at her in confusion.

    ¡°With how you look right now, you¡¯re just a fat sheep waiting to be ughtered. However, if you dress like a servant, betting big won¡¯t make you a target since people won¡¯t know who your master is, and they won¡¯t dare to offend someone if they don¡¯t know how powerful they are,¡± Lu Mingshu pointed out.

    ¡°Oh....¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t win so fast during the next round or people will be suspicious,¡± Zhou Ruying told the other two girls.

    ¡°We know that.¡± Ling Wuxia rolled her eyes.

    It was normal for them to win quickly during the first round, but the next round would be harder as the opponents would be stronger. There would also be more people watching, so winning as quickly as before would attract more attention.

    They only wanted to earn some spirit stones and go home. There wasn¡¯t any benefit to attracting attention.

    After loafing around for a while, the next round was about to start.

    Entering this round symbolized that they would pay the second-ss taxes.

    After one more round, they could pay first-ss taxes.

    ...

    In front of the notice board, Daoist He was looking for the Tranquil Void Monastery¡¯s ranking while grinning from ear to ear.

    He started from the bottom.

    Oh? It¡¯s not there? Hahaha, did that kid not even go up for the first round?

    The bulky man suddenly nudged him. ¡°Brother He, look!¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Daoist He didn¡¯t even spare him a look.

    ¡°Tranquil Void Monastery!¡± the bulky man shouted. ¡°They got into the second round!¡±

    ¡°What did you say?¡± Daoist He looked at the bulky man in shock. Indeed, in the second-round name list, ¡°Tranquil Void Monastery¡± was written, and the gang leader¡¯s name, Xiang Zichen, was right below.

    ¡°It can¡¯t be!¡± Daoist He squinted his eyes and reread the name list. ¡°That kid¡¯s ability... does he have a helper?¡±

    ¡°Brother He, you might lose this time!¡± The bulky man blinked his eyes.

    Daoist He¡¯s expression was unreadable, but after a while, he startedughing. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s not a big deal. Even if they have a helper, can they make it to thest round? The gambling contract says that they need to win one fight for all rounds!¡±

 Chapter 268: Who Are You?

    <h4>Chapter 268: Who Are You?</h4>

    Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales

    ¡°Fight one, begin!¡± As soon as themand was given, Lu Mingshu fished out her sword.

    She brought along an ordinary sword with her for the ranking match. Lunar God Sword was way too striking.

    ¡°Please guide me true!¡± the opponent shouted, and a fireball dashed toward Lu Mingshu.

    She dodged and avoided the attack.

    However, as if the fireball had eyes, it made a U-turn and went for her again.

    Lu Mingshu jumped up. Her sword-light chopped the fireball in half, and she fell back to the ground.

    Yelling could be heard from the spectators.

    Seeing that the first method didn¡¯t work, the opponent threw a razor de at her with great speed.

    However, to a martial artist, such speed was nothing.

    Dragging things out, the match finally ended after an hour.

    Next up was Ling Wuxia.

    Her weapon made it easier for her to drag things out, so it took around two hours for the match to end.

    ...

    ¡°Those girls are fishy.¡±

    At the restaurant nearest the arena, somebody whispered.

    ¡°Who?¡±

    The first person pointed his chin toward Lu Mingshu, Zhou Ruying, and Ling Wuxia.

    This was the best private room in the restaurant since it offered the best angle. When the ranking match took ce, one may not get such a room even if they were filthy rich.

    Two teenagers sat in the room. They were both nicely dressed. One looked ice-cold, while the other was full of smiles.

    The one full of smiles was slouching on his chair, drinking wine. Hearing the other, he looked in the same direction. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s some youngdiespeting.¡±

    Hispanion remained silent and continued to watch their fights carefully.

    After watching two fights, the teenagerughed while continuing to drink. ¡°Fishy indeed.¡±

    ¡°Their attacks are particr, and they pay special attention to their posture.¡±

    ¡°Uh-huh, just like a certain type of person.¡±

    Both exchanged nces. ¡°Sword cultivator!¡± they said in sync.

    Surprised at how in sync they were, they paused for a moment. ¡°Find someone to keep an eye on them!¡± both said at the same time again.

    ...

    After a while, the Tranquil Void Monastery got into thest round and won a fight sessfully.

    The normal ranking match basically ended here, and with the one necessary win, they had won the bet.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go and get the sword back!¡± Xiang Zichen cheered and hurried his juniors.

    We finally got our master¡¯s sword back!

    Lu Mingshu and the rest followed behind them unenthusiastically.

    Daoist He led a good life, and he even had a nice ce to stay on the street across the za.

    When they arrived, Daoist He was busy packing his stuff.

    ¡°Daoist He, where are you going?¡± Xiang Zichen asked.

    Seeing Xiang Zichen in front of him, Daoist He jumped out of his skin. He immediately stered a smile on his face ¡°Ah, it¡¯s Junior Nephew Xiang, what brings you to this old man¡¯s house?¡±

    ¡°Of course it¡¯s to get what we won!¡± Xiang Zimei yelled. ¡°Daoist He, return my master¡¯s flying sword!¡±

    ¡°Ah, that...¡± Daoist Heughed. ¡°Why are you in such a rush? Because your master¡¯s sword is such a treasure, I asked someone to safeguard it for me! I¡¯ll get someone to send it to you tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Spare your act!¡± Xiang Zimei obviously wouldn¡¯t buy his lies. ¡°Take it out right now or else...¡±

    ¡°Or else what? So what if this old man doesn¡¯t want to give it to you? Get lost!¡± Daoist He shouted at Xiang Zimei and pushed her, making her fall to the floor. He threw a Daoist talisman at Xiang Zichen and fled with his suitcase.

    Who the hell would stay here? So what if I signed the contract? Nobody will do anything to me as long as I move away ande back after a year or so!

    Ding¡ª! A sword appeared in front of him suddenly, nearly cutting his throat. ¡°Hello. Where do you think you¡¯re going, huh?¡±

    Zhou Ruying had a sword to his throat. Ling Wuxia and Lu Mingshu, who was sitting at the end of the street,zily rolled their eyes at him and yelled, ¡°Can you hurry up? We want to go home and sleep!¡±

    Daoist He was indeed a flexible person who could turn on a dime. He bit his lips and dropped down to the floor, crying. ¡°Great Aunt, I¡¯m a blind idiot, I¡¯ll return it right away, I¡¯m sorry....¡±

    ...

    After getting back their master¡¯s relic, Xiang Zichen and his juniors were on cloud nine. Meanwhile, Lu Mingshu and the others went into their room with the sack of spirit stones.

    The trio sat in a circle and stared a hole into the mirror in Lu Mingshu¡¯s hand.

    The spirit stones lit up one by one and dimmed soon after, with spiritual energy being transferred into the mirror.

    The whole sack was used up in no time, but there were still no changes.

    ¡°Did we perhaps get it wrong?¡± Ling Wuxia asked.

    ¡°No.¡± Lu Mingshu shook her head firmly. ¡°Look, it¡¯s brighter than before.¡±

    ¡°True,¡± Zhou Ruying said after examining the mirror for a while.

    ¡°Which means that sack of spirit stones wasn¡¯t enough?¡±

    The trio sighed. That was more than a thousand spirit stones! If even that was not enough, what else could they do? It wasn¡¯t easy to quickly get a thousand spirit stones with normal ways. How much longer will we be here?

    ¡°Shh!¡± Ling Wuxia suddenly shushed.

    The three of them shivered. They each picked up their swords and stood in a different corner, blowing out the light immediately.

    After some time, they could hear sounds, and Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t hesitate to leap up.

    Whoosh! Now, there was a huge hole in the roof. Lu Mingshu could see a figure from the corner of her eyes. She went toward it, and her sword-energy went for the figure.

    Ling Wuxia wasn¡¯t slow either. Being near the door, she immediately rushed out.

    Zhou Ruying jumped out of the window that was nearest to her.

    In the blink of an eye, all three had arrived on the roof.

    The figure sessfully dodged Lu Mingshu¡¯s attack but was blocked by the other two.

    ¡°Come, show Miss your face!¡± Zhou Ruyingmanded him. ¡°If you look handsome, Miss may spare your life!¡±

    The other party stared at her angrily. A spark could be seen from his hand, which went after all of them.

    He wanted to seize the chance to run away while they were distracted, but to his surprise, these three weren¡¯t affected at all.

    The guy snapped his fingers, and the flying needle went back to him.

    Sadly, he had no chance to attack again.

    Some white silk blocked his way, and two swords came from the side to stop him.

    ¡°Three Misses, please spare him!¡± At this moment, somebody shouted.

    Under the moonlight, a young man in brocade clothingnded on the roof. He was good looking, but his baby face and the slender figure would make one describe him as a gorgeous young man rather than a handsome one. His manners were refined, which made him seem like a noble.

    He smiled widely at the trio and bowed. ¡°I¡¯m Su Ze, nice to meet you, Misses.¡±

    Seeing the trio staring at him cautiously, heughed and bowed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my methods were rather rude. I only sent him here because I want to meet you, Misses. I¡¯m sorry if I offended you.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s your person?¡± Lu Mingshu stared at him coldly.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Su Ze smiled thinly.

    ¡°Well, what do you want?¡±

    ¡°I want to invite you three for a talk.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s there to talk about? We don¡¯t even know each other.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly why we should.¡± Su Zeughed and put on a stern face. ¡°Misses, if it were someone else who knew about you three, they might not be so polite.¡±

    The trio turned as white as a sheet of paper.

    Know about us? What does he mean by that? Is he saying that...

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with us?¡± Zhou Ruying shot him a death re. ¡°Is being a resident of Volt Wing City something weird?¡±

    ¡°No, not at all.¡± The other party smiled. ¡°But as swordsmanship cultivators, Misses are indeed daring to be strolling around on the streets.¡±

 Chapter 269: You Too

    <h4>Chapter 269: You Too</h4>

    They were all martial artists, and Zhou Ruying and Lu Mingshu used a sword. Even though Ling Wuxia didn¡¯t, she practised sword energy too. Thus, there was nothing wrong in calling them swordsmanship cultivators.

    But what¡¯s wrong with that? Why can¡¯t we go out freely?

    Not mentioning Zhou Ruying and Ling Wuxia, but Lu Mingshu had ess to the Heavenly Wheel, so she knew that, in this kind of world, swordsmanship cultivators were normally part of the upper ss, as their ability was mostly above average and they could fight well.

    So why did Su Ze make it sound like they were discriminated against here?

    ¡°Misses, could you spare some of your time?¡±

    Seeing the trio staring at each other, Su Zeughed. ¡°It¡¯s not appropriate to chat here, and there are three kids here too. It wouldn¡¯t be nice if they were dragged in.¡±

    ¡°Are you threatening us?¡± Zhou Ruying asked coldly.

    ¡°Of course not.¡± Su Ze shook his finger. ¡°I only suggest that because it¡¯s beneficial for both of us. If others were to know that I fought a swordsmanship cultivator, I¡¯d be in trouble too.¡±

    The trio exchanged nces, and Zhou Ruying nodded. ¡°Okay, lead the way.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t because of Su Ze threatening them; the Lu Mingshu trio and the Xiang Zichen trio couldn¡¯t be considered close anyway. But what if Su Ze was telling the truth and the rooftop was an unsuitable ce for them to have a talk? Even if Su Ze was lying, they could easily defeat the cultivators in this world, so there was nothing to be afraid of.

    Of course, if there was a Solid Pellet Realm cultivator supporting Su Ze, there was nothing they could do. But if that was the case, there would be no difference if they went with him or not since it would be easy for such a cultivator to take them down either way.

    Around ten minutester, Su Ze pushed open a back door to a building.

    Lu Mingshu stared at the ce. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a restaurant?¡±

    Su Ze turned to her and smiled. ¡°Please be at ease, Miss. This restaurant belongs to my friend, and I assure you that it¡¯s safe.¡±

    Zhou Ruying and Ling Wuxia turned to Lu Mingshu.

    Lu Mingshu scanned around before nodding.

    There weren¡¯t any traps here. Even though there were some runes around, it was a normal arrangement for defence.

    The restaurant had already closed for the day, and it was so quiet that it was like apletely different ce from how it was in the morning.

    The shopkeeper greeted them and lead them to a private room on the second floor. ¡°Sir, Gentleman Su is here.¡±

    In the private room, there sat a young man who was about the same age as Su Ze. He was ice-cold, different form Su Ze who was always smiling.

    Hearing the shopkeeper, he looked up.

    The shopkeeper closed the door and went off.

    ¡°This is my friend, Yan Fei,¡± Su Ze introduced.

    Yan Fei stood up and bowed. ¡°How may I address you, Misses?¡±

    Zhou Ruying nced over at the other two and replied for them. ¡°My surname¡¯s Zhou, hers is Lu, and Ling for her.¡±

    Yan Fei nodded and pointed to the chairs in front of him. ¡°Please take a seat, Misses.¡±

    The five of them sat down, and Yan Fei poured them tea. Seeing this, Ling Wuxia furrowed her eyebrows. ¡°Can you make this quick? We are all busy, so why waste each other¡¯s time?¡±

    Lu Mingshu smiled hearing Ling Wuxia. As soon as she arrived here, she became aggressive! Is it for tolerating too much back in our world? No matter how upset she was, she always had to remain gentle and polite.

    But she¡¯s better like this.

    ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s the problem?¡± Zhou Ruying nodded.

    Yan Fei and Su Ze exchanged nces. Su Ze smiled at her, ¡°Misses, you¡¯re not from around here, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°No wonder why Misses are unaware. Volt Wing City does not wee swordsmanship cultivators.¡± Su Ze smiled thinly.

    The trio had already guessed it, so Zhou Ruying didn¡¯t beat around the bush. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Misses should be aware of what the government structure in Volt Wing City is like; a ranking match is held every thirty years to decide who gets control. Around thirty years ago, the ranking match was just a show because the power of one force, in particr, was too strong for anyone to ovee.¡±

    ¡°A swordsmanship cultivator¡¯s force?¡± Lu Mingshu furrowed her eyebrows.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Su Ze nodded.

    ¡°When a force bes too strong, it would be more and more arrogant. Since it¡¯s no longer in control, it must¡¯ve been forcefully disbanded by some other forces, and now Volt Wing City does not wee swordsmanship cultivators?¡± Before he could continue, Ling Wuxia finished his story for him.

    ¡°Miss is right.¡±

    ¡°So why did you call us over? Just to warn us?¡±

    Looking at Su Ze, Yan Fei continued. ¡°The ranking match you fought in was just an inferiorpetition, so there weren¡¯t many who would take notice of it. However, you three will be in danger if anyone else discovered that you are swordsmanship cultivators.¡±

    ¡°So? What does it have to do with you?¡± Zhou Ruying crossed her arms and stared at them cautiously. ¡°You¡¯re not going to say that you were just being nice, right?¡±

    ¡°How could that be?¡± Lu Mingshu raised her eyebrows. ¡°There¡¯s only one possibility why they are so sensitive to swordsmanship cultivators.¡±

    Ling Wuxia nodded. ¡°You two are swordsmanship cultivators too.¡±

    ¡°...¡± The answer may not have been hard to guess, but the Lu Mingshu trio constantly finishing their story for them had them at a loss.

    ¡°Two swordsmanship cultivators lurking around in a city where they aren¡¯t wee... what are you here for?¡± Zhou Ruyingughed.

    ¡°This restaurant must¡¯ve cost quite a lot to be opened in such a ce, right?¡± Lu Mingshu looked around.

    ¡°Oh, not only that.¡± Ling Wuxiaughed. ¡°Besides the cost, there must be some rtionships involved too.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s weird.¡± Lu Mingshu caressed her sword. ¡°Having rtionships in a ce where the people here hate swordsmanship cultivators... you two are interesting!¡±

    ¡°Ai, what¡¯s there to guess?¡± Zhou Ruying ¡°You¡¯re obviously undercover!¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Su Ze smiled bitterly and bit his lip. ¡°Misses, I¡¯m sorry for sending someone to test you. I¡¯m sorry for offending you, but can you please leave us some face at least?¡±

    ¡°Cut the nonsense,¡± Ling Wuxia said coldly. ¡°Just get to the main point. I can¡¯t stand people who always beat around the bush.¡±

    ¡°A man who has nothing is not afraid of losing while a man who has everything is.¡± Zhou Ruying grinned. ¡°Don¡¯t think of threatening us. We have nothing here and can just leave.¡±

    Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t have anything else to add. She just shot a nce over.

    Su Ze wanted to say something, but Yan Fei stopped him. ¡°Nice, I like it. Then I¡¯ll just get to the point. As swordsmanship cultivators, Misses are strong. I¡¯d like to ask for help from you three.¡±

    Zhou Ruying pped, looking satisfied. ¡°Okay, say it then, what kind of help?¡±

    ¡°Rescue someone,¡± Yan Fei said. ¡°Help us rescue someone.¡±

    ¡°Ah?¡±

    ...

    It was already midnight when they exited the restaurant.

    The trio walked along the street slowly back to the monastery.

    After a while, Zhou Ruying broke the silence. ¡°What do you two think about it?¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked at her. ¡°Ask Miss Ling.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re willing to let her decide?¡± Zhou Ruying stared at Lu Mingshu weirdly.

    Lu Mingshu looked at Ling Wuxia, who was in front. ¡°Miss Ling is very aggressive right now, and a bit emotionally unstable. I¡¯m afraid that, if we don¡¯t listen to her now, she¡¯ll go crazy and drag all of us into trouble.¡±

    Zhou Ruying nodded. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±

    Since arriving here, Ling Wuxia did not have a good temper. It was understandable though. She lived a luxurious life in their world as if she was a goddess. Now, they did not have a good environment, and she only had two ¡°friends¡± with her. Compared to Lu Mingshu and Zhou Ruying, the difference was too big. Among the three of them, Ling Wuxia must¡¯ve been the one that wanted to get back the most.

 Chapter 270: Saving a Life

    <h4>Chapter 270: Saving a Life</h4>

    ¡°Are you guys done!?¡± Ling Wuxia yelled at them.

    Lu Mingshu pouted and side-eyed Zhou Ruying.

    Zhou Ruying grinned and went up. ¡°Hey, Miss Ling, the world is such a nice ce, chill! We can talk anything out.¡±

    Ling Wuxia looked at her and swallowed the words in her throat. ¡°Fine, I just feel like helping them. What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Nothing¡¯s wrong!¡± Zhou Ruying waved her hand. ¡°I¡¯m cool about it.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded in agreement.

    Their current situation didn¡¯t offer them much choice. As Zhou Ruying said, they were outsiders, so if they wanted to stay, they could stay, and if they wanted to leave, they could leave.

    However, not only were they from another ce, they were from another world.

    It wasn¡¯t hard to leave this city, but to look for a new one and try to earn spirit stones to get back was very troublesome! And who knew if the mirror had any restrictions and could only work in this particr city? What if they couldn¡¯t go back anywhere else?

    So, what Yan Fei and Su Ze said was true; it was better to work with them.

    It was just that...

    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t lie to us, right?¡± Zhou Ruying asked. ¡°Those two have been here for so long. I felt that they are not that trustworthy!¡±

    ¡°Are you trustworthy then?¡± Ling Wuxia sneered.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Zhou Ruying still wasn¡¯t used to her. ¡°If something happens to you, make sure I don¡¯t die with you, okay?¡±

    ¡°Hmph!¡±

    ¡°I remember that the Solid Pellet Realm is the highest cultivation in Volt Wing City, right?¡±

    Ling Wuxia nodded. ¡°That¡¯s what we heard.¡±

    ¡°The Solid Pellet Realm is even harder to reach than the Spirit Realm. If we can avoid them, we have a high chance of seeding.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯re going to agree?¡± Zhou Ruying asked.

    Lu Mingshu looked behind her. ¡°If we don¡¯t, we will bring even more trouble.¡±

    With their ability, it wasn¡¯t hard to tell that someone was following them. Obviously, it was Su Ze and Yan Fei who sent the person. It was such a big secret, so how could they just leave it be? In fact, they didn¡¯t want to reveal their secret in the first ce. Su Ze just wanted to invite them back to have a talk to find out who they were, and they identally exposed themselves in the process. With no other choice left, they had to make the Lu Mingshu trio join forces with them.

    ¡°Who¡¯s afraid of them!?¡± Zhou Ruying said in disdain. ¡°We can just leave whenever we want!¡±

    ¡°If they decide to force us to help them, it won¡¯t be so easy.¡± Lu Mingshu sighed. ¡°Furthermore, we have pressing needs.¡±

    Spirit stones ¨C a huge amount of spirit stones. They needed the mirror to work if they wanted to go back. A few thousand spirit stones only gave it a small amount of power, which meant that it would need roughly at least a few million for it to be usable.

    Where could they get a few million spirit stones? Working as coolies would take them at least three to five years to earn such a sum. They had limited time, unlike the people in this world who could live a long life.

    ¡°But...¡± Zhou Ruying may have seemed to be fearless, but due to the tasks that she was always assigned, she had be very cautious to ensure that she would live for a long time.

    ¡°Let¡¯s agree before we decide,¡± Ling Wuxia said. ¡°If we dare not even try, how would we seed? Standing here, unable to make a decision, won¡¯t help.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I do agree. Only if we participate will we know what it¡¯s like and if they are genuine.¡± Lu Mingshu nodded.

    ¡°Fine....¡± Zhou Ruying sighed.

    ...

    ¡°You told them everything?¡± In the restaurant, Su Ze was staring at Yan Fei, eyes widened in shock. ¡°This is too risky! Who knows who they even are?¡±

    ¡°Surely not citizens of Volt Wing City.¡±

    ¡°I know, I know, but...¡±

    ¡°What would they gain from selling us out?¡± Yan Fei asked, looking at his teacup. ¡°They are swordsmanship cultivators too. If they sold us out, they would drag themselves down too.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not about selling us out or not.¡± Su Ze sighed. ¡°How could you just tell an outsider about that?¡±

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t this your idea?¡± Yan Fei looked up.

    ¡°What I meant was...¡± Su Ze sighed and decided to not continue.

    Yan Fei had already told them, so what was the use of continuing? It couldn¡¯t change the fact that the three youngdies already knew.

    ¡°Hear me out,¡± Yan Fei whispered. ¡°We are out of time. Young Master can no longer take it anymore.¡±

    ¡°But...¡±

    ¡°Would you rather just wait to die?¡±

    Su Ze bit his lips.

    ¡°God is helping us,¡± Yan Fei said. ¡°I thought we were hopeless, but then those three showed up.¡±

    Su Ze shook his head and sighed. ¡°To us, they are unknown people, and we have zero trusts between us and them. It is better to ask those people. At least we know them well and a have good rtionship.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wrong.¡± Yan Fei smiled thinly. ¡°Yes, we have good rtions with those people, but they have their own families and gangs too. The threedies, on the other hand, have nothing to be concerned about. If something happens, it would be more troublesome for us to deal with others than those three girls.¡±

    ¡°But...¡±

    ¡°Have you found anyone who¡¯s better than them?¡± Yan Fei stared at him. ¡°I don¡¯t know where they are from, but for people in the Foundation Realm, they are extremely powerful.¡±

    Su Ze nodded. He had experienced it personally.

    ¡°These past years, we have been living our lives like mice, hiding here and there. We can¡¯t drag it out anymore, we have to do something.¡± Yan Fei leaned in toward Su Ze. ¡°Maybe we will find a way to live.¡±

    ...

    The Su Ze pair wanted them to save somebody who was locked up in a dungeon in the protectorate administrative building.

    They didn¡¯t specify who, but even an idiot would know it was another swordsmanship cultivator.

    ¡°How do we know that you won¡¯t leave us to die?¡± Zhou Ruying stared at them weirdly. ¡°There are surely Solid Pellet Realm cultivators in there.¡±

    ¡°I will go along with you,¡± Yan Fei said. ¡°If anything happens, I¡¯m doomed too.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be outside keeping a lookout,¡± Su Ze added immediately. ¡°Please be at ease. He¡¯s important to us, so we won¡¯t joke around with his life.¡±

    Zhou Ruying raised an eyebrow and shrugged.

    ¡°We have nned this for a long time.¡± Yan Fei took out a map. ¡°The Solid Pellet Realms in the administrative building are all not around right now. There¡¯s only one on guard, but he¡¯s obsessed with refining pills. Pretty soon, it will be a very important time for refining his pill, so unless it concerns the life and death of this city, there¡¯s no way he wille out. This is our chance.¡±

    Lu Mingshu started at the map, listening to Yan Fei exin.

    ¡°Wait a minute,¡± she suddenly cut him off.

    Yan Fei looked up.

    Lu Mingshu pointed at the dungeon¡¯s position. ¡°There¡¯s a problem with the map here.¡±

    ¡°Miss Lu, we got it from the administrative building, it can¡¯t possibly be wrong.¡± Su Ze denied Lu Mingshu immediately.

    ¡°There definitely is.¡± Lu Mingshu looked at him. ¡°The data does not match. Either you were cheated, or it¡¯s a top-secret that even your spy doesn¡¯t know.¡±

 Chapter 271: The Map

    <h4>Chapter 271: The Map</h4>

    As for lying to them with a fake map, Lu Mingshu thought it was highly improbable.

    Yan Fei was going in together with them to save someone who was very important to them. Showing them a fake map would not benefit him.

    Unless this whole story of saving the person was all made up just to trick them here.

    But what would be the point of that?

    The trio was poor in the eyes of this world¡¯s cultivators. They did not have any powerful spirit weapons or magical stuff or any special pills. All they had was their basic weapons.

    Hearing her, Yan Fei and Su Ze exchanged nces. They couldn¡¯t tell if it was Lu Mingshu who was wrong or the map.

    ¡°Erm, Miss Lu...¡±

    ¡°You better believe her words,¡± Ling Wuxia interrupted. ¡°I¡¯m not going to die with any of you.¡±

    Lu Mingshu turned to Ling Wuxia in surprise. She¡¯s supporting me?

    Receiving Lu Mingshu¡¯s nce, Ling Wuxia huffed.

    She wasn¡¯t an idiot. No matter whether it was during the Qilin Festival or in the small house, she could tell that Lu Mingshu¡¯s strength and ability were there. Ling Wuxia may have been a hypocrite, but she knew true martial arts talent when she saw it.

    These past few days, she was recalling what happened ever since they arrived. She didn¡¯t leave out a single detail, and she was shocked at Lu Mingshu¡¯s ability to adapt to changes.

    Maybe it¡¯s just talent? This is Lu Mingshu¡¯s first time here, and yet it seems like she already adapted to it a long time ago.

    If Ling Wuxia had the Heavenly Wheel too, she would know that it was the power of imagination.

    Yan Fei looked over to Su Ze before turning to Lu Mingshu. ¡°Miss Lu, what do you mean by it doesn¡¯t match with the data? Can you be more specific?¡±

    ¡°Do you have a pen?¡±

    Su Ze immediately passed her a pen.

    Lu Ming took out some white paper and started drawing on it.

    Her picture was a bit weird. At first nce, the lines were messy, but looking at it closely, it seemed like it was right in front of them.

    ¡°Look at the drawing. With the data given on the map, the shape is wrong.¡± She then changed her style of drawing. ¡°Pretend that it¡¯s a mistake, let¡¯s brush it up, and it will end up like this...¡±

    After she finished drawing, Su Ze¡¯s eyes widened at the drawing. ¡°Here... a huge part is gone.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded. ¡°ording to what you said, they have cast some spells inside, which would make things even worse. If we were to go on like this, we would be trapped inside.¡±

    Yan Fei and Su Ze saw fear in each other¡¯s eyes.

    They had put in their blood, sweat, and tears for this map, and it turned out to have a huge defect. If they were to carry out the n as originally intended, not only would they not save the person they wanted to save, they would go to heaven together.

    ¡°Miss Lu.¡± Yan Fei looked at her sternly. ¡°We have no time to get a new map.¡±

    ¡°Do you want us to die with you? Dream on.¡± Zhou Ruying rolled her eyes. ¡°If not for your conditions, I wouldn¡¯t have even stayed in the first ce!¡±

    ¡°I have an idea,¡± Lu Mingshu said softly.

    The Su Ze pair stared at her eagerly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you only have one spy in the building, right? Let them draw what they see every day, and we can piece them together.¡±

    ¡°Erm...¡± Su Ze nced over at Yan Fei. ¡°What do you think?¡±

    Lu Mingshu shrugged and smiled. ¡°Just a suggestion. Take it or not, it¡¯s not my problem anyways.¡±

    Seeing their faces, Ling Wuxia stood up and tidied her clothes. ¡°Well, we are done for today. Tell us when you have made up your minds.¡±

    ...

    Not even two days had passed, and the pair invited them over again.

    ¡°They seem desperate,¡± Lu Mingshu whispered.

    ¡°Yeah, maybe there¡¯s some factors forcing them to do so.¡± Zhou Ruying smirked. ¡°More money for us, heh!¡±

    Ling Wuxia nodded in agreement.

    ¡°This is the maps we have drawn out.¡±

    As soon as they arrived, Su Ze scrambled to get the maps out and ced them in front of the Lu Mingshu trio.

    The drawings were mostly simple. One could only figure out the rough outlines.

    Lu Mingshu said nothing and examined them closely one by one.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, none of them can draw....¡± Yan Fei looked apologetic.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Lu Mingshu stared at the maps intensely.

    While she was looking, Zhou Ruying and Ling Wuxia sat aside quietly.

    Yan Fei and Su Ze fidgeted in their chairs anxiously.

    If this doesn¡¯t work, then they won¡¯t help us anymore, right? Without the trio and an iplete picture of the structure inside, it would be hard for them to get someone out. They would have wasted twenty years hiding, so neither of them were willing to give up just like that.

    Half an hour passed by.

    Lu Mingshu put down the drawings and started sketching on a new sheet of paper.

    Yan Fei and Su Ze hurried over.

    Lu Mingshu could draw very fast. In the blink of an eye, a scene appeared in front of them.

    ¡°Nice!¡± Su Ze pped. ¡°It¡¯s like I¡¯m seeing it with my own eyes!¡±

    After Lu Mingshu made the finishing touches, she turned to the two of them. ¡°If this map is urate, you will have to change all your ns.¡±

    ¡°Miss Lu, are you sure it¡¯s correct?¡± Yan Fei raised his eyebrows in suspicion.

    ¡°Of course it includes some imagination, but I am ny-five per cent sure that it is urate,¡± Lu Mingshu replied frankly.

    Ny-five per cent was a pretty amazing number. Even an actual map may not have ny-five per cent uracy.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Yan Fei said softly. ¡°We¡¯ll n again and make thest preparations. If everything goes well, we will do it after three days. This is ourst chance; I¡¯m afraid the other Solid Pellet Realms maye back if we continue dragging things out.¡±

    ¡°Hey, hang on.¡± Before they left, Zhou Ruying went over to Su Ze and Yan Fei, grinning happily. ¡°This doesn¡¯t count as part of our original deal, right?¡±

    Su Ze understood her immediately and took out a pouch. ¡°Thank you for your trouble, Misses. Please ept this as a thank you gift.¡±

    As Zhou Ruying went to take the money pouch, Lu Mingshu reached out faster and grabbed it. ¡°You¡¯re wee. We will take our leave now. I hope everything goes well.¡±

    ...

    As soon as they got out of the restaurant, Zhou Ruying started yelling at Lu Mingshu. ¡°Such a petty bitch!¡±

    ¡°I did the job, so I should take it! You have a problem with that?¡± Lu Mingshu side-eyed her. ¡°Get it yourself if you¡¯re capable!¡±

    Zhou Ruying stomped and threw her dirty nces.

    Ling Wuxia was surprisingly quiet today. She didn¡¯t even pay attention to them.

    ¡°Eh, will she drag us down?¡± Zhou Ruying couldn¡¯t contain her curiosity.

    Looking at Ling Wuxia, Lu Mingshu shook her head. ¡°No, she has such a great life back home, so she treasures her life more than us.¡±

    ¡°But she¡¯s too quiet today!¡±

    ¡°Maybe something happened to her?¡± Lu Mingshu said and walked off.

    Did something happen? What could happen to Ling Wuxia? Zhou Ruying shook her head and started whistling. This girl is arrogant anyway, she deserves it.

 Chapter 272: Not a Pressing Matter

    <h4>Chapter 272: Not a Pressing Matter</h4>

    ¡°Practice this set of skills for at least two hours per day. Remember.¡±

    Xiang Zichen and his juniors nodded obediently.

    ¡°As for the Tranquil Void Monastery, you siblings can just give up on it. With your ability, you can¡¯t keep it anymore. Since you made it into the first round this year, find a good force and join them. There will be forces that will take you in.¡±

    ¡°Senior, you mean for us to throw away the Tranquil Void Monastery?¡± Xiang Zimei looked at Zhou Ruying in shock.

    Zhou Ruying smiled and nodded. ¡°We are going to leave soon, and you need five to six years before you are capable enough to protect it. Who¡¯s going to support you in the meantime?¡±

    ¡°This...¡± Xiang Zimei bit her lips. Can¡¯t you all please stay? We can even let you be the gang leader! That¡¯s what Xiang Zimei wanted to say, but she knew well that the Tranquil Void Monastery was nothing to the Lu Mingshu trio.

    ¡°I have let Master down....¡± Xiang Zichen looked down dejectedly.

    Zhou Ruying patted him. ¡°Everyone has their weakness; you¡¯re just not cut out to be a gang leader. Join a good force, work hard, and take good care of your juniors.¡±

    Xiang Zichen nodded his head hard. ¡°I will surely protect them!¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t protect them forever.¡± Zhou Ruyingughed. ¡°Teach them useful skills, because in this world, nobody can protect someone else forever.¡±

    ¡°Senior...¡±

    Zhou Ruying patted his head. ¡°Ah, get to work!¡±

    As soon as Xiang Zichen left with his juniors, Lu Mingshu walked out. ¡°You really care for them, huh?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t possibly help someone halfway, right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because they resemble you.¡±

    ¡°Bitch,¡± Zhou Ruying cursed under her breath. ¡°Why are you so irritating? You always press me on things I don¡¯t wanna talk about. No wonder nobody likes you!¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that obvious? Nobody likes me in Nine Jade Pce either.¡± Lu Mingshu shrugged.

    Zhou Ruying huffed.

    ¡°What do you n to do after we get back?¡± Lu Mingshu asked.

    ¡°Can you stop?¡± Zhou Ruying facepalmed. ¡°You aren¡¯t a busybody, so why are you always asking about my life?¡±

    ¡°Because I like you!¡± Lu Mingshuughed. ¡°You¡¯re under Zhou Miaoru, and I¡¯m happy to see you betray her. That¡¯s why I want you to have a good future. Isn¡¯t that reasonable?¡±

    ¡°...shun.¡±

    ¡°So, why are you still not answering?¡±

    Zhou Ruying stared at her weirdly and plopped down by the stairs. ¡°I have not made a decision.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Lu Mingshu sat next to her. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you still want to go back.¡±

    Zhou Ruying shook her head. ¡°Are you nuts? She¡¯ll kill me if I do.¡±

    ¡°Then...¡±

    ¡°Shhh.¡± She covered Lu Mingshu mouth. ¡°Even if I betray her, I won¡¯t follow you either.¡±

    ¡°Where do you wish to go? If you don¡¯t have anything in mind, I have a ce to rmend.¡± Lu Mingshu smiled thinly. With her current ability, she still wasn¡¯t capable enough to get a follower like Zhou Ruying.

    ¡°Oh? Where?¡± Zhou Ruying looked at her in shock. ¡°I thought you wanted to bring me along with you to make Zhou Miaoru die of anger.¡±

    ¡°I did n to do that,¡± Lu Mingshu answered honestly. ¡°But if I do so, you will be in danger...¡±

    As soon as Zhou Ruying wanted to cry because she was so touched, she heard Lu Mingshu continue, ¡°...and bringing you along will bring me even more hatred. What if they involved my master?¡±

    Zhou Ruying no longer felt touched, instead, she felt like pping Lu Mingshu. ¡°Ah, I knew it....¡±

    ¡°Knew what?¡±

    ¡°Nothing, continue.¡±

    ¡°The ce I¡¯m talking about is Zhongzhou. You¡¯re so experienced, so you would be good as a spy.¡±

    ¡°You mean you¡¯re going to rmend me to the queen of Zhongzhou?¡± Zhou Ruying looked at her in surprise.

    Lu Mingshu nodded. ¡°I may be able to do so. But since you were initially under Zhou Miaoru, there¡¯s a smaller chance they would favour you.¡±

    Zhou Ruying didn¡¯t think of that. She didn¡¯t have many ambitions or desires. If she did, Zhou Miaoru wouldn¡¯t have been able to control her for such a long time.

    ¡°Your damaged meridians may be cured too,¡± Lu Mingshu continued. ¡°Zhongzhou is the wealthiest ce in all of China. If you work hard, the queen might reward you with some medication.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Hearing no reply from Zhou Ruying, Lu Mingshu looked over. ¡°Do you not like the ce?¡±

    Zhou Ruying shook her head. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I was just thinking about why you¡¯re suddenly treating me so nicely.¡±

    Lu Mingshuughed at herself. ¡°I¡¯ve never been a bad person, please.¡±

    It was perfectly reasonable for Lu Mingshu to dislike Ling Wuxia; they were as different as day and night. Ling Wuxia could y mind games well and make everyone think she was a good person, while Lu Mingshu was always treated as an enemy by others because of her character. But in reality, Ling Wuxia was selfish while Lu Mingshu was always willing to help others, so who was the bad guy here?

    ¡°To be honest, I never thought I would be this lucky,¡± Zhou Ruying said. ¡°I was an orphan who lived with the Zhou Family since I was young. My body foundation was good, so if everything went smoothly, I would be a close friend of the Zhou Family right now. But who knew I would meet Zhou Yinru?¡±

    After so many days, this was the first time that Zhou Ruying actually opened up.

    ¡°Zhou Yinru, that Witch, you know how evil she is? Just because I was better than her, she changed my medicine to damage my meridians. And the other bitch Zhao Miaoru is-¡±

    ¡°Extremely self-centred.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. The most selfish pig I¡¯ve ever met.¡± Zhou Ruying nodded. ¡°Even Zhou Yinru is just a tool to her.¡± Speaking of that, Zhou Ruying then whispered, ¡°By the way, Zhou Miaoru and your dad aren¡¯t that close either.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Lu Mingshu said calmly.

    ¡°You do?¡± Zhou Ruying raised her eyebrows.

    ¡°The fact that my father doesn¡¯t have full control over the Zhou Family matters is enough to prove that,¡± Lu Mingshu said calmly. ¡°Zhou Miaoru does not trust my father.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Zhou Ruying sighed. ¡°Everyone thinks that they are very loving....¡±

    ¡°Heh.¡± Lu Mingshu felt nothing about it. She didn¡¯t care about her father anymore. ¡°My father isn¡¯t easy either. The loving couple can still fight.¡±

    ¡°Heh, you could tell.¡± Zhou Ruyingughed.

    ¡°There must be some inside stories about why he was chosen as the sect leader, right?¡± Lu Mingshu asked. ¡°The Zhou Family didn¡¯t exactly have many choices back then, but my father... he had no support and was still in the Inner Breath Realm in his twenties, so he wasn¡¯t the best choice no matter what. Furthermore, he was only in the Harmonization Realm for seven years before he broke through to the Spirit Realm. If I were him, I would¡¯ve spent more time polishing my basics if I knew my foundation wasn¡¯t good.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not something I know. All I know is that you¡¯ll have a good show to watch when you get back.¡± Zhou Ruyingughed.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a pressing matter.¡± Lu Mingshu looked down at her hand. ¡°I¡¯m still not that strong, so they can wait a bit longer.¡±

 Chapter 273: Sneaking In

    <h4>Chapter 273: Sneaking In</h4>

    Outside the protectorate administrative building, Lu Mingshu hid on a rooftop, hugging her sword.

    Zhou Ruying was beside her, sitting in an ugly posture as if she was at home.

    ¡°Hey, what are you thinking about?¡± Zhou Ruying picked up some grass and poked Lu Mingshu.

    ¡°What if I die here?¡± Lu Mingshu replied.

    Zhou Ruying stared at her nkly for a moment beforeughing out loud. ¡°You are afraid of dying? What joke is this?¡±

    ¡°Of course. If I die, somebody would be upset.¡±

    Zhou Ruying leaned back and sighed, looking at her with envy. ¡°Your master, huh? You¡¯re lucky, at least one person cares about you.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Master, Hui Niang, Ah Sheng, Gao Xiang, and...

    Lu Mingshu looked up at the sky. Even though there¡¯s not many, there are still people who care about me.

    ¡°Good for you! If I die, I doubt anyone would care.¡± Zhou Ruying looked up too.

    ¡°That¡¯s why you can¡¯t die.¡±

    Zhou Ruying stared at her, dumbfounded. She then regained her senses andughed. ¡°True, true. Before someone cares about me, I can¡¯t die.¡±

    As soon as Zhou Ruying finished, Lu Mingshu got on her guard and gave her a signal. ¡°It¡¯s time.¡±

    After getting the correct map, the Su Ze duo informed them that today was the day.

    Su Ze was in charge of behind the scenes matters, while the rest would take a different path. Lu Mingshu and Zhou Ruying sat there, waiting for a chance to get into the administrative building, while Yan Fei and Ling Wuxia tried to sneak in.

    Then, Lu Mingshu and Zhou Ruying would take charge of taking down the enemy manpower, while Yan Fei and Ling Wuxia would sneak in to get the captive out and then escape by the nned route.

    Originally, Zhou Ruying did not trust Ling Wuxia to do the saving, but Lu Mingshu fully supported the idea. ¡°With our route, we will surelye across many elites. No matter whether it¡¯s me and Ling Wuxia or you and Ling Wuxia, the coordination would not be as good as you and me.¡±

    ¡°And no matter what, she¡¯s smart enough to know what she needs to do to get back. She¡¯ll make sure that I survive.¡±

    Zhou Ruying pondered for a while. She and Lu Mingshu were from the same sect, so they practised the same skills. No matter how powerful Ling Wuxia was, the coordination would be affected because they practised different skills. Moreover, she and Lu Mingshu had already worked together in Jasper Sun Mountain.

    Lu Mingshu leaned in toward Zhou Ruying, ¡°On top of that, Yan Fei is crafty. With Ling Wuxia there, she can suppress him. Whether it¡¯s you or me, we couldn¡¯t do it as well as Ling Wuxia.¡±

    Zhou Ruying was convinced like that, so now she was squatting outside the protectorate administrative building with Lu Mingshu.

    Both of them were hiding in the dark near the back door of the administrative building. At this time, many carts of vegetables and other things stopped in front of them.

    Not after long, a guard came out from the administrative building. He was holding a pike and stuck it everywhere, doing a thorough check.

    Suddenly, the big cart with a cage containing live pigs was somehow opened.

    ¡°Hey, pigs! Come back!¡± the owner of the cart yelled.

    ¡°What are you doing? How dare you make a nuisance outside the protectorate administrative building!?¡± the guard yelled back at him.

    But as soon as he finished, a pig jumped down from the cart, and this big fat boar started running around aimlessly.

    The guard looked down at his feet and saw a boar sprinting toward him at the speed of lightning, and it hit his leg.

    ¡°Ah!¡± The guard felt his leg stinging and shouted in pain.

    When a pig went wild, it would have astonishing strength. Furthermore, these pigs weren¡¯t a normal breed. Pigs sent to the protectorate administrative building were a type of spirt beast, so they had even greater strength.

    More than ten pigs were now scrambling around, trampling on things and damaging them. Soon, the area was a mess.

    ¡°Now!¡± Lu Mingshu whispered.

    Zhou Ruying and Lu Mingshu shed forward, both moving toward a cart carrying fruits that had already been checked, and hid.

    After a few moments, the pigs were caught and ced back on the cart.

    The guard felt that he was having an unlucky day, thus he didn¡¯t do the second round of checks and let the vehicles in as quickly as he could.

    The carts rolled over the stone bs and travelled slowly. After a while, they reached their destination, and the drivers got down to take a rest.

    Zhou Ruying looked out. She threw a stone and knew that it was currently safe for her to go out.

    Yan Fei told them that, in the protectorate administrative building, there was very tight security. They would cast a spell that allowed them to count heads in the building very quickly. That number must then match the data of who was supposed to be inside.

    Even though they managed to sneak in, it wasn¡¯tplete.

    After some time, when the guards realized the numbers didn¡¯t match, they would start to do a check.

    This timing was very short, and it wasn¡¯t enough for Yan Fei and Ling Wuxia to get the person out.

    Thus, they needed Lu Mingshu and Zhou Ruying to drag out the time.

    Both changed into the clothes of a maidservant and walked out as if nothing happened.

    A guard passed by, but he didn¡¯t even spare them a look before going off.

    The administrative building was extremely big. There was a huge courtyard covering the smaller one, and it was veryplicated. Zhou Ruying followed closely behind Lu Mingshu. They didn¡¯t stop moving as they walked toward the back.

    They only stopped when they came to a garden and hid behind an artificial hill that was put up for decoration.

    ¡°Hey, are you sure this is the correct ce?¡± Zhou Ruying whispered.

    Lu Mingshu side-eyed her in disdain.

    Seeing that, Zhou Ruying grumbled. ¡°It better be, or I¡¯ll-¡±

    ¡°Not everyone has a poor sense of direction like you,¡± Lu Mingshu whispered. ¡°Be patient. How are you even an assassin?¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± Zhou Ruying red up. ¡°What did you just say?¡±

    ¡°Shush!¡± Lu Mingshu covered her mouth to prevent her from continuing.

    Both of them quieted down and hid patiently behind the hill. Suddenly, footsteps could be heard.

    ¡°Gentleman Yan, you¡¯re too kind. You always bring us so many gifts.¡± A man¡¯s voice could be heard.

    ¡°It¡¯s my duty.¡± Yan Fei¡¯s deep voice could then be heard. ¡°If not for Manager Xu, Fallen Angel Restaurant would not have such good business.¡±

    ¡°Gentleman Yan is...¡± After a few words, the man changed topics. ¡°This is Gentleman Yan¡¯s personal servant? Such outstanding beauty!¡±

    ¡°If Manager Xu likes, I¡¯ll let her serve you,¡± Yan Fei said softly. ¡°Xiao Hua, greet Manager Xu.¡±

    ¡°Xiao Hua greets Manager Xu.¡± It was Ling Wuxia¡¯s voice.

    Lu Mingshu and Zhou Ruying exchanged a nce, and they could see each other grinning.

    ¡°Aiyo, Gentleman Yan is really generous. But in the administrative building, it¡¯s not easy for people to enter....¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Yan Fei replied. ¡°Even if Xiao Hua can¡¯t stay, then it¡¯s her fortune to be able to serve Manager Xu.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm, that¡¯s true....¡±

    ¡°Manager Xu can go ahead with your stuff, I¡¯ll just wait here. It¡¯s not my first time here anyways, and I promise you I won¡¯t wander around.¡±

    ¡°Sure! I have known Gentleman Yan for such a long time, of course, I trust you! You can look around here, I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±

    Footsteps moving away could be heard.

    After some time, Yan Fei stood in front of Lu Mingshu and Zhou Ruying.

    ¡°How long has it been?¡± Yan Fei whispered.

    ¡°About an hour.¡± Lu Mingshu looked at her pocket watch.

    Yan Fei nodded. ¡°They check every hour. We need to be fast.¡±

 Chapter 274: Split Up

    <h4>Chapter 274: Split Up</h4>

    Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales

    The three waited silently. After some moments, Ling Wuxia, who was dressed as a maidservant but with pretty makeup, stood in front of them.

    She looked at her hand sullenly. ¡°Done. He should be down for an hour at least.¡±

    Seeing Zhou Ruying¡¯s grin, Ling Wuxia threw her a death re. ¡°You better be careful. If you get stuck inside, I¡¯ll leave you to die.¡±

    ¡°I know, you too. You look so beautiful, don¡¯t you?¡± Zhou Ruyingughed and jumped out of the hill yfully.

    Before Ling Wuxia could rage at her, she was already far away.

    Ling Wuxia stared at her like she was going to skin her. However, it wasn¡¯t the right time for her to re up, so she gritted her teeth and swallowed down the fire in her throat.

    Lu Mingshu nced over at her and grinned before walking away.

    After leaving the garden, both of them sped through the administrative building.

    The dungeon had a short period of time for changing shifts. The first shift would go take their break while the other shift woulde and take over their duty. That was their chance.

    When they arrived, it was just in time to see the guards going into the pantry.

    The pair exchanged nces and slipped in, hiding behind the door.

    Guards then came out of the pantry. The first group stayed inside while the next group came out to keep guard.

    Lu Mingshu looked out, then nudged Zhou Ruying. Zhou Ruying understood her and jumped up lightly. Like a spider, she climbed up to the rooftop carefully, taking small steps.

    Crack! A noise rang out, attracting the guards¡¯ attention.

    Lu Mingshu seized this chance to sneak into the dungeon.

    After a few minutes, Zhou Ruying came down from the rooftop to meet Lu Mingshu.

    They were now currently standing in front of a stone pathway. Torches at the side lit up the pathway, which was empty.

    Lu Mingshu took a nce at the watch and turned to Zhou Ruying. ¡°I¡¯m going to make it clear; right now, all we can do is act onst minute decisions since the map isn¡¯tplete. I hope you can trust mepletely and do as I say, even if it may sound ridiculous.¡±

    Zhou Ruying nodded. ¡°This is where they set up the formation? It¡¯s not on the map you drew.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go. Time¡¯s precious.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    Even though they didn¡¯t have much time left, both of them were still walking forward slowly and cautiously, step by step.

    Theyout and the spell formation were arranged by a Solid Pellet Realm, so the power could be imagined. Of course, the person currently handling the array wasn¡¯t a Solid Pellet Realm, which made things better, but only slightly.

    After passing through the tunnel, they encountered a fork in the road with two different routes.

    ¡°Where?¡± Zhou Ruying asked Lu Mingshu.

    Lu Mingshu fumbled and took out a coin. She flipped it. ¡°Left.¡±

    Zhou Ruying said nothing and followed after her.

    After a turn, they were met with another fork. There were three different passages now.

    ¡°Hey, are we lost?¡± Zhou Ruying scratched her head.

    ¡°Duh!¡± Lu Mingshuughed.

    Zhou Ruying¡¯s eyes widened in shock. She turned back to see that the route they came from had turned into three different pathways too.

    ¡°Then why are you still so calm?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this what we expected?¡± Lu Mingshu sneered. ¡°How the hell are you even an assassin?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Zhou Ruying thought to herself, This idiotic bitch, always taking a chance to mock and ridicule me!

    After they took another passage, they met with another fork, now leading to four different paths.

    ¡°Will we ever escape?¡± Zhou Ruying sighed. ¡°It¡¯s okay if I die, nobody would cry anyway. But what if you die? Your master would be so sad....¡±

    Lu Mingshu continued walking, ignoring her.

    ¡°Hey!¡±

    ¡°What are you so afraid of?¡± Lu Mingshu looked back at her. ¡°There¡¯s only one Solid Pellet Realm here right now, and he¡¯s not going to leave his refining stove. Even if we¡¯re stopped, it would only be some Foundation Realms.¡±

    Zhou Ruying looked at her in shock. Right, what¡¯s so scary about Foundation Realms? Even if tene, it¡¯s nothing to us! Inner Breath kids are trash!

    Five passages.

    Six passages.

    After they passed the ninth passage, the surroundings changed drastically.

    They were now in a hall with many bronze statues that were as tall as a man standing right in front of them. They all held weapons. Some held pikes and some held huge swords.

    ¡°Nice, someone has noticed us,¡± Lu Mingshu whispered.

    Zhou Ruying suddenly felt energetic and leapt up. ¡°Let¡¯s do it!¡±

    Lu Mingshuughed and jumped into the hall.

    The bronze statues¡¯ eyes blinked as if they were alive, and they took up their weapons and started charging toward them.

    Fishing out their swords, sword energy moved around the room like dragons.

    ...

    Yan Fei and Ling Wuxia were currently walking down the passage that Lu Mingshu and Zhou Ruying just walked through, but it was more normal, without any strange forks.

    Su Ze had acquired information before they entered; ¡°We heard that the array in the dungeon isn¡¯tplete. In its iplete state, it can only activate its trap once. So, after someone activates it, anyone who goes in afterwards won¡¯t activate it again. Do you get what I mean?¡±

    It was nothingplicated. In short, Lu Mingshu and Zhou Ruying would go in first to activate the trap and attract attention. Then, Yan Fei and Ling Wuxia would follow behind to get the person out.

    At that point in time, the people in charge would notice that someone had sneaked in and try their best to deal with Lu Mingshu and Zhou Ruying.

    That was why Lu Mingshu and Zhou Ruying would need to drag things out as long as they could ¨C to buy time for Yan Fei and Ling Wuxia to rescue the captive and then escape.

    ...

    The statues copsed one by one, but as that happened, more statues popped out of nowhere and dashed toward the pair.

    ¡°How long has it been!?¡± Zhou Ruying yelled to Lu Mingshu.

    ¡°It¡¯s still early!¡± Lu Mingshu yelled back. ¡°Not even half an hour has passed.¡±

    Zhou Ruying cursed out loud and jumped up, dashing toward another statue.

    After they managed to take one down, they stood back to back, gasping for air.

    ¡°I regret this now.¡± Zhou Ruying was almost breathless. ¡°I underestimated them! Why are there so many statues?¡±

    Lu Mingshuughed softly. ¡°They might be weak, but their weapons and tools are way stronger than ours!¡±

    Where could they find such an array in their world? Just a few non-living things and they were stuck here, unable to escape.

    ¡°Hey, will we really die here?¡± Zhou Ruying kicked away a bronze statue and turned to Lu Mingshu.

    ¡°Can you stop saying ominous things?¡± Lu Mingshu rolled her eyes.

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m anxious for you! It doesn¡¯t really matter if I die or not, but-¡±

    ¡°Just be at ease,¡± Lu Mingshu cut her off. ¡°At least right now, I can promise that, before anyone cares about you, you won¡¯t die.¡±

    Zhou Ruying sniffed. ¡°How are you so sure?¡±

    ¡°Arrays aren¡¯t never-ending. Do you think they have an infinite number of bronze statues?¡±

    As soon as Lu Mingshu finished saying that, Zhou Ruying realized that no more bronze statues had emerged.

    ¡°Oh? No more? Are you a witch?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I say you should read more!¡± Lu Mingshu sneered.

    ¡°Do you think I can¡¯t tell you¡¯re saying I¡¯m uneducated!?¡± Zhou Ruying red up and beheaded all the bronze statues in front of her in one go.

 Chapter 275: Whereéˆ¥æªš the Badge?

    <h4>Chapter 275: Where¡¯s the Badge?</h4>

    Inside the protectorate administrative building¡¯s defence department¡¯s courtyard, a drunk middle-aged guy could be seen walking toward the hall with a bottle of wine in his hand, singing and dancing.

    ¡°What the hell do you want?¡± He sounded very annoyed. ¡°Can¡¯t I even drink peacefully for a while?¡±

    Two young cultivators were standing in the hall, trembling with fear as he came over. When he was standing in front of them, they bowed 90 degrees immediately. ¡°Senior Gan, something went wrong! The trap in the dungeon was activated!¡±

    ¡°Dungeon?¡± the middle-aged man hummed, still drunk and unaware of what was happening. After a few seconds, something struck him. ¡°Wait, dungeon?!¡±

    ¡°Yes, Senior.¡±

    The middle-aged guy immediately felt awake. He grabbed a badge of authority out from his sleeves and fiddled with it.

    With this badge, one could have absolute control of the array in the dungeon.

    The badge suddenly lit up and formed a picture in the middle of the air.

    The middle-aged guy found two dots on the picture that shouldn¡¯t have been there.

    Intruders.

    ¡°Oh, Foundation Realm?¡± He sneered.

    After knowing the other party¡¯s level of cultivation, he felt at ease. He waved the badge in midair to control the array and encircle the two intruders.

    The dungeon in the administrative building was of utmost importance, thus the array was created by a Solid Pellet Realm. Even though it was iplete, it would be a piece of cake to get rid of two Foundation Realms.

    The middle-aged man thus threw this matter to the back of his mind and diverted his attention to how he should gambleter on.

    ¡°Senior Gan!¡± The young cultivators¡¯ shrieks brought him back to reality.

    ¡°What the hell do you want now?¡± The middle-aged man threw them a death re.

    But he saw the two youngsters staring at the picture created by the badge with mouths wide open.

    The middle-aged man raised his eyebrows, and what was before him shocked him too.

    ¡°Huh? They managed to break through that?¡± The dots in the picture representing the bronze statues had stopped shing.

    The middle-age man clenched his fist and sneered. ¡°You think that¡¯s all? Idiots!¡± He waved the badge, and numerous dots encircled the pair.

    ...

    ¡°Oh my fucking god!¡± Zhou Ruying cried.

    I just got to rest after getting done with all the stupid statues! Why are there so many ck things around me now!?

    ¡°Soul magic?¡± Lu Mingshu squinted her eyes.

    Zhou Ruying forced a blob of ck gas to retreat and turned to Lu Mingshu. ¡°Hey, smarty-pants, what do we do now?¡±

    These things weren¡¯t human or beast, they were lumps of something surrounded by ck gas. They dashed at the Lu Mingshu duo as if they weren¡¯t afraid of dying, and they had unimaginable strength.

    Even Zhou Ruying, who was used to blood and dead bodies, shuddered upon seeing these.

    ¡°You¡¯re afraid of ghosts?¡± Lu Mingshu sneered.

    ¡°Who¡¯s afraid of ghosts?¡± Zhou Ruying rolled her eyes. Who would be willing to admit that? ¡°These are just disgusting, alright?¡±

    After she finished, a soul magic blob passed by her and she identally came into contact with it. Zhou Ruying jumped up in disgust and started attacking with no aim as she felt the cold gas gliding off her skin. ¡°Get lost! Disgusting shit!¡± She then turned to Lu Mingshu and whined, ¡°Hurry up and do something!¡±

    ¡°Keep all your mystic force.¡± Lu Mingshu sighed.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Hurry up. Pretend you¡¯re a rock and keep all your mystic force. All of it.¡±

    ¡°You must be kidding!¡± Zhou Ruying suspected that she had difficulty in hearing.

    Lu Mingshu shrugged and kept her sword and mystic force.

    ¡°Faster!¡±

    Seeing her do it, Zhou Ruying followed unwillingly even though she suspected the reliability.

    A blob of soul magic came ever nearer to Zhou Ruying, almost sticking to her. Zhou Ruying trembled and kept her eyes shut. ¡°Lu Mingshu!¡± she whined.

    ¡°Follow me.¡± Lu Mingshu grabbed her. ¡°Follow closely, alright?¡±

    ¡°Shut up and act!¡±

    Lu Mingshu said nothing and started moving forward cautiously. One step forward, two steps back, then moving to the right before moving forward again.

    ...

    ¡°Huh?¡± One of the young cultivators squinted his eyes. ¡°Senior Gan, they¡¯re gone!¡±

    The middle-aged guy went closer to have a look. In the picture, the dots representing the intruders were now gone. Only the soul magic blobs he spawned were bundled together, unable to find the targets.

    ¡°Gone? Impossible!¡± he muttered. They were still there just a second ago! Even if they seeded in breaking through the array, they wouldn¡¯t just go missing like this.

    He bit his lips and suddenly eximed, ¡°Oh no! These two... I¡¯ll go down right away.¡±

    ...

    Zhou Ruying stood straight against the wall and watched the weird ck lumps bumping into each other but not her and Lu Mingshu. ¡°Why are they noting for us?¡±

    ¡°Because they can¡¯t find us!¡±

    ¡°Why not? We¡¯re so big.¡±

    Lu Mingshuughed. ¡°They don¡¯t have eyes.¡±

    Zhou Ruying squinted her eyes to have a better look. She then immediately knew what happened. ¡°No wonder. They recognize people by mystic force.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded. ¡°Not only that, the way we walked previously made us seem like we are one of them, which confused them even more.¡±

    ¡°But even with that, are we supposed to just stand here forever? We¡¯ll still die.¡± Zhou Ruying sighed.

    Lu Mingshu shook her head. ¡°It won¡¯t take forever for someone toe.¡±

    As soon as she finished saying that, they could feel the stone door shaking. Somebody stepped in.

    ¡°Get them!¡± Lu Mingshu looked at Zhou Ruying sternly.

    Zhou Ruying understood her immediately.

    Like lighting, both of them pounced at the door as soon as the person came in.

    When martial artists decided to act, it was not a joke.

    Even though he saw theming at him, he could barely react. He only managed to take out a magic tool and throw it at them.

    Ding!

    The magic tool was now held by Lu Mingshu, and at the same time, Zhou Ruying¡¯s sword was on his neck.

    The other party stood rooted to the ground.

    Even though he always acted on his own, he hardly encountered any danger. With the badge, he only needed to control the array to deal with any intruders as soon as he entered. The array wasn¡¯tplete, but to deal with Foundation Realms, it could kill twenty easily. He only ever came just to make sure they were dead.

    Thest thing he expected was that he would be captured as soon as he opened the door.

    What the fuck? Am I dreaming?

    ¡°Don¡¯t move now.¡± Zhou Ruying smiled sweetly. ¡°I¡¯m as timid as a mouse, so if you scare me by acting as you wish, I might cut your head off identally!¡±

    ¡°...¡± The middle-aged man raised both hands up slowly. ¡°Miss, please calm down....¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked at the man and stared at him. ¡°Give me the badge of authority.¡±

    The middle-aged man looked at her in shock. Not just anyone could get their hands on the badge, only people who were trusted. Losing the badge was a serious crime. If I lost it...

 Chapter 276: Negligence

    <h4>Chapter 276: Negligence</h4>

    Lu Mingshu fiddled around with her sword.

    Even she had not expected that things would go so smoothly.

    When they were discovered, she only hoped to drag things out for as long as she could.

    However, when they came across the soul magic blobs, she thought that they might have a chance.

    Yan Fei told her that the protectorate administrative building had strict security. If something was not considered serious to them, no one dared to disturb the Solid Pellet Realm. When the trap in the dungeon was activated, it would surely be the in-charge who would make his way down and get things done. With that, he could be considered to be doing his job well.

    Which meant that it should be the person who was controlling the array who discovered them.

    After realizing that she and Zhou Ruying had suddenly gone missing in the dungeon, there was no doubt the other party would send someone over, which gave them a chance to take a hostage.

    What took her by surprise was that the other party would only send one person over, and they could catch him without much effort.

    However, that didn¡¯t mean that they would be able to just get away with it. If any outsiders found out about this, the management would do whatever they could, whether the hostage lived or died, to make up for this mistake and kill them all, not even leaving remains behind.

    That¡¯s why...

    ¡°Hey, what are we supposed to do?¡±

    Lu Mingshu randomly picked up two items from the floor and stuffed them into Zhou Ruying¡¯s hand. ¡°Take this.¡±

    ¡°Bronze statue fragments? What do I do with them?¡± Zhou Ruying looked at her, raising her eyebrows.

    ...

    Zhou Ruying was having a great time ying.

    The two fragments were rolling around, jumping here and there under her control.

    Meanwhile, Lu Mingshu was holding the badge andmanding the soul blobs to chase the bronze pieces around in boredom.

    The middle-aged man was staring at her, eyes so wide that they were going to pop out.

    This is a very powerful array, and you two are using it to y tag? Are you nuts?

    After a while, Zhou Ruying looked over to Lu Mingshu. ¡°How long has it been?¡±

    Lu Mingshu took out her watch. ¡°It¡¯s been half an hour since we came in. Adding on the first hour, we will leave in fifteen minutes.¡±

    ¡°I wonder if they seeded.¡±

    ¡°Who cares? We already did our part.¡±

    The array check was only once per hour, and they needed to get out before the second check. When the array waspletely activated, its power would not be like what they were experiencing right now; it would be way stronger.

    Lu Mingshu and Zhou Ruying did not want to bet their lives on this endeavor. Even if Yan Fei hadn¡¯t seeded, they would do as they nned and leave on time.

    ¡°Misses....¡± They could hear a soft voiceing from the back.

    Both turned their heads and looked over at the middle-aged man.

    ¡°I do not have any hatred with Misses, can you spare me?¡± He looked like he was about to cry.

    ¡°Spare you?¡± Zhou Ruying side-eyed him. ¡°Give me a reason,¡± she saidzily.

    ¡°Reason? Oh!¡± The middle-aged man fished out something from his pocket. ¡°This is a Violet Cinnabar nt, it¡¯s five hundred years old! I got it two days ago.¡±

    Zhou Ruying drooled when she saw the spiritual nt.

    Five hundred years? This kind of medicine is so rare in our world that even Spirit Realms might not have one, and in this world, someone with the same cultivation as me has it?

    Zhou Ruying grabbed the Violet Cinnabar nt and put it in her sleeves.

    ¡°Miss, you agree?¡± The middle-aged man looked at Zhou Ruying in anticipation.

    Zhou Ruying blinked her eyes and smiled sweetly at him. ¡°But there¡¯s two of us, how are we going to share this?¡±

    ¡°Er....¡± The middle-aged man frowned. As if in deep pain, he took out a small bottle. ¡°This is Violet Ginseng Fluid. It¡¯s most suitable to be consumed when one is about to break through. How precious it is, I guess you would know....¡±

    Lu Mingshu opened it up to sniff before keeping it.

    ¡°Well?¡±

    ¡°Sure, we¡¯ll let you off.¡± Zhou Ruying giggled. ¡°But who knows what you might do? Should we...?¡±

    The middle-aged man stared at her in horror and frantically started to take out items. ¡°Please, Miss, please don¡¯t cripple me! This is Brightest Night Gravel....¡±

    ¡°...this is Ghost Head¡¯s Vine.¡±

    ¡°...Heavenly Wolf¡¯s Ivory.¡±

    ¡°...this...¡±

    ¡°Miss, I have given you everything. I¡¯m being serious!¡± He sobbed.

    Zhou Ruyingughed. She smiled sweetly at him. ¡°What¡¯s that on your waist?¡±

    The man hesitated for a moment before taking the piece of jade off. ¡°This is Jade of Pure Spirit... I really do not have anything else.¡±

    Zhou Ruying wanted to continue, but Lu Mingshu cut her off; ¡°Time¡¯s up.¡±

    Zhou Ruying sneered. She raised her hands and numbed the man¡¯s meridians. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± She turned to Lu Mingshu.

    They both disappeared into the dungeon.

    The man wiped away his crocodile tears and smirked. ¡°You wanna leave? Dream on!¡±

    He gritted his teeth, tolerating the pain, and went to the wall, cing a badge of authorization into an indent.

    *Crack¡ª¨C*The sound of something being activated rang through the dungeon.

    The badge of authorization for the array may have been taken away, but what array would not have a backup n? He had already activated the alternate method, and soon, the twodies would have nowhere to hide!

    And my stuff, I¡¯ll get it all back!

    Lu Mingshu waved the badge, and the fog in front of her disappeared.

    They ran through the passage.

    Lu Mingshu soon felt that something was out of ce.

    ¡°Wait up.¡±

    Zhou Ruying stopped in her tracks. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t find anything weird?¡±

    ¡°Well, we have been running for quite a while.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we be out already?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s weird.¡± Lu Mingshu calcted the distance and time they ran and came up with a conclusion. ¡°We have been tricked.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Zhou Ruying looked at her in confusion. ¡°Isn¡¯t the badge with you?¡±

    Lu Mingshu shook her head and sighed. ¡°It¡¯s my fault. It¡¯s with me, but there¡¯s a living human back there.¡±

    ¡°That guy?¡± Zhou Ruying huffed. ¡°I¡¯m going to behead him!¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t.¡± Lu Mingshu pulled her back. ¡°We¡¯re trapped here.¡±

    ¡°Then...¡±

    ¡°The lesson is, never give anyone a chance.¡± Lu Mingshu bit her lips.

    ¡°You¡¯re inexperienced. I¡¯m the one at fault.¡± Zhou Ruying sighed.

    Lu Mingshu shook her head. This isn¡¯t Zhou Ruying¡¯s fault. We don¡¯t know this world well, so how would we know that the other party would have a backup n even after we took everything from him and temporarily paralyzed him?

    What¡¯s done is done. There¡¯s no use crying over spilt milk. Finding a solution is the most important thing now.

    She looked around and started to make ns.

    ¡°What, you already have an idea?¡± Zhou Ruying asked.

    After a while, Lu Mingshu nodded. ¡°If I¡¯m right, this is only a maze. He wants to trap us for fifteen minutes and have the guards get us after the next check.¡±

    ¡°Then we...¡±

    ¡°Follow me.¡± Lu Mingshu smiled. ¡°No matter how difficult a maze is, we just have to find the exit, right?¡±

 Chapter 277: Survived

    <h4>Chapter 277: Survived</h4>

    Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales

    We can try it a few times, but what about the time limit?

    Zhou Ruying swallowed the words back down her throat. She knew this was an important moment, and if she said such things, they would have even less of a chance of escaping.

    Lu Mingshu was putting all her attention into it right now. The environment around her had changed into many dark lines. She quickly took in the data.

    It¡¯s going to be fine. No matter howplicated the maze is, I just need to follow the rules.

    At the same time, Su Ze was pacing up and down by the building¡¯s backdoor impatiently.

    The hour was soon going to pass. If they were still not out yet, then he would have to carry out the backup n ¨C making a racket in Volt Wing City. That was thest thing he wanted to do. Even though the Solid Pellet Realm probably wouldn¡¯te out, the joined forces of the entire city would be really powerful.

    ¡°Here!¡± His servant called out to him.

    Su Ze¡¯s eyes lit up, and he stared at the backdoor.

    The carts carrying food had been sent out. The guards performed a quick check and sent them out on time.

    The carts passed by a street. Two people came out from under thest cart.

    ¡°Senior Brother Yan!¡± Su Ze looked at him, beaming.

    But Yan Fei didn¡¯t have time to respond. He opened up the sack on the cart, and a human could be seen hiding inside.

    ¡°Young Master!¡± Su Ze whispered and went up to get him.

    ¡°Wait a while.¡± A light shed by, and Ling Wuxia was holding the guy with a knife in her hand. ¡°Not yet.¡± She smiled.

    Yan Fei¡¯s face turned ck immediately. ¡°Miss Ling, what are you doing?¡±

    ¡°The one you wanted out is here, but two of mine are still in there.¡± Ling Wuxia smiled sweetly.

    ¡°Miss Ling, please be at ease, we will surely help the two Misses get out. Young Master has been tortured in the dungeon and needs immediate treatment, please hand him to us first....¡± Su Ze exined frantically.

    But Ling Wuxia was unmoved. ¡°He hasn¡¯t died for the past twenty years, so fifteen minutes longer shouldn¡¯t be any problem.¡± She smiled thinly. ¡°Be at ease, I won¡¯t do anything to him. As long as I see mypanions alive and kicking, you will get him back.¡±

    ¡°You...!¡± Yan Fei gritted his teeth, but this wasn¡¯t the ce for them to talk. Loitering around here would surely attract attention. He nced around and turned back to Ling Wuxia. ¡°Fine. We will wait over there.¡±

    The group went back to where Su Ze was waiting previously.

    ¡°Miss Ling, please let Young Master take this.¡± Se Ze took out a pill that he had brought with him and passed it to Ling Wuxia. Seeing how Ling Wuxia made his young master swallow down the pill roughly, Su Ze could not even bear to look.

    ¡°How much longer?¡± Ling Wuxia turned to Yan Fei.

    Yan Fei paused. ¡°Fifteen minutes.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± Ling Wuxia bit her lips. If they didn¡¯t escape in time, they would be doomed.

    Ling Wuxia sneered. ¡°If they aren¡¯t out in time, you better do something about it, or else... hmph!¡±

    ...

    The middle-aged man sat cross-legged on the ground, feeling what was happening in the maze.

    His meridians may have been temporarily paralyzed by Zhou Ruying and he could not get in because he had lost the badge of authorization, but he could still feel the situation inside clearly.

    Sensing that Lu Mingshu and Zhou Ruying were scrambling around the maze, he couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud. ¡°You think it¡¯s that simple, huh? Naive kids!¡±

    Even though it was just a normal maze without any harmful traps, it was designed in such a way that a Foundation Realm would take at least three days before they could escape. Forget three days, there are only fifteen minutes until the array is fully activated and they still think they can escape?

    The man felt a sharp pain in his heart when he thought of his possessions, which he had given to Zhou Ruying and Lu Mingshu. It¡¯s all fine. As long as I catch them, I¡¯ll get it all back. Not only that, I¡¯ll extract their spirits to use for refining....

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s ice-cold and delicate face came to mind, followed by Zhou Ruying¡¯s hourss figure. The man smirked upon thinking about that, but his face fell immediately when he remembered that, even if he caught them, they would not be his. His position wasn¡¯t so great.

    ¡°Eh?¡± The middle-aged man sensed that they had entered the inner maze. That fast?!

    ...

    Seeing the environment change, Lu Mingshu sighed.

    ¡°We¡¯re out?¡± Zhou Ruying asked, almost breathless.

    ¡°There are twoyers of this maze. We just finished one.¡±

    ¡°Only one?¡± Zhou Ruying asked. She ran with all her might just now, and that was only the firstyer? How are we supposed to make it out in time?

    But Lu Mingshu paid no attention to her. She continued converting what she saw into data and tried imagining what the maze was like.

    I can do it. I will make it.

    She nced at the watch.

    Five more minutes left. Five more minutes to get to the backdoor and escape, or else...

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    Both of them ran extremely quickly. The data changed quickly and became faster as they increased their speed.

    Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t even know what she was doing now. All the calctions at this point were on instinct.

    She always teased Zhou Ruying, saying that if she died, at least there was someone who would be sad. However, that was what she really thought.

    How could I die here? Master is still waiting for me. Same for Hui Niang and Ah Sheng; they would be extremely sad.

    Master never says it, but I know ¨C to him, I¡¯m his only hope.

    And Hui Niang; she lost her husband and daughter and was kicked out of her husband¡¯s family. She stayed in the Lu family and brought me up like her own daughter. The pain of losing her daughter once is enough. I shall not let her experience the same pain twice.

    And Gao Xiang, he would be extremely sad. He might seem calm, but he¡¯s actually very emotional.

    And also...

    Lu Mingshu bit her lips and shook away her thoughts.

    No matter what, she must stay alive!

    The structure in her mind started to copse bit by bit as they ran further.

    They could only go forward. There was no turning back.

    ¡°Light! There¡¯s light!¡± Suddenly, Zhou Ruying shouted.

    Lu Mingshu took in a breath and made a dash for it.

    Whoosh! The maze in her mind shattered and was left behind.

    The middle-aged man stood up abruptly, unable to believe what he just saw.

    Escaped? They have managed to escape?

    How could it be?

    No matter how he tried, he couldn¡¯t sense anything.

    There was nothing in the maze.

    His mind flew back to his assets. The Violet Cinnabar nt, the Violet Ginseng Fluid, the Ghost¡¯s Head Vine, the Heavenly Wolf¡¯s Ivory.... ¡°Damn it!¡±

    His treasures were all gone!

    ...

    ¡°How much longer?¡± Ling Wuxia asked impatiently.

    Yan Fei didn¡¯t reply.

    Fourteen minutes and ten seconds. They aren¡¯t going to make it.

    He threw a nce at Su Ze, indicating that they would have to cause a scene in Volt Wing City. No matter what, we must get Young Master back first, or else...

    Wait, what¡¯s that?

 Chapter 278: Senior?

    <h4>Chapter 278: Senior?</h4>

    Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales

    Both of them rushed to the door right before the guards started checking.

    Su Ze squinted his eyes to make sure he was right. Seeing them, he eyed his servants.

    Soon, on the streets near the administrative building, two men started quarrelling, making a scene. The guards were attracted over.

    As soon as the guards left, Lu Mingshu and Zhou Ruying leapt up high, out of the building.

    At the same time, the siren in the administrative building started ringing.

    But that was no longer their problem.

    Yan Fei sighed in relief when he saw that Lu Mingshu and Zhou Ruying were still in one piece. ¡°Miss Ling, can you please return Young Master to us now?¡±

    Ling Wuxia released her grip and threw the man who looked half-dead to Yan Fei.

    ¡°They¡¯ve probably realized that he¡¯s gone. Let¡¯s leave now.¡± Su Ze looked at all of them sternly.

    They couldn¡¯t handle the investigation, so as soon as they rescued their young master, they would leave the city immediately. Su Ze had already prepared everything; they decided to give up all their businesses, including the restaurant, and there were people waiting for them outside the city. They would go live incognito as soon as this was done.

    The Lu Mingshu trio was going to leave too. But to the city, they were just people who suddenly popped up out of nowhere with no records. Nobody could find them if they suddenly disappeared.

    Thus, both parties finished their deal and went their separate ways.

    Lu Mingshu and Ling Wuxia went off first, while Zhou Ruying went back to the Tranquil Void Monastery to bid goodbye, and the trio decided to meet up outside the city.

    Near a deste mountain outside the city, Lu Mingshu stood up when she saw Zhou Ruying. ¡°Here.¡±

    Zhou Ruying ran toward them.

    ¡°All done?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Zhou Ruyingughed. ¡°They have found a good force to take them in, and the Tranquil Void Monastery will be disbanded in a few days.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded. For Xiang Zichen and his juniors, that was the best choice. How could the gang go on with just them? Xiang Zichen was too soft, while Xiang Zimei was too impulsive. Yan¡¯er was better, but she was still too young. They simply didn¡¯t have the ability, and they couldn¡¯t count on a miracle happening.

    ¡°Their problems have been solved, now for ours,¡± Ling Wuxia said. ¡°Now, take the mirror out.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the hurry?¡± Zhou Ruying beamed. ¡°And hey, thanks for thinking about us earlier!¡±

    ¡°No need.¡± Ling Wuxia rolled her eyes. ¡°I just don¡¯t want to stay here any longer.¡±

    ¡°Oh my god, Miss Ling, are you embarrassed?¡± Zhou Ruying realized that Ling Wuxia was actually hard on the outside but soft on the inside and took the chance to tease her.

    ¡°...¡± Ling Wuxia clenched her fist. ¡°Zhou Ruying, don¡¯t think I dare not smack you!¡±

    ¡°Why are you so damn short-tempered!? I¡¯m praising you, bitch!¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Hearing both of them quarrelling, Lu Mingshu felt surprisingly happy. Ling Wuxia wasn¡¯t that bad of a person.

    She took out the mirror and started putting the spirit stones into it.

    Zhou Ruying and Ling Wuxia stopped quarrelling and turned to stare at the mirror.

    As the spirit force entered the mirror, it shone brighter.

    Ling Wuxia blinked her eyes. She had a feeling that it would work this time!

    Zhou Ruying interlocked her fingers and prayed.

    This world wasn¡¯t bad, but she still hoped to go back to her hometown.

    Like a fountain, the light started streaming out of the mirror and dispersing around, attracting the attention of passersby.

    ¡°Look, what¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°Light, there¡¯s light!¡±

    ¡°It must be a treasure!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    Before these people could get there though, the mirror took the trio in and disappeared.

    When they arrived, they could only see the fragments of spirit stones.

    ...

    Tick! Tick! Drops of waternded on Lu Mingshu.

    Lu Mingshu slowly opened her eyes.

    ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡±

    An unfamiliar voice. She jumped up, ready to fight.

    She looked around and realized that she was in a cave. There was a middle-aged schr sitting at a stone table, looking at her with a smile on his face.

    The other party seemed to be kind and not hostile. Lu Mingshu slowly let down her guard.

    Ling Wuxia and Zhou Ruying were still on the ground, not yet awake.

    ¡°Sir is...?¡±

    The schr smiled. ¡°Haven¡¯t you already guessed it?¡±

    ¡°Senior.¡± Lu Mingshu bowed.

    A mirror that was able to bring them to another world, and then they would have to gain enough energy to send themselves back. In other words, the real test.

    But who was it to gain the Grandmaster¡¯s liking? Her, Ling Wuxia, or Zhou Ruying?

    The Grandmaster looked at her and smiled. ¡°I can see that you are from the same sect as Xiang Hongfei.¡±

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°Yes, Senior.¡±

    ¡°Then this is fate.¡± He nodded.

    Lu Mingshu smiled. Seeing Ling Wuxia and Zhou Ruying, she asked. ¡°Senior, why aren¡¯t they awake yet?¡±

    ¡°Ask yourself.¡± He smiled. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be awake either.¡±

    A shiver ran down Lu Mingshu¡¯s spine. Yes, she shouldn¡¯t be awake. Travelling through worlds would have a huge impact on one¡¯s body. She was only awake right now because of the Heavenly Wheel. Did he know about the Heavenly Wheel? She was scared at that possibility.

    ¡°No need to be afraid,¡± the middle-aged schr said. ¡°I won¡¯t do anything to you since you¡¯re Xiang Hongfei¡¯s junior.¡±

    ¡°Senior knows Grandmaster Xiang?¡± Lu Mingshu looked at him in shock.

    He nodded and sighed, sounding extremely lonely. ¡°How many grandmasters are there in this world? Of course, I know every one of them.¡±

    Lu Mingshu stopped for a while before deciding to ask, ¡°May I know how I should address Senior?¡±

    ¡°Qiu Yu,¡± he replied straightforwardly.

    ¡°Qiu...¡± Lu Mingshu pondered and looked at him in shock. ¡°Nan Ze¡¯s Sword God, Senior Qiu?¡±

    Qiu Yuughed. ¡°It¡¯s been years, yet you still remember that?¡±

    Lu Mingshu bit her lips. She read about it once and remembered some snippets about him. ¡°Senior, you¡¯re... at least seven hundred years old, right? How are you still alive?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re Nine Jade Pce¡¯s disciple... I¡¯m from your founder ¨C Song Yiran¡¯s ¨C generation.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Lu Mingshu was at a loss for words. Founder Song passed away over three hundred years ago, yet hispanion from the same generation was still alive and kicking as he could live eight hundred years more.

    ¡°You have a lot to ask?¡± Qiu Yu asked.

    Lu Mingshu took a deep breath, calming herself down before asking, ¡°Please forgive Junior for being ignorant, Senior Qiu. I didn¡¯t know that the Void Realm could have such a long lifespan.¡±

    ¡°The Void Realm can¡¯t, but the Yuan Ying Realm can, right?¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked at him, bbergasted.

    ¡°You just came back from another world, so you should be very clear that even a Solid Pellet Realm can live that long. It¡¯s normal for their cultivation.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Lu Mingshu felt like she was going to fall apart. This Senior Qiu seems to be nning something big....

 Chapter 279: Do You Know Who I Like the Most?

    <h4>Chapter 279: Do You Know Who I Like the Most?</h4>

    Qiu Yuughed.

    ¡°Interesting kid. If you weren¡¯t Xiang Hongfei¡¯s junior, I would...¡± He suddenly paused, as if he had remembered something. ¡°Oh, do you want to know who passed the test?¡±

    Just as Lu Mingshu wanted to answer, Ling Wuxia started groaning, as she had just woken up.

    It was the same for Zhou Ruying, who was slowly getting up.

    Qiu Yuughed and raised his eyebrows. ¡°The ones they sent here this time are way more powerful than I thought.¡±

    When Ling Wuxia and Zhou Ruying opened their eyes and registered what had happened, both stood up immediately and bowed.

    ¡°Greetings to Senior.¡±

    Qiu Yu looked at Ling Wuxia and smiled thinly. ¡°Ancient Jade Summit¡¯s disciple?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Senior. Junior is Ling Wuxia.¡± As soon as they returned, Ling Wuxia went back to the old her with a mask ¨C good attitude and polite.

    ¡°Indeed an Ancient Jade Summit disciple.¡± Qiu Yu nodded.

    Zhou Ruying smirked sarcastically.

    But no matter how straightforward she was, she knew her limits.

    Qiu Yuughed and stared at the three girls in front of him. ¡°Do you want to guess who my favourite is?¡±

    Ling Wuxia¡¯s and Zhou Ruying¡¯s eyes shone, and Lu Mingshu stared at him intensely.

    None of them dared to think it would be them, but they hoped it would be. It was something that they would always be proud of, to be the one chosen by the Grandmaster.

    Qiu Yumented on Ling Wuxia first. ¡°Ability, talent, dealing with affairs and thinking, you¡¯re the best.¡±

    Ling Wuxia smiled thinly and bowed. ¡°Thank you, Senior.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m only saying the truth,¡± Qiu Yu replied. He meant what he said.

    Ling Wuxia kept her smile and nodded.

    This made Qiu Yu burst out inughter. ¡°See, Miss, you always know how to deal with people, when to reveal yourself and when not to. You¡¯repetitive and crafty; for things that you want, you will do whatever you can to get them. In the future, Ancient Jade Summit, or even all of Beiming, will be in your hands.¡±

    Ling Wuxia was speechless. She was unclear on whether Qiu Yu was being sarcastic or actually praising her.

    After that, he turned to Lu Mingshu immediately, not waiting for her reply.

    ¡°For you...¡± He pondered for a moment. ¡°Quite interesting.¡±

    Ling Wuxia started to panic internally. When Qiu Yu gave herments, he talked about her weakness and strengths. But for Lu Mingshu, he only said, ¡°Interesting.¡± Does he really favour Lu Mingshu the most?

    Ling Wuxia hated to lose to others, and if the other party was Lu Mingshu, she would even want to end her life immediately.

    ¡°The most book-smart junior I¡¯ve seen in a long time.¡± Qiu Yu nodded. ¡°You¡¯re not street-smart, but you always remember your aim and move toward it, which is hard for many, even the very experienced.¡±

    But Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t seem to be happy with the praise. ¡°But I¡¯m not the one that Senior favours, right?¡±

    Qiu Yuughed, and thisugh seemed genuine.

    ¡°I was always proud of my intelligence, so I never liked anyone who was as smart as me,¡± he said. ¡°You did not have the best start, but you still made it here, and you might be the biggest winner. Even if you had the ability, I must say that, without so much luck, you would not have made it. The amount of luck you have makes me jealous and even hate you for it.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Hearing Qiu Yu, Lu Mingshu and Ling Wuxia were extremely shocked. This senior was a bit too... headstrong? Where was his well-respected person¡¯s manner? What kind of grandmaster was jealous of a junior because she was lucky?

    If that was the issue, then there was nothing they could do. It¡¯s not my fault Lady Luck likes me. If you¡¯re unhappy, then take it up with her!

    Qiu Yu then turned to Zhou Ruying. ¡°As for you... you made my hundred years of staying in Jasper Sun Mountain worthwhile.¡±

    Zhou Ruying was staring into space nkly, and it was unknown if she was actually listening to the Grandmaster. She didn¡¯t think she had any hope anyways. She was just here because Zhou Miaoru instructed her to be. Her meridians were injured permanently, and she was old too.

    Now, Lu Mingshu and Ling Wuxia were staring at her. Especially Ling Wuxia, who looked green with envy and like she was going to skin her. Zhou Ruying stared at them weirdly, not even realizing what happened.

    ¡°What... why are you staring at me?¡±

    Ling Wuxia suppressed her jealousy and said, ¡°Miss Zhou, the Grandmaster has chosen you. Do you have anything to say?¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Zhou Ruying blinked.

    I¡¯m so going to skin this retard. Ling Wuxia took a deep breath and repeated herself, ¡°The Grandmaster favours you the most!¡±

    ¡°Oh....¡± Zhou Ruying then understood and looked at Qiu Yu in fear. ¡°Isn¡¯t that impossible?¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡± Lu Mingshu said in a monotone. ¡°You have the talent and a good attitude. Is it weird?¡±

    Zhou Ruying internally rolled her eyes. Aren¡¯t you the one who said I¡¯m hopeless? What happened to, ¡°Senior wants someone who can be taught. You¡¯re too old to change, and your meridians are injured too,¡± huh?

    Those things were still true, but as long as the Grandmaster felt like it, conditions were nothing.

    Zhou Ruying looked at Qiu Yu in shock. ¡°Senior...¡±

    Qiu Yu smiled thinly. ¡°Indeed, I¡¯ll choose her among you three.¡±

    ¡°Senior...¡± Ling Wuxia started after a while.

    ¡°You want to ask why?¡±

    Ling Wuxia nodded. ¡°Not because I¡¯m jealous, but I just can¡¯t understand.¡±

    ¡°Because among you three, she¡¯s the most simple-minded.¡±

    As soon as he said that, the three of them stared at him dumbfounded.

    Qiu Yu looked at Ling Wuxia first. ¡°You¡¯re very ambitious. That¡¯s not a bad thing, but to me, it would be troublesome to teach.¡±

    Ling Wuxia remained silent.

    ¡°As for you.¡± He turned to Lu Mingshu, pausing a while before he started, ¡°You hold too many grievances and are too ruthless, which is also troublesome to teach.¡±

    Seeing her poker face, Qiu Yuughed. ¡°Really, you¡¯re just like that kiddo. He would like you a lot if he ever sees you.¡±

    Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t reply. She was disappointed that she wasn¡¯t chosen, but she didn¡¯t feel sorry about it. Since the Grandmaster had not chosen her, there was nothing binding her anymore.

    ¡°Senior.¡± Zhou Ruying started to ept the fact. ¡°Among us, I¡¯m not the most talented or smartest. My meridians are injured permanently and I¡¯m old, so there might not even be a chance that I¡¯ll break through to the Spirit Realm....¡±

    ¡°What? Is it not good that I like you?¡± Qiu Yu grinned and cut her off.

    Zhou Ruying stopped and looked extremely worried.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that she doesn¡¯t like it, it¡¯s just unbelievable to her,¡± Lu Mingshu said. ¡°She has never been the best and has never hoped for anything, but suddenly, she won the lottery. It must be that she fears it¡¯s all just a dream.¡±

 Chapter 280: Is This for Real?

    <h4>Chapter 280: Is This for Real?</h4>

    Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales

    Some people in the world were born with a silver spoon in their mouths. They had all they needed and all they wanted. Talent, ability, family background, and luck. Others would give them unconditional support, and they were always the brightest star in the sky.

    This was Ling Wuxia.

    Even though she was selfish, fake, and nothing near the perfect girl she thought she was, she was still always the winner.

    While some were hated by many and constantly thrown into adversity, they could manage to survive no matter what, even when it seemed impossible. In their own way, they could gain the attention of the world, shining brightly in the sky too.

    This was Lu Mingshu.

    Even though the world seemed unfair to her and everyone seemed to be going against her, she was like Lady Luck¡¯s favourite, always opening ways for herself that helped her get through all challenges, so she had never experienced failure.

    However, there were some people who always seemed to be behind no matter how much more effort they put inpared to the first two people. There always seemed to be something in between them and sess. The best things would never be theirs. No matter how good they were, they would only be overlooked as a prop.

    Zhou Ruying felt that this was her.

    When Lu Mingshu said that she was hopeless, Zhou Ruying did not feel that it was overboard because it was all the hard truth.

    But did she really not feel indignant?

    Of course not! That was impossible!

    Zhou Ruying had dreams when she was a kid too.

    The Zhou Family adopted many orphans, and she was the most outstanding among them all. Evenpared to Nine Jade Pce¡¯s disciples, she was not worse than them. Zhou Ruying always believed that one day, she would be able to break through to the Spirit Realm and be a well-respected elite. Even if Zhou Yinru disliked her and bullied her whenever she could, Zhou Ruying took it all because she owed the Zhou Family.

    However, as she endured such a life, her dreams were crushed.

    After that incident, Zhou Ruying shut herself in her room for ten days, staring nkly into space. She only went out during the tenth day when Zhou Miaoru called her over toplete a task, and she became Zhou Miaoru¡¯s knife starting from that day.

    Nobody apologized to her or felt indignant for her, they just took it as inevitable and right, as if it was okay for the Zhou Family to take everything from here because they gave it to her in the first ce.

    Was she upset? As far as others could tell, no. In everyone else¡¯s eyes, Zhou Ruying recovered quickly after staying silent for a moment. She was so obedient that they nearly thought she was a dog.

    Zhou Miaoru was extremely satisfied with her performance. She even told Zhou Ruying, ¡°Do it well, and we will take care of you when you grow old.¡±

    Zhou Ruying smiled thinly in response.

    The smile covered her trauma that was left behind by Zhou Yinru.

    See, this is my life. I always thought I could, but I always end up with nothing.

    She envied Lu Mingshu and was jealous of Ling Wuxia. One had all the luck and the other one had everything.

    But everything they had was something that would nevere near her.

    She would only need to be good and stand next to them forever so they could shine even brighter.

    ¡°Me? It¡¯s really me?¡± she looked at the floor and mumbled. It was unknown whether she was speaking to herself or the Grandmaster.

    Qiu Yu nodded and looked at her gently. ¡°You¡¯re called Zhou Ruying, right? This old man needs a servant disciple, are you willing-¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Zhou Ruying interrupted. ¡°I¡¯m willing to be your servant disciple.¡±

    A servant disciple was not an official disciple, but this was the Grandmaster! Anything that he taught would benefit her for the rest of her life.

    ¡°However, this old man is leaving soon, and I do not know when I mighte back this time. Ten years or maybe twenty. You have to consider thoroughly.¡±

    ¡°Junior has nothing to care about. I can follow Senior forever!¡± Zhou Ruying smiled sheepishly.

    Did I really hit the lottery? Even if it¡¯s fake, just let me enjoy this feeling!

    Seeing her actions, Qiu Yu burst intoughter.

    He then turned to Lu Mingshu and Ling Wuxia. ¡°Okay, now, your turn.¡±

    Lu Mingshu and Ling Wuxia exchanged nces nervously.

    Even though Zhou Ruying was the winner, this test was different from the previous ones. They had entered the final test and knew about the Grandmaster¡¯s secret. Despite not being chosen, he wouldn¡¯t let them walk away just like that.

    As expected, Qiu Yu started, ¡°I hope that you will keep this secret of Jasper Sun Mountain with you forever and never mention it.¡±

    Who would not fulfil the Grandmaster¡¯s request? Ling Wuxia took the lead; ¡°Junior will not breathe a word about this.¡±

    Followed by Lu Mingshu; ¡°I promise Senior to talk nothing about this.¡±

    Qiu Yu nodded and smiled at Lu Mingshu. ¡°The other two items are gifts for the people who get to the final round, but...¡±

    Seeing Qiu Yu looking at her, Lu Mingshu stayedposed.

    ¡°Youngdy, you can have the rest, but I need the mirror back. It¡¯s my experiment, and it has no use to you.¡±

    ¡°Senior¡¯s a grandmaster, how could you ask for something you¡¯ve already given away?¡± Lu Mingshu replied.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± Qiu Yu smiled at her.

    ¡°How about an exchange?¡±

    Hearing her being rude, Ling Wuxia couldn¡¯t help but interrupt. ¡°Miss Lu, Senior has already mentioned that the mirror isn¡¯t part of the prize. Isn¡¯t it unreasonable to take people¡¯s props after participating in their test?¡±

    Lu Mingshu side-eyed her. ¡°You¡¯re only saying that because you didn¡¯t get it.¡±

    ¡°You...!¡± Ling Wuxia nearly skinned her alive on the spot.

    ¡°Hahaha....¡± Qiu Yu found it entertaining to watch them quarrel. ¡°Whatever, let¡¯s exchange then.¡±

    Qiu Yu looked in his bag and took out a book atst. ¡°Little Boo is an experiment too. I haven¡¯t found any ways to improve him. Since you like him, take this forging book.¡±

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s eyes shone, and she took the book immediately.

    Seeing her smile, Qiu Yu felt relieved. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to give him away at first, but seeing how much you like him, I guess I¡¯m doing the right thing. He isn¡¯t a living thing, but he has intelligence. I hope you will treat him well.¡±

    ¡°I will.¡± Lu Mingshu nodded.

    ¡°As for you...¡±

    Seeing Qiu Yu looking at her, Ling Wuxia felt anxious.

    She had failed this test terribly. She was schemed against by Lu Mingshu and was unable to protect her juniors. She did not even get any items. Thus, in summary, she didn¡¯t perform well and based on the summary the Grandmaster gave, his view of her was rather awkward.

    It was okay that she wasn¡¯t selected since Lu Mingshu wasn¡¯t either, but if she didn¡¯t even get a single item, then she wouldn¡¯t feel good.

    Qiu Yu started slowly, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to make up for the item that was supposed to be yours but was snatched away.¡±

    ¡°Senior....¡± Ling Wuxia¡¯s heart was almost in her throat.

    ¡°But you have worked hard, and it¡¯s not good to let all your hard work be washed down the drain.¡± He took something out and threw it to her. ¡°Take it, your constion prize.¡±

 Chapter 281: The Chance is Yours

    <h4>Chapter 281: The Chance is Yours</h4>

    Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales

    Ling Wuxia took the scroll that was thrown over. Her eyes lit up almost immediately as she opened it up.

    Lu Mingshu took a nce, but she only saw two words written on it ¨C¡±Sword Tips.¡±

    A Void Realm Grandmaster¡¯s sword tips!

    Seeing her looking at Ling Wuxia with envy, Qiu Yuughed. ¡°Girl, there¡¯s no need to be jealous. The book you got is good too.¡±

    Lu Mingshu blinked and bowed. ¡°As a martial artist, I want to learn as much as I can.¡± That¡¯s a constion prize? I would¡¯ve rather not snatched anything and get the constion prize! I need constion too!

    ¡°Oh yes.¡± Something came to Qiu Yu suddenly. ¡°You can make a request,¡± he told Zhou Ruying.

    Zhou Ruying stared at him, dumbfounded. She still hadn¡¯t recovered from the pleasant surprise she received today and was at a loss for words.

    Qiu Yu smiled at her actions. ¡°It¡¯s going to be written off if you keep quiet!¡±

    ¡°Zhou Ruying, let¡¯s make a deal!¡± Lu Mingshu seized the chance.

    At the same time, Ling Wuxia looked at Zhou Ruying too. ¡°Miss Zhou...¡±

    They exchanged nces and looked at each other in anger.

    ¡°I spoke first!¡± Lu Mingshu yelled into Ling Wuxia¡¯s face and turned to Zhou Ruying. ¡°I¡¯llpensate you. Give me the chance.¡±

    ¡°Miss Zhou hasn¡¯t agreed to you yet!¡± Ling Wuxia yelled back. ¡°Give me the chance, I guarantee that I will pay you more.¡±

    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s a freaking auction?¡± Lu Mingshu snickered.

    ¡°It can damn well be one if you want!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s do it then!¡±

    ¡°This is a piece of ck Heaven Iron. It can¡¯t be used to forge a sword, but it can improve the quality of a sword.¡± Ling Wuxia offered a good item as soon as they started.

    ¡°Violet Ginseng Fluid.¡± Lu Mingshu took out a small bottle.

    ¡°I will add on an Imperial Jade Blossom Vine!¡±

    ¡°Core of a Seven Son Lotus.¡±

    ¡°Blood Red Snow Lotus!¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    They started to offer more and more.

    ¡°Dragon King¡¯s Bloodshed!¡± Ling Wuxia gritted her teeth and shouted. With Lu Mingshu¡¯s status in Nine Jade Pce, she can¡¯t afford to take out that much!

    She turned around to see Lu Mingshuugh and keep all the things that Ling Wuxia ced out and sneered. ¡°Okay, you win this time around.¡±

    Ling Wuxia stared at her nkly.

    Lu Mingshu turned to Zhou Ruying and asked jokingly, ¡°You earned so much in such a short time, don¡¯t forget about me in the future, okay?¡±

    This made Zhou Ruying burst out inughter. ¡°Sure.¡±

    Ling Wuxia stomped and fumed. ¡°Bitches!¡±

    ¡°I was only fighting for the Bon Voyage Fleet. Why would I be so stupid as to chip in all my assets?¡± Lu Mingshu replied slowly. ¡°Alright Miss Ling, you can voice your request now.¡±

    Ling Wuxia clenched her fist and said out her request slowly, suppressing the urge to throw the other two into the water.

    Qiu Yu watched them bicker with a smile. When Ling Wuxia finished her request and Zhou Ruying agreed, he smiled and nodded. ¡°Sure. Before this old man leaves, I¡¯ll visit Ancient Jade Summit.¡±

    ¡°Thank you so much, Senior.¡± Ling Wuxia swallowed down the swear words in her throat. She could feel her heart dripping blood.

    Nevermind, this exchange is worthy. But I¡¯ll get her one day!

    ¡°Senior,¡± Lu Mingshu asked, ¡°you¡¯re going to leave soon, right?¡±

    ¡°This old man has been here for at least a hundred years. It¡¯s time.¡± He nodded.

    ¡°May I know if you would allow the mountain to be opened to the public after you leave?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t really care about anything on the mountain except for my house.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Senior.¡± Lu Mingshu smiled thinly. ¡°I was asked to make a request to Senior to borrow the blessednd so someone could breakthrough. Can I take that as a yes to the request?¡±

    Qiu Yu nodded.

    Ling Wuxia felt like fainting. She obviously knew about the Bon Voyage Fleet¡¯s situation. Just the thought of Lu Mingshu getting what she wanted without being the chosen one made her feel like vomiting blood!

    ¡°Alright. There¡¯s nothing else now, so I¡¯ll send you off.¡±

    Qiu Yu tapped on the stone table twice, and before Lu Mingshu or Ling Wuxia could react, they were now at the entrance of Jasper Sun Mountain.

    ¡°...¡± Lu Mingshu sighed. I didn¡¯t even get to bid Zhou Ruying goodbye? He¡¯s so impatient!

    Now, they were at the foot of the mountain.

    The loess was all gone and was reced by various greenery and vegetation.

    They were standing in a meadow. The weeds were so full of vitality that they were almost as tall as the two of them.

    Before they could do anything, they heard footstepsing toward them and a girl¡¯s voice. ¡°What is there to even look for here? Even my sect master said that he can¡¯t find them, so what¡¯s the point in searching? Hey! Are you deaf?¡±

    Ling Wuxia smiled in glee. It was Yi Lan¡¯s voice.

    As she was about to say something, a guy who sounded extremely cold replied to her; ¡°You can stop looking for them if you don¡¯t want to look. Leave me alone!¡±

    The impulsive Yi Lan obviously red up. ¡°Ye Mingguang! I¡¯m just being nice by telling you that! Why the heck are you so rude?!¡±

    Ye Mingguang? Why is he here? Lu Mingshu furrowed her eyebrows.

    ¡°Did I ask for your opinion?¡± Ye Mingguang sneered. ¡°Please stop acting so self-righteous!¡±

    ¡°Oh my god!¡± Yi Lanughed. ¡°I¡¯m self-righteous? Then what kind of blind fool are you? Why are you even here? I¡¯m here for my senior sister, but you? For Lu Mingshu, who caused you to get kicked out of your family and lose all your cultivation? Please, think about it; why would she care about you? As soon as she went missing, the queen of Zhongzhou sent her foreign minister Xiahou Shan over immediately! No matter how bad the Alioth Star-Lord is, she¡¯s still his wife, so why would she even spare you a damn look?¡±

    Lu Mingshu froze upon hearing this. He¡¯s looking for me? ¡°Kicked out of your family and lost all your cultivation....¡±?

    ¡°So what if it¡¯s one-sided? What does it have to do with you?¡± Ye Mingguang replied. He sounded so cold that he could create an ice statue. ¡°You aren¡¯t any better anyway. Ling Wuxia¡¯s a fake obsessed with scheming, while you¡¯re a spoiled idiot who only says unkind words! It¡¯s a match made in heaven!¡±

    ¡°You...!¡± Yi Lan red up and was about to attack him.

    Ye Mingguang was now in the Inner Breath Realm, but Yi Lan was in the Harmonization Realm. How could he take her attack? If she attacked harshly, he would be half-dead.

    Suddenly, a sword light shot toward Yi Lan.

    ¡°What are you doing!?¡± Ling Wuxia pulled Yi Lan back in time.

    Lu Mingshu suddenly attacked, and Szzz...

    ¡°Wah!¡± Yi Lan felt a sharp pain on her palm. She blinked and saw a very long cut across her palm, nearly slicing it in half.

    Ling Wuxia hurried over to her. She took her palm to check and heaved a sigh of relief. It was a big cut, but the injury was actually minor.

    ¡°Lu Mingshu!¡± Ling Wuxia stared at her in anger. ¡°How could you do this to my junior!?¡±

    Lu Mingshu put her sword back and looked at her calmly. ¡°She deserves it. She speaks unkindly and attacks people of lower cultivation. But instead of reprimanding her, you me others for being unkind to her. I didn¡¯t know Ancient Jade Summit¡¯s teaching was this low-ss.¡±

    ¡°You...!¡± Ling Wuxia gritted her teeth.

    ¡°What, not happy? Then let¡¯s fight.¡± Lu Mingshu sneered. ¡°I don¡¯t mind. I¡¯ve already fought two of the top three Harmonization Realm disciples, and you will be thest.¡±

 Chapter 282: Gone

    <h4>Chapter 282: Gone</h4>

    Ling Wuxia breathed in and out to calm herself down.

    Calm down, calm down. There¡¯s no advantage in getting physical with this bitch now. Yi Lan mentioned that the queen of Zhongzhou has sent people over, and it¡¯s Xiahou Shan. If I fight her here, I¡¯ll have trouble with the queenter on.

    Besides, what would she gain from fighting with Lu Mingshu? Ling Wuxia had been well-known for such a long time already, and fighting Lu Mingshu now would just be serving herself up as a stepping stone. Ling Wuxia was not that stupid.

    And after the trip to Volt Wing City, Ling Wuxia was clear that, even though she was stronger than Lu Mingshu and would win, Lu Mingshu had a lot of skills that Ling Wuxia had yet to see.

    Unless she could defeat Lu Mingshu without letting her seize the chance to use those skills, she would lose even if she won the fight. It would just allow Lu Mingshu to disy her skills.

    ¡°Senior Sister!¡± Yi Lan sniffed. ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re fine! Sect Master came, but even he couldn¡¯t find you! They are even thinking about breaking the Grandmaster¡¯s defences by force.¡±

    Seeing her, Ling Wuxia felt warmed up. She patted Yi Lan and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s okay, we took a while longer for thest test.¡±

    ¡°Okay....¡±

    She cleaned up Yi Lan¡¯s injury and held her. ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Yi Lan then turned to Ye Mingguang, giving him a death stare. Seeing Lu Mingshu in the corner of her eyes, she decided to give her a death stare too before she went off.

    As soon as they could no longer be seen, Lu Mingshu turned back to Ye Mingguang. ¡°So, what happened?¡±

    Ye Mingguang, who had been putting on a dark face for a while now, started fumbling under Lu Mingshu¡¯s stare.

    ¡°Nothing,¡± Ye Mingguang muttered. ¡°Since Miss is fine, I¡¯ll get going.¡±

    He turned around to go off.

    ¡°Wait!¡± Lu Mingshu shouted toward him. ¡°You abolished your cultivation?¡±

    Ye Mingguang remained silent. He nodded after a while.

    ¡°The Ye Family kicked you out?¡±

    Since he had already admitted the main thing, Ye Mingguang decided to just be frank. ¡°It was my own will. I abolished my cultivation and said I would never go back because that¡¯s what I want.¡±

    ¡°Just because you saved me?¡±

    Ye Mingguang sighed. ¡°I did so because I owe you. Besides, I was never happy back at the Ye Family, so I might as well take this chance to leave. You need not feel guilty,¡± he said after a while.

    ¡°Of course not,¡± Lu Mingshu replied. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything to put you in this state.¡±

    Ye Mingguang remained quiet, not responding.

    ¡°But what are your ns now?¡± Lu Mingshu probed. ¡°The Ye Family would have left by now. With only your Inner Breath Realm cultivation, you can¡¯t even leave this mountain.¡±

    Ye Mingshu took a deep breath and looked at the sky. ¡°Then I won¡¯t leave. My meridians are still damaged, and I need a ce to recover. This mountain is good. It¡¯s good for cultivating, and the Ye Family won¡¯t dare to do anything here because of the Grandmaster. I¡¯ll only need a few years to get back to the Harmonization Realm, and at that point, I¡¯ll go anywhere I want. The world is so big.¡±

    This was the first time Ye Mingguang ever said so much in front of someone. By his tone, it was obvious that he already had this thought for quite a while.

    Lu Mingshu nodded. He¡¯s doing this so that he would have no choice but to strive on. If one isn¡¯t strict to oneself, how will one seed?

    She fumbled around her sleeves and threw him two items.

    Ye Mingguang was taken aback by the items that suddenly flew at him.

    There was a wooden box and a scroll in his hands now.

    ¡°There¡¯s medicine in the box. Injuring your meridians is not a minor thing. As for the book of martial arts, I got it by chance. Since you abolished the Ye Family¡¯s skills, learn that.¡±

    Ye Mingguang felt extremely weird. He thought that she didn¡¯t care about him since she said she didn¡¯t feel guilty.

    ¡°Miss Lu....¡±

    Lu Mingshu turned around and went off.

    Ye Mingguang stared at the items and just stood there.

    ...

    Soon, Lu Mingshu could see the tents set up on the foot of the mountain. She saw Ling Wuxia, with many Ancient Jade Summit disciples surrounding her. The other main group still here was the Bon Voyage Fleet. Other than Yu Ruohan and the rest, there was a group of people wearing the clothing of Zhongzhou¡¯s royalty. Xie Zhanghui was one of them.

    Seeing her walking over, these people heaved a sigh of relief.

    ¡°Miss Lu!¡± Yu Ruohan came up to her. ¡°I¡¯m so d that you¡¯re safe and sound!¡±

    ¡°Sorry for making Senior worry.¡±

    Lu Mingshu greeted Mao Xuan and the rest before turning toward Xie Zhanghui.

    Xie Zhanghui looked pale. After seeing her, he heaved a sigh of relief, but he still looked pale.

    ¡°Miss Lu.¡±

    ¡°Guardian Xie, why are you here?¡± Lu Mingshu asked. By right, Xie Zhanghui would never leave Xie Lianzhen. As a bodyguard, he only guarded Xie Lianzhen, not anyone else.

    Xie Zhanghui hesitated. ¡°Young Master went missing after he found out that Miss went missing.¡±

    ¡°Can you repeat that?¡± Lu Mingshu stared at him, dumbfounded.

    ¡°Young Master is missing.¡± Xie Zhanghui looked at her and raised his volume. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m here. But...¡±

    ¡°But what?¡± Lu Mingshu felt her heart sink.

    What Xie Zhanghui means is that Xie Lianzhen came here for me? But if that¡¯s true, why did I not see him? And why does Xie Zhanghui not look well?

    ¡°Emissary Xiahou came before me. She has been here for half a month, but she couldn¡¯t find him.¡± Xie Zhanghui sounded depressed. ¡°Emissary Xiahou isn¡¯t here right now because she went to look for him.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Lu Mingshu took in a deep breath and waved. ¡°Let¡¯s talk after we get back.¡±

    ¡°Miss Lu?¡± Xie Zhanghui looked at her, obviously displeased with what she was doing. Young Master came all the way here for you even though he still hasn¡¯t recovered, and yet you¡¯re so calm after knowing he¡¯s missing?

    ¡°He¡¯s not here. I wouldn¡¯t help if I just stay here. If you aren¡¯t at ease, we can leave someone here to wait.¡±

    Xie Zhanghui thought about it and nodded. ¡°Might as well.¡±

    The people that came along with Xiahou Shan and Xie Zhanghui were people that the queen trusted, so there was no objection. After Xie Zhanghui informed them, two prepared to stay behind in case Xie Lianzhen ever came back. The rest packed up their stuff and got ready to return.

    It didn¡¯t take long before all of them boarded the boat.

    Ling Wuxia huffed before making her way over.

    ¡°Miss Lu.¡±

    Lu Mingshu turned back.

    Ling Wuxia stered a smile on her face. ¡°No matter what, we have gone through hardships together. If you ever meet with difficulties here in Beiming, you can alwayse to me. I¡¯ll try my best to help.¡±

    Lu Mingshuughed and nodded. ¡°Thank you very much.¡± The Ling Wuxia in Volt Wing City was much cuter than this.

    Both smiled at each other, but only they knew what each other really meant.

    ¡°Goodbye.¡± After this, Lu Mingshu went on the boat.

    Soon, the boat set sail. One standing on the boat, the other on the ground, bidding each other goodbye.

    Seeing this, an Ancient Jade Summit disciple squealed, ¡°They are so cute! Such a heartwarming scene!¡±

    Yi Lan rolled her eyes upon hearing this.

 Chapter 283: Can you please at least show a bit of concern?

    <h4>Chapter 283: Can you please at least show a bit of concern?</h4>

    Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales

    After the act with Ling Wuxia, Lu Mingshu entered the hold of the ship.

    ¡°Greetings to Seniors.¡± Lu Mingshu bowed to Mao Xuan and the rest.

    Yu Ruohan immediately held her up. ¡°No need for the courtesy. Miss Lu must have gone through a lot of hardship over these two months.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, but I¡¯m sorry for making all of you worried,¡± Lu Mingshu replied softly.

    All five Spirit Realms from the Bon Voyage Fleet came to the foot of Jasper Sun Mountain, and they all looked extremely exhausted, showing that they had not yet taken a good rest.

    ¡°Friend Lu went to Jasper Sun Mountain because of our invitation, so of course we have to take responsibility for your safety.¡± Mao Xuan smiled warmly.

    None of the five talked about the test since those who came out earlier made it clear that the Grandmaster had already left, which meant their n had already gone down the drain.

    Under the circumstances where they didn¡¯t hold onto any hope anymore, Lu Mingshu added on, ¡°Senior Mao, the Grandmaster has agreed to loan you the blessednd.¡±

    All five were struck dumb.

    ¡°Miss Lu,¡± Sir Ning looked at her, unable to believe what he just heard. ¡°Are you sure? Didn¡¯t the Grandmaster leave?¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded. ¡°He did, but I met him before that.¡±

    It was such a pleasant surprise for the fleet.

    Recently, the five of them had already epted the truth and were nning to leave Beiming and build up a new business elsewhere. Their original n working was what they least expected to happen.

    Yu Ruohan was on cloud nine. ¡°We made the right choice. Miss Lu did indeed get the Grandmaster¡¯s recognition.¡±

    But outside their expectations, Lu Mingshu shook her head. ¡°Grandmaster didn¡¯t choose me.¡±

    ¡°Then why...?¡± Yu Ruohan stared at her in confusion.

    ¡°Was it Ling Wuxia?¡± Xuan Xiu huffed. ¡°Ancient Jade Summit got it again.¡±

    ¡°Not her either.¡± Lu Mingshu shook her head again.

    The five of them exchanged nces.

    The five Spirit Realms thought that, if it wasn¡¯t Lu Mingshu, it would be Ling Wuxia. The others weren¡¯t that bad, but with those two around, they would hardly stand a chance.

    ¡°Is it the one that the Pure White Grace Pavilion hired?¡± Lin Zongting furrowed his eyebrows.

    ¡°Yes. Three of us went missing, but only two of us came back because she was chosen by the Grandmaster,¡± Lu Mingshu replied.

    The five of them tried their best to recall, but they could only remember that she was in ck.

    Since none of them had much impression of her, it showed that the person was not anything special. How unexpected....

    Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t talk about who Zhou Ruying really was since that had nothing to do with the fleet. ¡°Even though the Pure White Grace Pavilion hired her, they didn¡¯t hire her to snatch the request. Thus, before she left, she sold the request to Ling Wuxia. Ancient Jade Summit got it.¡±

    The five of them did not say much about it. They all expected it. The fleet was too small to fight against such a huge sect, and it wasn¡¯t their problem anyway since they got what they wanted.

    Sir Ning was more than gratified. ¡°Since the Grandmaster is willing to lend it to us, then let¡¯s prepare for it. Elder Brother, take a rest first. We¡¯ll announce this soon.¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Yu Ruohan was all smiles. ¡°I thought we would have to start all over again, but things have turned out unexpectedly.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s too early to be happy.¡± Mao Xuan looked at them calmly. ¡°We will only be safe if I actually breakthrough.¡±

    As the Bon Voyage Fleet was celebrating the good news, Lu Mingshu went over to another room.

    Xie Zhanghui was already on edge when she walked in. Seeing her enter, he couldn¡¯t help but roast her; ¡°Miss Lu, even though my young master may have offended you in some ways, he has always treated you genuinely. Can Miss please at least speed up now since we don¡¯t even know if he¡¯s still alive?¡±

    Lu Mingshu could tell that Xie Zhanghui was being sarcastic. She didn¡¯t get angry, she just calmly shut the door. ¡°What exactly happened?¡±

    Xie Zhanghui looked at her in annoyance. He gritted his teeth and tried his best to repeat what he said earlier with a calm voice. ¡°The news of Miss going missing was spread to Zhongzhou, and Young Master went missing soon after that. Her Highness sent me toe after him, but he was nowhere to be seen at Jasper Sun Mountain.¡±

    ¡°I know that,¡± Lu Mingshu said in a monotone, ¡°What I¡¯m asking for is detail. When and where did he go missing? How was he when he went missing? Did you see any traces of him, even if you aren¡¯t sure if it¡¯s really him?¡±

    Xie Zhanghui stared at her nkly. He was ten years older than Lu Mingshu, and he was the guardian of the fifth n. Xie Lianzhen had a weird character and was hardly in Seventh Truth tform, so Xie Zhanghui took charge of what happened in the n. He was a powerful figure in the n, but after Lu Mingshu started speaking, he felt like the inferior party.

    He thought for a moment before answering, ¡°It was during the twenty-fourth of July....¡±

    After hearing Xie Zhanghui once, Lu Mingshu asked him the same question again. She repeated every small detail numerous times patiently until Xie Zhanghui could get the exact answer.

    ¡°So, you mean that he was going to recover soon?¡±

    Xie Zhanghui tried to recall. ¡°Yes. Young Master had already taken thest set of medication. By right, he should¡¯ve fully recovered after three to five days.¡±

    ¡°When he left, he left his wheelchair behind, which means that he could already walk?¡± Lu Mingshu asked.

    ¡°Young Master¡¯s legs have already recovered for quite a while,¡± Xie Zhanghui answered. ¡°We nned to have him start walking after he fully recovered.¡±

    After he finished, he realized Lu Mingshu was staring at him, boring a hole through his head.

    ¡°Is there anything Miss Lu wants to know?¡± Xie Zhanghui shivered seeing how she stared at him.

    Lu Mingshu shook her head. ¡°There¡¯s something you didn¡¯t tell me. You know the real reason why he left without the wheelchair.¡±

    A pang of guilt hit Xie Zhanghui, but he remained silent and shrugged it off.

    That¡¯s something that nobody should know, and even if someone were to know, I couldn¡¯t be the one to say it.

    Luckily, Lu Mingshu stopped probing, and Xie Zhanghui heaved a sigh of relief. She drummed the table lightly and asked. ¡°If he could disappear under your eyes, he should be self-sufficient, and his ability has already been restored. So, it could be that something happened on his way here. Do you have a map?¡±

    Xie Zhanghui was daydreaming while she was drumming the table. Young Master does this too.... He jumped out of his skin when he heard her question.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Lu Mingshu spread out the map that he gave her and stared at him carefully. ¡°You said that you suspect he passed somewhere, where is it?¡±

    Xie Zhanghui immediately pointed at some areas on the map.

    Lu Mingshu looked at where he pointed at and furrowed her eyebrows.

    The points were all entrances to Beiming, such as Green Hill Banks. Xie Lianzhen just disappeared into thin air after a few days.

    Xie Zhanghui saw the look on her face and added on, ¡°Emissary Xiahou has already started investigating from where Young Master disappeared. She hasn¡¯t gotten any news about him yet.¡±

    Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t budge. As if she didn¡¯t hear him, she stared at the map intensely and looked at the map again and again. Her eyes trailed from Zhongzhou to Jasper Sun Mountain repeatedly.

    ¡°Miss Lu?¡± Xie Zhanghui nudged her after a while.

    Lu Mingshu covered his mouth in response to shut him up and went back to the map again.

    Xie Zhanghui couldn¡¯t help but see his young master in her. Same as Young Master, staring at the map every day and finds it happy. Does Miss Lu have the same fetish too?

 Chapter 284: Right Away

    <h4>Chapter 284: Right Away</h4>

    Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales

    Finally, Lu Mingshu took in a deep breath and sat down, putting the map aside. She buried her head in her hands as if she was resting.

    Being on pins and needles currently, Xie Zhanghui pulled her sleeve and asked, ¡°Miss Lu, what did you find?¡±

    But Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t respond. After a while, when Xie Zhanghui had given up on bugging her, she suddenly looked up. ¡°What do you all think about this situation?¡±

    Xie Zhanghui looked disappointed. He thought that she had some clues. ¡°I have discussed it with Emissary Xiahou. We are sure that he has passed this route, and with Young Master¡¯s ability, nobody would be able to kidnap him.¡±

    Xie Lianzhen broke through to the Spirit Realm previously due to being incited. He then took it way too far and dropped back down to the Harmonization Realm. Now, he was fully recovered and was only a step away from breaking through again. Moreover, as the Alioth Star-Lord, he had many defensive items with him such that even a normal Spirit Realm couldn¡¯t do anything to him. Thus, it was safe to say that nothing bad would have happened to him here.

    ¡°Howplex the topography in Beiming is, I think Miss knows. The Ming River has many branches, and there are many ferocious beasts lurking around. If there¡¯s fog, one might even go the wrong direction. So, we are all guessing that Young Master has lost his way.¡±

    Getting lost in Beiming was not something new. If one was lucky, they would get out quickly and even find a new route. If not, it would be like the situation recorded in the books ¨C being stuck for at least ten years and only getting out when a juniores by. If one was extremely unlucky, they might not meet anyone for their whole life and disappear in the vast Ming River.

    Xie Zhanghui looked at Lu Mingshu, but she seemed to disagree with his opinion.

    ¡°Miss Lu has another opinion?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re too positive about this.¡± Lu Mingshu nodded.

    ¡°Why is that?¡±

    She stood up, and her fingers trailed from Zhongzhou to Jasper Sun Mountain. ¡°Where is the most dangerous ce among this route?¡±

    ¡°Thetter half,¡± Xie Zhanghui replied instantly.

    Lu Mingshu nodded. ¡°From Zhongzhou to White Heron State, many people would take this route. The Jianghu people, businessmen, tourists, and so on, they all know this route like the palm of their hands. Whereas thetter half, because of the legends of Beiming and the ferocious beasts on the route, none have dared to venture there.¡±

    ¡°What Miss Lu means is that Young Master disappeared here?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± she answered confidently. ¡°White Heron State belongs to the Ye Family. Even if the random passersby didn¡¯t meet him, do you think the Ye Family would not have spotted him? From what I see, the Alioth Star-Lord never passed through the state.¡±

    ¡°So what does Miss mean?¡± Xie Zhanghui could no longer hold it in. Even though his young master went missing frequently, they could still roughly figure out where he went. But it was different this time; they had absolutely no confirmed clues.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you have noticed it or not.¡± She then put her finger back on the map. ¡°The traces that you have found, it¡¯s here ¨C the ce where you could confirm that he wasn¡¯t lost. As you said, he¡¯s here to look for me. With such an aim in mind, there¡¯s no way he would just wander around. This route is the fastest way to get to Jasper Sun Mountain.¡±

    Xie Zhanghui looked at her, unable to register what she just said. ¡°Miss Lu, so you mean that he¡¯s not lost, but...¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s take away the impossible and leave the possible ones, even if it¡¯s outrageous.¡± Lu Mingshu bit her lips. ¡°I suspect he¡¯s been kidnapped,¡± she whispered.

    ¡°...¡± Xie Zhanghui couldn¡¯t imagine who would be able to do so. Even if the person was powerful, who would dare to touch the Alioth Star-Lord as he likes?

    After some time, Xie Zhanghui epted the fact. ¡°So what shall we do now? Wait? Emissary Xiahou has already been searching for-¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll go,¡± Lu Mingshu cut him off. ¡°Emissary may find something, but that doesn¡¯t mean that we can¡¯t search too. It would be better than staying here and just guessing.¡±

    Xie Zhanghui originally thought that it wouldn¡¯t be a serious matter since Xie Lianzhen would not face any dangers. But after hearing Lu Mingshu, he was now like a cat on hot bricks and would, of course, agree to any suggestion given. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go right now.¡±

    ¡°A ship is too slow,¡± Lu Mingshu said. ¡°This boat should have a rowboat, right? Take it out, we¡¯ll go.¡±

    ¡°We?¡±

    ¡°Right. Us.¡± Lu Mingshu pointed at herself and him. ¡°The more people, the more trouble. This isn¡¯t a case where the more, the merrier.¡±

    Xie Zhanghui looked at her for a moment before agreeing. True. If Young Master was kidnapped and even Xiahou Shan couldn¡¯t find anything, there would be no point in bringing anyone else over.

    ¡°Miss, please wait a while, I¡¯ll go instruct them now.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded and watched Xie Zhanghui hurry out of the room.

    She stared at the map and sighed.

    ...

    Xie Zhanghui was an efficient guy; after an hour, he was back.

    ¡°Miss Lu, the rowboat has been prepared. We can pack up now.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have anything; we can leave right now.¡± Lu Mingshu stood up and walked out.

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    They ced the rowboat down, and after biding the Bon Voyage Fleet members goodbye, both of them jumped down from the ship and went south.

    Xie Zhanghui had never sailed a boat before, but luckily, one could control the rowboat with his or her mystic force.

    What made Xie Zhanghui depressed was that, as soon as Lu Mingshu boarded the boat, she acted as if this situation was none of her business. Other than eating and resting, she cultivated the entire day.

    Xie Zhanghui felt like skinning her. This bitch, she¡¯s best at using others as her servants, huh? I¡¯m the guardian of the Seventh Truth tform¡¯s fifth n and a well-respected person, and yet you take me as a boatman?

    But of course, that was all in his mind. He had first-hand experience of how important she was to his young master. If Young Master was here, he would be rowing the boat willingly and happily....

    But how calm she was made Xie Zhanghui want to p the daylights out of her.

    ¡°Miss Lu, aren¡¯t you worried about Young Master?¡± Xie Zhanghui asked while she was resting.

    ¡°There¡¯s no use in doing so,¡± Lu Mingshu answered after finishing her tea.

    Xie Zhanghui looked at her in annoyance. ¡°It¡¯smon sense to be worried for someone. I doubt you even care about him, huh?¡±

    ¡°Am I here to hear you nag?¡± Lu Mingshu side-eyed him.

    ¡°You...!¡± Xie Zhanghui stared at her in anger.

    ¡°I heard that Guardian Xie is someone cool-headed and reliable. Rumours are just rumours, I guess.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Xie Zhanghui forced out a smile and suppressed his urge to give her the middle finger. If it wasn¡¯t for Young Master, why would I sit here and be degraded by you? Forget it, women and children are the most unreasonable, and she¡¯s both.

    With his grudges, Xie Zhanghui went back to rowing the boat.

    Lu Mingshu shut her eyes. She looked like she was going back to cultivating, but in reality, she went into the Heavenly Wheel.

    She didn¡¯t have time to even worry about Xie Lianzhen being missing because, if she was right, then she would have to increase her ability ¨C because someone who could kidnap Xie Lianzhen wasn¡¯t someone she and Xie Zhanghui could fight even if they joined forces.

 Chapter 285: Level Up

    <h4>Chapter 285: Level Up</h4>

    Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales

    The umted points that greeted Lu Mingshu as she entered the Heavenly Wheel gave her a pleasant surprise.

    She could remember clearly that, thest time she was here, it was only seventy or so points, but now there was two hundred.

    ¡°Xiao Sang, why did I suddenly gain so many points?¡±

    ¡°Please find out on your own.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Lu Mingshu recalled everything she went through. She entered the Heavenly Wheel before she went for the test at Jasper Sun Mountain, so she would have gained it during the trip. But what had she done? Was it because of her performance during the test, or was it when she was in the other world? Lu Mingshu somehow felt that it was thetter.

    So they count things that happened in other worlds? Wow, I didn¡¯t know that the Heavenly Wheel would be that advanced.

    As she thought about that, the Heavenly Wheel suddenly lit up brightly.

    The light that hurt her eyes dispersed, and the light hovering around the Heavenly Wheel seemed to be way brighter than before. ¡°Congrattions, you have been upgraded to level one, now the function to travel to other worlds has been activated.¡± She could hear Xiao Sang speaking.

    Lu Mingshu stared at what was in front of her nkly. She looked down to see her level, which was initially zero, had been changed to one now. ¡°Xiao Sang, what you mean is that I can go to other worlds right now?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Xiao Sang replied. ¡°Some more of the Heavenly Wheel¡¯s functions have been opened for you; now you can go to other worlds physically, without any restrictions.¡±

    Lu Mingshu recalled that, when she was a newbie, she was met with many constraints when she travelled to the other world and did not even go there physically. When she returned, she needed to fuse with her physical body to actually acquire the gains.

    But now, she could physically go there, and Lu Mingshu immediately listed out the advantages. Firstly, the benefits she gained over there could immediately be reflected; there was no need to fuse with her physical body.

    But of course, there were shorings too; if she injured herself or died over there, then she would be in big trouble.

    Even with the shoring, she still preferred to go over physically. Who knew if just sending your soul over would have any bacshes as well? She still didn¡¯t trust the Heavenly Wheel fully.

    Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t try out the function now since she couldn¡¯t just leave at the moment.

    She opened up the exchange section in the Heavenly Wheel. ces that were originally gray had lit up.

    She scanned around, and her eyes stopped at a section. ¡°Xiao Sang, what does the lottery section do?¡±

    ¡°As you can see, you can draw a prize there,¡± Xiao Sang responded in monotone. ¡°The prizes aren¡¯t limited by level, which means you may get extremely rare items or even weapons. A hundred points per draw. If you level up, you will get a free chance.¡±

    How hard it was to umte a hundred points, Lu Mingshu understood it very clearly. It was hard to get chances like the one she got during the Qilin Festival. Within the half year since then, she only got a bit more than a hundred, and it was because of the Jasper Sun Mountain test.

    ¡°May?¡± Lu Mingshu asked. ¡°So how high are the chances?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s for you to find out.¡±

    Lu Mingshu bit her lips and pondered. The chances should be small. The Heavenly Wheel had divided its levels well, so if she could easily get things above her level, why would it need to limit her points? She did not have many points now, and it would be stupid to waste them on the lottery. It wasn¡¯t urgent anyway, so it could wait until she gained more points in the future.

    But I do have a free chance now, so let¡¯s try it out first.

    She lightly tapped on a button, and a dim light shed. The wooden wheel started spinning, and items started appearing in front of her one by one. There were books, spirit pills, weapons, and spirit items...

    The wooden wheel got slower as time passed.

    ¡°The Eight Absurd ssics,¡± the Deadly Pill, Raising Sun Umbre...

    The wooden wheel came to a stop, and the Raising Sun Umbre changed to a charm.

    ¡°Congrattions, you won a Bring-a-Friend Charm.¡± Xiao Sang¡¯s voice rang out across the Heavenly Wheel.

    The charm separated itself from the wooden wheel andnded in Lu Mingshu¡¯s hand.

    She lifted it up and realized it came with a small piece of paper that exined it¡¯s usage. Bring-a-Friend Charm: it wasn¡¯t restricted by level, and it allowed one to bring a friend along for a trip.

    Lu Mingshu furrowed her brows. ¡°Xiao Sang, this is a bit... useless, huh?¡± The ¡°trip¡± should be a trip to another world, but she could get a partner from the Heavenly Wheel who could go to other worlds freely like herself, so why would she need this?

    ¡°Please find out yourself,¡± Xiao Sang answered.

    Since she couldn¡¯t get any information from Xiao Sang, Lu Mingshu kept it just in case.

    She looked around the exchange section and admired the new items before exiting. Her points were precious, so she would save them for a rainy day.

    After she exited the Heavenly Wheel, she sat down and fished out the book of swordsmanship skills that she got from Jasper Sun Mountain.

    Other than the things she earned while she was in the other world, she earned two gifts from the grandmaster: one was Little Boo and the other one was this book.

    After such a long time, Lu Mingshu finally got time to look at the book.

    As she read on, she got more and more serious.

    No wonder Qiu Yu said that this book was good too and that one could only appreciate it after reading it. If it was someone else, they might find it confusing, but to Lu Mingshu, who had gained many insights thanks to the Heavenly Wheel, she could tell that it was not simply martial arts. To be exact, it was about swordsmanship cultivating.

    The difference between simple martial arts and swordsmanship cultivation was that swordsmanship cultivation focused more on congealing energy and forming a sword embryo.

    It was not impossible for Lu Mingshu to get methods of swordsmanship cultivation from other worlds, but this method used the base of martial arts for swordsmanship cultivation. In other words, Qiu Yu created this himself! She was from a world of martial arts, and by learning this technique, she could have a higher level of skill!

    Lu Mingshu suddenly realized that when she, Zhou Ruying, and Ling Wuxia were sent to the other world, they were unable to use their mystic force, which forced them to pick up spirit energy in order to survive there. ording to the book, by doing so, their mystic force would slowly evolve into something that had the characteristics of both mystic force and spirit energy: gentle but with a big impact. Is that why he sent us there?

    Nan Ze¡¯s god of sword is indeed something.

    Lu Mingshu took a deep breath and kept the book.

    The skills she had now were passed on by Grandmaster Xiang. Speaking of skills, they weren¡¯t inferiorpared to Nan Ze¡¯s god of sword method. However, Grandmaster Xiang¡¯s methods were more ssical and historical, which was different from this. Moreover, she wouldn¡¯t need to start all over again, she just needed to learn how to evolve her mystic force and form a sword embryo.

    I¡¯m going to learn this!

    Lu Mingshu kept the book calmly, nning her next steps. Since she had made up her mind, she started nning it out. First, I¡¯ll search for Xie Lianzhen. When that¡¯s settled, I¡¯ll find a suitable ce to pick this up as soon as possible. If I can from a sword embryo and evolve my mystic force before I breakthrough, then I¡¯ll fear nothing even if I meet a real swordsmanship cultivator!

 Chapter 286: Bad Memory?

    <h4>Chapter 286: Bad Memory?</h4>

    After they passed through White Heron State, Lu Mingshu stopped cultivating for the entire day. Other than helping to row the boat too, she spent most of her time staring at the map and observing the scenery. Looking at her staring at the map, Xie Zhanghui couldn¡¯t contain it anymore; ¡°Miss Lu, what¡¯s on the map?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m trying to match the scenery with the map,¡± she said.

    She was trying to build up a model in her mind. She had travelled from Green Hills Bank too and passed by where Xie Lianzhen did, it was just that the distance was too long, so she was unable to remember it all. Thus, the model would help since she would not be able to take down all the data.

    Lu Mingshu expected this to take up a lot of time. He had been missing for a few days, and the traces he left might have already disappeared, which would make finding him way more difficult. All she could do was build a model in her head and try to figure out things that were out of ce.

    The rowboat was fast. Not longter, they reached the route where Xie Lianzhen wasst seen.

    This route was a normal one, and there was nothing weird about it. It was an easy route that many passed by daily. Water beasts that endangered one¡¯s life was nowhere to be found. Nobody had ever gone missing here, so it was no wonder why Xie Zhanghui and the rest did not believe that he was kidnapped.

    In fact, Xie Zhanghui still didn¡¯t believe Lu Mingshu¡¯s theory. ¡°Miss Lu, how could Young Master disappear here? Look, most of the people here are still in the Body-Tempering Realm!¡±

    When taking cultivation into consideration, Xie Lianzhen ¨C who was very close to breaking into the Spirit Realm ¨C should be the one with the highest cultivation in the area. However...

    ¡°That¡¯s what may bring him trouble.¡±

    Xie Zhanghui paused for a while before shaking his head in denial. ¡°Who dares to offend Zhongzhou?¡± Offending Xie Lianzhen would mean offending the queen, and that would mean offending Zhongzhou. Zhongzhou was closely rted to the Seven Truth tform, which had many Assimtion Realms. Offending them would not be a smart move by any means.

    ¡°How do you know others would know who he is?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s impossible that they wouldn¡¯t,¡± Xie Zhanghui answered. ¡°The skills that Young Master is equipped with are very distinct. As long as one is aware of current affairs, it would be simple to tell.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re that sure that he would show up as who he really is?¡±

    Xie Zhanghui side-eyed her. He couldn¡¯t tell what she really meant, but it wasn¡¯t wise for him to ask.

    Lu Mingshu said nothing else and went back to her map.

    On the second day, the helpers whom Xiahou Shan had left him were going around to ask for information.

    The military officer looked at Lu Mingshu weirdly. She¡¯s such a beauty, but indeed a femme fatale. If not for her, we wouldn¡¯t be here for such a long time. Seeing Xie Zhanghui arrive, he immediately stood up straight and answered all his questions.

    Xie Zhanghui returned to the rowboat swiftly.

    ¡°What did he say?¡±

    ¡°He came back empty-handed.¡± Xie Zhanghui shook his head.

    Lu Mingshu looked down and waved to the officer.

    The officer raised his eyebrows and swiftly jumped onto their rowboat. He just bowed to her since he did not know how to address her.

    ¡°How may I help you, Miss?¡±

    ¡°Other than humans, are there any other things out of ce?¡±

    ¡°Miss, what do you mean...?¡±

    ¡°The environment or the weather, for example.¡±

    ¡°Weather?¡± The officer thought for a while before responding. ¡°The Ming River¡¯s weather is fickle. There will be thunderstorms and downpours all of a sudden, but that¡¯s normal.¡±

    ¡°Can you try to recall what else they mentioned? Any small detail will do.¡±

    Hearing her, a few things immediately popped up in his mind. For example, the Jianghu people had beenining about bad weather and surging food prices recently.

    ¡°Oh, somebody mentioned they met up with a water dragon tornado recently, but nobody was injured.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded and repeated her question once more. She repeated the same question until the officer could no longer answer her, then she ended it.

    The officer bowed and went back to his boat.

    After the rowboat got further, a soldier on board mumbled, ¡°Does this Miss Lu have dementia? Why does she keep repeating the same thing?¡±

    The officer gave him a tight p and chided, ¡°Nonsense. Don¡¯t bullshit about things rted to our noble.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t I just speaking the facts?¡± The soldier sulked. ¡°She keeps making you repeat the details! If it¡¯s not her memory failing, what else...?¡±

    On the rowboat, Lu Mingshu turned to Xie Zhanghui. ¡°Let¡¯s find people to ask too.¡±

    ¡°About what?¡± Xie Zhanghui was slightly annoyed. Of course, he trusted Lu Mingshu¡¯s memory. He saw how good it was and how observant she was during the Qilin Festival. He just didn¡¯t understand what she was thinking. The officer repeated very clearly what she wanted to know. What was there to ask again? Was it that fun?

    ¡°Same question. Weather, environment, and such.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Even though he didn¡¯t understand what she was thinking, Xie Zhanghui did it anyway. With his status as a guardian, there was no doubt about his capability. The pair stopped around the route and asked every boat that passed by them. With them being powerful and generous, everyone was willing to cooperate with them.

    As for what to ask, Xie Zhanghui handed it all to Lu Mingshu since it was all useless information to him.

    After a few days, Xie Zhanghui could no longer hold it in.

    ¡°Miss Lu, what have you been trying to do?¡± These past few days, Lu Mingshu asked everyone she met the same few questions; weather, timing, environment...

    As if she couldn¡¯t hear him, she continued scribbling on her paper, only looking up at him after she was done. ¡°I now know what happened during the past few days.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t they all say that there was nothing out of ce?¡±

    Lu Mingshu dried the ink and threw the paper over. ¡°Have a look.¡±

    Xie Zhanghui opened it up to see a detailed and neat timeline.

    July 27th, cloudy day, no changes. July 28th, drizzling in the morning, thunderstorm soon after....

    Xie Zhanghui took a nce and eyed her. ¡°Your point?¡±

    ¡°Are you sure you manage the fifth n?¡± Lu Mingshu rolled her eyes. ¡°I really suspect the Seventh Truth tform¡¯s standard.¡±

    Xie Zhanghui clenched his fist and yelled, ¡°Miss Lu!¡± I know roasting people is your hobby, but what situation are we in now? Does she even know how urgent this is?

    Lu Mingshu stopped and turned to a page, pointing a line out to him. ¡°Look at this.¡±

    Xie Zhanghui squinted his eyes to have a closer look. ¡°July 30th, water dragon tornado in the morning.¡±

    ¡°So you suspect...?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s umon here in Beiming, but it has been appearing quite a few times recently, matching with his timeline.¡± Lu Mingshu clicked her tongue. ¡°We can stop asking now and see if we will meet up with a water dragon tornado or not.¡±

 Chapter 287: Putting Oneself in Danger

    <h4>Chapter 287: Putting Oneself in Danger</h4>

    As a saying goes, ¡°God¡¯s ns supersede our own.¡± Things that one expects may not happen while unexpected things will happen instead.

    For the following days, Lu Mingshu and Xie Zhanghui went back and forth around this water region. Others were fearful of the water dragon tornado while they feared they wouldn¡¯t meet one.

    ¡°Miss Lu, are you sure about this?¡± Xie Zhanghui asked after the long wait.

    ¡°I hope I¡¯m wrong too.¡± Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t even look up, she just continued to stare at the book of sword skills.

    Xie Zhanghui sighed in response. If his young master was just lost, then with his ability, he would surely be safe. They would only need to search for him. But if what Lu Mingshu said was right, then the trouble was huge.

    Whoever dared to kidnap Xie Lianzhen would be at least in the Spirit Realm, and not an ordinary one.

    Suddenly, the boat jolted up. Xie Zhanghui looked down to check. ¡°That¡¯s weird, there¡¯s no water beast here!¡±

    Hearing him, Lu Mingshu immediately kept her book and stood up abruptly.

    Her actions shocked Xie Zhanghui. ¡°What are you doing, Miss Lu?¡±

    ¡°Is it going to rain soon?¡± Lu Mingshu pointed to the sky.

    Xie Zhanghui looked up. The sky was already covered with surging ck clouds, and he could see lightning between the clouds.

    ¡°Beiming¡¯s weather is really unpredictable,¡± he mumbled. The sun was still shining brightly just a second ago!

    Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t respond. Her eyes were fixed to the clouds as if she was waiting for something.

    She looked so serious that Xie Zhanghui felt chills running down his spine. ¡°Is there something wrong, Miss?¡±

    Not longter, they could see a whirlpool starting to form from the clouds, and it slowlynded down to the water.

    ¡°Water dragon tornado!¡± Xie Zhanghui shouted.

    The whirlpool became faster and faster. Along with the ck clouds, it sucked up the Ming River¡¯s water in no time.

    ¡°Hurry, there!¡± Xie Zhanghui shouted to Lu Mingshu, frantically stirring the boat toward the vortex.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to go over,¡± Lu Mingshu whispered. ¡°It wille to us.¡±

    It wille to us? Huh? Xie Zhanghui stared at the tornado, dumbfounded.

    Very soon, what Xie Zhanghui saw answered his question; the tornado raced toward their direction, stirring up torrential waves along with it. The rowboat jolted up and down due to the torrential waves, making Lu Mingshu and Xie Zhanghui feel nauseated.

    The dangers that obviously awaited Lu Mingshu and Xie Zhanghui now seemed to be a minor matter to them. All they cared about now was the vortex known as a water dragon tornado.

    Because of the whirlpool, the water in the Ming River was all swept up into the sky, forming a marvel of water soaring everywhere.

    It was right there, getting closer.

    In the blink of an eye, the tornado hanging from the sky was right in front of them.

    Whoosh! The waves surged to the sky.

    Creak! Piak! The rowboat under them started breaking into pieces.

    The gusty wind swept them off their feet. Their clothes and hair danced in the wind, hitting their faces at times and causing them to wince in pain.

    So Young Master disappeared because of this? Then if I follow up, I will find Young Master?

    Xie Zhanghui bit his lips and got ready to embrace the tornado. But suddenly, a huge force blocked his way.

    He looked over in shock to see Lu Mingshu gripping her sword, with light emanating from the sword that nearly blinded his eyes and stopping the tornado that was engulfing him. A sharp sword-light shot forward with mild golden rays of light and struck him.

    Under the strong wind, Xie Zhanghui didn¡¯t have any time to defend himself. He stood there, dumbfounded. He watched the light strike him, then activated the talisman sewn into his shirt, which protected him from the attack. However, even though he wasn¡¯t hurt, the extremely strong force swept him off his feet and sent him flying.

    He opened his eyes after hended in the water and saw Lu Mingshu standing among the wind calmly. The powerful wind caused her hair and clothes to p violently and water droplets were hitting her face, but Lu Mingshu just stood there as if nothing was happening. She didn¡¯t even try to resist the force sucking her into the vortex.

    ¡°Report this to Xiahou Shan.¡±

    Before he could even register what happened, the vortex had already swallowed Lu Mingshu up.

    Like a beast that was satisfied with its meal, the vortex moved faster and soon shrunk back to the clouds.

    The water that was sucked up to the sky fell back down with a loud thump, some of it hitting Xie Lianzhen. The ck clouds started to disperse, and in no time, the thunderstorms and torrential waves were all gone, and peace was returned.

    Xie Zhanghui just floated in the water, nkly staring at where the water dragon tornado was just at a moment ago.

    After some time, a small boat sped over. The military officer who was in charge of the search was on board.

    ¡°Guardian Xie! Guardian Xie!¡± the officer yelled, seeing him in the water. Seeing him staring nkly into space, the officer immediately got the soldiers to fish him up. ¡°Hurry, go get Guardian Xie out.¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡± As the soldier was about to row the boat closer so that he could get him, Xie Lianzhen suddenly jumped out of the water into the boat as if he just woke up from a dream.

    The military officer heaved a sigh of relief when he saw that Xie Zhanghui was still in good condition. ¡°I¡¯m so d you¡¯re fine. We hurried over when we saw the water dragon tornado. Eh, where¡¯s Miss Lu?¡± The officer started to panic again when he realized that Lu Mingshu was nowhere to be seen. ¡°Hurry up and search for Miss Lu!¡±

    ¡°No need.¡± Xie Zhanghui stopped the soldier. ¡°It¡¯s all done here. Send me to Emissary Xiahou.¡±

    ¡°Erm....¡±

    ¡°Go!¡±

    The officer jumped out of his skin and immediately turned to his subordinates. ¡°Back to Green Hills Bank!¡±

    They hurried on the journey throughout the night, and the next afternoon, they finally reached Green Hills Bank.

    Xiahou Shan was temporarily staying here. Since Xie Lianzhen disappeared nearby, she was staying here to search for him.

    She received Xie Zhanghui¡¯s message, so as soon as Xie Zhanghui arrived, he was brought to her immediately.

    ¡°What happened? Miss Lu is missing again now?¡± Xiahou Shan looked at him in annoyance. She could put the matter of Jasper Sun Mountain aside since it was a test from the Grandmaster. However, she was already found, safe and sound, but now she was missing again. Does she think that we are that bored?

    Xie Zhanghui knew that Xiahou Shan wasn¡¯t pleased about this incident. She held a high position in Zhongzhou, and after Ding Qingqing was demoted, all the power was in her hands since there was no one else. However, Lu Mingshu suddenly went missing, and she had to leave Tianyun City to search for her. The queen said that if she did well, she would be rewarded heavily. However, Xiahou Shan, who had lived there for such a long time, knew very well that it was easy to leave the city but hard to get everything back. The longer this trip took, the harder it would be for her to get her authority back. It might¡¯ve been the queen¡¯s will, but since Lu Mingshu was the cause of it, she couldn¡¯t help but feel anger boil up.

    On the other hand, Xie Zhanghui wasn¡¯t that annoyed like she thought he would be. ¡°Miss Lu has found the reason for Young Master¡¯s disappearance,¡± he said.

    ¡°Oh?¡± This sentence made Xiahou Shan feel a thousand times better. She pondered for a while and understood the main issue. ¡°You mean that Young Master disappeared the same way she did?¡±

    Xie Zhanghui didn¡¯t answer. Instead, he took out a crumpled piece of paper from his sleeves. ¡°These are the notes that she made recently.¡±

    Xiahou Shan took it and started examining it carefully. Her eyes lit up when she finished reading.

    Xie Zhanghui was a little absent-minded at this time. He could remember how Lu Mingshu pushed him away while she herself was sucked into the vortex. Did she already n to do that, which is why she gave me the paper? The power of nature is unpredictable, who knows where this paper would end up if she took it with her? But she seems to be here only because it¡¯s rted to her, not because she cares... or did I misunderstand her? She really does care, that¡¯s why she gambled her life on this...?

    Xiahou Shan¡¯s voice rang into his head, cutting off his train of thought; ¡°Hurry, prepare the boats!¡±

 Chapter 288: Jail

    <h4>Chapter 288: Jail</h4>

    Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales

    After being engulfed by the vortex, Lu Mingshu felt that she was fluttering in mid-air as if there was no gravity for her to depend on.

    She released a ray of mystic light, forming a protective cover around herself. She then stopped resisting and let the wind bring her to wherever it was going, an unknown destination.

    The interior of the vortex was surprisingly peaceful, the total opposite of the roaring that she heard when she first saw it. It was so silent that Lu Mingshu could only hear her own breathing.

    But Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t take this time to rx. Instead, she observed the interior of it closely and estimated its speed. She even took out her watch to confirm the time it took.

    The past few days, Lu Mingshu had been thinking hard. The water dragon tornado only seemed to appear when there were ships around. At first, she didn¡¯t really get why, but afterwards, she realized that ships that took this route usually belonged to aristocratic families, and they always had strong martial artists on board to escort them.

    This set her thinking in a certain direction, and soon, she came up with a shocking conclusion; the water dragon tornado specifically targeted martial artists who had a lot of strength. The reason that only Xie Lianzhen went missing was that he was alone. He was in a rush, so he obviously wouldn¡¯t have prepared much, and the speedboat he took wouldn¡¯t have had much defence. On the other hand, all the other ships were well-guarded and had strong defences.

    If her guess was right, then she could tell how good the other party was.

    One would be more than ordinary if they could make a water dragon tornado that was so powerful, at least in the context of this world. Due to how martial arts developed throughout the years, not many martial artists possessed magical powers, not even Spirit Realms.

    So, was the other party an Assimtion Realm? Most likely not. To an Assimtion Realm martial artist, a Harmonization Realm was like an ant to them, someone they could get rid of easily. During the past few days when Xiahou Shan was carrying out her search, she brought along with her numerous Spirit Realm martial artists, and no one met the water dragon tornado. Thus, Xie Zhanghui and Xiahou Shan didn¡¯t take note of this detail.

    This person was either a strong Spirit Realm martial artist that possessed some rare magical powers or an Assimtion Realm who had a huge drop in his or her ability and dared not offend any Spirit Realms, thus only targeting Harmonization Realms.

    As for this water dragon tornado being a work of nature and Xie Lianzhen just being unlucky, it was impossible for Lu Mingshu.

    This matter had too many patterns behind it. Even if it wasn¡¯t a human behind all this, there was a reason why this was happening.

    Therefore, she chose toe in just on her own, leaving Xie Zhanghui out there.

    She had never personally experienced Xie Lianzhen¡¯s true strength, but ording to her estimation, as someone who was only one step away from the Spirit Realm despite his body condition and taking into ount him going into obsession before, he was way stronger than her. Furthermore, he was crafty and smart. Thus, if he could escape on his own, he would have already done so.

    Many days had passed, yet he still didn¡¯t get out, which meant that she and Xie Zhanghui would not make it out either if they entered. Thus, she forced Xie Zhanghui to stay behind so he could report to Xiahou Shan. Only then would her risk be worth it.

    Lu Mingshu believed that, as someone who was able to do so well in Zhongzhou, she would surely get the gist of it and quickly send people to save her.

    The strong wind started to weaken. Lu Mingshu took a nce at her watch, and before she knew it, she was thrown up in the air, tumbling in the air like a stic bag. The impact was too frequent, and she felt her head going numb. In no time, her vision turned blurry, and she fainted.

    She was still partially awake even if she had fainted. She still had vague awareness, and Lu Mingshu knew that, after some time, she was being carried and brought somewhere.

    Lu Mingshu knew that she wasn¡¯t lying on an ice-cold floor; it was something soft that she was on, and it felt like hay. She could faintly smell the grass and mud.

    Throughout the process, she didn¡¯t hear anyone speak.

    Lu Mingshu guessed that there was no danger right now, so she put herself at ease and submerged into her sleep.

    A person¡¯s body would heal faster than normal when one was unconscious. Lu Mingshu wasn¡¯t sure how long she was out, but the environment was still the same ¨C the soft substance under her and the smell of grass and mud ¨C as it was before she was fully unconscious.

    She slowly opened her eyes. A simple and crude rooftop greeted her.

    Lu Mingshu blinked her eyes. It had been a long time since she ever came across such a poor residence.

    She sat up after taking in a deep breath. Other than a bit of nausea, she was fine.

    Lu Mingshu scanned the ce slowly. This was a small room about ten square meters, with a roof made out of wood and mud. The walls were made out of giant stones that hadn¡¯t been polished, and she was indeed sitting on hay. Other than that, there was nothing else: a simple and crude room.

    What was weird was that such a simple and crude room needed an iron gate ¨C a refined one. There weren¡¯t any handles, and the gate had a square opening that was covered in welded iron bars.

    Lu Mingshu felt uneasy. Why does this look like a jail?

    She stood up slowly and sneaked over to the gate, pushing it hard, but it didn¡¯t even budge. Lu Mingshu then tiptoed to look out, but all she saw was a stone wall. She then grabbed the iron bars and shook them hard with her mystic force, but the gate still didn¡¯t even budge.

    So, I¡¯m locked in?

    Realizing this, instead of panicking, Lu Mingshu felt relief.

    This showed that she was right; Xie Lianzhen was kidnapped. It was just unknown whether he was alright and what situation he was in right now.

    She bit her lips and pondered for a while before going back to lie down on the hay to rest.

    The other party didn¡¯t constrain her mystic energy, which showed that they were absolutely sure that she couldn¡¯t get out of here.

    Whatever then, let¡¯s just counter every move thates and see what happens.

    Time passed by slowly. After half a day of cultivating, she could hear footsteps.

    From their footsteps, she could tell that they were people in their prime years and should be in the Harmonization Realm.

    They were only three or four feet away from her cell when they suddenly stopped. What came afterwards was the sound of chains, as if something was being pushed open. She could then hear them yelling, ¡°Eat!¡±

    The footsteps then got closer, now right next to her cell.

    nk. Chains were being removed again.

    After a pause, the footsteps got closer, stopped after a bit, and repeated the same thing.

    After two more times, they were finally at her cell.

    The chain was removed and the iron gate was opened up. Somebody pushed in a wicker basket and yelled at her, ¡°Eat!¡±

    Lu Mingshu was already waiting at the door. When she took the basket, she scanned the faces of the two guys.

    Both looked extremely fierce. One had scars on his nose. The other had a mole beside his mouth. Their clothing seemed like Beiming¡¯s style, but somehow different too.

    The time was too short, so she could only get a few nces before they left.

    Lu Mingshu could then hear their conversation.

    ¡°That¡¯s the new one, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Damn calm, huh? She didn¡¯t even ask anything.¡±

    ¡°I know, right?¡±

    She listened closely to their conversation. There were only seven cells that were filled. If they were all single-person cells, then there were only seven people here. Had they all disappeared in Beiming? The water dragon tornado only got her and Xie Lianzhen this time, but Beiming was vast andplex, so a few people going missing was not even a small deal.

    She pondered for a while before sitting back on the hay.

    Her mouth opened in shock when she saw the contents in the basket. Not only was the portion big, but it was also fresh food with thick mystic energy, and it was still piping hot.

    A prisoner is treated this nicely here?

 Chapter 289: Save your energy

    <h4>Chapter 289: Save your energy</h4>

    Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales

    After half an hour, the two guys came back to retrieve the basket. Seeing that the items in the basket were left untouched, they said nothing and went back with the basket.

    After ensuring that there was no one nearby, Lu Mingshu started to fumble around. Even though the cell was simple and crude, there was an invisible boundary put up so that, even with her mystic force, the roof made out of mud and the walls with holes were unbreakable. The iron gate was probably the only way out.

    As she was examining the cell, a voice cut her off, ¡°Hey greenhorn, do you not care about the fact that others need to sleep?¡±

    It was a sore voice, and she could tell that the other party was quite old and extremely irritated.

    Lu Mingshu stared at the wall nkly. They don¡¯t prohibitmunication here? Oh right, I could hear the guards just now too.

    ¡°Erm, this uncle,¡± she tried to probe, ¡°can you hear me?¡±

    ¡°You nearly split my ears! What do you think?¡± The man sneered. ¡°Save your energy. You can¡¯t get out.¡±

    After so long, she finally got a source for news, so why would Lu Mingshu let it go? ¡°Uncle, where are we?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Is it important? Just know that you can¡¯t get out,¡± the other party taunted. ¡°Little girl, just stay here obediently so that you won¡¯t suffer, okay?¡±

    ¡°Suffer?¡± Lu Mingshu wasn¡¯t willing to let go of the information she just caught. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Hmph!¡± The other party grumbled and said nothing.

    ¡°Uncle?¡± Lu Mingshu banged on the wall.

    But there was no response.

    ¡°Hello? Uncle!¡± she called for him again.

    ¡°Can you stop howling?!¡± the other party yelled at her. ¡°How are you going to have enough energy to endure if you aren¡¯t going to seize this moment to rest?¡±

    Have the energy to endure? Lu Mingshu blinked her eyes. Does this mean that the person kidnapped us to torture us? That¡¯s why we were given such sumptuous food?

    ¡°Endure? Endure what? Uncle, uncle!¡±

    ¡°This fucking kid...!¡± the other party red up. ¡°Are you an idiot? Shut the fuck up!¡±

    But how could Lu Mingshu give up? ¡°Uncle, please tell me. If you do, I¡¯ll stop bothering you. But if you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll continue disturbing you until you answer me.¡±

    ¡°You...!¡± the other party screamed. ¡°I should have never paid any attention to you!¡± However, it was toote.

    ¡°So, where are we? Who¡¯s the kidnapper? And what does he want?¡± she rambled on.

    ¡°¡®Where are we?¡¯ How would I know?¡± the other party snapped. ¡°All I know is that it¡¯s not a good ce.¡±

    ¡°Uncle!¡± Lu Mingshu howled.

    ¡°Okay, okay, I¡¯ll tell you!¡± the man interrupted before she could start howling again. ¡°We address the master here as the Drug Lord. As for us, we are the drug men that he keeps.¡±

    ¡°Drug men...¡± That doesn¡¯t sound like a nice name.

    ¡°Mhmm. Every so often, he will get one of us to test his drugs, just likeb rats.... Haha.¡±

    The other party seemed to beughing at her for not knowing anything, or perhaps he just felt happy that he had someone else here who could resonate with his pain.

    ¡°Test drugs? What type? What does it do to your body? Do people die from it?¡±

    ¡°Why are you such an annoying kid, huh?¡± The man huffed, followed by a burst ofughter. ¡°¡®Do people die from it?¡¯ Look at your cell, why is it empty?¡±

    What he means is that the previous inhabitant of this cell died?

    ¡°As for how he does the testing, you will know soon enough. Just a piece of advice for you: a bad life is better than a good death.¡±

    After this, the other party said nothing more. Even when Lu Mingshu started howling again, there was no response from him.

    Since she already got the basic information, Lu Mingshu decided to leave him alone and go to the Heavenly Wheel.

    Even though the cell confined them, it didn¡¯t restrict their mystic force, so she could still go to the Heavenly Wheel. Hmm. Another piece of evidence that the Drug Lord is not powerful, Lu Mingshu analyzed. The Heavenly Wheel was connected to her soul, so if one wanted to restrict it, he would have to be a Void Realm at the least.

    ¡°Xiao Sang, can I exchange for any strong drug-resisting medication?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Xiao Sang responded immediately as usual. As she answered, the exchange section in the Heavenly Wheel opened up. ¡°There are two types: one is a solid soul-casting capsule, the other one is a normal drug resistance dose.¡±

    As she finished, two items in the exchange section lit up.

    The solid soul-casting capsule was in level one, grade A. It could strengthen one¡¯s mind and body, neutralizemon poisons, and couldst for about ten days. The normal drug resistance dose was level one, grade B. It worked like an antibiotic, but it onlysted for a day.

    Lu Mingshu shook her head upon looking at the items. What¡¯s there for me to even choose? The solid soul-casting pellet was grade A, so it cost five hundred points, and she only had two hundred currently. The normal drug resistance dose cost fifty points, but if what the uncle said was true, drug testing would not be just a one-day thing, so how would that be enough?

    ¡°Xiao Sang, is there anything longsting but cheap?¡±

    Xiao Sang didn¡¯t respond immediately, as if she was looking it up for her. ¡°Sorry, no.¡±

    Lu Mingshu sighed. Should I get just one for now? She had to meet the Drug Lord at least once in order to know where Xie Lianzhen was. Maybe just one or two times and then I¡¯ll find out the situation?

    ¡°If you need toe in contact with poison, I have a suggestion,¡± Xiao Sang cut off her thoughts.

    ¡°What?¡±

    The wooden wheel turned, and the exchange section flipped to another page. ¡°This method is called the ¡®Transformation of Bones.¡¯ It¡¯s a technique for poison. One needs to change their constitution with poison. If you¡¯re going toe in contact with poison, then why not take the chance to cultivate this?¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked at it closely. The summary on it was: ¡°Transformation of Bones, level one, grade B. One uses their body as a medium for poison to enter. It¡¯s extremely painful to cultivate this technique, but the poison absorbed will create a formidable power.¡±

    It was a level one, grade B item, and it wasn¡¯t any superior technique, but if one knew how to make use of it, even a pile of rubbish could turn into treasure. For example, the meditation forme that she exchanged for a long time ago were put to good use.

    What was more important was that it only cost fifty points. Having a taste of how hard it was to earn points, Lu Mingshu exchanged for this cheap technique without the slightest hesitation.

    ¡°Thank you, Xiao Sang.¡±

    ¡°As your guide, it¡¯s what I should do,¡± Xiao Sang answered in monotone.

    Lu Mingshu smiled thinly and took out a bronze pipe. She knocked on it and it cracked, revealing Little Boo.

    ¡°Eh? Master?¡± Little Boo¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Where is this?¡± It turned around.

    ¡°My ce,¡± Lu Mingshu said and took out a map. ¡°Little Boo, you¡¯ve followed Senior Qiu around for such a long time, how many ces in Beiming have you been to?¡±

    ¡°A lot!¡± Little Boo answered proudly.

    Lu Mingshu nodded, satisfied. Her guess was right; Qiu Yu would have travelled all around Beiming before deciding to enter seclusion in Jasper Sun Mountain. As a Void Realm Grandmaster, there were many ces that he could go to freely when others couldn¡¯t.

    Lu Mingshu bit her lips and drew a circle on the map. ¡°Have you been to these ces?¡± she asked Little Boo.

 Chapter 290: I Know

    <h4>Chapter 290: I Know</h4>

    The Transformation of Bones was probably a technique from another world that cultivated martial arts too. It was simple and fast, just absorbing poison and changing it to something useful. It was even a bit evil.

    But if something came from the Heavenly Wheel, the quality would be there. It might be a level one, grade B technique, but it was more powerful than other techniques in the same grade; if one could learn it well, then the power would depend on the poison absorbed. If one absorbed some rare poison, the power would be immense.

    However, the drawback was that the process was extremely painful since one¡¯s body would be taking in poison.

    Since nobody bothered her, she started cultivating after exiting the Heavenly Wheel.

    Within a short two or three days, she mastered the basics of Transformation of Bones. If poison entered her body, she could start the technique immediately.

    During lunch, the guys delivered the food just like they did yesterday. ¡°Eat!¡±

    Hearing this, Lu Mingshu stopped practising and took the basket.

    She intentionally didn¡¯t eat the first time to test the opponent¡¯s reaction. Seeing that they didn¡¯t even care, she let down her guard and started eating well.

    She never had such good ingredients back at Nine Jade Pce. Now that she was a drug man, of course she would seize the chance to eat fully.

    When the guards reached the next cell, they didn¡¯t give him food. ¡°Number Six,e out!¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s my food?¡± the uncle asked.

    ¡°You do not get food today. We are going to the Drug Lord today,¡± the guard answered coldly.

    ¡°I just went ten days ago. Shouldn¡¯t it be someone else¡¯s turn?¡± the uncle argued. ¡°That greenhorn next door hasn¡¯t gone once yet!¡±

    ¡°Tell that to the Drug Lord yourself,¡± the guard answered coldly.

    Soon, the uncle was dragged away.

    Lu Mingshu felt chills run down her spine. The guards were at the Harmonization Realm if she wasn¡¯t mistaken, so why couldn¡¯t the uncle resist them at all? Did I miss something?

    She sat there for a while and decided to stretch. She then banged on the wall on the other side. ¡°Is there anyone there?¡±

    No response.

    They sent food over every day, so there should¡¯ve been someone there.

    Did they learn after seeing me harass the uncle?

    Lu Mingshu took a deep breath and got back to cultivating.

    Soon, it was midnight.

    She opened her eyes immediately upon hearing footsteps.

    She stood in front of the iron bars and saw the guards towing a guy out before mming the iron door shut.

    The guards left immediately.

    Lu Mingshu banged on the stone wall ¡°Uncle?¡±

    There wasn¡¯t any response.

    When he was dragged away, he was unconscious. Now, he smelled like weird herbal medicine, and he was probably still unconscious.

    Soon, dawn arrived. Lu Mingshu could hear a groaning from the cell next to her.

    Lu Mingshu went over to knock on the wall immediately. ¡°Uncle, are you awake?¡±

    After a while, he responded; ¡°Idiotic girl, you¡¯re still so noisy!¡± He sounded weak.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Lu Mingshu asked.

    ¡°What if I wasn¡¯t? Would you be able to help me?¡± The person on the other side of the wall sneered. ¡°Stop spouting rubbish and let me have some peace.¡±

    After a short while, the voice was heard again; ¡°Hey, talk to me! That hurts!¡±

    This made Lu Mingshu burst intoughter. ¡°Well, you should be fine since you can still talk.¡±

    ¡°Hmph! Such a petty person,¡± the other party mumbled to himself.

    She then said, ¡°Petty? You tried to get me into trouble earlier and I haven¡¯t even taken revenge yet.¡±

    The other party saidzily, ¡°Get you into trouble? You have to go over sooner orter anyway!¡±

    In actuality, Lu Mingshu would rather go over earlier than be stuck here since there was nothing she could do in a cell.

    She peeked outside, then whispered, ¡°Uncle, I want to find out about a person.¡±

    ¡°Find out about someone? You must be dreaming.¡± The uncle sighed. ¡°I have been here for ten years, how would I know anybody?¡±

    ¡°Ten years? So long?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not long at all. Someone has been here for more than thirty years. It¡¯s been a long time since I heard from him, he is probably going to die soon.¡±

    Lu Mingshu thought for a while; ¡°Those whoe here have never left before?¡±

    ¡°Mhmm,¡± the uncle mumbled to himself, so soft that Lu Mingshu could barely hear him.

    ¡°Not too long ago, was there anyone new?¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡± The over party became vignt. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°He is about twenty years old, at the peak of the Harmonization Realm, and rather handsome....¡±

    The other partyughed out loud upon hearing her. ¡°Hey, little girl, what does this look like to you? A pub to find your lover boy?¡±

    Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t respond.

    After a while, the other party sounded amazed. ¡°Are you for real?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°You... came here to look for him?¡± The other party sounded shocked. ¡°How can that be? The Drug Lord¡¯s methods are impossible to deal with!¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± she responded. ¡°No matter what, some traces will be left after someone does something.¡±

    The other party was silent for a while. ¡°Little girl, you¡¯re really something, huh? But it¡¯s impulsive toe here just like that. Your lover is already bound to be stuck here, and yet you walked right into the trap as well.¡± He sighed.

    Lu Mingshu opened her mouth to reply, but a voice stopped her; ¡°I know where that youngster is.¡±

    It was a hoarse voice belonging to a woman.

    Before she could respond, the uncle next to her gasped. ¡°Old woman, you still remember how to speak after pretending to be mute for such a long time?¡±

    ¡°Hmph!¡± She responded coldly, ¡°Save some energy for yourst few days, old man. Your life is going to end soon.¡±

    ¡°Heh!¡± The uncleughed, identally choking himself and coughing. ¡°Old woman, you have not talked for a long time. I thought you were going to die, but you sound incredibly fine now!¡±

    ¡°I have lived for a long time, seeing deaths one after another. You are just adding on to the numbers, that¡¯s all,¡± she huffed.

    ¡°Haha, so what if you have lived for a long time? Escape this ce if you can!¡±

    There was an awkward silence.

    As if he won, the uncle chuckled happily.

    Hearing their conservation, Lu Mingshu guessed that this old woman was the one that the uncle mentioned ¨C the one that lived here for more than thirty years.

    ¡°Grandma, you said you know where he is?¡±

    After a while, a voice was heard, ¡°The youngster you were talking about has been here for about a month. He lives over there. I heard an old man talking to him.¡±

    The uncle interrupted, ¡°Old woman, you said you heard an old man talking to him, but how can you know how old he is, where he lives, and if he is good looking or not?¡±

    The old woman said in a faint voice, ¡°After listening for a long time, how would I not know? For example, once I hear your voice, I know you¡¯re ugly!¡±

    ¡°Pah!¡± the uncle angrily responded. ¡°How am I ugly?¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡± The old woman only used one word, leaving the uncle speechless. She took no notice of him and diverted her attention to Lu Mingshu. ¡°Youngdy, tell me, how did you get here?¡±

 Chapter 291: Drug Testing

    <h4>Chapter 291: Drug Testing</h4>

    After Lu Mingshu exined how she got there, both parties went silent.

    After a long time, the old woman broke the silence; ¡°So, the youngster was missing, and you found out that it was the water dragon tornado after the investigation?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± she replied. ¡°There are many people who travelled the route where he went missing. After asking them, I found out that, the day he went missing, there was a water dragon tornado.¡±

    ¡°How could you be so sure that it was because of the water dragon tornado?¡±

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t, but that was the most suspicious thing.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± The old woman seemed to lightly let out a sigh.

    Lu Mingshu asked, ¡°Grandma, is he still here? Is it because of the separation that he can¡¯t hear me?¡±

    ¡°He isn¡¯t here anymore.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Lu Mingshu jumped out of her skin. ¡°What do you mean he¡¯s not here anymore? He...¡±

    ¡°He should still be alive,¡± the old woman teased. ¡°That youngster, he¡¯s so crafty and smart. He must have fooled the Drug Lord badly.¡±

    Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t get what she meant, but she could understand that Xie Lianzhen was fine.

    Before Lu Mingshu could rify, the uncle started yelling at the old woman, ¡°Hey, old witch, what do you mean? Fooled the Drug Lord?¡±

    ¡°Heh.¡± The old woman snickered. ¡°That kiddo is very sharp-tongued. As soon as he arrived, Xiao Zhangzi and Old Man Liao started rethinking their lives. If I was near him, I think I would be in a daze too right now. After a few days, he was taken out and has never returned since then.¡±

    The uncle knew someone came in recently, but because he was too far, he did not know who the person was and didn¡¯t keep up with it. He paused for a while before continuing, ¡°How can you be so sure that it¡¯s him fooling the Drug Lord and not the Drug Lord killing him?¡±

    The old woman sneered: ¡°Oh my, not only are you ugly, but you do not have a brain either. That kiddo is already at the peak of the Harmonization Realm, it isn¡¯t that easy to end his life. Even if the Drug Lord has some extremely poisonous things to try it out, he would use us first. Why would he risk losing such a preciousb rat?¡±

    ¡°Bitch,¡± the uncle mumbled unhappily. ¡°Why are you bashing me? Do you need some lessons on propriety in speech, old woman?¡±

    ¡°So what if I bash you? I tried propriety before, but I¡¯m still stuck in this hellhole.¡±

    The uncle was speechless.

    ¡°Grandma,¡± Lu Mingshu interrupted, breaking the tension between them. ¡°When was he brought out?¡±

    ¡°Erm... three or four days after he came.¡±

    In other words, Xie Lianzhen¡¯s went missing again soon after he arrived at this ce.

    Lu Mingshu took in a deep breath and calmed herself down. She experienced how sharp Xie Lianzhen¡¯s tongue was first-hand, and he never failed to give her the urge to murder him immediately. The old woman said that he left two of his neighbours in a daze as soon as he arrived, so fooling around with a lunatic obsessed with drugs shouldn¡¯t be too hard.

    ¡°What¡¯s the Drug Lord like?¡±

    The old woman and uncle didn¡¯t respond. Lu Mingshu somehow felt their fear. One would be extremely fearful of somebody who tortured them, regardless of how long itsted. For both of them, who had been through this for such a long time, the fear and pain haunting them every single day...

    Finally, the old woman broke the silence; ¡°You¡¯ll find out soon. Seize this time to rest or else...¡±

    ¡°Is it very painful?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± the uncle taunted. ¡°How else would I end up in this state? Little girl, cherish yourst few days! It will be your turn soon....¡±

    ...

    ¡°Number Five,e out!¡±

    She finally heard the phrase that she was waiting for.

    Lu Mingshu got up to tidy her clothing while the metal door was slowly opened.

    With this distance, she was very sure that she could take down these guards who only recently broke into the Harmonization Realm if she attacked.

    She slowly walked toward the gate, but as soon as she reached it, a huge rope flew toward her, tying her up in no time. There was a strong mystic force in the rope that confined her power.

    Two people looked at her with satisfaction and pulled her out of her cell.

    The old woman¡¯s words rang in her head; ¡°Don¡¯t try to fight back when they are here to get you. They may seem weak, but they have their ways. It¡¯ll be dangerous as soon as you step out of the cell. The more you try to fight back, the worse the time you¡¯ll have.¡±

    Why would she fight back though? Where would she look for Xie Lianzhen if she didn¡¯t get to meet the Drug Lord?

    Step by step, she slowly walked to the end of the corridor, passing the cells one by one, exiting the ce shortly.

    The sudden contact with sunlight caused her to squint her eyes in pain.

    ¡°Move!¡± the guards yelled at her. Perhaps they were happy with how cooperative she was, but they didn¡¯t push her roughly. They only yelled at her.

    Once she adapted to the brightness outside, she continued to walk forward, and her eyes darted everywhere, observing the environment.

    This should be somewhere in the mountains. Their cells should be built by rocks from here. There isn¡¯t much civilization nearby. The trees here are huge, blocking most of the sunlight, and there isn¡¯t much grass around. Even though it¡¯s already noon, the temperature around the forest is still rtively low, and the environment gives a cold feeling....

    After they travelled for about a hundred meters, they arrived at another valley.

    There were rows of houses in the valley, and the people wore clothing simr to the guards. They were working hard. They didn¡¯t even pay attention to the guards when they brought Lu Mingshu over, as if it was normal to them.

    Lu Mingshu looked at them closely. Thendforms, buildings, people... everything was remembered in her heart.

    The guards brought her to a cave.

    Compared to the forest, the cave felt even colder.

    After a long walk in the mountain ally, she finally arrived in a segregated cave. The cave was filled with tools of different kinds, and there was a weird smelling from the cave.

    ¡°Drug Lord, Number Five is here.¡±

    Lu Mingshu then saw a fat and white maning out from the pile of tools.

    ...

    Back in the cells, after Lu Mingshu left, the uncle suddenly started, ¡°Old woman, you have not given up, huh?¡±

    After a while, a moody voice could be heard, ¡°Have you? That¡¯s good. One will die as soon as they give up, and when you do, you won¡¯t need to go through hell anymore.¡±

    ¡°Pah!¡± the uncle clicked his teeth. ¡°Why would I want to die when an old woman like you is still alive and kicking?¡±

    ¡°Kiddo, you¡¯re in a very bad state right now. You can handle up to five more times at most,¡± the old woman said gloomily.

    The uncle¡¯s voice became weak. He sighed. ¡°Whatever. Tell me truthfully, you have been silent for such a long time, so what made you speak to that silly girl? Do you really think that she¡¯ll be able to escape?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll try anything since I still have hope. Old Man Liao, don¡¯t you agree?¡±

    The old man coughed and replied, ¡°I really thought you were going to die when you kept quiet that time.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t trust that kiddo.¡± The old woman sneered.

    ¡°So what?¡± the old man replied calmly. ¡°There¡¯s hardly ever any new people here, we do not have any choice.¡±

    ¡°But he isn¡¯t honest!¡±

    ¡°Being honest won¡¯t get you out of here.¡±

    ¡°So you don¡¯t believe in that silly girl?¡± the old woman responded, realizing the old man¡¯s emotions.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that. Let¡¯s just wait and see.¡± After this, the old man stopped speaking.

 Chapter 292: Bear with It

    <h4>Chapter 292: Bear with It</h4>

    Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales

    The stone door started to rumble, closing slowly. The fat white man waddled toward her slowly.

    He had a stout build, unkempt hair, and his face seemed swollen. In addition, his eyes looked dead. No matter how Lu Mingshu looked at him, he didn¡¯t seem to be the Drug Lord she had heard about from the others, the one who used outrageous methods.

    The fat man stared at her intensely and scanned her carefully. He then mumbled to himself, ¡°Not a high cultivation, should be only three to four years into the Harmonization Realm... no, wait, only one to two years. Oh, so talented!¡± The fat man licked his lips andughed. ¡°Great thing! Young, healthy, and talented. She canst me for almost ten years! Tie her up now!¡±

    The guards got to their feet immediately and tied Lu Mingshu to a pir in the middle of a giant wooden bucket.

    Lu Mingshu tried to struggle. She hated the feeling of being manipted by others as they wished. She tried hard to suppress the urge to fight back.

    Wait a while. It¡¯s not time yet.

    ¡°Little cutie, don¡¯t move!¡± The fat man grinned from ear to ear as he pacified her. ¡°I¡¯ll show you something good!¡±

    Lu Mingshu felt like vomiting. Little cutie? That¡¯s the most disgusting shit I¡¯ve ever heard!

    ¡°You¡¯re the Drug Lord?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes! But hey, don¡¯t listen to other people¡¯s nonsense, everything here is good, it¡¯s just that not everyone has the privilege to see it!¡± While talking, the fat man started to fumble around. He might¡¯ve been fat, but he did things quickly; in no time, he finished mixing all the chemicals on the table into an extremely smelly dark green liquid.

    Lu Mingshu was just sitting there, tied up already.

    ¡°Let down the water now!¡± The fat man pped in excitement.

    One of the guards immediately took a bamboo tube, and clear water flowed down from it into the bucket.

    ¡°Hey, stop it! What do you want?¡± Lu Mingshu furrowed her eyebrows and screamed at the top of her lungs. ¡°Let me warn you first; there are people who witnessed me getting sucked into the water dragon tornado! They will be here soon, so you better not do anything!¡±

    The Drug Lordughed out loud at her. ¡°Little cutie, how naive can you be? What can they do even if they saw it? I have enough men now, and they will never get to see that vortex ever again, my dear. Hahaha!¡±

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s heart sank. She said that to test him, but it didn¡¯t work out the way she thought it would. The Drug Lord¡¯s energy was veryplicated, and she could tell that something went wrong with his cultivation. He was in the Spirit Realm at most, and not a strong one, so how could he be able to create the water dragon tornado?

    ¡°Little cutie, enjoy this! Look at your young body, how pretty it is!¡±

    A perverted tone and words. If one didn¡¯t see what was happening, they might think it was some disgusting scenario.

    The reality wasn¡¯t that much better, it was just a different type of disgusting.

    The guard only stopped putting water in when the water reached Lu Mingshu¡¯s neck.

    The Drug Lord then slowly poured the bowl of green-coloured liquid into the water. He smiled happily when doing so.

    As soon as it was poured into the water, it spread out evenly almost immediately. What was weird was that such a small bowl of liquid didn¡¯t dilute even after being mixed with water. Instead, it contaminated the whole bucket of water.

    The smell became stronger, and soon it was so overpowering, smelly, and sour that Lu Mingshu felt like puking. However, among the unpleasant smell, she could smell a hint of pleasant herbal smell too.

    At first, Lu Mingshu was extremely alert. But, to her surprise, the green liquid didn¡¯t cause her the extreme pain that she was expecting. Instead, it felt weirdlyfortable being soaked inside, and it came with a minty feel.

    ¡°See, it¡¯s good, right?¡± The Drug Lord looked at her with a smile. Not even waiting for Lu Mingshu¡¯s answer, he immediately poured another bowl of liquid down. This time, it was bright red in colour.

    ¡°Here, here, here. There we go! Little cutie, bear with it!¡±

    The liquid was slowly poured into the green water.

    A reaction happened almost immediately when the two liquids met. Like swords shing, the two liquids mixed with each other then turned into an odd purple colour.

    As soon as the purple water came in contact with Lu Mingshu¡¯s skin, it was like numerous needles stabbing her all around her body.

    ¡°Ahhhhh!¡± Lu Mingshu screamed, unable to contain the pain.

    Hearing her excruciating screams, the Drug Lord became even more excited. ¡°Hahaha. I told you to bear with it! It will be done soon! Wait a while more.¡±

    One who had never been through this would not understand the pain. Not only was it like needles piercing through all parts of the body, but it was also like numerous brushes made out of needles brushing against the body hard. Lu Mingshu thought that she had good pain tolerance, but this was so painful that she couldn¡¯t take it, as if her organs were plucked out and mixed around. This is the torture they mentioned, huh?

    ¡®Little cutie, just rx! Only a bit more.¡± The Drug Lord burst with excitement. He skipped back to the stone table and took more liquids back, pouring them in one by one.

    Some of the liquids relieved the pain, but some intensified it. Lu Mingshu felt that she was at her limits already, and she could no longer hold it. She clenched her fist, trying to break free, but the rope was tight and suppressed all her mystic force, so she was unable to escape.

    ¡°Ah...!¡± She reached her limits, and she was writhing in pain now. Lu Mingshu felt like her skin was torn out and her bones were crushed until nothing was left. She felt like there were numerous pins piercing through her continuously as if trying to fill her with holes.

    Even though she was currently in deep pain, Lu Mingshu was still somehow awake. The weak ray of light in front of her was like a seed being nted into her dantian, growing brighter among the messed up mystic force. The ray of light got brighter as the mystic force got messier. No matter what, the light remained.

    The excruciating pain that was everywhere, messed up mystic force, a weak ray of light...

    Lu Mingshu couldn¡¯t remember what happened afterwards. The pain made her unable to think properly. Now, she was back at the cell, with a bucket of clear water and clothes next to her.

    She stared at the ceiling nkly, feeling lifeless.

    ¡°Silly girl¡¯s still not awake?¡± the uncle¡¯s voice rang across the cell.

    That was followed by the old woman¡¯s voice. She wasn¡¯t replying to him but talking to herself. ¡°True. Her first time will make her unconscious for at least one or two days. Haish, such an idiot. Why go to such an extent for a lover? This isn¡¯t something for a little girl.¡±

    ¡°Grandma...¡±

    ¡°Kiddos sure are impulsive....¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not here for my lover.¡± Lu Mingshu held the pain in and sat up.

    ¡°...huh? You¡¯re awake?¡±

 Chapter 293: Sword Embryo

    <h4>Chapter 293: Sword Embryo</h4>

    Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales

    Lu Mingshu took in a deep breath and untied her hair. She slowly put it into the water to clean it, wincing in pain.

    ¡°What the hell? How long has it been?¡± The uncle was full of shock.

    ¡°One and a half hours,¡± the old woman said calmly. ¡°Old Man Liao, what do you think?¡±

    After some time, she could hear somethinging from somewhere far.

    ¡°Strong willpower!¡± The Old Man Liao gasped. ¡°You should be someone special, right?¡±

    After such a long time of being here, this was the first time someone asked about her origins. After one became a drug man, nothing else was important anymore. Some people here had strong backgrounds, but even after such a long time had passed, did anyone ever leave this ce?

    As the elders were having a conversation, Lu Mingshu finished cleaning herself up.

    To her surprise, the clothes looked simple and crude, but the texture was extremely good. Was it to protect the Drug Lord¡¯s preciousb rats?

    After washing up, her hair was no longer purple and she no longer smelled. It was reced by a pleasant herbal smell.

    Lu Mingshu stared at the bucket of water nkly. These medicines weren¡¯t harmful to the body, and they had many advantages. For example, her skin was smoother now, and her mystic force was strong.

    ¡°Girl, what¡¯s your surname?¡± Old Man Liao asked.

    Lu Mingshu immediately understood what he meant. ¡°I don¡¯t belong to any aristocratic family in Beiming.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± He seemed shocked. ¡°So, you¡¯re here to travel? Seventh Truth tform or Heavenly Truth tform?¡±

    ¡°...Nine Jade Pce.¡±

    ¡°Eh!?¡± He gasped in utter shock. ¡°Wow, Nine Jade Pce is really rising now, huh? There was a Liu Jizhen previously, and now you.¡±

    Lu Mingshu kept quiet. The uncle had been here for more than ten years, so he was probably unaware that her master had already been crippled, and he wouldn¡¯t know how bad Nine Jade Pce was right now. Other than Zhuo Jiangui, the other two Assimtion Realms were nearly dead. As soon as they were gone, Nine Jade Pce would be gone too.

    ¡°Nine Jade Pce?¡± the grandma asked. ¡°Girl, do you know Liu Jizhen?¡±

    ¡°Grandma, you know him?¡± Lu Mingshu¡¯s eyes widened in shock.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been here for thirty years, of course, I do.¡±

    Indeed, Liu Jizhen is just forty plus years old. So, this grandma is from Nine Jade Pce too? Master didn¡¯t venture out at such a young age.

    ¡°...he¡¯s my master.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re his disciple?¡± The uncle gasped. ¡°No wonder! He¡¯s such a genius. You must be very good too, right?¡±

    Lu Mingshu should¡¯ve been happy hearing such praise, but she feltplicated.

    If they knew what Master was like right now, would there still be such praise?

    The grandma sounded surprised too. ¡°You¡¯re his disciple? How is your master right now?¡±

    Lu Mingshu avoided the main point. ¡°My master is now at the Heavenly Ascension Pavilion.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± That was her only reply. I guess I was wrong. She doesn¡¯t know Master personally but through someone. And she doesn¡¯t know much about Nine Jade Pce either. If she did, she would know that the Heavenly Ascension Pavilion isn¡¯t a good ce.

    ¡°Grandma, what¡¯s your rtionship with my master?¡±

    ¡°I know someone who¡¯s very close to your master,¡± she replied calmly.

    Lu Mingshu was astonished. ¡°Grandma, who do you mean?¡±

    ¡°You should call her Martial Grandma.¡± The grandma sighed. ¡°But I don¡¯t know if she is still well right now....¡±

    Martial Grandma!? Lu Mingshu least expected to hear about her martial grandma here. Such a genius like Liu Jizhen obviously had a master as well, but she had been missing for a long time. Lu Mingshu heard from her master that, when he was a teenager, his master went out for a journey and never came back. At first, Liu Jizhen still had hopes of finding her, regardless of whether she was dead or alive. However, there had been no results even after he was crippled, and it had been thirty years since then.

    ¡°Grandma!¡± Lu Mingshu tried to contain her excitement. ¡°When did you meet her, and when?¡±

    ¡°I met her once before I came here.¡± Sensing the difference in Lu Mingshu¡¯s tone, she paused for a while. ¡°You want to know more about her? I don¡¯t know much, but she should be fine.¡±

    ¡°Grandma...¡±

    ¡°I heard this piece of news from that kiddo next to you. She...¡± The grandma stopped and then continued. ¡°I am sure that she¡¯s fine.¡±

    Before Lu Mingshu could continue, the old woman cut her off. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you more when we get out of here.¡±

    Lu Mingshu understood her immediately. Who wouldn¡¯t want to escape after being stuck here for thirty years?

    Since both parties had their desires, she got to the main point straight away. ¡°So what¡¯s up with the Drug Lord? What are his motives?¡±

    ...

    It waste at night, and Lu Mingshu entered the Heavenly Wheel.

    She brought in the clear water that she used to wash off the liquids. ¡°Xiao Sang, what is this?¡±

    ¡°Scarlet Dragon Rattan, Golden Seeds, Bloody Rose...¡± Xiao Sang replied after a while, naming more than twenty herbs. ¡°This medicine is used to strengthen one¡¯s body, but since the mixing is rough because of certain medicines shing, bathing in it would be extremely painful.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded slightly. The grandma and uncle were saying the truth; the Drug lord was experimenting on how to exceed the limit of one¡¯s body. However, some of the medicine here was good but some were poisonous. It depended on how the Drug Lord wanted to use it.

    After exiting the Heavenly Wheel, Lu Mingshu sat up. There was something she wanted to test.

    After what she went through in the morning, she was still weak at the moment. She carefully used her mystic force to go through all her apertures slowly, reaching the dantian in the end.

    Under the activation, she could see a weak ray of light turning brighter.

    Lu Mingshu watched the light, bbergasted.

    The sword embryo!

    After being sent to the other world by Qiu Yu, she mastered spirit force and started tobine it with her mystic force. At first, she was unsure of how to condense the sword embryo, but now, after her mystic force went haywire, it appeared.

    The sword embryo seemed weak, but the Sword Intent was unstoppable. Qiu Yu said that, if she learned this technique, she would be more than powerful.

    Lu Mingshu was on cloud nine. This was really a blessing in disguise.

 Chapter 294: Second Time

    <h4>Chapter 294: Second Time</h4>

    Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales

    ¡°Number Five!¡± The guard¡¯s voice could be heard.

    The other drug men sighed in relief. No matter how much experience they had, of course, they would prefer to lessen the pain as much as they could.

    Lu Mingshu walked to the door slowly.

    Her cooperative attitude pleased the guards. The younger the better. She was strong but obedient, unlike those noisy ones that had to be taught a lesson.

    As soon as they reached theb, the Drug Lord rushed toward her and started to touch her everywhere, not caring that Lu Mingshu was a girl. But his intention was nothing more than checking the result.

    Lu Mingshu felt ultimately disgusted by it. His scaly hands that were eroded by the long-term contact with drugs were all around Lu Mingshu now, making her shudder.

    She tried to flip his hand off, but the Drug Lord didn¡¯t even care. ¡°Such a good, young, and useful body! Oh my, look at the end result!¡±

    Lu Mingshu struggled out of his grip and dusted herself off. If I didn¡¯t do what Xiao Sang said, do you think your experiment would be this good?

    However, the Drug Lord didn¡¯t even care about how she felt toward him. He smiled and instructed her to be tied to the bucket.

    ¡°Little cutie, this is different from the previous time. Be prepared!¡± This time, the liquid poured into the bucket was a piping hot one. The turquoise color was paired with the scent of grass.

    After the first time, Lu Mingshu had already mentally prepared herself for it. As soon as the Drug Lord poured a bowl of ck liquid in the bucket, the liquid started to boil. Bubbles could be seen, followed by an explosion.

    Lu Mingshu immediately felt the pain. However, the pain was a different type from yesterday¡¯s. She felt that her skin was eroding and that she was being burned in fire. Her muscles felt like they had already been melted into a pool of unknown liquid.

    ¡°Ah...!¡±

    Seeing her shout in pain, the Drug Lord pped and lifted up her sleeve. ¡°Eh, it¡¯s only slightly red? That¡¯s good! Perfect immune system! Come, let¡¯s add more!¡±

    He poured another bowl of ck liquid into the bucket.

    ¡°Ahhhhh...!¡± Lu Mingshu let out a blood-curdling scream. She felt her organs eroding too now, even though it wasn¡¯t actually happening.

    Seeing her in pain made the Drug Lord even happier. He looked like he was on cloud nine. ¡°Very good. No material has ever been able to withstand such reaction. I may be done today! Hahaha.¡±

    He hurried to the stone table and mixed another liquid that was light in colour. He then poured it into the bucket.

    The Drug Lord continuously poured in different bowls of coloured liquid. He even made Lu Mingshu drink some. In the end, Lu Mingshu started hallucinating. She thought she was already dead and that her body had eroded, giving out a stench. However, her mind was still working and she was clearly awake. Everything she had ever learned now appeared in front of her. Questions that she couldn¡¯t solve could suddenly be solved. But it was so fast that she didn¡¯t even have the time to look at it properly and memorize it. Her brain was functioning way better than what she thought to be her limits.

    The Drug Lord ced many different gemstones beside her. The gemstones lit up one by one.

    ¡°Hahahaha.¡± The Drug Lord danced around. ¡°I¡¯m indeed a genius. Stimting the body can enhance the mind! But how far can it go through? Increase in intensity!¡±

    Even though the Drug Lord treasured all hisb rats, he didn¡¯t really care about the impact caused to them. It was hard to find such a wonderful constitution, butpared to his results, it was all nothing.

    ...

    ¡°One day has already passed, so why is she still not awake? Old woman, shouldn¡¯t she wake up even faster than the first time?¡±

    ¡°ording tomon sense, yes.¡±

    ¡°Then why is she still not awake yet?¡±

    ¡°What do you think I am? God?¡±

    ¡°Haish. Look at you....¡±

    Lu Mingshu slowly opened her eyes. She could hear the conversation between the uncle and the old woman, but she was too tired to care.

    Lu Mingshu felt like her head was going to explode. However, her body that felt ruined now feltfortable. Her mystic force moved around her body slowly.

    Even though it was a grade B technique, the Transformation of Bones was not easy to train. Ensuring that one got used to the poison before they were harmed was hard, but the Drug Lord took care of everything for her.

    The liquids he poured in contained both poisons and tonics. The poisons harmed her while the tonics did the opposite. With the Transformation of Bones as well, she used the poisons for energy.

    If not for the urgent situation, she would want to stay here for a long time. With her techniques, Xiao Sang¡¯s pointers, and the Drug Lord¡¯s experiments, it was the best way for her to train. The herbs used on her cost an arm and a leg, so how could she afford it normally?

    But that wasn¡¯t the main thing.

    She remembered something that the Drug Lord said.

    Stimting the body can enhance the mind? That is to say...

    No. Lu Mingshu shook her head. She was so drained that she couldn¡¯t think. I need a rest right now....

    Lu Mingshuy back down and continued to sleep.

    She didn¡¯t know how many days passed.

    It¡¯s quiet. Lu Mingshu sat up after a while.

    The same old cell, with a bucket of clear water beside her, new clothes, and a basket with food.

    Lu Mingshu felt extremely light as if her mind was empty. Things that limited her thinking were all gone now. She became more sensitive to her surroundings. She could even feel what was going on in the other cells.

    Seven cells, except for the first, were all filled.

    The uncle next to her was slowly moving. His body was destroyed, but he still held on to a string of hope.

    On the other hand, the old woman sat there silently.

    Lu Mingshu leaned against the wall. Her eyesight was blurry, but her brain was working quickly.

    She realized that her brain was working much faster now, and her calctions had sped up!

    Only two times, yet the result is so good! He may be a lunatic, but he¡¯s indeed a genius.

    No. Lu Mingshu hadn¡¯t forgotten what she was here for. Xie Lianzhen. Where did he go?

    The stench on her body was so unbearable that Lu Mingshu scrunched her face in disgust. I¡¯ll clean up first.

 Chapter 295: Do You Want to be My Disciple?

    <h4>Chapter 295: Do You Want to be My Disciple?</h4>

    Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales

    Hearing the sound of water, the uncle called out to her.

    ¡°Are you awake?¡±

    Lu Mingshu shed back to the first time when she talked to the uncle andughed. Who¡¯s the one that said I¡¯m noisy? He¡¯s talking so much now.

    After cleaning, she saved some of the remaining medicine to let Xiao Sang take a look. ¡°Yes. Uncle, how long has it been?¡± she replied.

    ¡°Three days! I thought you were done for!¡±

    Lu Mingshuughed in reply. It¡¯s because I¡¯m too tired from all the thinking. But fortunately, the end result is good.

    ¡°How are you feeling?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°Are there any injuries?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve recovered.¡±

    The uncle was unaware of her situation currently. If he was, he would be bbergasted. When it was his second time, he nearly died and took two months to recover.

    If not for the Transformation of Bones, Lu Mingshu would face the same thing he did. It was hard for the body to recover at such a fast speed after being damaged, but with the Transformation of Bones, not only was no damage done, she even benefited.

    All of a sudden, the old woman started shouting. ¡°Old Man Liao, since you lost your bet, do as you said!¡±

    ¡°Hmph!¡± She could hear Old Man Liao¡¯s dissatisfaction.

    ¡°What? Still unwilling to admit you lost?¡±

    After a while, she could hear Old Man Liao grumbling. ¡°I have never broken a promise.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s great.¡±

    ¡°Grandma, what are you talking about?¡± Lu Mingshu was confused.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you searching for that kiddo?¡± the old woman answered. ¡°Old Man Liao, so?¡±

    ¡°Senior Liao knows where he is!?¡± Lu Mingshu eximed.

    She didn¡¯t know how Xie Lianzhen was doing, and she dared not ask the Drug Lord. What if the Drug Lord locked him up in some other ce? It would not be a good thing if the Drug Lord knew about their rtionship. What if he used me against Xie Lianzhen? Who knows what that mad man would do?

    ¡°That kid is sneaky enough. I don¡¯t know how, but he contacted Old Man Liao after he left this ce.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Lu Mingshu rolled her eyes. She felt like she shouldn¡¯t havee. Of course. He¡¯s way more powerful than me, and ying tricks is what he does best. Why did I evene? He can escape without my help.

    ¡°What did he say?¡±

    ¡°Nothing much,¡± Old Man Liao responded. ¡°He told me to get ready. He¡¯lle and get me as soon as possible when he gets the chance.¡±

    ¡°So, you do not know where he is?¡± Lu Mingshu¡¯s heart sank.

    ¡°He only said that he has acquired the trust of the Drug Lord.¡±

    Lu Mingshu closed her eyes. Acquired the trust of the Drug Lord, which means, he¡¯s with the Drug Lord? But I didn¡¯t see him even after going over there twice. Does he not know I¡¯m here? Most likely, he¡¯s not free to move around yet.

    ¡°How did he pass the message to you? Can we bribe the guards too?¡±

    ¡°No, please don¡¯t try it.¡± Old Man Liao immediately shut her idea down. ¡°The people here are unconditionally loyal to the Drug Lord. There¡¯s no way we can bribe them. The kid used signals to send the message.¡±

    ¡°How do we contact him?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. He didn¡¯t say how.¡±

    Lu Mingshu sighed. Now, she could only wait.

    ...

    In theb, the Drug Lord danced around and sang. ¡°Hahaha. It finally worked.¡± He skipped into a tunnel and went into a small room.

    This was a study room. A youngster was sitting at the table, scribbling.

    The Drug Lord rushed in and grabbed him tightly. ¡°Boy! I seeded thanks to your advice to get someone new!¡±

    The youngster was handsome, but he looked a bit depressed. If not Xie Lianzhen, who would it be?

    He slowly got out from the Drug Lord¡¯s grip and nodded. ¡°I told you before, your methods are correct, it was just a matter of finding the right materials. But what a good man you found! He must be powerful to be able to sustain it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah! A skinny little girl, but she managed to get through both trials! I¡¯m so happy with the result. I¡¯ll treat her very well!¡±

    ¡°Skinny little girl?¡± Xie Lianzhen furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted an experienced one?¡±

    The Drug Lord pouted and whined as if it was normal for him to act cute. ¡°I wanted to, but the experienced one had some protection! I only got this one when they were separated. I wanted two! Such a pity.¡±

    Xie Lianzhen felt weird. He shut his eyes and shook his head. Impossible. ¡°What do you n to do next?¡±

    ¡°Of course I will continue!¡± The Drug Lord jumped up and down. ¡°You¡¯re talented! Do you want to be my disciple?¡±

    Xie Lianzhen shook his head. ¡°I already have a master, it¡¯s not very good to suddenly change.¡±

    The Drug Lord sighed. ¡°Okay. Anyway, how is the method you came up with that time?¡±

    Xie Lianzhen waved a paper in front of him. ¡°Done. I just need to test it out.¡±

    The Drug Lord giggled. ¡°Boy, you want to step out?¡±

    ¡°If you aren¡¯t at ease, you could just send the materials in here.¡±

    The Drug Lord pondered for a moment before nodding. ¡°Okay, you will be my assistant starting tomorrow!¡±

    They discussed the method for a while before the Drug Lord stepped out happily.

    Xie Lianzhen leaned back and sighed.

    The queen would surely send people out to find him after he disappeared, but who would it be? It would probably be Zhanghui or Xiahou Shan. Or both.

    He had been missing for so long. Those who were sent to find him should have already reached the area where he was caught. He finally convinced the Drug Lord to get someone new, to give a hint about how he went missing. But who knew if they caught the hint or not?

    Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t someone from Zhongzhou who was caught.

    But whatever. No matter who it was, I¡¯ll surely get out. How is she now though? Has she been found? And is she doing well? She will surely be happy to know that I have recovered, right?

    Xie Lianzhen caressed his knee. He never would¡¯ve imagined that he would be able to stand up again. However, miracles did happen, and when he realized it, he was already away from the wheelchair.

    No matter how tough it is, I have to make it out so I can see her again.

 Chapter 296: Special Drug-Making

    <h4>Chapter 296: Special Drug-Making</h4>

    Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales

    As the saying goes, ¡°long-term illness makes the patient a good doctor.¡± This was surely applicable to Xie Lianzhen.

    Anyone who was in contact with medicines for long term would be very sure about how effective a type medicine was. Moreover, Xie Lianzhen was trained before. Because he hated to be touched everywhere and could not train normally like his other brothers, he used to learn the study of medical science during his free time.

    He never thought that one day, his activity during leisure time would be used to save his life.

    From his appearance to his character, only ¡°weird¡± could be used to describe the Drug Lord. Anything that wasn¡¯t beneficial to his experiment was nothing more than a grain of sand in his eyes. But he was naive too; all he thought about was his experiments, and nothing else in the world mattered.

    When Xie Lianzhen was caught to be a drug man, the Drug Lord was extremely happy with him because Xie Lianzhen could name all the drugs and their effects. As if striking the lottery, the Drug Lord immediately took him in as a friend instead of a drug man.

    Actually, this fat lunatic was lonely. Here, no matter the guards or his servants, they were all just his tools. To him, they weren¡¯t hispanions. Catching someone like Xie Lianzhen, who he could discuss his findings with, put him on cloud nine.

    And because of that, Xie Lianzhen was no longer ab rat.

    But that wasn¡¯t the main point. No matter what, Xie Lianzhen had to leave.

    Xie Lianzhen clicked his tongue, fingers drumming on the chair¡¯s armrest. Even if he did not need the wheelchair anymore, it was a habit, and habits die hard.

    The Drug Lord wasn¡¯t someone very powerful either. Even though he was in the Spirit Realm, his basics and ability were weaker than normal Spirit Realm martial artists. However, the Drug Lord was able to perform many weird tricks. For example, the water dragon tornado. Xie Lianzhen tricked the Drug Lord into performing that technique for him to see. He still didn¡¯t understand even the gist of it, but Xie Lianzhen was sure that the Drug Lord had a treasure that allowed him to perform that technique.

    In addition, there seemed to be a barrier around here. Even if there weren¡¯t any physical items to limit his cultivation, Xie Lianzhen had no choice but to obey the Drug Lord. He couldn¡¯t see what was constraining him, but the Drug Lord had plenty of tricks.

    I¡¯ll have to find out the source of his power and breakthrough it.

    This would require the other drug men¡¯s help. The Drug Lord kept a close eye on him, so it would be an almost impossible mission if he were to do it as a lone wolf.

    Xie Lianzhen sighed and sat up straight, continuing to read through the book.

    The Drug Lord¡¯s background was funny too. He had very advanced methods of making medicine, but he barely knew anything aboutmon herbs or materials that could be found everywhere. He didn¡¯t seem very talented either. It seemed that he had some kind of evil inheritance or someone passed down some special methods.

    ¡°Sir, Drug Lord instructed me to send this over.¡± The guard¡¯s voice broke his train of thoughts.

    ¡°Just ce it here.¡± Xie Lianzhen smiled thinly and pointed at the table he was sitting at.

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    After the guard left, Xie Lianzhen emptied the basket and bit his lips.

    The Drug Lord said that the neer managed to endure the experiment twice, so her ability should be good. If I can get her on my side, she¡¯ll be a good helper. Firstly, she just came, so her body should still be in good condition. Secondly, I tried the experiment first-hand previously, so if she could withstand it, she must have a good physical state and high tolerance level, as that pain is not something just anyone can tolerate.

    The second time must¡¯ve caused her to be very stressed. Let¡¯s think of an idea to unleash her potential.

    Number Five¡¯s appearance brought happiness to the other drug men. Her appearance made Drug Lord forget about their existence. She had been called for the first two experiments, and now, it was her again.

    Looking at her being brought away, the uncle was both happy and worried. ¡°It¡¯s so frequent! Will she be okay?¡±

    To the rest of them, they only went for it once per month. Sometimes the Drug Lord might change his schedule, but having one go for consecutive experiments was something that had never happened before.

    ¡°She¡¯s fine,¡± the old woman answered.

    ¡°How do you know, Old Witch?¡±

    ¡°I just know it.¡± The old woman sulked. She would never admit that she intentionally stood by the iron gate to take a look at Lu Mingshu and saw how fine she looked and what condition she was in. This made her drool in envy. The drug testing for the past thirty years had damaged her body permanently. She was only still alive now because of her will to get out.

    Seeing Lu Mingshu walk past, the old woman couldn¡¯t help but smile. Two times, yet she still looks perfectly fine. I did the right thing by putting a bet on her.

    The Drug Lord was the happiest to see Lu Mingshu.

    He was currently staring at her, bbergasted.

    He took a minute to register what he saw before pouncing on Lu Mingshu. He grabbed her hand and checked her pulse. ¡°No erosion? Normal heartbeat, better physical qualities, healthy too.... It¡¯s so useful? Hahaha, I finally solved it! I¡¯m such a genius!¡± The Drug Lordughed out loud.

    Lu Mingshu was ced in a bucket again, and the procedures repeated.

    The pain came again, but after the previous testing, Lu Mingshu seemed to feel better this time around. The pain was still there, but she was more awake now.

    After the experiment, she was sent back to the cell and woke up within six hours.

    ¡°Boy, it worked!¡± The Drug Lord burst into the room where Xie Lianzhen was.

    ¡°What?¡± Xie Lianzhen maintained a smile on his face.

    ¡°The girl could withstand another round. Her mind and physical body are strengthened, and there¡¯s no erosion! Not even a single bit!¡±

    Xie Lianzhen furrowed his brow. ¡°What did you say?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to continue! When this reaches the next level, it will be even stronger than talent, and by then, I¡¯ll be able to breakthrough! Hahaha!¡± He then crossed his arms and sulked. ¡°Let me show those idiots how good I am! They will all be under me once I break through to the Assimtion Realm!¡±

    Seeing the Drug Lord go nuts, Xie Lianzhen blinked his eyes.

    So he did all this because he doesn¡¯t have a good body construction and can¡¯t breakthrough? Wait, who¡¯s ¡°they¡±?

    Uh, nevermind, it¡¯s not important to me anyway. Who¡¯s the girl though? Such a poisonous drug would definitely cause some damage. How can she still be totally fine?

    Thisb rat is interesting. I want to see how special she is.

 Chapter 297: Alliance

    <h4>Chapter 297: Alliance</h4>

    Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales

    Lu Mingshu blinked her eyes slowly. She then proceeded to clean herself up and asked, ¡°Grandma, have I passed the test now?¡±

    ¡°What test?¡± The old woman only replied after a while.

    Lu Mingshu endured pain and slowly said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you preparing to escape together after such a long time? I believe that you¡¯ve been prepared even before I arrived. Didn¡¯t you say that you would tell me about my martial grandmother after we leave this ce? If you want to make use of me, you need to pay the price.¡±

    ¡°Indeed!¡± Seeing the old woman getting roasted, the uncle seemed to be happy. ¡°Old Witch, nothing in this world is free, not even if you know her elders. Hahaha.¡±

    ¡°You too, Uncle.¡± Lu Mingshu cut him off rudely. ¡°Since you¡¯ve been here for such a long time, you should already know how hard it is to escape. I can afford to wait, but can you?¡±

    The uncle was speechless, but it was true. Lu Mingshu was still young. No matter what, a young body would be able to take it better than the rest of them. They should be the ones panicking right now.

    Not hearing any response, Lu Mingshu decided to stop acting rudely and started examining herself.

    She didn¡¯t know why, but apparently, the previous experiment had boosted the Drug Lord¡¯s ego, so he intensified the drugs used to unleash her potential and test her limits.

    Of course, the Drug Lord didn¡¯t know why she was doing so well after the experiments, unlike the other drug men, since the Transformation of Bones didn¡¯t exist in this world.

    However, this caused her to have some suspicions about the Drug Lord. She used to think that the Drug Lord was talented in medical science, which was why he could make such a powerful drug. However, it seemed out of ce now. If he was really good in medical science, he would¡¯ve been very suspicious when he saw her results from thest experiment. The Drug Lord didn¡¯t even suspect it at all. A true genius wasn¡¯t like that.

    Of course, she didn¡¯t know much about the Drug Lord, so that was just a guess.

    She could hear the old woman¡¯s voice ring out; ¡°Old Man Liao, where do you stand?¡±

    ¡°I approve,¡± he replied after some time.

    ¡°Little Zhang?¡±

    Lu Mingshu could hear a foreign and young voice. Because she was too far, it was a bit soft. ¡°I agree.¡±

    ¡°Good. Old Monster?¡±

    A grunt rang from the cell beside the uncle.

    Lu Mingshu quietly counted. There were six people here, including her.

    Nice, they already joined forces since the start. This makes things easier.

    ¡°Since everyone is okay with it, let¡¯s start nning again,¡± the old woman said calmly. ¡°Me, Old Man Liao, and Old Monster are already old. This is probably ourst chance.¡±

    ¡°Me too.¡± The uncle sighed. ¡°Not as old as the others, but my body...¡±

    Lu Mingshu furrowed her eyebrows. ¡°This isn¡¯t your first time trying to escape?¡±

    ¡°Obviously.¡± The old woman sneered. ¡°Who would just wait to die?¡±

    ¡°Did anyone seed?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± the old woman replied coldly.

    ¡°...¡± Lu Mingshu sighed. ¡°Sounds difficult.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± The uncleughed. ¡°To be honest, you may think you¡¯re good, but we have much better ones here, and look at the result.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded slowly. Even though she was doing well now, asking them to trust herpletely would be impossible. They had watched manye in, nned, and then proceeded. After failing, they would wait for another neer and have another try... but how much hope did they still have?

    It¡¯s okay, I must not feel dejected!

    ¡°So, can you tell me what you¡¯ve done previously?¡±

    ...

    ¡°Boy!¡± The Drug Lord dashed into the room once again and held Xie Lianzhen up. ¡°She withstood it a third time!¡±

    Xie Lianzhen stered a smile on his face and nodded. ¡°Congrattions, Drug Lord.¡±

    The Drug Lord did a celebratory dance. ¡°Sess is no longer far from me. I¡¯ll continue, and as long as it¡¯s fine-¡±

    ¡°Drug Lord,¡± Xie Lianzhen cut him off.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Immersed in joy, the Drug Lord hummed.

    ¡°One is not enough to set as an example. Should we get one more?¡± Xie Lianzhen¡¯s eyes twinkled.

    ¡°Huh?¡± The Drug Lord looked at him in confusion. ¡°One more?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Just one example isn¡¯t enough to prove anything. What if she¡¯s just born special?¡±

    ¡°Erm...¡± The Drug Lord scratched his head. ¡°I suppose that¡¯s true.¡±

    ¡°Reorganize what you did this time and redo the experiment on another person. If it seeds again, that means it works, right?¡±

    ¡°Good idea!¡± The Drug Lord pped and patted Xie Lianzhen¡¯s head. ¡°You¡¯re so talented. Do you really not want to be my disciple?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any difference between my situation and being your disciple at this point.¡± Xie Lianzhenughed.

    ¡°True.¡± The Drug Lord smiled widely but soon frowned. ¡°But it¡¯s troublesome to catch one more!¡±

    ¡°Let me help you.¡± Xie Lianzhen looked at him. ¡°You¡¯re so nice to me, I have to do something to express my gratitude. I obviously can¡¯t do the tedious jobs, but simple ones like recording the steps for you should be fine.¡±

    The Drug Lord furiously nodded. ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll get one moreter.¡±

    Xie Lianzhen smiled thinly.

    ¡°Wait a while boy, we will start tomorrow!¡± The Drug Lord could no longer contain his excitement.

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    Before he even finished speaking, the Drug Lord disappeared in the blink of an eye.

    When the Drug Lord was nowhere to be seen, Xie Lianzhen smirked. ¡°Get the right one this time around!¡±

    He sat back down and closed his eyes to ponder.

    Over the past few days, he took advantage of the materials sent to him, using them to make a secret liquid that allowed him to track the person whom he had poured it on. Now, he could track the Drug Lord.

    How did he make the water dragon tornado? And where did he put his treasure?

 Chapter 298: I Am Here

    <h4>Chapter 298: I Am Here</h4>

    Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales

    ¡°Neither of you stepped out of this area once?¡±

    There was no response.

    ¡°Is it that hard?¡± Lu Mingshu sighed.

    ¡°To be honest, we don¡¯t even know what went wrong,¡± the uncle answered. ¡°We got the key from the guards and broke the barriers here, but before we could step out of the cell area, the Drug Lord noticed it and...¡± He shuddered.

    Knowing what kind of weirdo the Drug Lord was, the uncle didn¡¯t need to finish his sentence for Lu Mingshu to know the oue.

    ¡°Tell me your experiences,¡± Lu Mingshu said. ¡°We need a clear view of what caused the failures in order to seed.¡±

    After three days, Lu Mingshu strolled up and down her cell after cultivating.

    It¡¯s quiet today. She stopped in front of the gate and went into deep thought. She then gave it a p.

    Poison came out from her palm and left a handprint on the gate.

    When she removed her hand, there was nothing other than a small scratch.

    That¡¯s powerful! If that hits the guards, they will surely be almost dead. Such a pity, from what the grandma has said, no one else can do anything.

    What¡¯s the reason for that?

    She heard footstepsing toward her cell, followed by the guard¡¯s voice. ¡°Number Five!¡±

    Again? Lu Mingshu sighed and followed them to theb.

    ...

    Inside the small room, Xie Lianzhen sat up straight and copied the ingredient list one by one thoroughly.

    My guess should be correct. These past few days, the Drug Lord keeps going to a certain ce. Is that where he hides his secrets? I hope he¡¯ll choose ater time to catch the new drug man so that Zhanghui will have time to react.

    I also finally have the Drug Lord¡¯s trust, so I can finally move around on my own freely. I will need time to find out everything. If I¡¯m too impatient, there¡¯s no doubt that I¡¯ll arouse his suspicious and ruin everything I¡¯ve aplished so far.

    A guard stood outside the room and called for him, ¡°Sir, the Drug Lord is calling you over.¡±

    For the experiment? That¡¯s fast. The Drug Lord keeps his promises.

    ¡°Okay. Please lead the way.¡±

    Xie Lianzhen stood up slowly and brought along the pieces of paper he was looking at.

    He walked with slow and small steps behind the guards. It had been a long time since Xie Lianzhen walked. Of course, why would he waste this precious chance to observe the ce?

    As he slowly walked along the tunnel, he couldn¡¯t help but miss Lu Mingshu. It would be perfect if she was here. She¡¯s observant and has a good memory, it would be a great help. Haish, where is she now though...?

    Upon reaching theb in the cave, Xie Lianzhen saw something that caused him to stop in his tracks.

    Seeing him rooted to the ground, the Drug Lord stomped and waved to him. ¡°Boy, hurry up!¡±

    Lu Mingshu was already tied to the bucket, and the liquids had now reached her neck.

    She was very awake, but she was expressionless like this was something that she was already used to.

    Hearing the call, she looked up.

    Of course, she saw Xie Lianzhen, but just a nce. She immediately looked away as if she didn¡¯t know who he was and put her attention on the liquids being poured into the bucket.

    ¡°Hey, boy!¡± the Drug Lord shouted, but he didn¡¯t stop his actions.

    Xie Lianzhen took in a deep breath and walked over slowly, looking at Lu Mingshu in shock.

    ¡°Drug Lord, where are the previous records?¡±

    The Drug Lord didn¡¯t pay much attention to him. He pointed to the stone table. ¡°Help yourself.¡±

    Xie Lianzhen picked up the papers scattered around the table and tried to decipher the almost illegible handwriting. He was already used to the Drug Lord¡¯s weird character, but he didn¡¯t expect a pharmacist to be this messy. It was no wonder he always failed; his records were all over the ce, and he didn¡¯t even bother looking back at them. Medicinal science was a study where every single detail was extremely important.

    But the messy work was not what made chills run down Xie Lianzhen¡¯s spine. It was the drugs used and the quantity that made his heart sink. He looked over to Lu Mingshu. Seeing her looking fine, he heaved a sigh of relief.

    He had experienced how much pain these drugs could cause, and this dosage would bring her even more pain than what he faced.

    Why does she still seem to be okay? What¡¯s going on?

    ¡°Here, drink this!¡± The Drug Lord took a bowl. He was about to feed Lu Mingshu when Xie Lianzhen stopped him.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡±

    The Drug Lord nodded and gave him the bowl.

    Xie Lianzhen didn¡¯t force it down her throat immediately. Instead, he dipped his finger into it and put it into his mouth. ¡°Qianluo Seed, Sangh¨¡r¨¡ma Fruit, Jade Hepta-Lotus...¡± He named out the ingredients one by one. ¡°Drug Lord, am I right?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re talented!¡± the Drug Lord said without suspicion.

    Xie Lianzhen said nothing and held up Lu Mingshu¡¯s chin, putting the bowl near her mouth as if he was going to force it down.

    Feeling his extremely cold fingers, Lu Mingshu looked up, making eye contact with him.

    He blocked the Drug Lord¡¯s view as he did this.

    Lu Mingshu saw him mouthing the word, ¡°Endure.¡±

    She remained silent and took this whole bowl down.

    She could feel the bowl of liquid reach her stomach like a ball of fire, then spread to the rest of her body.

    Xie Lianzhen took the bowl back and put it on the table. He then took a piece of paper and recorded the dosage that he fed her with. He then questioned the Drug Lord on the process.

    With him asking various questions, the Drug Lord had no time to think. He sped up his actions and tried to keep up with Xie Lianzhen¡¯s pace.

    During this experiment, Lu Mingshu was fully awake. She could remember the conversation between Xie Lianzhen and the Drug Lord, the names of the drugs, and the dosages too. When the pain overtook her, she didn¡¯t faint. Instead, her body took in the poison and changed it to energy.

    When the experiment was finished, she didn¡¯t even have the energy to open her eyes, but she was still awake.

    She could hear Xie Lianzhen¡¯s voice at her ears. ¡°Drug Lord, she seems weird. We have fed her with Scorpio Poison, yet there¡¯s no effect on her. Should we leave her here to observe?¡±

    ¡°Eh? Is that so?¡±

    ¡°If one is fed with Scorpio Poison, their skin should turn purple, but hers hasn¡¯t. What if her body constitution is special?¡±

    ¡°...that makes sense. Let¡¯s keep her here. Send her to the first room.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Lu Mingshu could tell that she was being carried up to somewhere. Not long after, she was ced on a cold surface, and someone whispered into her ears, ¡°I¡¯m right here.¡±

 Chapter 299: Whoéˆ¥æªš Testing the Drugs?

    <h4>Chapter 299: Who¡¯s Testing the Drugs?</h4>

    Hearing this, she let down her guard and started to rx.

    Great, he¡¯s still alive. I¡¯m not going through all this for nothing.

    Maybe it was because Lu Mingshu could finally be at ease, but she fell asleep within no time. Due to being in pain for such a long time, she had no more energy left and she was as dead as a rock now.

    Seeing her rx and fall asleep, Xie Lianzhen felt his heart melt.

    Who would have thought that she¡¯s the girl that the Drug Lord is always talking about? Is she here for me? So the Jasper Sun Mountain issue has been settled?

    Xie Lianzhen had mixed feelings now. He felt relief that she was fine, but dejected that he was initially going over to help her, not drag her down the water.

    She just came out of the mountain, yet she came for me immediately after knowing that I was lost. Xie Lianzhen didn¡¯t know what to feel about this fact. He was somehow touched, happy, sad, guilty, and even proud.

    Look, others can¡¯t find me, but she did. Indeed my type.

    However, I would rather be stuck here on my own and have her be free out there.

    When he was watching her being experimented on, his heart felt like it was being sliced into pieces. Xie Lianzhen couldn¡¯t even breath properly. He put in much effort to keep himself cool and distract the Drug Lord by talking to him, but...

    When the Drug Lord entered, all he could see was Xie Lianzhen staring at Lu Mingshu coldly, as if he was examining her closely. There weren¡¯t any feelings in his eyes.

    ¡°What can you tell?¡± The Drug Lord stood beside him and looked at Lu Mingshu too.

    ¡°Something¡¯s not right.¡± Xie Lianzhen bottled up all his feelings and took out the experiment records. ¡°Look, these few herbs should make one¡¯s skin turn purple. And this would cause rashes. Oh, and this should cause atrophy to one¡¯s muscles, but she seems totally fine. I didn¡¯t see any of the conditions on her.¡±

    The Drug Lord scratched his head. ¡°Maybe the drugs would offset each other?¡±

    ¡°Possible. But there might be another reason for this.¡± Xie Lianzhen poked Lu Mingshu, who was still deep in aa. ¡°Her physique is extraordinary.¡±

    ¡°Well...¡±

    ¡°This has never happened before, right?¡±

    The Drug Lord nodded. After so many years, even if his drug men could endure the pain, they would still be poisoned. Some even caused serious damage to their bodies, and they could no longer try strong medicines.

    ¡°Special results must be because of a special reason,¡± Xie Lianzhen muttered. ¡°Shall I try it?¡±

    The Drug Lord¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°Boy, you want to try?¡±

    Xie Lianzhen nodded. ¡°One example is never enough. If it works for me too, then you can be sure that this experiment works.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of the pain?¡± The Drug Lord could remember clearly that this boy in front of him used a secret recipe in exchange so that he would not have to go through the pain anymore.

    Sensing the Drug Lord¡¯s suspicion, Xie Lianzhen shrugged. ¡°Of course I am. But as a pharmacologist, sacrificing myself to get the answer is more than worth it.¡±

    This touched the Drug Lord¡¯s heart. He looked at Xie Lianzhen, eyes welling with tears. ¡°Boy, you¡¯re indeed worthy of my liking!¡±

    Xie Lianzhen smiled thinly. ¡°Let¡¯s start tomorrow then. She¡¯ll only be awake after three or five days. During this time, we can make aparison.¡±

    Seeing Xie Lianzhen¡¯s proactive attitude, the Drug Lord started to like him even more. ¡°Sure. Be at ease, little boy. I¡¯ll treat you well ¨C very well!¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Drug Lord.¡± Xie Lianzhen bowed. ¡°I¡¯ll stay here first so I can keep track of her.¡±

    ¡°Sure. Rest well.¡±

    The Drug Lord stepped out, and Xie Lianzhen¡¯s face fell.

    He didn¡¯t know why Lu Mingshu was able to get through the experiment. Maybe it was the usual thing: her weird skills. All he was sure of was that he didn¡¯t want her to go through that pain ever again.

    I¡¯ll divert his attention to me, and by doing so, I can also garner more of his trust and dig for more information. As soon as I find out how he did what he did, things will be easy.

    ...

    The poison slowly entered her bloodstream, clearing her meridians. Lu Mingshu opened up her eyes abruptly.

    She stared at the unfamiliar environment nkly for a moment, trying to recall what happened. When she realized, she sat up suddenly.

    There was no one in the room.

    Where is he? Did the Drug Lord lock him up somewhere else?

    When she got ready to get down the bed to look for him, Xie Lianzhen came in from outside.

    They stared at each other for a moment, before Xie Lianzhen broke the silence. ¡°Hi, you¡¯re finally awake. How do you feel?¡± He sounded so cold and estranged as if they were just strangers.

    Lu Mingshu understood him and nodded. ¡°I¡¯m lucky to still be alive.¡±

    He chuckled and pointed to a bucket in the room. ¡°Wash up. We¡¯ll have a checkupter on.¡±

    Xie Lianzhen then went out of the room.

    Lu Mingshu stood rooted to the ground for a moment before she went to wash up.

    He looks fine, which means that the Drug Lord is treating him well. What the grandma said was true; others can only be ab rat, while he only needs his mouth to be treated so nicely. It seems like, even if I didn¡¯te, he would be fine. Well, duh, he¡¯s so crafty, why would he need my help?

    She shook her head and threw those thoughts to the back of her head, then changed to a set of new clothes.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± She could hear the Drug Lord ask.

    She could then hear Xie Lianzhen¡¯s voice ringing through. ¡°Drug Lord, I was just going to get you. That girl is awake.¡±

    ¡°Oh? That¡¯s fast!¡± The Drug Lord sounded shocked. Lu Mingshu could hear footstepsing closer to her.

    Lu Mingshu hurriedly kept her mystic pouch. When she turned around, the Drug Lord had alreadye in.

    Seeing that she was fine, the Drug Lord¡¯s eyes shone brightly and he danced around. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s so fast! That means that my method did work!¡±

    ¡°Congrattions.¡± Xie Lianzhen stered a smile on his face. ¡°But we can¡¯te to a conclusion before wepare.¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± The Drug Lord tugged him along, not willing to wait any longer. ¡°Shall we do the experiment now?¡±

    ¡°You go first. I¡¯ll be there after I have confirmed all the information here.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± In the blink of an eye, the Drug Lord was already gone.

    Lu Mingshu furrowed her eyebrows and looked up at Xie Lianzhen. ¡°Who is doing the experiment?¡±

    ¡°Not you. Rest well, it¡¯s my turn now.¡± Xie Lianzhenughed and walked out.

    ¡°You...¡±

    ¡°Time is precious,¡± Xie Lianzhen mouthed and went out.

    Lu Mingshu stood rooted to the ground.

    Why does he have to try again when he has already gotten the Drug Lord¡¯s trust? Did the Drug Lord force him into it? Or...

    She tried to recall the conversation between Xie Lianzhen and the Drug Lord. ¡°Can¡¯te to a conclusion before wepare....¡± Lu Mingshu clenched her fist.

    She sighed and felt anger rising. I have already prepared myself for this, and the experiment doesn¡¯t impose any harm on me. Does he need to do this?

    What is this all for?!

 Chapter 300: Same

    <h4>Chapter 300: Same</h4>

    After that, nobody came to bother her.

    Lu Mingshu paced up and down since she couldn¡¯t be at ease. After some time, she heard footstepsing toward the room.

    ¡°Hurry up! Over here!¡± She could hear the Drug Lord¡¯s voice.

    Lu Mingshu debated for a while and went out of her room. She saw two guards carrying Xie Lianzhen into the room next to her.

    Xie Lianzhen looked very pale. His eyes were shut, and his arms were filled with bruises and scars.

    Lu Mingshu followed behind and stood at the door.

    The Drug Lord didn¡¯t take notice of her presence. He was sprawled on the floor, staring intensely at Xie Lianzhen and mumbling. ¡°Weird, weird. Why did he have such a big reaction? Does he really know what he¡¯s doing? What should I do...?¡±

    He mumbled to himself.

    Lu Mingshu looked at Xie Lianzhen with worry. Except for the first experiment, they all consisted of poison, and Xie Lianzhen didn¡¯t learn the Transformation of Bones. What made things even worse was that he had only just recovered from his obsession during cultivation. What if he injured his meridians...?

    ¡°Right, the Rising Cloud Pellet!¡± Suddenly, the Drug Lord stood up abruptly and tried to feed Xie Lianzhen a pill.

    ¡°Hold on!¡±

    The Drug Lord turned back around in shock. Seeing Lu Mingshu at the door, his jaw dropped. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    Lu Mingshu bit her lips to refrain fromughing. I thought he was a genius, so why does he look like a retard instead...?

    ¡°It is not a good idea to randomly use medicines during an experiment.¡±

    Hearing Lu Mingshu, the Drug Lord red at her. ¡°Do you even know anything about medicinal science? Little witch, who do you think you are?¡±

    Lu Mingshu ignored his rudements. ¡°You are trying to experiment on the effects of a new medicine. If you feed him some other things now, the results will certainly be affected.¡±

    ¡°Uh...¡± The Drug Lord scratched his head. That makes sense.

    Lu Mingshu made ament because she was afraid that he would damage Xie Lianzhen¡¯s body, but seeing his reaction, Lu Mingshu couldn¡¯t help but be suspicious about him. Was he really a pharmacologist? Lu Mingshu only acted as a pharmacologist during the arena in Tianyun City, but she still knew the basics of being one. It was amon sense even for her, let alone the rest of the world, so a proper pharmacologist should know about that.

    She kept her suspicions though and looked at the Drug Lord coldly. ¡°If I were you, I would observe and only interfere if there¡¯s a danger to his life.¡±

    ¡°You know medicinal science?¡± The Drug Lord stared at her, blinking his eyes.

    ¡°Not really, I¡¯m just an assistant.¡± Even though Xiao Sang only said some things, she could be considered to know medicinal science.

    ¡°So you¡¯re a pharmacist¡¯s assistant too!¡± The Drug Lord immediately became friendly with her. ¡°No wonder.¡±

    Too?

    ¡°We are the same!¡± The Drug Lord pped and pulled her into the room. ¡°Since you¡¯re one as well, then let¡¯s take a look together.¡±

    Even though Lu Mingshu was still shocked that the Drug Lord was treating her better all of a sudden when he just called her a little witch, that didn¡¯t matter when she was given such a good opportunity. Lu Mingshu walked over and pulled up Xie Lianzhen¡¯s sleeve, trying to feel for his pulse. Maybe it was because he had taken so much medicine since he was young, but there was no danger to his life. She heaved a sigh of relief.

    ¡°So?¡± The Drug Lord couldn¡¯t wait to interact with her.

    ¡°He won¡¯t die.¡±

    Hearing her cold reply, the Drug Lord giggled. ¡°What kind of little girl are you?¡±

    She snorted.

    ¡°But you are right. Let¡¯s observe since he won¡¯t die.¡±

    Lu Mingshu heaved a sigh of relief hearing that. The experiment wouldn¡¯t kill him, but being fed with nonsensical stuff would.

    Since the Drug Lord didn¡¯t chase her away, she just stayed there and observed Xie Lianzhen.

    After an hour, Xie Lianzhen still hadn¡¯t woken up. The Drug Lord was starting to get impatient. He looked over to Lu Mingshu, and an idea entered his mind immediately. ¡°Hey you.¡± He pointed at her. ¡°Since you are so free, then look after him for me. But, little girl, let me warn you; if you do anything stupid, I¡¯ll know immediately.¡±

    Lu Mingshu asked, ¡°What¡¯s in it for me?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ll allow you to stay here and not the cell. How does that sound?¡± The Drug Lord ced one of his hands behind her and caressed his beard in an imposing manner. But for some reason, this action just made him look like a clown.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be experimented on.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t take a mile just because I¡¯ve given you an inch.¡± The Drug Lord red at her.

    Lu Mingshu pointed at Xie Lianzhen on the bed. ¡°Then why does he get that treatment?¡±

    ¡°He can help me improve my methods, but can you?¡± The Drug Lord sneered. Seeing that Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t reply, he added on, ¡°But I¡¯ll promise you something since you¡¯re a pharmacist¡¯s assistant. If you make a contribution and I find someone else to take over for you, you can stop being a drug man.¡±

    Hearing no reply from her, the Drug Lordughed. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s it. Bye!¡±

    He left immediately afterwards.

    Looking at him leave, Lu Mingshu waited for a moment. When she was sure that he wouldn¡¯t return, she immediately entered the Heavenly Wheel.

    ¡°Xiao Sang!¡±

    ¡°I am here.¡± Xiao Sang was still on call.

    ¡°Do you still remember the liquid medicine I showed you? Is there any way to remove the poison from the body if someone went through the same experiment as I did?¡±

    After a few minutes, Xiao Sang replied to her. ¡°You could exchange for the grade B antidote. Fifty points would be needed.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Lu Mingshu exited the Heavenly Wheel immediately after she exchanged for the antidote.

    She didn¡¯t really take the Drug Lord seriously. Xie Lianzhen was not in good condition, so she needed to take a risk even if it meant getting exposed, otherwise Xie Lianzhen¡¯s condition would worsen.

    Luckily, after using the new medicine, Xie Lianzhen¡¯s condition started getting better. His eyelids started moving and he seemed like he was about to wake up.

    Xie Lianzhen felt like he had a long dream about his youth, practising martial arts with his brothers. Lonely, ying games with the little prince, and various other things....

    Lastly, he dreamed of a girl. When they first met, she was just a little girl crying for her mother. The second time he saw her, she was arrogant, lonely, and stubborn.

    He woke up with a big smile. He was unclear about whether this was reality or a dreand.

    Pa! Lu Mingshu looked at him and pushed him. ¡°Wake up!¡±

    Xie Lianzhen sat up and rubbed his eyes. ¡°Where¡¯s the Drug Lord?¡±

    ¡°No idea.¡±

    ¡°He allowed you to just stay here?¡±

    ¡°He wanted me to take care of you.¡±

    With no surprise, Xie Lianzhen nodded his head. He knew the Drug Lord well.

    Silently, he looked at his hand. All the marks on his hand had disappeared. He looked at her with a smile.

    She felt a little numb at his smile and got up. ¡°Since you¡¯re fine, I¡¯ll go back now.¡±

    ¡°Ah...¡±

 Chapter 301: Dream Messenger

    <h4>Chapter 301: Dream Messenger</h4>

    When the Drug Lord came back, he saw Lu Mingshu on the chair and Xie Lianzhen on the bed, staring at each other fiercely, as if they were unhappy with each other.

    ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± He took Xie Lianzhen¡¯s arm and gasped. ¡°It¡¯s all gone!¡±

    ¡°Sorry for worrying you.¡± Xie Lianzhen smiled thinly.

    ¡°Hahaha, it¡¯s sessful after all. I have been worrying for nothing.¡± The Drug Lord turned to Lu Mingshu. ¡°Girl, what¡¯s with...?¡±

    Lu Mingshu blinked. ¡°It started to disappear after you left for half an hour. Within two hours, it was all gone.¡±

    ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± The Drug Lord stared at her nkly. ¡°What about you? Why didn¡¯t you show such a reaction?¡±

    He finally asked a legitimate question, huh? ¡°I¡¯ve taken anti-toxins ever since I was a child, so I have a stronger resistance to poisonspared to others.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I see.¡± The Drug Lordughed, not even suspecting her. ¡°That means there¡¯s nothing wrong with my method, I just need to find a way to increase the resistance to the poison! Ahahaha, I¡¯m indeed a genius.¡±

    With that, he ran out within the blink of an eye. It seemed like he was nning to look for ways to increase resistance.

    Watching his figure disappear, the two of them sighed with relief and exchanged nces

    Lu Mingshu purposely hid the fact that she fed Xie Lianzhen an antidote to test the Drug Lord, and to her relief, the result was something she liked.

    The Drug Lord¡¯s monitoring wasn¡¯t omniscient and omnipotent. But seeing Xie Lianzhen being so careful, speaking might not be something she should do.

    Sure enough, seeing her nce, Xie Lianzhen shook his head and mouthed a few words.

    Go back and wait for my contact.

    Lu Mingshu nodded and went back to the room next door.

    As usual, she spent her time resting and cultivating. When night fell, there was a strange silence. Lu Mingshu felt very sleepy all of a sudden and fell asleep within no time.

    She was shocked. I was clearly awake just now! Why did I...? Is someone drawing me into a dream?

    ¡°Mingshu, Mingshu.¡± A voice cut off her thoughts.

    It was Xie Lianzhen.

    ¡°Be at ease. This is the Seventh Truth tform¡¯s secret skill, the Dream Messenger. Once you wake up, this technique will fail.¡±

    Lu Mingshu slowly rxed. She could see Xie Lianzhen better, bit by bit.

    He was standing, different from her normal impression of him.

    The Xie Lianzhen who was in a wheelchair looked gentle and well-mannered, more like a schr than a martial artist. But when he was standing, he was taller than others, with a heroic spirit. Not even the slightest feeble character could be seen from him.

    Lu Mingshu blinked her eyes. This is oddly familiar.

    ¡°Are you here for me?¡± he asked softly.

    She rolled her eyes and replied coldly, ¡°What else? You¡¯re missing because of me. If I don¡¯t look for you, what would the queen do to me?¡±

    Xie Lianzhen ignored her attitude and smiled widely. ¡°I¡¯m happy that you did.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Lu Mingshu sighed. Why is this guy always imagining that his love is reciprocated? I said that I¡¯m here for him because I don¡¯t want to offend the queen, yet he is still looking at me with those eyes?

    ¡°We don¡¯t have much time, so I¡¯ll cut to the chase,¡± he said, looking serious. ¡°I think you already somewhat know what¡¯s going on here. This Drug Lord is weird. Weird background and skills he shouldn¡¯t have. It won¡¯t be simple for us to get out of here.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded. ¡°I asked the grandma and the rest. Why couldn¡¯t they get out even when they already had the keys?¡±

    ¡°So you have gotten their approval?¡± Without waiting for Lu Mingshu¡¯s reply, Xie Lianzhenughed. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re so good. It would be their loss otherwise.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Fortunately, he got back to the topic. ¡°I have already done some research, and I can be sure that theb in the cave is not far away from the cells. We are all in the same barrier. This barrier forbids all skills. It¡¯s okay if we cultivate normally, but as soon as the mystic force leaves our body, it will dissolve. Luckily, Dream Messenger does not require any mystic force. The Drug Lord also uses some unknown skills to know what¡¯s going on here at all times.¡±

    ¡°Imprisoning spell....¡± Lu Mingshu recalled that, no matter which world, there would be a spell-like this that can prevent one from using their skills. Since they were in a martial arts world and the barrier was made out of mystic force, it could restrain them sessfully.

    ¡°Yeah. If we want to leave this ce, we have to destroy this barrier and cripple the mechanism.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded. ¡°How good is the Drug Lord?¡±

    ¡°ording to my spection, he should be in the Spirit Realm. However, his ability is much weaker than normal Spirit Realms, as if it¡¯s just an empty title.¡±

    ¡°But he can create water dragon tornadoes and kidnap people without them even knowing.¡±

    ¡°Yes. This is the weird part. I tricked him into performing the skill once, and I am sure that it¡¯s not his own skill. He did it with a treasure.¡±

    Lu Mingshu red at him. ¡°So you got him to kidnap someone here again? Aren¡¯t you worried that he would harm more innocent people?¡±

    ¡°Uh...¡± Xie Lianzhen mumbled and skipped the question. ¡°Whatever it is, we should break the item, and the rest will be simple.¡±

    They had limited time, and there wasn¡¯t any meaning in pursuing an answer, so Lu Mingshu said nothing more and went back to ponder about the matter. ¡°So now, we have two things to do. One is to break the barrier. Second is his treasure.¡±

    Xie Lianzhen sighed in relief seeing that she didn¡¯t pursue it. Who cares about anyone else? Besides, if I didn¡¯t do that, how would I find out anything about the Drug Lord? She seems to be ice cold, but she¡¯s actually nice. Just the opposite of me. But that¡¯s what makes her cute....

    ¡°Yes. I already have a clue on how the treasure works, we just need to deal with the barrier.¡±

    ¡°Let me handle that,¡± Lu Mingshu said.

    ¡°You have an idea?¡± Xie Lianzhen looked at her in suspicion.

    Lu Mingshu nodded. ¡°I can give it a try.¡± I can ask for Xiao Sang¡¯s help or put up a task on the Heavenly Wheel¡¯s forum and see who¡¯s willing to take the task.

    ¡°Okay.¡± Knowing that she could be trusted, Xie Lianzhen agreed without another word. ¡°And the Drug Lord likes to experiment, but talent-wise... just praise him a lot.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± Recalling the interactions she had with him, Lu Mingshu couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Who is this Drug Lord? He has all these brilliant ways of making medicine, but he seems to be unaware of what he¡¯s doing.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, that¡¯s a very secure secret.¡± Xie Lianzhen looked like he was in deep thought. ¡°Whatever it is, it¡¯s not simple. The methods I¡¯ve seen him use, none of them belongs to any system I know of. It¡¯s quite strange.¡±

    Why does that sound like...?

    ¡°My time will be up soon. To summarize, just scribble anything you want to tell me on a paper, with the excuse of copying a method. I am sure he can¡¯t notice that since I¡¯ve tried it before.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Just as Lu Mingshu wanted to talk to him about the Transformation of Bones, the image of Xie Lianzhen turned blurry, and she woke up abruptly.

 Chapter 302: Anything You Say

    <h4>Chapter 302: Anything You Say</h4>

    Due to the matter being extremely urgent, Lu Mingshu entered the Heavenly Wheel as soon as she woke up.

    ¡°Xiao Sang is there a spell that works like this...?¡± She told Xiao Sang all about the barrier.

    ¡°ording to your description, it indeed resembles a kind of imprisoning spell,¡± Xiao Sang answered.

    ¡°Is there any way to break the spell?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to find out on your own.¡±

    As expected, Xiao Sang had always been like this, answering all her questions but leaving it to her when it came to the thing that actually mattered. Otherwise, what was the use of the points?

    Lu Mingshu entered the forum in the Heavenly Wheel. She put up the task and hesitated for a moment. In order to speed things up, she decided to set the reward at twenty points.

    Twenty points was not a small amount, so a wizard contacted her within no time.

    ¡°Sir, I¡¯ll make it clear: you¡¯ll only get your reward if you manage to break the spell.¡±

    ¡°No problem,¡± the other party agreed happily. What Lu Mingshu said was already an unspoken rule in the forum. ¡°Describe the spell you want me to break and I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± Lu Mingshu described everything in detail, including her guesses and the other drug men¡¯s failed escape n.

    When she finished, the wizard paused for a moment before replying to her, ¡°It is indeed an imprisoning spell array. It is special on its own, but based on your description, there should be different ovepping things.¡±

    ¡°Ovepping?¡±

    ¡°Right. ording to what you said, the master of the array can sense it immediately when something¡¯s out of ce. This is obviously in another category of spells.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Miss, does your world have anything like instinctive or intuitive abilities?¡±

    ¡°You mean his instinctive power oveps with the spell?¡± Lu Mingshu understood him immediately.

    ¡°The master will know when there¡¯s something happening, but he doesn¡¯t know exactly what. And the further you are, the lesser the restriction. Isn¡¯t it simr to intuition?¡±

    Lu Mingshu tried to recall. That was indeed the situation. When she and Xie Lianzhen were in theb, they could onlymunicate by Dream Messenger, but in the cell, she could speak as she wanted.

    ¡°Are you saying that the barrier and his intuition power are two separate issues?¡±

    ¡°Yes. From what you said, the master¡¯s cultivation should be high enough for him to have such a strong intuition power.¡±

    ¡°So there¡¯s no solution to it?¡±

    She could hear the other partyughing somewhat arrogantly. ¡°He¡¯s not the only one who knows how to cast a spell. There are so many spells that are made to disrupt intuition powers, it¡¯s nothing difficult.¡±

    Lu Mingshu understood him immediately. ¡°What you mean is to alter his spells?¡±

    ¡°Right. The spell that he cast is a normal one. The world you are in doesn¡¯t have many powerful wizards, so he has to use external energy to power it. Since the spell requires external energy for support, you just need to be observant. Let me teach you how to alter it.¡±

    ...

    It seemed like the Drug Lord¡¯s water dragon tornado wasn¡¯t working now. A few days had passed, and yet there weren¡¯t any new drug men. And with Lu Mingshu and Xie Lianzhen being missing for such a long time, there was surely something going on.

    The next day, Lu Mingshu lent Xie Lianzhen the Transformation of Bones, and as expected, the next experiment went well.

    This put the Drug Lord on cloud nine. My method works. Both seeded!

    Lu Mingshu looked at him emotionlessly, while Xie Lianzhen had an unfathomable smile.

    When night fell, Lu Mingshu was drawn into a dream again.

    ¡°Did you make any progress?¡±

    ¡°I have something here.¡±

    Both of them spoke at the same time.

    Xie Lianzhen burst out intoughter. ¡°You go first.¡±

    Lu Mingshu rolled her eyes and ignored him. What¡¯s so funny about that? ¡°The barrier should be an imprisoning spell array. I roughly have the outline, we only need a few more details and I can alter the spell. Not only can we break out, but we can also use the spell to prevent the Drug Lord from noticing. However, we need the help of others. Two of us aren¡¯t enough.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re fast!¡± Xie Lianzhen gasped. ¡°I only figured out where he hid his treasure, but I still know nothing about the traps or anything else.¡±

    ¡°Then what do you mean by ¡®I have something here¡¯?¡±

    Xie Lianzhen coughed and sounded serious. ¡°You doing the experiment gave the Drug Lord a misconception that his methods are not only not poisonous but that they benefit one¡¯s body.¡±

    ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°At first, I volunteered to let him experiment on me so that he¡¯d focus on me, and we could drag things out. If we had different results, we would gain even more time. But now, the technique you gave me made my body immune to the poison.¡±

    Lu Mingshu understood him immediately. ¡°You want to mislead the Drug Lord with this chance?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Make him believe that he is sessful.¡±

    ¡°But,¡± Lu Mingshu furrowed her eyebrows, ¡°What if he experiments on others and the results are different?¡±

    Xie Lianzhen shook his head firmly. ¡°He won¡¯t. I think you can tell by now that the Drug Lord is not a qualified pharmacologist. He wouldn¡¯t have even thought about doing aparison in the first ce if I didn¡¯t remind him. Now, he¡¯scent. We only need to tter him a bit more, and with our sessful results, he will only think that he¡¯s outstanding.¡±

    The results the Drug Lord had gotten for the past few experiments with them showed a high sess rate.

    ¡°From what I know, all these experiments are to help him breakthrough since he isn¡¯t talented, to begin with. So, he is now developing a medication that can help him breakthrough and be an elite. If everything goes well, he will use it on himself.¡±

    Xie Lianzhen had already made it so clear, so how could Lu Mingshu not get it? The Drug Lord¡¯s experiment was actually very questionable and problematic. A normal human couldn¡¯t take that much poison. However, seeing them both fine and kicking, the Drug Lord would believe that it was sessful and use it himself. In the end...

    An effortless victory.

    ¡°We can¡¯t put all our hope on that.¡± Lu Mingshu hummed. ¡°Let¡¯s act out both ns at the same time.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re indeed thoughtful.¡± Xie Lianzhen looked at her, full of tender feelings. ¡°I¡¯ll think of something in the cell. The others are not valuable to him anymore, and he¡¯s in a good mood. We¡¯ll most likely seed.¡±

    Lu Mingshu had goosebumps at how he was staring at her. Flirting here, there, and everywhere. Is this the real poison?

    But Xie Lianzhen didn¡¯t stop. After that, he called for her softly, ¡°Mingshu...¡±

    Lu Mingshu gritted her teeth and red up. ¡°Gentleman Lianzhen, we aren¡¯t that close!¡± Why the hell are you calling me like that?

    Xie Lianzhen blinked his eyes and stared at her. ¡°Anything you say, dear.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Lu Mingshu mouthed a few curses words. I shall not waste my breath on disgusting people.

 Chapter 303: We Made It?

    <h4>Chapter 303: We Made It?</h4>

    Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales

    ¡°It¡¯s sessful, it¡¯s sessful! Hahahaha...¡± The experiment on Xie Lianzhen was sessful once again, and the Drug Lord didn¡¯t even have the slightest doubt.

    He was extremely happy with both of them. He had been pondering over this for such a long time, and when both of them arrived, he was immediately sessful! Both of them are my lucky stars!

    Especially Xie Lianzhen. Not only are his suggestions useful, he even volunteered to sacrifice himself and help me with many things. If this boy didn¡¯t have a master, I would take him in as my disciple for sure.

    But it¡¯s his loss! Which master could be better than me?

    Seeing that the Drug Lord was in a good mood, Xie Lianzhen took this chance to give him a suggestion. ¡°Drug Lord, we are now getting close. This shows that the drug men you have either have bad constitutions to start with or are too weak. They¡¯re not suitable as drug men.¡±

    ¡°So what do you want?¡± The Drug Lord knew Xie Lianzhen, so he immediately knew Xie Lianzhen had something to request.

    ¡°I really can¡¯t hide anything from you, huh?¡± Xie Lianzhen chuckled. ¡°You do not need any drug men since you already got the method you want, but you still have so many things to do. Their bodies may be damaged, but they can still do simple chores, right? Why not give them to me to be my helpers?¡±

    ¡°Why do you need so many of them?¡± The Drug Lord looked at him suspiciously.

    Xie Lianzhen looked at him sternly. ¡°Drug Lord, I¡¯m sorry for being straightforward, but there are things that you did wrong previously.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Hearing that, the Drug Lord looked at him unhappily.

    As if he didn¡¯t see the change, Xie Lianzhen continued. ¡°You¡¯re a pharmacologist, yet you do not have a single assistant? Your guards and servants do the chores, but anything rted to medicine, you do it yourself. It¡¯s such a waste of time.¡±

    The Drug Lord slowly eased. ¡°You mean that I need an assistant?¡±

    ¡°Right. Think about it, all these years, you have been doing all the preparation yourself, cleaning, boiling, and much more.... How much time have you wasted? You could have just given those chores to others. Look at all those famous pharmacologists, they are surrounded by assistants. All they need to do is move their mouth, and ta-da! You have everything done already. All Drug Lord needs to do is lead the way and make sure everything is on track.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right....¡± The Drug Lord was very ttered. He imagined being surrounded by the numerous assistants, and all he needed to do wasmand.

    ¡°But can they do it properly?¡± The Drug Lord wondered.

    ¡°Teach them if they can¡¯t!¡± Xie Lianzhen snapped his fingers. ¡°I might not be your disciple, but you have taught me so much, giving me knowledge. This is something I must repay, so I¡¯ll do this for you. It shouldn¡¯t be hard to teach them the basics.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha.¡± The Drug Lord looked at him with admiration. ¡°Such a smart boy. My techniques are not normal techniques that you can find anywhere. Alright, you can try.¡±

    ...

    In the cell, the uncle sighed. ¡°Old witch, how many days has that annoying girl been gone for?¡±

    ¡°Five,¡± the grandma answered after some time.

    ¡°Five....¡± he muttered to himself. ¡°Is she perhaps like that first kid, nevering back? Or dead? She should still be alive, seeing as how she recovers so fast....¡±

    The grandma remained silent.

    Just at this moment, they heard the sound of the iron doors being opened. This sent chills running down the uncle¡¯s spine. ¡°Oh no, time for that again? Who will it be?¡±

    ¡°Number Two!¡± the guards called out.

    The uncle heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°It¡¯s Number Two. Right, among all of us, he¡¯s in the best state.¡±

    He then heard another door being opened up. ¡°Number Three!¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    Two at a time? This is the first time!

    Old Man Liao seemed to think the same as him too. ¡°What? Didn¡¯t you just call Number Two out?¡±

    ¡°Why are you so noisy? This is the Drug Lord¡¯s instruction,e out!¡±

    Eh? Did he change his method of experimenting?

    He was still full of questions when he heard another door being opened up. ¡°Number Four!¡±

    The uncle¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°What the fuck?¡± Three?

    Shortly, his door was opened up too. ¡°Number Six!¡±

    Thest one didn¡¯t escape either. ¡°Number Seven!¡±

    The five of them were tied together and led out of the cells filled with questions.

    What was interesting was that they had been living next to each other for such a long time, but they had not met each other once since the experiments were always carried out one by one. This was their first meeting.

    But who was in the mood to make friends right now? It was abnormal for them all to be out at once. Perhaps the Drug Lord thinks that we are useless now and wants to kill all of us in one go?

    With their hearts beating fast, fearing the unknown, the five of them were brought to theb in the cave.

    As soon as they entered, the fog blurred their sight.

    They couldn¡¯t see the Drug Lord anywhere, only Xie Lianzhen sitting at the sidezily and Lu Mingshu standing at the stone table busy with her work, which looked like... preparing herbs?

    What¡¯s going on? Did we enter the wrong ce?

    ¡°Greetings. It¡¯s been a long time since we met.¡± Xie Lianzhen smiled thinly at them. ¡°Release them,¡± he said to the guards.

    The guards had been instructed by the Drug Lord to follow Xie Lianzhen¡¯s instructions, so they did as he said immediately.

    ¡°Kiddo number one?¡± Old Man Liao looked up in utter surprise upon recognizing the voice.

    Xie Lianzhen smiled and nodded.

    The rest of the drug men looked at each other in shock.

    What¡¯s going on here? We are all drug men, but why does he have freedom just by making a trip to theb? And furthermore, he¡¯smanding the guards now?

    The grandma couldn¡¯t help but look over at Old Man Liao. This old man is really something. The kid I deemed as untrustworthy actually achieved something that none of us ever did! Oh, and where¡¯s that girl? What¡¯s going on here?

    She saw Lu Mingshu pass by her cell once, so she definitely would recognize her. She scanned around the room, and within no time, she saw her in front of the stone table, preparing herbs. A spark of hope lit up in her. Can I actually escape this time around?

    ¡°To summarize things, the Drug Lord has finally seen some improvements, so you guys don¡¯t need to be experimented on anymore.¡±

    The five of them let down the stone in their hearts upon hearing that. The uncle pinched his face, not able to believe what he heard. ¡°No more experiments? I must be dreaming!¡±

    Xie Lianzhen nodded. ¡°But that¡¯s not all. From today onward, you will have a new identity ¨C my helpers.¡± He stood up and snapped his fingers. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get to work quickly!¡±

    Xie Lianzhen then started pointing at them, giving outmands. ¡°Number Two, you¡¯re young and strong, work such as moving heavy medicine will be yours. Three and Seven will be in charge of preparation. Four will be collecting herbs, Six will be drying herbs. That¡¯s all for now.¡±

    ¡°Kiddo? You...¡±

    ¡°My surname is Xie, you can call me Gentleman Xie.¡± Xie Lianzhen cut him off and smiled. He then directed them to a stone table. ¡°I¡¯ll teach you how to recognize the medicine first. If you don¡¯t do well, I can only report you to the Drug Lord as being good for nothing.¡±

 Chapter 304: Finding Out

    <h4>Chapter 304: Finding Out</h4>

    Lu Mingshu nced over at Xie Lianzhen. She had a poker face but wasughing inside.

    Even though he¡¯s just acting, he looks just like a bully. ¡°Call me Gentleman Xie,¡± so much like amon viin seen in books.

    The drug men were all in doubt. They weren¡¯t close to Xie Lianzhen, so who knew what he would do? Maybe he was doing this in order to please the Drug Lord.

    Nobody could tell, and nobody dared to say a word.

    Seeing what the drug men looked like, Lu Mingshu heaved a sigh of relief.

    Number Three and Four were Old Man Liao and the grandma. They both had winter-white hair, and their skin had been awfully destroyed by the long-term experimenting. It was so bad that their skin was extremely rough, and their features were nearly translucent. Number Seven, who was the one they called Old Monster, was almost bald. He had a crooked back that made him look like a shrimp. The uncle, who was Number Six, was as pale as a ghost, and even though he wasn¡¯t the oldest, he couldn¡¯t even stand straight. He seemed to have lost vision in one eye since he kept squinting. Number Two was in the best condition, except that he was pale and skinny, perhaps because he was the youngest among them all.

    All the drug men had poker faces. Hearing Xie Lianzhen, anger could be seen from their eyes, but they were unable to express it on their faces.

    Before meeting them in person, one might¡¯ve thought that the Drug Lord was just little nuts, but not to the point of ruthlessness. Once one saw the drug men though, one would know how ruthless he was.

    All the drug men were currently in the Harmonization Realm. If they didn¡¯t have to go through this ordeal, even the grandma would be young and vigorous despite her age. She wouldn¡¯t be so feeble and weak that she wasn¡¯t evenparable to a normal old person without cultivation.

    Despite what she was seeing, Lu Mingshu maintained a poker face. She stopped her work and walked toward Xie Lianzhen. ¡°Gentleman Xie, the Drug Lord only instructed you to teach them properly, do you have to wave a chicken feather as an authority token?¡±

    She sounded so sarcastic that everyone else was shocked. They heard that she was here for him, so why...?

    In their confusion, they saw Lu Mingshu¡¯s look, and they immediately understood.

    ¡°Of course... of course we can do it!¡± The uncle immediately nodded. ¡°It¡¯s just recognizing herbs, right? It isn¡¯t that difficult.¡±

    The rest nodded in agreement.

    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Xie Lianzhen looked at Lu Mingshu, smiling happily. ¡°Miss Lu, can you teach them how to recognize the herbs?¡±

    Lu Mingshu snorted and turned to the others. ¡°Come with me.¡±

    He stared at her openly for a while before walking back to the study room slowly.

    The Drug Lord should be in the same ce he hides his treasure, and he can monitor us easily from there....

    The five of them were martial artists, so they had a certain knowledge of herbs already. It only took Lu Mingshu a couple of days to teach them.

    The Drug Lord came over to check, and he was more than happy with Xie Lianzhen. He¡¯s really talented. It¡¯s such a waste that he¡¯s unwilling to be my disciple.

    After the crash course, the Drug Lord no longer needed to do the odds and ends by himself. He only needed to give themand, just like what Xie Lianzhen said. The drug men could do most of the work, and for the more tedious stuff, Lu Mingshu would handle it. Even Xie Lianzhen could mix the medicine for him.

    As time went by, the Drug Lord slowly handed authority over to them. After a few days passed and he saw improvement in them, he even allowed them out to the herb field.

    The experiment went smoothly and the Drug Lord was having a good time, he was more than happy.

    When I am fully prepared, I¡¯ll use the experiment on myself and breakthrough! When I do, I¡¯ll show them the consequences of looking down on me!

    Another night passed.

    Lu Mingshu felt dizzy all of a sudden and went into a dream.

    ¡°Mingshu, Mingshu.¡±

    ¡°You can call me Miss Lu,¡± she said.

    Xie Lianzhenughed. She¡¯s imitating me.

    ¡°That¡¯s for others. You can call yourself whatever you want,¡± he cooed. ¡°Don¡¯t be upset anymore.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Lu Mingshu was utterly speechless. Who¡¯s being upset? I¡¯m indeed imitating you, but for another purpose. I¡¯m sure that you know that, but you decide to act like an idiot anyway.

    ¡°I¡¯m not that good, so I can¡¯t sustain this for long, so I¡¯m just going to get to the point.¡±

    I¡¯m d he knows that this is more important than flirting.

    ¡°I have instructed the five of them ording to your information. Later on, they will take the chance of doing chores to scout out the ces you mentioned.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded. As long as she could get the data, the wizard would be able to alter half of the spell for her. Without the spell, their cultivations would no longer be limited. She could then block the Drug Lord¡¯s information. Their mission would then be halfpleted. As for the other half...

    ¡°What about you? Do you have any information about his treasure?¡±

    ¡°Somehow.¡± Xie Lianzhen nodded, ¡°I went into that ce as an excuse to look for someone the previous day.¡±

    ¡°He allowed you to do so?¡± Lu Mingshu was surprised.

    ¡°Of course I snuck in. He even tore the ce down because of this.¡± Xie Lianzhen chuckled.

    ¡°That exins the way he was acting the previous day,¡± Lu Mingshu mumbled.

    Xie Lianzhen nodded. ¡°Therger his reaction, the more important that thing is.¡±

    ¡°What did you see?¡±

    ¡°A water tank.¡±

    ¡°Water tank?¡± Lu Mingshu blinked her eyes. She had many guesses, but this wasn¡¯t something she would have thought of.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Xie Lianzhen furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°Or a water mirror, to be exact. The tank is filled with water, and as if a mirror, it reflects its surroundings. There are weird runes carved into the tank, and he controls the tank with the runes.¡±

    ¡°And then?¡±

    ¡°He punched me, and I went flying.¡± Xie Lianzhen shrugged. ¡°I didn¡¯t get to see what happens next.¡±

    ¡°He punched you?¡± Lu Mingshu looked at him in shock. After a few seconds, she then realized that they were in a dream, so she obviously wouldn¡¯t be able to see if he had any injuries.

    Xie Lianzhen was pleasantly surprised by her reaction. ¡°You¡¯re worried for me?¡±

    ¡°...no.¡±

    He smiled and continued, ¡°Seeing you being worried for me, it¡¯s worth it even if I die from his punch.¡±

    Lu Mingshu sighed and remained silent. She recalled her first meeting with him, and it all felt unreal. How did that gentleman with outstanding looks turn into an idiot today?

    ¡°Please get to the point!¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay. Calm down.¡± He waved his hand. ¡°That punch gave me an estimation of his ability.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Lu Mingshu looked at him in anticipation. ¡°So how good is he? He¡¯s a Spirit Realm after all....¡±

    Xie Lianzhenughed. ¡°So what if he¡¯s a Spirit Realm? What he has is only a title. Without his treasures, we would win if we join hands.¡±

    Regardless of anything else, Lu Mingshu trusted Xie Lianzhen¡¯s judgement. ¡°Our chance of seeding should be big then.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s now busying up with a way to strengthen his immunity. I believe that, soon, he¡¯ll use the experiment on himself, and that¡¯s when we will have a chance.¡±

 Chapter 305: Chance

    <h4>Chapter 305: Chance</h4>

    ¡°Drug Lord, look at this method. What do you think?¡± Xie Lianzhen acted like he didn¡¯t sense the Drug Lord¡¯s anger as he kept bugging him. ¡°If we add something more, it seems better, doesn¡¯t it? And if we grill this for a while more...¡±

    Hearing Xie Lianzhen chatter nonstop at his ear, the Drug Lord couldn¡¯t help butugh even though he was annoyed. ¡°Why are you thick-skinned? Get lost!¡±

    Being sensitive to such things, Xie Lianzhen could immediately tell that the Drug Lord was no longer angry from all his pestering. He immediately stered a smile on his face and started to bootlick him. ¡°How many good deeds did I perform in my past life to be able to know such a good pharmacologist and learn from him? I¡¯ll lose my precious chance if I¡¯m not thick-skinned! Please don¡¯t be angry at me, I¡¯ll take any punishment willingly.¡±

    Seeing Xie Lianzhen sulking and hearing what he said, the Drug Lord felt extremely pleased. ¡°You do indeed have good taste, huh? You can¡¯t learn my methods anywhere if you miss this chance.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Drug Lord¡¯s always right. After seeing your methods, I realize that what I learned previously is a joke....¡±

    Somewhere not far away, Lu Mingshu scrunched when she heard him. She couldn¡¯t bear to watch him bootlick the Drug Lord. Even though he was faking it, he looked so genuine, like the pure and well-mannered gentleman he was, who really admired the Drug Lord.

    ¡°Miss,¡± the grandma called her. ¡°These were freshly picked by me.¡±

    Lu Mingshu diverted her attention from Xie Lianzhen and took the basket. ¡°Thank you, grandma, please rest well.¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡± The grandma ced the basket in her hand and slipped a small piece of paper over. She then beamed at Lu Mingshu.

    While Xie Lianzhen was annoying the Drug Lord, Lu Mingshu seized the time to go around to the five of them to collect the papers.

    At night, Lu Mingshu entered the Heavenly Wheel and copied down all the information she had gathered and sketched it out.

    ¡°Okay, here¡¯s everything.¡± Lu Mingshu made a check before she contacted the wizard.

    The other party contacted her immediately after receiving the sketch. ¡°Come with papers after two days, I¡¯ll teach you what you should do.¡±

    ¡°Okay, thank you so much.¡±

    ...

    Lu Mingshu was once again in a dream. ¡°I¡¯m almost done here. I just need two more days.¡±

    Xie Lianzhen raised his eyebrows. ¡°Such a coincidence, me too.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t get what Xie Lianzhen meant.

    ¡°After wasting much of my breath on him, the Drug Lord decided to experiment on himself tomorrow, to increase his body¡¯s resistance to drugs.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that cause the poison to not work on him?¡±

    ¡°Be at ease.¡± Xie Lianzhenughed. ¡°I have checked the prescription. The experiment can increase resistance, but it has its limits. Think about it, those herbs that he is going to use on himself would be extremely rare, as it is going to help him breakthrough. He definitely would not use them on us.¡±

    Lu Mingshu shook her head.

    The materials that a Spirit Realm had were extremely precious, and materials to help them breakthrough were the rarest materials of all, so why would he waste it like that? Lu Mingshu knew the materials used on her were precious but not as precious as the ones he was going to use on himself.

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing that the materials he used on us are after simplifications. The main ingredients are likely excluded too. The ingredients he¡¯s going to use on himself should be of the best quality and of very old age. Adding in the main ingredients...¡± Xie Lianzhen looked at Lu Mingshu suggestively. ¡°Do you think he would be able to resist that?¡±

    Not only would he not be able to resist, but there would also be a huge bacsh.

    Cunning: that was the only word to describe their n.

    ¡°When shall we start?¡±

    ¡°Soon. The effect of the drug resistance experiment would notst for such a long time. As long as he seeds tomorrow, he would try to breakthrough within the next few days.¡±

    Lu Mingshu took in a deep breath. That meant there would be a result after three or four days.

    ¡°Such a pity that my dear idiot Zhanghui is not as smart as you.¡± Xie Lianzhen looked sorry. ¡°The three of us would increase the chances of sess by a lot.¡±

    ¡°...¡± If Xie Zhanghui heard that, he would surely be in tears.

    Two days passed, and Lu Mingshu contacted the wizard like she was told.

    ¡°First, you break the spell, then you alter it,¡± the wizard exined to Lu Mingshu. ¡°I have already broken down the steps for you in detail, so even if you know nothing about spells, you can do it by following my steps closely.¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked through the steps thoroughly. Even though she didn¡¯t know much about spells, she was still able to figure out something, and she was very good at math, so calcting would not be a problem even though she didn¡¯t know how to break spells.

    After confirming that everything was good, she kept the instructions in her sleeve. ¡°Okay, if I seed, I¡¯ll pay you your points.¡±

    ¡°Sure. See you then.¡±

    After ending the conversation, Lu Mingshu saw the points at the corner of her eyes. She couldn¡¯t help but sigh.

    Firstly, the Transformation of Bones, then the antidote, she wasted a hundred on that. Points were hard to earn but easy to spend.

    ...

    On the third day, the Drug Lord gathered everyone, looking radiant. ¡°Starting from tomorrow, I¡¯m going to go into seclusion. None of you is allowed toe in or disturb me! If anything goes wrong, I¡¯ll never let you off!¡±

    Everyone replied, ¡°Yes,¡± in unison.

    Lu Mingshu looked up at Xie Lianzhen. Seeing him nod, she decided to start preparing herself.

    He¡¯s going into seclusion, which means it¡¯s our time!

    ¡°Drug Lord, then I¡¯ll-¡± Xie Lianzhen tried to convince him.

    ¡°Nobody will stay with me,¡± the Drug Lord cut him off firmly.

    ¡°Then you must remember to keep the records!¡± Xie Lianzhen acted as if he was reluctant to part with the Drug Lord.

    Seeing that he still remembered that even now, the Drug Lord smiled at his antics. ¡°Annoying boy. Okay, I¡¯ll show you!¡±

    Xie Lianzhen smiled shyly. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be right outside. Call me if you need me.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± The Drug Lord¡¯s mood was surprisingly good.

    Seeing what Xie Lianzhen did, Lu Mingshu felt like giving him a standing ovation. The grandma was right; his mouth is indeed powerful.

    Night fell, and Lu Mingshu was in the dream once again.

    Xie Lianzhen got straight to the point; ¡°Is it okay to act tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Lu Mingshu answered confidently. ¡°It¡¯s even easier since he has chased all of us out. The crucial parts of the spell are all outside. Initially, I was still thinking of excuses to get out. Now there isn¡¯t even a need to do so.¡±

    ¡°Great.¡±

    Silence took over for a while. ¡°What about you...?¡± Lu Mingshu started.

    ¡°More than fine.¡± Xie Lianzhen smirked. ¡°I¡¯ll get in without any tricks tomorrow.¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked confused. ¡°You mean...?¡±

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t have a trusted aide. Who else would he call when something happens?¡±

    ¡°This...¡±

    ¡°The Drug Lord is ignorant and arrogant. I¡¯m almost sure that he¡¯ll call me if he needs help. Then, we can coordinate.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded. ¡°You should be prepared too. Before he loses all his ability, he may be able to sense it if you do something weird and might counterattack.¡±

    ¡°For you, I¡¯ll take good care of myself.¡± Xie Lianzhen smiled sweetly.

    ¡°...Get lost!¡± Lu Mingshu wanted to hold it in, but she decided not to in the end.

 Chapter 306: Take Action

    <h4>Chapter 306: Take Action</h4>

    5 a.m.

    Everyone was woken up. In the midst of the confusion, the Drug Lord started to count heads.

    6 a.m.

    Everyone was driven out, and the stone door slowly rolled down.

    Xie Lianzhen dusted his clothes and plopped down at the side. He turned to the rest and red at them. ¡°What are you guys standing there for? The Drug Lord going into seclusion doesn¡¯t equal a break.¡±

    ¡°...¡± The drug men stared at each other weirdly. This kiddo was driving them crazy. Does he actually mean that or...?

    ¡°What about you then?¡± Lu Mingshu furrowed her eyebrows.

    ¡°I¡¯m waiting for the Drug Lord¡¯s instructions! Are you deaf? Didn¡¯t you hear our conversation yesterday?¡± Xie Lianzhen beamed at her. ¡°Am I right, brothers?¡± He turned to the guards.

    The guards exchanged nces and remained silent. They had witnessed the Drug Lord agreeing to Xie Lianzhen¡¯s request yesterday.

    Lu Mingshu threw him a dirty look before walking off. ¡°Is that so? Come on, let¡¯s go.¡±

    The drug men exchanged nces with each other before following after Lu Mingshu.

    As soon as she walked away, the angry Lu Mingshu was reced with one deep in thought.

    Ah, right. It¡¯s time.

    Lu Mingshu walked all the way to the end of the field with the others following. She suddenly came to a stop and took a nce at the guards who were currently far away from her. ¡°Why are you following after me? Didn¡¯t I assign you your own parts earlier?¡± she asked sternly. Lu Mingshu nced around herself before whispering, ¡°Listen, I¡¯ll send a signalter on. Act immediately when you see green smoke.¡±

    The uncle was unable to contain his excitement. ¡°Of course! Idiot girl, can we really do this?¡±

    ¡°Why are you so annoying!? Just follow what Gentleman Xie said! Is it that hard?¡± Lu Mingshu stared at him and shouted, cutting him off. ¡°Remember the timing. Nothing must go wrong, get it?¡± she added on, whispering.

    ¡°Girl, you can be at ease,¡± the grandma said softly. ¡°We¡¯ve been here for such a long time, and we are even more desperate than you to get out of here.¡±

    ¡°Right!¡± Old Man Liao nodded, determined. ¡°Even if I die, it¡¯ll be outside.¡±

    The rest nodded in agreement.

    ¡°Alright, get moving.¡±

    All five turned around and went to their respective areas. Some were stumbling, while some were walking slowly since they had a bad sight, but even so, they were all determined to seed.

    Finally. They had waited for dozens of years, and now, it was their chance. Why would they not seize it?

    Looking at the figures getting smaller, Lu Mingshu regained her focus and started to concentrate on what she was supposed to do.

    The wizard told her that the spell¡¯s crucial point would definitely be in the cave, so it was impossible for her to destroy it directly. Since that was the case, she would have to use another method, which was to create a new crucial point herself.

    But this wasn¡¯t a simple task; it required the perfect calction to be able to change the trend of the spell toward her new crucial point. This made the task a difficult one since it was very tedious. So, in order to ensure sess, Lu Mingshu could only do it on her own.

    Lu Mingshu took a deep breath and did what she normally did: patrol around the farm, removing any weeds she saw and loosening the earth.

    At the start, the guards still had their eyes on her. As she got further from them, they started to turn a blind eye to her.

    As soon as Lu Mingshu was sure that she was no longer in the guard¡¯s line of sight, she immediately got to work.

    She ced the items on the ground and threw them to in various ces ording to the n. Lu Mingshu then mixed a special type of ink at the speed of lighting and drew it on a paper.

    ¡°Hey, what are you doing?!¡± somebody yelled at her.

    Lu Mingshu turned around in shock to see two guards walking toward her.

    She broke out in cold sweat.

    What rotten luck. This was initially somewhere where the guards change over, and it was a dead end. They never came down this route the previous days, so why did they do so today?

    Whatever, I must ensure that nothing goes wrong.

    Lu Mingshu stared at them coldly, then pulled out her sword and went up against them.

    ¡°You-!¡±

    The guard only managed to say one word before he ended up in the underworld.

    Seeing his fellow partner killed right in front of him, the other guard immediately held up his whistle to alert the rest.

    But before he could do so, his hand that held up the whistle was sent flying away, and blood was everywhere.

    Before the guard could howl in pain, Lunar God had already greeted his neck.

    Now, he joined his fellow partner down in the underworld.

    Lu Mingshu broke out in cold sweat. She only realized what just happened after some time, and she wiped the sweat away, heaving a deep sigh.

    What just happened was breathtaking. Even though the guards weren¡¯t that good, they were still in the Harmonization Realm, and they even had items on them to alert theirrades. But for Lu Mingshu, she didn¡¯t even have her mystic force because of the spell. All she had were her skills.

    Luckily, she constantly practised and refined her skills, so she could exhibit her skills well without fear and got rid of the guards in no time.

    Just then, she felt a wave of motion slightly vibrating all of a sudden.

    ¡°Oh no!¡± she yelled.

    The Drug Lord would surely be able to sense the unusual change when she killed the guards.

    Do we have to give up just like that?

    This thought shed past Lu Mingshu¡¯s mind, and she made a decision immediately on the spot.

    No! I can¡¯t give up. If the Drug Lord discovers this n, not only will I be punished, there would no longer be another chance for us. Either I seed and we get out of here, or we never get to see the light of day anymore!

    However, time was ticking quickly, and there wasn¡¯t enough time left to finish the sketch by the wizard.

    Lu Mingshu took it out and scanned it quickly.

    Since I¡¯m unable to finish itpletely, then a simplified version will do.

    She made a calction in her mind with great speed and started to set it up.

    Thanks to the Drug Lord¡¯s previous experiments, she was now able to calcte and act faster.

    From afar, a siren sounded. This was the signal to alert the guards that something had happened.

    Urgent and disordered footsteps with non-stop yelling could be heard. This was how the guards here started their search.

    Lu Mingshu nced over at the guards who were creating chaos right now and went back to what she was doing.

    The footsteps were getting closer and closer to Lu Mingshu.

    She scribbled thest word quickly and fished out an item from her sleeve, throwing it up to the sky.

    A green re shot up to the sky.

    Lu Mingshu stood there, watching the smoke disperse in the air.

    Hopefully, all five of them have seeded.

    Not longter, the spell seemed to have some changes to it.

    First: she felt the energy waves disperse.

    Second: a deep hum.

    Third: a beam of light appeared across the horizon like a rainbow.

    Fourth: a muffled boom.

    Fifth: in an instant, she felt that her body had be extremely light, as if her weight disappeared. The array below her started to light up like it had gained life.

    Lu Mingshu looked up at the sky to see lights shooting up from everywhere, then converging to a point, before falling down.

    The guards stood rooted to the ground by the situation. Within no time, they found Lu Mingshu standing on the array figure.

    ¡°Look, there!¡±

    ¡°Faster, take her down!¡±

    Lu Mingshu felt mystic force surging through her body. Lunar God looked clean and lustrous.

    Lu Mingshu gripped her sword and dashed toward the guards with a smirk on her face.

    I couldn¡¯t do anything previously because I did not have mystic force. Now, you guys are just rubbish in my eyes.

    The sword light shot forward like lighting straight for the guards

 Chapter 307: Treasure

    <h4>Chapter 307: Treasure</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Exodus Tales <strong>Editor: </strong>Exodus Tales

    Xie Lianzhen was over the moon when he saw the lights in the sky.

    <i>Great! She indeed can be trusted.</i>

    He blinked his eyes and got back to his actor mood, throwing himself at the stone door and wailing, ¡°Drug Lord, something bad has happened!¡±

    Of course, the Drug Lord would already know that. The crucial point of the spell was in the cave and he had full control of the spell, so there was no doubt that he would have sensed it.

    The spell initially had the function of congregating energy. Mystic force in the area would all be collected and inserted into his body.

    However, as soon as he took his medicine, all the mystic force he had gathered suddenly disappeared at lightning speed before he even noticed it. The crucial point in the cave stopped functioning, and tool for him to control the spell had dimmed down.

    The Drug Lord jumped up in anger. ¡°Who the hell is doing all this!?¡±

    Unfortunately, he had already taken the medication, and the effects started to show. ¡°Ah!¡± The Drug Lord squatted down in excruciating pain.

    Just as Xie Lianzhen guessed, the experiment the Drug Lord used on them excluded the main ingredients, and the portions were lesser. The one that he was using for his breakthrough was ten times stronger than the one he used on Lu Mingshu and the rest.

    The Drug Lord initially thought that he would be able to bear the pain because he was in the Spirit Realm, but now, it seemed that he had underestimated his main ingredient¡¯s power.

    The poison slowly invaded into his meridians and started exploding in his body.

    Just then, he received an unusual energy wave, distracting him.

    This drove the Drug Lord up the walls. <i>Who the heck...? Who the heck destroyed my spell!? The cold girl, or the boy with honeyed words?</i>

    Suddenly, he could hear Xie Lianzhen¡¯s wailing. ¡°Drug Lord, something bad has happened!¡± He sounded anxious.

    The pain caused the Drug Lord to be unable to focus.

    <i>Yeah, he¡¯s been waiting outside the whole time. It¡¯s not him.</i>

    <i>Then, it¡¯s the girl? I really underestimated her....</i>

    ¡°Drug Lord? Drug Lord? Are you alright?¡± Xie Lianzhen¡¯s voice rang into the cave.

    The Drug Lord wiped away his cold sweat. The mystic force seemed to be going out of control.<i> Oh no, I can¡¯t control it anymore. What shall I do...?</i>

    ¡°Drug Lord? Are you okay? Please don¡¯t let anything bad happen!¡±

    <i>This boy still has his conscience....</i>

    The Drug Lord took out a small bottle made of white jade while trembling. He poured out a pure white pill, and the scent filled the room immediately.

    The Drug Lord looked at it with pain. He nearly paid his life for this Fragrant Spirit Pill. It was initially for him to get used to his new realm after he broke through, but now, he had no choice but to use it for this emergency.

    He swallowed the pill in one go and started to feel better.

    However, that was not enough. He needed time to recuperate, and the spell was now broken. Who knew how long it would take for someone to break into the cave?

    Of course, he had an idea to settle this ¨C he could use his treasure against the girl. However, if he did so, he would have to give up on his chance of breaking through.<i> I have already used up the Fragrant Spirit Pill. Will I have another chance if I lose this one?</i>

    The Drug Lord couldn¡¯t make up his mind.

    ¡°Drug Lord, please be okay. I¡¯ll be outside to buy time for you.¡±

    <i>This boy, he really cares for me. I should get his help...</i>

    ¡°Drug-¡± The stone door opened up abruptly, causing Xie Lianzhen, who was sprawling on the door, to nearly fall. The Drug Lord¡¯s pale face was the first thing he saw.

    Seeing Xie Lianzhen looking at him shock, the Drug Lord instructed him; ¡°Come in.¡±

    Xie Lianzhen said nothing more and followed him in.

    The stone door was closed once more, separating them from the outside world.

    The Drug Lord plopped down on the floor. He took out something from his sleeves while trembling. ¡°You, go into the room. Put this on the circr thing.¡±

    ¡°Which room?¡±

    In excruciating pain, the Drug Lord had an extremely bad temper. ¡°The one you went into a few days ago.¡±

    ¡°And you punched me afterwards?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± The Drug Lord gritted his teeth. ¡°As long as you do this well, I will treat you nicely from today onwards.¡±

    ¡°Look at what you¡¯re saying.¡± Xie Lianzhen smiled shyly at him. ¡°You have taught me so much the past few days, so I should do it well to repay you anyway.¡±

    These words made the Drug Lord feel like smiling, but the pain didn¡¯t allow him to. He bit his lips and nodded. ¡°Good boy. It¡¯s my fault for punching youst time. I¡¯ll make it up to you soon.¡± He then took in a deep breath and mumbled, ¡°That bitch. How dare she do this? When I breakthrough, I¡¯ll skin her alive for sure.¡±

    Xie Lianzhen immediately went up to pacify him. ¡°Calm down. Focus on breaking through, I¡¯ll do everything for you.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± The Drug Lord sighed in relief. Finally, he had someone to rely on when he needed it. <i>No wonder famous pharmacologists like to take in many disciples. Such a pity that this boy doesn¡¯t want to be my disciple. This shows that he¡¯s a good boy even though he likes to bootlick.</i>

    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll get it done.¡±

    ¡°Go.¡±

    Xie Lianzhen walked out of the seclusion room and wiped the smile away from his face. He briskly walked to the room.

    He had already travelled along this route a thousand times during practice. Within no time, he was already at the room.

    Xie Lianzhen looked around and ced the jade the Drug Lord gave him on the door¡¯s opening.

    The stone door opened up slowly.

    He saw a water tank ced right in the middle.

    As for the circr table, only an idiot would do as the Drug Lord said. If he did as he was told, he would probably activate some backup n that the Drug Lord had and create even more problems for Lu Mingshu.

    Thest time he came here, he only got a glimpse at everything. Now, he realized it wasn¡¯t so simple.

    Rather than a water tank, it was more like a cauldron ¨C a mild golden cauldron decorated with runes and brilliant lights with vibrant colours. And the cauldron wasn¡¯t filled with water, but with mist.

    Xie Lianzhen brushed his fingers across the runes, trying to figure out how it was used.

    If one were to point out how he and Lu Mingshu were simr, it would be how they spent their childhood. Both were lonely when they were a child, and their onlypanions were books passed down from the older generations. So, even if he wasn¡¯t a rune carver, he still had knowledge about them.

    <i>With this rune¡¯s pattern, it should be...</i>

    Since they had already broken the spell, the mystic force was unleashed from his fingertips, and the sparks of mystic force activated the runes.

    The mist in the cauldron dispersed, leaving a gleaming reflection like a mirror.

    And the things that were happening in the valley could be seen in the reflection.

    He trailed across another rune, and the image started to change too.

    <i>So, this is an ind surrounded by mist from the Ming River, hiding the ind without any trace.</i>

    <i>What about the water dragon tornado?</i>

    Xie Lianzhen pondered for a while and put his finger on the reflection.

    Ripples were formed, and it looked like a flower.

    <i>Oh my god! This is really fantastic! There are such things in the world?</i>

    ¡°Boy! What are you doing!?¡± the Drug Lord yelled. He waited for quite a while for the spell to work, but he sensed that somebody was touching his treasure, so he ran over frantically to check only to see Xie Lianzhen touching his treasure.

    Xie Lianzhen eyed the Drug Lord and smirked, then punched the cauldron.

    The Drug Lord¡¯s face turned ck. He stared at Xie Lianzhen angrily and yelled, ¡°Boy, I¡¯ll make you pay for that!¡±

 Chapter 308: The Assistant

    <h4>Chapter 308: The Assistant</h4>

    The five former drug men rushed over frantically to see Lu Mingshu drenched in blood, gripping her sword tightly.

    Beside herid numerous corpses, some intact while some body parts were all over the ce.

    The uncle gulped and stared at Lu Mingshu in fear. ¡°Miss... Lu...¡± He was tongue-tied.

    Lu Mingshu wiped away the blood on her face and looked at them calmly. ¡°All done here. Now, I¡¯m going to take the Drug Lord down. Who is still able to fight?¡±

    The five of them exchanged nces. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Number Two stepped forward.

    The rest were either too old or too seriously damaged by the Drug Lord¡¯s experiments. Even if the spell was now broken, they still weren¡¯t able to exert much of their ability. Number Two was still rtively new here, so his body was in the best condition among the five.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get going.¡±

    Lu Mingshu hurried to the cave with the others following behind her.

    When they reached the cave, two guards came in front of them and blocked their way. ¡°Halt!¡±

    Without demur, Lu Mingshu grabbed her sword and cut their heads off. The guards dropped to the ground, adding on to the number of corpses.

    Fresh blood spurted everywhere,nding on them. The uncle shuddered as a drop of bloodnded on him. ¡°You sure are quick.¡±

    ¡°You mean that I¡¯m cold-blooded?¡± Lu Mingshu slowly wiped the blood off her sword.

    ¡°Of course not,¡± the uncle immediately rified. ¡°These guards are all aplices too. I can¡¯t wait for them to go to hell!¡±

    ¡°Indeed!¡± The grandma looked at the corpses with hatred. ¡°If the experiment result isn¡¯t what the Drug Lord wants, the punishment they have for us is very harsh.¡±

    ¡°They seem weird though,¡± Lu Mingshu said. ¡°These guards act like they¡¯ve been brainwashed by the Drug Lord. They don¡¯t seem to have any emotions. Or maybe, they aren¡¯t even human.¡±

    Hearing this, a chill ran down the grandma¡¯s spine. She recalled her experiences and realized that that seemed to be the case. Humans all have emotions and desires, but no matter how they tried to bribe them or rope them in, they always seemed to be unfazed. If not for the fact that they were capable of speech, one would think that they were puppets.

    Could they still be considered human beings if they did not have emotions?

    ¡°Whatever, I¡¯ll go and open the door first.¡±

    ...

    The violent attack sent Xie Lianzhen flying into the wall. Xie Lianzhen saw stars, and a tinge of pain was felt from his chest.

    But the Drug Lord no longer cared for him. He rushed in front of his cauldron and wailed. ¡°Bastard! I¡¯ve treated you so nicely, yet you spoiled my treasure!¡±

    ¡°Pui!¡± Xie Lianzhen spit out a mouthful of blood and stumbled. ¡°Treated me nicely?¡± Heughed. ¡°Did you think I was actually grateful to you?¡±

    His disdainful tone made the Drug Lord fume in anger. <i>How well have I treated him? He only needed to go through one round of experiments before I let him stay out here instead of the cell, and I even guided him!</i> After he was kicked out, the Drug Lord never let his guard down, but he trusted Xie Lianzhen and was now being backstabbed!

    <i>Biting the hand that feeds!</i>

    ¡°Then tell me how I wasn¡¯t good to you! You didn¡¯t need to go through the experiments, and I even taught you my secret methods! What are you still unhappy about?!¡±

    ¡°Secret methods?¡± Xie Lianzhen guffawed. ¡°More like idiot methods! Do you really think that you¡¯re so good? The best pharmacologist?¡± Even though he was mainly just trying to stall for time, Xie Lianzhen was genuinely curious. ¡°Has no one ever told you that you are obviously not cut out to be a pharmacologist?¡±

    The Drug Lord¡¯s face immediately darkened.

    <i>¡°You have absolutely no talent in this area.¡±</i>

    <i>¡°You can¡¯t be a pharmacologist.¡±</i>

    <i>¡°You aren¡¯t cut out for this.¡±</i>

    The voices rang through his head. These were from his memories, the nightmare he never wanted to bring up ever again. The shame he hoped to forget!

    <i>¡°Lighting up a fire is the only talent you have.¡±</i>

    <i>¡°You can¡¯t evenplete such a simple task, yet you want to be a pharmacologist?¡±</i>

    <i>¡°Do you think you canpete with me? Of course you can ¨C in your dreams!¡±</i>

    <i>¡°Go back. The school can no longer have you.¡±</i>

    ...

    He looked up, eyes red and swollen.

    Xie Lianzhen felt his heart at his throat. <i>He¡¯s that agitated, that fast?</i>

    Luckily, the Drug Lord was still concerned with his breakthrough, so he didn¡¯t gopletely crazy yet.

    ¡°I¡¯m not cut out for it? Are you sure!?¡± he screamed at Xie Lianzhen. ¡°How can you say that I¡¯m not cut out to be a pharmacologist if I can remember the forms better than anyone else!?¡±

    Xie Lianzhen winced and thought of a reply quickly; ¡°If you¡¯re only good at remembering forms, then you should be a pharmacologist¡¯s assistant!¡±

    <i>Assistant? Assistant!?</i>

    The Drug Lord shot up, eyes widening all of a sudden like he had been stabbed, and stared at Xie Lianzhen creepily.

    Seeing his reaction, Xie Lianzhen immediately understood. ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re the assistant, huh? No wonder you know all the methods by heart and do all the chores yourself, but you have no idea how to conduct a proper experiment, constantly making idiotic mistakes and looking lost. How stupid of me for believing that you have inherited some extremely rare skills. You¡¯re nothing but an assistant!¡±

    ¡°Ahhh!¡± The Drug Lord screeched and pounced at Xie Lianzhen. ¡°So what?! So what if I¡¯m really the assistant!? Who said that assistants can¡¯t be pharmacologists?! Who gave you all the right to define me as not cut out for it when I¡¯m so hardworking!? Go to hell!¡±

    No matter how bad one was, a Spirit Realm who had gone crazy was not something a Harmonization Realm could take down easily.

    Xie Lianzhen reached out to control his wheelchair, but he realized that he was no longer in it. For the past several years of his life, he had always depended on his wheelchair. Other than dodging by pure instinct, he knew nothing about fighting with working legs.

    <i>Ding!</i> Lu Mingshu appeared in front of him and blocked the attack.

    <i>Boom~~~~!</i> The Drug Lord¡¯s attack caused the whole cave to shake vigorously.

    ¡°Mingshu!¡± Xie Lianzhen rushed over.

    Before he arrived, Lu Mingshu had alreadynded safely. She rolled her eyes at Xie Lianzhen and cut him off. ¡°Get lost!¡±

    ¡°Oh...¡± Xie Lianzhen rubbed his nose. <i>I just want to be her knight in shining armor for once....</i>

    ¡°Ah!¡± The Drug Lord was twisting around like a snake in pain because of the medication that was exploding in him right now. Furthermore, what Xie Lianzhen said had touched his sore spot. The Drug Lord hugged his head and screeched.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± The five former drug men dashed into the cave, mouths wide open.

    Xie Lianzhen pointed at the Drug Lord, who was currently twisting around like a mad dog on the floor. ¡°He¡¯s not some famous or powerful pharmacologist, but an assistant. The methods and the treasure are most probably stolen from somewhere. That¡¯s why he has very weak basics and only knows some forms.¡±

    ¡°What the heck, an assistant?¡±

    ¡°No wonder.¡± Lu Mingshu looked at the Drug Lord coldly. ¡°He can¡¯t be a disciple of some powerful pharmacologist when he¡¯s so weak in basics, but if he¡¯s an assistant...¡±

    Xie Lianzhen shot her a look to stop her from continuing. He knew what she wanted to say: even if the Drug Lord was just an assistant, the methods were still real, so his background was still a mystery. But it wasn¡¯t the time to talk about that with the others present.

    ¡°Assistant... so what if I am?¡± The Drug Lord looked up at the ceiling and started screaming. He then turned to them with wide eyes, like he was about to kill. ¡°You¡¯reughing! You¡¯reughing at me! How dare you!? How dare you!? I¡¯m going to send you to hell! To hell!¡±

    His mystic force caused the whole cave to start shaking.

 Chapter 309: Accept the Fact

    <h4>Chapter 309: ept the Fact</h4>

    How powerful could a Spirit Realm get?

    Lu Mingshu thought that she was very clear of that after all the matches she watched during the Qilin Festival. However, she forgot the fact that, no matter what, she was just a bystander back then. The data would never be a match for someone who had experienced going against a Spirit Realm directly.

    The whole cave was being filled with a violent mystic force. The former drug men who were just standing at the door were thrown out, while Lu Mingshu and Xie Lianzhen were nowing face to face with a Spirit Realm who had gone nuts.

    Her spirit tool was activated, the mild golden lighting from the talisman fusing with the sword and weaving a shield around her.

    Even so, she was thrown out as well.

    ¡°Mingshu!¡± She could hear Xie Lianzhen shout, and sparks could be seen flying around.

    But that was only a dy.

    <i>Boom~~~~!</i> With an explosion, he was thrown out too.

    He indeed had strong basics, but he didn¡¯t have much experience being in an actual fight. Furthermore, he had never trained with working legs once. Now, without the wheelchair, he was unable to perform because he was in a totally unfamiliar situation.

    In the midst of the chaos, Xie Lianzhen activated his treasure to protect himself. A blue ray of light appeared, shielding him and Lu Mingshu from the attack.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± He hurried toward Lu Mingshu, blocking the strong impact for her.

    ¡°We can¡¯t let him continue,¡± Lu Mingshu said in between her breaths.

    She then dashed forward with her sword.

    ¡°Haish...¡± Xie Lianzhen sighed, watching her dash toward the cauldron. He pinched his leg in annoyance. <i>What¡¯s the use of these if I can¡¯t protect her?</i>

    On the other hand, Lu Mingshu had already thrown everything else to the back of her mind.

    She built a model of the cave in her head within no time and collected the data for better performance.

    Thanks to the Drug Lord and his experiments, not only had her physical strength improved, but her mental strength had as well. If not, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to calcte so quickly and urately.

    This wasn¡¯t necessarily the toughest fight Lu Mingshu had ever encountered. Even though the Drug Lord was a Spirit Realm, his attacks and skills were full of holes. To her, he was just like a sieve.

    But this was certainly the most dangerous fight she had ever found herself in. The Drug Lord was a realm higher than her, and he couldn¡¯t control his power well. What was even worse was that he had gone crazy now, so nobody could predict what he might do. Everything was now dependent on how fast she was. If Lu Mingshu was not fast enough, she would be seriously injured.

    ¡°Ahhh~~~~!¡± The Drug Lord screamed in agony. His face turned pale, then extremely purple. Due to the extreme pain, his face was distorted and terrifying to behold.

    ¡°Go to hell! Go to hell!¡± The Drug Lord no longer remembered his aim of breaking through. Under the erosion of the experiment, he was losing consciousness. Furthermore, Xie Lianzhen had exposed his deepest secret, which made him even more irrational. The Drug Lord now was like someone possessed, and he felt nothing but determination to kill the two people standing right in front of him. <i>Rip them to pieces and turn them to ashes! Like those who taunted me! They shouldn¡¯t be left alive!</i>

    <i>Szzz!</i> Blood could be seen, and Lu Mingshunded right against the wall.

    ¡°Mingshu!¡± Trembling in fear, Xie Lianzhen reached out, and sparks flew toward the Drug Lord.

    The Drug Lord broke the attack with one punch. Mystic force exploded, creating more sparks.

    Xie Lianzhen seized this chance to get to Lu Mingshu. He formed needles with light and pricked them into the acupuncture points near her injury to stop the blood.

    ¡°Endure it. I¡¯ll treat you after this,¡± Xie Lianzhen whispered.

    But why would Lu Mingshu be afraid of such a minor injury? It wasn¡¯t the first time she was injured, and she wasn¡¯t so pampered.

    ¡°Okay,¡± she replied casually and stood up, ready to fight again. ¡°Oh, and if you¡¯re not used to fighting with your legs, just pretend that they aren¡¯t there so at least you will be of <i>some</i> help.¡± She turned to Xie Lianzhen before turning back again and dashing forward.

    ¡°...¡± Xie Lianzhen pped himself in annoyance. Even though many people always looked down on him, considering him an Alioth Star Lord who didn¡¯t have talent that matched his title, he never once took it to heart because he knew that he was capable, and even much stronger than many others. But the thing that hurt his pride now was the fact that he was unable to stand in front of her and protect her now.

    <i>But she¡¯s right. If I¡¯m not used to having legs, then just fight like I¡¯m used to. I can¡¯t let her fight alone, right? When we got into trouble at the Flying Imperial Pce, we cooperated well.</i>

    Xie Lianzhen calmed himself down and joined the fight quickly.

    As soon as he regained hisposure, Lu Mingshu felt at ease. Wei Chunqiu once told her that Xie Lianzhen was way more hardworking than others during his childhood due to being wheelchair-bound, so his ability was not worse than Wei Chunqiu¡¯s. Every attack of his was urate, striking the opponent¡¯s weak point every time.

    Coincidentally, this fighting style was Lu Mingshu¡¯s favorite as well. She could take Xie Lianzhen into ount during her calctions, and it would be easy for her to coordinate with him.

    This annoyed the Drug Lord even more. <i>Why...? Why can¡¯t I kill them? They are obviously a realm lower than me, and they seem so weak that I could easily crush them with my fingers, but they seem to be able to always escape at the crucial point. Is it because my inheritance is not a decent one?</i> The setbacks he faced in the past had be his nightmare and was making him go crazy, and the sight of Lu Mingshu and Xie Lianzhen, along with the words that he never wanted to hear again, seemed to haunt him over and over again, never letting him go. Now, with the duo standing in front of him, not faltering even as he unleashed numerous attacks, drove him crazy. <i>Why are they still not dead yet even though I¡¯m much stronger? I¡¯m gonna kill them all! Kill them all!</i>

    ¡°You! Should die! Everyone will go to hell!¡± The Drug Lord raged.

    An idea came to Xie Lianzhen¡¯s head. ¡°¡®You¡¯? You mean those who taunted you in the past, right?¡±

    The Drug Lord immediately threw him a death re.

    ¡°I¡¯m right, huh? Haish, look at how useless you are.¡±

    ¡°What did you say?¡± The Drug Lord stood up and walked toward Xie Lianzhen slowly.

    ¡°I said that you¡¯re useless. ¡± Xie Lianzhen sneered. ¡°Use your ability against those whough at you and don¡¯t act like a coward! Oh right, I forgot that you don¡¯t have any ability or else you wouldn¡¯t be here.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m preparing myself! When I break through, I¡¯ll go back and kill them all! They can all go to hell!¡± the Drug Lord yelled at Xie Lianzhen, but he seemed to be talking to himself.

    Xie Lianzhen slowly looked at him in disdain and smirked. ¡°When you break through? I wonder when that will be. You wasted at least thirty years experimenting here while those whom you want to kill may have already broken through ages ago. No realm and no skills. What do you have to kill all of them, may I ask?¡±

    This hit the Drug Lord¡¯s sore spot. Indeed, the only reason why he was using this method to break through was that the methods used by others were useless to him. When he finally broke through, where would his hated enemies be? They were more talented than him and had more resources. At least one of them would have already broken through to the Assimtion Realm by now. How would he take revenge? He would never be able to do so!

    The Drug Lord refused to ept the fact. <i>Why...? We are all humans, why must I be of a lower status than them? Why are they the only ones who can shine?</i>

    ¡°ept it,¡± Xie Lianzhen said softly. ¡°If you can¡¯t, even the treasure that you stole can¡¯t help. You¡¯ve wasted so many years... what¡¯s left for you to fight for when you only have an old body left?¡±

 Chapter 310: Long Time No See

    <h4>Chapter 310: Long Time No See</h4>

    ¡°Ahhhh~~~~!¡± the Drug Lord screamed while hugging onto his head.

    The people that he was seeing now weren¡¯t Lu Mingshu or Xie Lianzhen. The faces that were now appearing in front of him were those he never wanted to see again but who never stopped appearing in his nightmares.

    <i>¡°Sorry, but you haven¡¯t been selected.¡±</i>

    <i>¡°Chance? You can¡¯t even make the simplest Mingxi Pellet, so why should we give you another chance?¡±</i>

    <i>¡°Just go back and light your fire.¡±</i>

    <i>¡°Just go, we have already found a new assistant.¡±</i>

    The Drug Lord saw himself kneeling on the floor, begging persistently, but the other party remained unmoved.

    <i>¡°You¡¯re already so old, we can¡¯t let you be an assistant anymore.¡±</i>

    <i>¡°There are so many shops that will hire you after you leave, so just go.¡±</i>

    <i>¡°Enough! Do you think the school is a charity?! Get out of here!¡±</i>

    ¡°Why am I supposed to ept my fate? Why am I not talented?! The heavens are unfair! Unfair!¡± the Drug Lord screamed, mystic light surrounding all parts of his body.

    Lu Mingshu nudged Xie Lianzhen worriedly and whispered, ¡°He¡¯s already emotionally unstable, why did you provoke him even more?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly why we should,¡± Xie Lianzhen replied softly. ¡°Being emotionally unstable will cause the drugs in him to be unstable as well, and they will process into his body faster. This is to let him be poisoned at a faster speed.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Lu Mingshu wasn¡¯t someone inflexible. Who wouldn¡¯t do anything to win? It was normal.

    But seeing the Drug Lord in this state, she felt a tinge of pain in her heart.

    It was cruel that everyone was born different, resulting in unfair starting points. Some were even farther than most, making it hard for them to shine and seed. It wasn¡¯t because they werezy or that they didn¡¯t try hard enough, but they just couldn¡¯t achieve what others could despite their effort.

    Most would just ept their fate and change their route to one that was suitable for them, while on the other hand, some would end up like the Drug Lord, going astray and doing anything just to achieve what they wanted.

    However, Lu Mingshu wouldn¡¯t pity the Drug Lord. Striving hard for something you wanted was fine, but not the way he did it. Torturing humans, causing their bodies to be damaged permanently or even causing them to die. If the heavens were considered as being unfair to him, what about the drug men he had tormented?

    ¡°Ahhhh~~~~!¡± Unable to withstand the provocation, the drugs in his body started to explode once again, and the Drug Lord went insane. He rushed up like a beast and reached out to them, wanting to strangle them.

    ¡°Our chance!¡± Xie Lianzhen muttered under his breath. He stepped forward, sparks flying everywhere. The sparks dispersed beforebining.

    At the same time, Lu Mingshu dashed forward too. The ring on her hand shone brightly, fusing with her sword light. <i>Hiss!</i> The sword light was now dashing for the Drug Lord.

    The sword energy was everywhere, causing the cave to shake violently, fragments and stones everywhere.

    The fight here was something that the other drug men were unable to intervene in. They were thrown out at the start, and even Number Two, who was in the best state among the five, dared not interfere.

    <i>Cough!</i> The uncle looked up with watery eyes, choking on the dust. ¡°Can they do it?¡±

    ¡°If they can¡¯t, we can¡¯t either,¡± the grandma said hoarsely. ¡°We have looked down on them. Having such an ability while being in the Harmonization Realm is umon.¡±

    ¡°Indeed! We can only hope that they can get rid of the Drug Lord now.¡±

    The five of them looked at each other nervously. After such a long time, they finally had a chance to escape.

    <i>Thud!</i> Lu Mingshu was mmed against the wall, and she dropped to the ground.

    The violent fall put her into a giddy state.

    <i>Cough!</i> She coughed out blood, indicating that she did not have much mystic force left and had an internal injury.

    <i>No matter how much ability they have or don¡¯t have, a Spirit Realm is indeed a Spirit Realm.</i>

    ¡°Go to hell you, you, and you!¡± the Drug Lord screamed while attacking Xie Lianzhen nonstop.

    His situation was not better than Lu Mingshu¡¯s. Since he made many uglyments about the Drug Lord, the Drug Lord would hate Xie Lianzhen in particr. Xie Lianzhen had no choice but to employ all his tricks. However, no matter how many tricks he had, they did nothing.

    Seeing that Xie Lianzhen was finding it harder to resist, Lu Mingshu dashed up immediately once she was feeling a bit better.

    The sword turned into a dragon, slowly following after a whistle.

    With all the energy she had left, she could only do one more physical manifestation of Sword Intent, at the price of draining all her mystic force. However, she had no choice. If she didn¡¯t, Xie Lianzhen would lose his life.

    ¡°Ah!¡± The sword energy broke the Drug Lord¡¯s protection, leaving a crack behind.

    She then swiftly used the Transformation of Bones¡¯ technique and unleashed a punch, forcing the Drug Lord to back up.

    This caused the Drug Lord to rage and send back numerous attacks.

    Lu Mingshu fell once again, mming hard to the floor.

    ¡°Mingshu!¡± Xie Lianzhen yelled and dashed toward her.

    If this was not an emergency, Lu Mingshu would already beughing on the floor. She was almost half dead, and Xie Lianzhen wasn¡¯t much better. <i>Who would have thought that we, who always win, would be in this state? Life is really.... It¡¯s dangerous right now, yet I¡¯m thinking about this?</i>

    ¡°He has used up all his mystic force.¡± She wiped away the blood at her mouth and looked at Xie Lianzhen. ¡°Use any more tricks you have left, and we will win.¡±

    That¡¯s what the data showed, but...

    Xie Lianzhen smiled bitterly. If he was still in his wheelchair, he would still have some mechanisms in his wheelchair, however...

    <i>I was too impetuous. I left all of a sudden when I haven¡¯t even adapted to having legs, that¡¯s why I...</i>

    ¡°Oh no!¡± Lu Mingshu shouted and pushed Xie Lianzhen away forcefully.

    Xie Lianzhen looked up. The first thing he saw was that the Drug Lord had raised up the cauldron, wanting to smash it onto Lu Mingshu.

    In a sh, his mind was fully nk.

    <i>She¡¯s seriously injured, and she might not be able to take this attack.</i>

    <i>I need to save her right now.</i>

    <i>But I have no more tricks left, how can I save her?</i>

    <i>Wait, I remember I still have something.</i>

    <i>What is it? What on earth is it?</i>

    Lu Mingshu had already fully prepared herself for thest fight. Her punch and the poison in the Drug Lord had left him with not much mystic force, which meant that she still had a chance to survive.

    She grabbed her sword lightly, and the sword light was now all over the ce.

    <i>Ding~~~~!</i>

    The sword light rebounded once it touched the cauldron.

    <i>Oh no.</i>

    Just at this time, a sharp hissing could be heard, and a pearly white de could be seen in front of her, reflecting colorful lights. The scene was breathtaking.

    The light was like snow, slowlynding on the ground, as a figure jumped up high before shing down.

    <i>Szz!</i>

    The cauldron fell to the floor, leaving the Drug Lord staring at the person in front of him with wide eyes.

    He still looked like Xie Lianzhen, but his expression and aura were totally different.

    He was now standing upright, looking at the Drug Lord in disdain. He looked arrogant and bad, unlike the gentlemanly Xie Lianzhen.

    Even though he still looked and was dressed like Xie Lianzhen, anyone who saw this would know that he was no longer Xie Lianzhen.

    He turned around to Lu Mingshu and smiled. ¡°Long time no see.¡±

    ¡°Brother... Yan,¡± Lu Mingshu said after pondering.

    Yeah, no matter how he looked or what kind of different clothes he wore, she would still be able to recognize him.

    Yan Wugui!

 Chapter 311: Gone Missing, Again

    <h4>Chapter 311: Gone Missing, Again</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Exodus Tales <strong>Editor: </strong>Exodus Tales

    If those who knew Yan Wugui saw this, they would surely be gobsmacked.

    However, it was a pity that the number of people who knew him could be counted with one¡¯s fingers.

    Before Lu Mingshu could react, she spotted something weird about the Drug Lord.

    Yan Wugui¡¯s attack was just in time to make up for Lu Mingshu¡¯s weakness. The de dropped down on the Drug Lord, shing him.

    Blood sshed everywhere, soon drowning the Drug Lord in a red fountain. And with a thud, the cauldron dropped right to the floor.

    It was obvious that the Drug Lord would die. The poison had exploded in his body and was spreading everywhere. It was just a matter of time.

    But that didn¡¯t mean he would give up on whatever he was nning to do.

    When he knew in his heart that he could no longer live and fight, a thought shed past his mind.

    <i>Bring them all to hell! All of them!</i>

    The mystic force bubbled up into the air, forming invisible waves.

    Seeing the Drug Lord lighting up with mystic light, Yan Wugui looked over at Lu Mingshu in worry. ¡°Oh no, he¡¯s going to self-detonate!¡±

    He reached out to Lu Mingshu, wanting to grab her up and throw her out. ¡°Go!¡±

    Who would have guessed that Lu Mingshu would, in turn, grab onto his arm tightly, pulling him with her? ¡°Come with me!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s toote! I¡¯ll-¡±

    But Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t even pay attention to him. She immediately went into the Heavenly Wheel. ¡°Xiao Sang, open up the passage to another world and activate the bring-a-friend charm!¡±

    The cave was too narrow, and there wasn¡¯t enough time for her toe up with any other tricks. They could only dash to the door before the Drug Lord exploded, but he was a Spirit Realm, and when a Spirit Realm self-detonated, not just the room but the entire cave might copse. Moreover, both of them were seriously injured at the moment, so the chance of them surviving was very slim. So, the only solution would be...

    ¡°Okay,¡± Xiao Sang replied in monotone. ¡°Opening up the passage to another world, teleporting in process. Bring-a-friend charm has recognized its target. Activate.¡±

    <i>Boom~~~~!</i>

    ...

    Xie Zhanghui felt like he was going to go crazy.

    After Lu Mingshu was sucked up by the water dragon tornado, they finally managed to find out where the problem was.

    However, from that day onward, the water dragon tornado never appeared again.

    Upon knowing this, Xiahou Shan berated him.

    By right, he was the guardian of the Seventh Truth tform, and Xiahou Shan had no right to reprimand him. But he was guilty, so he let her reprimand him.

    Xiahou Shan was also extremely worried. If not, she would never offend Xie Zhanghui no matter what. Even though Xie Zhanghui didn¡¯t seem to be someone important, he was Xie Lianzhen¡¯s confidante, and the queen trusted him a lot too. Normally, she would treat Xie Zhanghui politely ¨C as someone of the same status as herself. But now, the only hint they had just disappeared right in front of her eyes, so how could she not be worried and anxious?

    She had already been on this errand for months, and if she didn¡¯t get back soon, her authority would soon be shared with others. On top of that, given how important Xie Lianzhen was to the queen, she would never get to go back without him.

    There was nothing else Xiahou Shan could do now except order her men to search around the area or ask for help back at Zhongzhou.

    There must have been a reason for the water dragon tornadoes¡¯ appearance. Since she couldn¡¯t find out the reason herself, then she would just get someone of a higher cultivation to help!

    Xie Lianzhen was so precious to the queen, so if she couldn¡¯t find him, it wasn¡¯t wrong for her to ask for help. She would rather let the queen reprimand her than lose the chance to save him!

    And Xiahou Shan made the right choice; the queen didn¡¯t me her, but even got an Assimtion Realm over to Beiming.

    The Assimtion Realm senior read through their records and went on site for investigation. ¡°The water dragon tornado is man-made. Young Master and that Miss Lu should have been taken away deliberately.¡±

    With an urate deduction, the team gained more clues. But it was tedious due to the weird tricks that the other party was using. ¡°The other party may have a treasure, that¡¯s why I can¡¯t trace where they are directly, but only find it through clues.¡±

    It was fortunate that at least there was a method though. The time it took couldn¡¯t be helped. However, something caught Xiahou Shan¡¯s attention. ¡°A treasure?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± It was indeed pleasant to have a conversation with smart people. ¡°If we could bring that treasure back, it would be great.¡±

    Of course. How many treasures were there that could kidnap people from afar? Even the Seventh Truth tform didn¡¯t have many of these.

    Xiahou Shan was excited. Getting the young master back, then bringing back a treasure; how big of an achievement would she earn? The queen would even forgive all the mistakes that she might havemitted.

    ¡°I¡¯ll start the search immediately! Please just voice out any of your requests!¡±

    Right at that moment, Xie Lianzhen tricked the Drug Lord into using the water dragon tornado to get more drug men. The water dragon tornado appeared again, and Xiahou Shan and the rest managed to track it down to the ind hidden amidst the Ming River¡¯s mist.

    However, when they got there, they saw the explosion, destroying the whole mountain, turning everything inside to ashes.

    With much effort, they managed to find a few dead bodies amongst the ruins. When they entered, they saw the Drug Lord¡¯s body, scattered all around the ce. No matter how they searched though, they couldn¡¯t find the remains of Lu Mingshu or Xie Lianzhen.

    ¡°Young Master!¡± Xie Zhanghui wailed and felt like cold water was being sshed on him. ¡°No, Young Master must be fine!¡±

    Xiahou Shan pulled up Xie Lianzhen, who was hugging a rock, and said, ¡°There¡¯s no body, so of course Young Master must be fine.¡±

    Hearing her, Xie Zhanghui calmed down for a moment. ¡°Oh yeah, there isn¡¯t a corpse, so where did Young Master go?¡±

    ¡°Sir?¡± Xiahou Shan could only ask for help from the Assimtion Realm.

    The Assimtion Realm stared at the cauldron without any reply. After some time, he looked over to Xiahou Shan. ¡°Emissary Xiahou, what do you think of this treasure?¡±

    But of course, Xiahou Shan would not be in the mood to look at the treasure. What was the use of that when it couldn¡¯t help find Young Master or break through? <i>We were so close to finding him and he¡¯s gone again. Will the queen spare us?</i>

    ¡°Sir...¡±

    But the other party insisted, so Xiahou Shan had no choice but to entertain him. However, she was rooted to the ground as soon as she saw what was inside the cauldron.

    Steam was everywhere, and the surface reflected a scene.

    ¡°This...¡± Xiahou Shan immediately got it. <i>Does he mean that...?</i>

    He nodded. ¡°Bring this back to the queen. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll understand and will not me us for not finding him again.¡±

    Xiahou Shan nodded.

    On the other hand, Xie Zhanghui was still lost. ¡°What about Young Master? Where is Young Master?¡±

    Xiahou Shan rolled her eyes. ¡°This item has weird runes on it. I suspect that ites with the function to teleport. Look, the other party self-detonated, but Young Master is nowhere to be seen. He probably somehow activated this treasure.¡±

    ¡°So, you mean that Young Master is alive?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± Xiahou Shan yelled. ¡°He must be!¡±

    <i>Oh, please be alive.</i>

    Xie Zhanghui prayed silently. He had been mentally tortured these past few days. As Xie Lianzhen¡¯s most trusted guard, he should have been efficient and found him quickly. But now, not only did he not find Xie Lianzhen, he even watched Lu Mingshu get sucked away as well. Regardless of whether the queen spared him or not, he wouldn¡¯t spare himself if something happened.

    ¡°So, what do we do? How are we going to find out where Young Master is?¡±

    ¡°Nothing.¡± The Assimtion Realm stared at the cauldron. He was just here because the queen paid him, and Xie Lianzhen going missing had nothing to do with him. ¡°Teleporting is a function of this, but I do not know where it might lead. Let¡¯s bring this back to investigate, and maybe we will figure it out.¡±

 Chapter 312: We Are the Same Now!

    <h4>Chapter 312: We Are the Same Now!</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Exodus Tales <strong>Editor: </strong>Exodus Tales

    After an unknown amount of time, Lu Mingshu slowly regained consciousness.

    She heard the birds chirping and could smell the grass.

    Lu Mingshu tried to lift up her arm, only to find that it was impossible to do so. She was seriously injured.

    Shey in silence for a while. Not longter, she could hear shuffling beside her, and she felt someone putting a pellet into her mouth.

    The pellet tasted bitter. Lu Mingshu gulped it down, and soon, the medication dissolved in her stomach, healing her internal injuries.

    She opened her eyes and tried to sit up.

    ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± Xie Lianzhen, or rather, Yan Wugui ¨C who looked like Xie Lianzhen ¨C smiled at her warmly and held her up, checking the injury to her shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m not as good as him in medicine, I can only clean up the wound for you.¡±

    He then opened up his mustard seed pouch and took out a bottle of ointment, applying it on her wounds.

    ¡°Him...¡± Lu Mingshu stared at Yan Wugui nkly. She didn¡¯t know whether it was the injury she suffered in the fight or the shock of Yan Wugui suddenly appearing, but she was at a loss for words now, unsure what to do.

    Yan Wugui smiled thinly while winding the bandage around her. ¡°Haish, you¡¯re all grown up now!¡±

    Hearing this, Lu Mingshu snapped out of her daze and pulled up her clothes frantically.

    Yan Wugui chuckled at her actions. He didn¡¯t know where to touch, and he started coughing furiously.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Lu Mingshu turned around, worried for him.

    ¡°Nothing much.¡± Yan Wugui shrugged it off. ¡°Just a small injury.¡±

    They were both in the fight together, so of course Lu Mingshu would know how serious his injuries were.

    Both of them were now covered with injuries. Lu Mingshu had more external wounds and Yan Wugui suffered from more internal injuries.

    ¡°Where are we?¡± Yan Wugui asked after he saw that Lu Mingshu was fully awake. ¡°You told me to follow you, so the teleportation was done by you, right?¡±

    Lu Mingshu did not answer. She did not want to lie to Yan Wugui, but the secret of the Heavenly Wheel could not be told to others.

    Luckily, Yan Wugui did not persist. He only asked that once and went back to clean her wound quietly, coughing from time to time.

    Yan Wugui looked up after he finished cleaning Lu Mingshu¡¯s wound. ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask?¡± he asked Lu Mingshu softly.

    ¡°What am I supposed to ask?¡±

    ¡°The rtionship between me and him.¡±

    ¡°Then there is nothing to ask.¡± Lu Mingshu lowered her head.

    Yan Wugui sighed. ¡°What if I said I want you to?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Lu Mingshu remained silent. After a while, Lu Mingshu responded, ¡°I already suspected when you sent me the boots. After trying to probe him since he kept looking for me, I guessed that you were very close to him. Maybe brothers or something? I don¡¯t know. It never crossed my mind that...¡±

    <i>Both of you would be the same person.</i>

    Back when Wei Chunqiu told her more about Xie Lianzhen ¨C about things that were not known to many ¨C Lu Mingshu already guessed that Yan Wugui might be the previous Alioth Star Lord¡¯s descendant. His surname was Yan, and he was in the fifth n. And if that was the case, the rtionship between Yan Wugui and Xie Lianzhen would not be so simple.

    After that, Xie Lianzhen kept on forcing her. At that point, she thought that maybe that would be when she had to face a new situation. However, Lu Mingshu did not want to drag Yan Wugui down with her unless it was herst resort.

    But the answer to everything was beyond her expectations.

    ¡°Are you guys two separated souls but trapped in the same body?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Yan Wugui slowly shook his head ¡°I am him, and he¡¯s me.¡±

    That meant they were two different personalities of the same person? This situation was rare. She had only read about it in her books, and she least expected to see it with her own eyes.

    ¡°So, both of you know about each other¡¯s existence, huh?¡±

    Yan Wugui chuckled and looked down. ¡°I knew about him right from the start. My existence is just a result of him being unwilling to face reality. Initially, he thought he was ill, but after tiny hints, he found out about me.¡±

    Time would be lost when Yan Wugui took over his body, and for someone as meticulous as Xie Lianzhen, after some painstaking investigation, it wasn¡¯t hard to find out the cause.

    Lu Mingshu opened her mouth to ask something, but she didn¡¯t ask since she felt that there was no point.

    Ask about who the owner of the body was? Or what Xie Lianzhen was actually nning to do? These actually didn¡¯t seem to be important anymore.

    But Lu Mingshu wasn¡¯t very surprised, and she was calm. Maybe because Lu Mingshu had already guessed long ago that they were somehow rted, it didn¡¯t have too great an impact.

    Xie Lianzhen and Yan Wugui may have been different, but it was suspicious if one connected the dots.

    Xie Lianzhen became unable to walk as a child. He physically recovered some time ago, but he was still unable to walk because of some psychological factors. So then, how was a guy who spent twenty years or more in a wheelchair still so healthy and strong? Furthermore, when Yan Wugui sent over the pair of boots, he was able to get a maidservant to deliver it for him and keep his identity under wraps, which was enough to show that he had status in Zhongzhou.

    The weirdest thing about Yan Wugui was that nobody knew about his existence. When he came to Jade West Mountain Forest, he came in as a disciple of the Seventh Truth tform. A disciple on a learning trip would surely leave some traces, not disappear into thin air. However, it would be a piece of cake if he was Xie Lianzhen. Xie Lianzhen was in charge of the trip, so to him, it was just altering the name list.

    ¡°Uh...¡± Lu Mingshu wanted to ask if Yan Wugui knew about everything that happened between her and Xie Lianzhen, but she was unable to bring it up.

    They had not met each other for a long time, their time together was very short, and they were not very close to each other. To be very frank, she was closer to Xie Lianzhen than Yan Wugui; they interacted a lot during the Qilin Festival and even fought together during the attempted coup.

    Yan Wugui felt her pain and raised his hand to pat her head. ¡°Don¡¯t overthink. You like him, so you¡¯re upset that I appeared?¡±

    ¡°Of course not!¡± Lu Mingshu denied immediately without second thought. But soon after, she thought that she denied it too quickly, making it seem suspicious. Lu Mingshu sighed and bit her lips in annoyance.

    Fortunately, Yan Wugui decided to leave it there. ¡°Okay, you¡¯re still young, thinking about this too much is bothersome anyway. Let¡¯s solve the problem that¡¯s right in front of us now.¡±

    <i>Right in front of us? Oh yeah, we are now in another world.</i>

    Lu Mingshu calmed herself down and said, ¡± Both of us are seriously injured, and we still do not know where we are. How about we find a ce to recuperate?¡±

    She observed the surroundings. It was a deste area with greenery everywhere. It was an amazing scenery.

    ¡°This ce is fine, but if there¡¯s nobody staying here, there might be demonic beasts.¡± Yan Wugui stood up, then crouched down with his back facing Lu Mingshu. ¡°Come, let¡¯s go and look for a ce to stay for a while.¡±

    ¡°You...¡± Lu Mingshu felt confused by his actions.

    ¡°Hop on!¡± He turned his head around.

    ¡°I...¡±

    ¡°Can you even walk right now?¡± Yan Wugui pointed at the injury to her legs. ¡°Stop trying to be brave. If you are unable to walk, you will just drag me down.¡±

    ¡°...oh.¡±

    Lu Mingshu stood up and slowly got on his back.

    Yan Wugui grabbed her legs tightly and carried her up.

    ¡°Eh? You have gained weight,¡± he said.

    Lu Mingshu rolled her eyes. <i>Nonsense, it¡¯s been five years, of course I would have grown.</i>

    ¡°So are you still going to call me your father now?¡±

    Lu Mingshu stared at him nkly. ¡°What?¡±

    Seeing her reaction, Yan Wugui burst out inughter. ¡°Do you still remember my words? I thought it would take ten years, but it seems like it only took five years.¡±

 Chapter 313: Tricky!

    <h4>Chapter 313: Tricky!</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Exodus Tales <strong>Editor: </strong>Exodus Tales

    Five years ago, he was an adult, while she was a child. Now, she had grown into a beautiful young woman, while he was still the same.

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s mind shed back to the past. The image of a scary-looking but naggy guy came to her mind. She recalled how he cared for her and couldn¡¯t help but smile at the fond memories.

    ¡°Yeah, we are the same now....¡± she murmured and rested her head on his back.

    Yan Wugui carried her and went on for some time, only stopping when he saw a huge tree trunk on the ground.

    He slowly put her down and started working on the tree, carving a hole out of it.

    ¡°How is this? We can sleep here tonight, do you agree?¡± Yan Wugui looked at her in satisfaction, cleaning up his hands.

    Lu Mingshu smiled and nodded. She actually had a tent in her mustard pouch, but it would not be asfortable as staying in a tree trunk.

    Yan Wugui set up a fire and started cleaning the interior of the tree trunk. He was fast and good at doing these chores.

    Lu Mingshu just stood at the side and watched him work while he hummed a song that she had never heard before. It was as if they had travelled back in time, and they were back at the valley five years ago.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to change, you better not peep at me!¡± Yan Wugui joked after he finished the work.

    Lu Mingshu stared at him nkly before rolling her eyes.

    <i>Who would!?</i>

    Yan Wugui got into the tree trunk, and when he came out, he was just like he was in Lu Mingshu¡¯s memory: ck clothing and a saber. He was just missing the scar on his face, but he was indeed the Yan Wugui that she knew.

    Seeing her in a daze, Yan Wugui cut her train of thought off. ¡°Are you sure you do not want to wash up?¡± He raised an eyebrow. ¡°You have a lot of blood on you, smelly.¡±

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s face immediately turned ck. <i>It¡¯s been five years, yet you¡¯re still saying that I smell!?</i>

    ¡°Come with me, I¡¯ll bring you.¡±

    Even though Lu Mingshu wasn¡¯t pleased with what he just said, she followed after him anyways. The main concern wasn¡¯t about being smelly, but that the smell of blood would attract demonic beasts. If there was one nearby, they would be in trouble.

    Yan Wugui was well equipped with survival skills in the wild. He found a stream quickly and let Lu Mingshu down. ¡°I¡¯ll be there. Just shout if you need me.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Lu Mingshu nodded. What could possibly happen? Her legs were still movable. However, his care made her feel warm at heart.

    After she finished cleaning up, she smelled food.

    Yan Wugui came over with a bowl of soup. ¡°Look. I just got a fish. Taste it, how is it?¡±

    The fish soup was now milky white. Even if he didn¡¯t have any seasoning, it still tasted delicious.

    Lu Mingshu stared nkly at the bowl of soup and murmured, ¡°If you be homeless one day, you could just open up a restaurant.¡±

    Surprisingly, Yan Wugui didn¡¯t seem to be disturbed by thement. He evenughed proudly. ¡°That¡¯s what I thought too!¡±

    ¡°Do you really think that you would be homeless one day?¡± Lu Mingshu suddenly felt that something was out of ce.

    In the past, she did not know Yan Wugui that well. But now that she thought about it, he seemed to be nning something in the dark.

    Being born as Xie Lianzhen, he would not need to know any survival skills, but Yan Wugui seemed to be good at it. And back at Jade West Mountain Forest, he learned to live on his own and trained hard. He even mentioned that Jade West Mountain Forest was a good ce for him to hide, as if he was preparing to leave.

    However, what would happen to Xie Lianzhen if he left? Was it his n, or was Xie Lianzhen in on it? What about the queen?

    Seeing her staring at him, Yan Wugui couldn¡¯t help but burst outughing. ¡°Am I so handsome that you can¡¯t stop staring at me?¡±

    This face clear of the scar was indeed better looking. What was weird was that it was the same face, but when Xie Lianzhen wore it, it was like a gentle spring, while Yan Wugui was more rugged.

    Back then, when Yan Wugui said that he was good looking, she couldn¡¯t help but roast him in her heart, feeling that he was full of himself, but now, it seemed like he was indeed stating the facts....

    ¡°You haven¡¯t answered my question!¡±

    ¡°Hey! You were so politest time, always addressing me as Brother Yan. Where¡¯s the formality now?¡± Yan Wugui shot her a disgusted look.

    But Lu Mingshu continued to stare at him intensely, not making any response.

    Yan Wugui felt chills down his spine. He rubbed his nose and sighed. ¡°Fine! What¡¯s the big deal in telling you? Do you think I can be Xie Lianzhen forever?¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡± Lu Mingshu blurted out. Xie Lianzhen had recovered and his legs were fine, so there was a ny-nine percent chance that he would break through. With the queen as support, he would surely live a good life as the Alioth Star Lord. ¡°What are you going to do if you do not want to be Xie Lianzhen anymore? Do you think that the queen would let you leave?¡±

    Yan Wugui didn¡¯t respond.

    ¡°Have you ever met the queen?¡± Lu Mingshu felt curious. ¡°As Yan Wugui, I mean.¡±

    Yan Wugui shook his head.

    ¡°Does she know about your existence?¡±

    ¡°Most likely,¡± Yan Wugui said softly. ¡°She may be ambitious, but she has always loved Xie Lianzhen with all her heart. He always locked himself up when he felt bad, and she never forced him either.¡±

    Hearing that he sounded sad, Lu Mingshu couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Are you jealous of Xie Lianzhen?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Yan Wuguiughed and raised his eyebrows. ¡°Little girl, do you even know what jealousy is?¡±

    Why would she not know? Yan Wugui was the opposite of Xie Lianzhen; Xie Lianzhen was gloomy and had evil tendencies, and Yan Wugui was optimistic and cheerful. From her conversation with Xie Lianzhen, Lu Mingshu could tell that he didn¡¯t really care about how much the queen cared for him and wanted to deny the fact that they were rted. But Yan Wugui knew how much the queen loved him, and that was his mother too, so how could he not crave love? Sadly, the queen only really knew about Xie Lianzhen and only loved Xie Lianzhen. Perhaps that was why he dared not appear in front of her.

    Yan Wugui sighed, seeing her staring at him again. ¡°I¡¯m going somewhere, but who knows if I¡¯ll be back or not....¡±

    ¡°To where?¡±

    Yan Wugui didn¡¯t respond again.

    ¡°The Yin Mountains?¡±

    Yan Wugui¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°Who told you?¡± he blurted out.

    ¡°It was an easy guess. Your mother and sect, all those that matter to you, are in Zhongzhou. There must something way more important if you are choosing to leave. And other than the Yin Mountains, where else has a rtion with your life?¡±

    Xie Lianzhen wanted to avoid facing reality, but Yan Wugui wouldn¡¯t do so. If he was choosing to leave, there must¡¯ve been something very important, and he might possibly note back.

    And the Yin Mountains were the turning point in his parents¡¯ lives and the thing that ced him in such a tragedy.

    Yan Wugui chuckled and looked at her. ¡°Stop being so nosy and guessing so much! You might end up bing an idiot if you continue.¡±

    ¡°So I¡¯m right?¡¯ Lu Mingshu nodded. ¡°That means your father¡¯s death was not a natural death, huh?¡±

    Yan Wugui was once again speechless.

    <i>Just a few years and now she is so smart, tricking me into giving out all the information!</i>

 Chapter 314: Where?

    <h4>Chapter 314: Where?</h4>

    <i>Clip clop clip clop.</i> The rumbling of animal trotting surprised many birds around, causing them to fly up in shock.

    The smaller animals were all running from the sound frantically for their lives.

    A group of teenagers riding rare beasts and spirit animals were chasing after them,ughing and yelling.

    The youngest was only fifteen or sixteen, while the eldest was not more than twenty, in the prime of their lives.

    A girl dashed forward, pointing at a wild boar in front of her and yelling at her friends. ¡°That one is mine! Watch!¡±

    Soon, an arrow flew out, and a ck wild boar that was running for its life dropped to the ground.

    ¡°Great!¡± Her friends beside her all cheered.

    The elder counterparts who were following behind them watched with smiles.

    A handsome and smart-looking guy among them was all smiles. He sighed, ¡°This girl... only wants to be in the limelight!¡±

    A guy who was next to him and held a saberughed. ¡°She¡¯s still young. When could she have fun if not now? It¡¯s not a bad thing either.¡±

    ¡°How is it good if she can¡¯t remain seated for a moment?¡± The guy shook his head in disagreement.

    ¡°Ai, what¡¯s there to worry about?¡± The girl in blue beside himughed. ¡°The sister of you ¨C Ji Xulin ¨C can do anything she wants, and you would still have her back!¡±

    Hearing this, the guy with the saber burst out inughter. ¡°Ruo Yu is right. Xulin, are you perhaps frightened?¡±

    Ji Xulin sighed and pointed at them as if he was reprimanding them. ¡°You guys don¡¯t do me any good, do you?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re capable,¡± Ruo Yu said without the slightest hesitation. ¡°You are the only one who can represent us, Bell Woods, in the Sea of Cloud¡¯s debate.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not that good,¡± Ji Xulin answered humbly. ¡°Bell Woods¡¯ new generation is filled with many strongpetitors. I may be ranked among them, but I may not win for sure.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re too humble. Other than you, there¡¯s only Lu Shiheng and Zheng Cai who couldpete with you. Previously, Lu Shiheng returned from his trip wounded, and Zheng Cai is facing a bottleneck now. Who¡¯s left topete with you if the two of them are down?¡±

    ¡°Who knows? There may be some talent hiding among the rest....¡±

    ¡°Do you mean the aliens?¡± Ruo Yu asked disdainfully. ¡°What can they do?¡±

    Suddenly, they heard screaming from the front, and there were rumbling sounds everywhere.

    The three of them looked up, and what they saw shocked them.

    ¡°Oh no! A Scarlet Fire Beast!¡±

    ...

    Three days passed, and Lu Mingshu¡¯s injuries had almost fully healed.

    Yan Wugui gasped in awe, admiring her recovery speed. ¡°Wow, such a serious injury yet you can recover at such a fast speed. Is it perhaps because your zodiac sign is a lizard?¡±

    Lu Mingshu raised her eyebrows.

    ¡°Well, they can regenerate their tail if they happen to lose it!¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Yan Wuguiughed at his own joke, but seeing that Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t respond, he stopped. ¡°Since you¡¯re okay, then let¡¯s move on. We don¡¯t even know where we are, and it¡¯s not a good idea to keep staying around here.¡±

    ¡°Agreed.¡± Lu Mingshu stretched herself. ¡°What about you? Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Ah, nothing much.¡± Seeing her stare, Yan Wugui looked down in guilt. ¡°I may need more time.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded. Of course, she trusted that Yan Wugui would recover. The Seventh Truth tform was good with medicine, and Xie Lianzhen was good at it too.

    Suddenly, birds were flying everywhere.

    Yan Wugui looked up abruptly and pointed toward a direction. ¡°Hide well, someone¡¯sing.¡±

    He then kicked out the fire he started and jumped up, disappearing into the woods.

    Lu Mingshu sighed. He was gone before she could even protest. ¡°I am not that weak, right? You don¡¯t have any faith in me?¡± she muttered.

    With that, she leaped up onto the tree to have a look.

    This was the first time in Ji Xulin¡¯s life that he wanted to curse out loud.

    When had he ¨C the young master of the Ji Family ¨C ever been in such a sorry state? He came out happily to have a walk and hunt, yet he met up with a Scarlet Fire Beast? What luck was that? Hispanions were mostly Misses and Masters from huge aristocratic families in Bell Woods. If anything happened, he would be in big trouble. And the Ji Family was the head among the aristocratic families, so how could he not step forward to take care of the situation?

    Who would have expected a Scarlet Fire Beast in the Purity Soul Realm would break through to the Freezing Spirit Realm so suddenly? Maybe it ate something wrong, but regardless, it was now chasing after him.

    <i>Wow, this is going to be the best joke ever. The Young Master of the Ji Family is being chased by a Scarlet Fire Beast.</i>

    But he did not have any more time to think about this right now. There was a big difference between a Purity Soul Realm beast and a Freezing Spirit Realm one. If they came face to face, he couldn¡¯t take it down.

    <i>Run, just run. Preserve my life.</i>

    ¡°Whoa!¡± The temperature behind him was getting higher. Ji Xulin jumped up, dodging the fireball in time.

    The big fireballnded in the bushes, setting them on fire.

    The beast shot more fireballs as it chased Ji Xulin, making the whole ce a burning mess.

    Ji Xulin sped through the woods. He saw a figure pass by and shouted to it. ¡°Hey brother, can you please lend me a helping hand? I¡¯m Ji Xulin from the Ji family, and I¡¯ll thank you generously if you do!¡±

    But the other party only took a nce at him before disappearing into the woods.

    Ji Xulin gritted his teeth in anger. <i>Asshole, if he knew who I am, he¡¯ll... wait, there was no Spirit Seal on his face? An alien, huh...?</i>

    ...

    Yan Wugui sped back to where he left Lu Mingshu and yelled. ¡°Run! A beast ising for us! It¡¯s in the Spirit Realm!¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Lu Mingshu jumped down from the tree.

    Yan Wugui grabbed her tightly and ran down the mountain at the speed of lightning. ¡°No time to exin, just run.¡±

    They were both seriously injured, so how could they deal with a beast in the Spirit Realm? Thus, Yan Wugui would rather not lend a helping hand.

    <i>How could I lend a helping hand if I can¡¯t even save myself? Does that guy think I¡¯m nuts?</i>

    <i>And that guy doesn¡¯t look nice anyway. That beast is going crazy and he called out to me? To divert its attention toward me? Where¡¯s his conscience?</i>

    So, the both of them sped through the woods, only stopping when they were out.

    ¡°Is it still behind us?¡± Lu Mingshu panted.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Yan Wugui wiped off his sweat. He looked around, and when he saw the scenery below, he hummed happily. ¡°Oh, this is not bad!¡± It was a vast ce with lots of buildings. It looked like a prosperous area.

    After a while, he turned to Lu Mingshu. ¡°This isn¡¯t China, huh?¡±

    Lu Mingshu stared at him nkly. She never mentioned where this was, and Yan Wugui never asked after he saw that she did not say anything.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± She nodded.

    ¡°Nice.¡± Yan Wugui chuckled.

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to ask?¡± Lu Mingshu looked over at him, surprised at his short answer.

    ¡°What am I supposed to ask?¡±

    ¡°¡®Why are we here?¡¯¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you unwilling to say?¡± He shrugged.

    <i>So if I say nothing, you¡¯re not even going to try and find out?</i> But Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t voice that out.

    ¡°Do you even care if we can ever get back?¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t?¡± Yan Wugui looked at her with wide eyes.

    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m just fooling around with you.¡± Lu Mingshuughed.

    She went forward immediately. This time, it would be different. Xiao Sang mentioned that going back would be hard since being here physically would have a direct impact on the world.

 Chapter 315: Alien

    <h4>Chapter 315: Alien</h4>

    They were now in the town of a foreignnd, and Yan Wugui felt that something was amiss.

    ¡°Hey, the people here seem weird, don¡¯t they?¡± He leaned toward Lu Mingshu.

    ¡°Do you mean that they are zombies?¡±

    ¡°Pui!¡± Yan Wugui looked at her in disgust. ¡°Are you trying to scare me?¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked back at him with the same expression. ¡°I¡¯m just joking, what¡¯s there to be afraid of?¡±

    ¡°...what I meant is that their cultivation seems different from ours.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded. She realized that too. Most of the people in this town were normal citizens. By their expressions and clothing, it was obvious that they didn¡¯t lead a good life here. On the other hand, they met a small group of cultivators. Their clothing looked exquisite and noble.

    What was weird was that the cultivators in this world all had marks on their faces or foreheads. Some represented a beast, while others represented fire or water.

    <i>Do all the cultivators in this world need to excite their blood?</i>

    Lu Mingshu remembered that the barbarians had markings on them after they excited their blood. However, it was mostly on their arms and other parts of their body instead of the face.

    Suddenly, a guy with a mark on his face walked past her, leaving her and Yan Wugui stunned.

    He didn¡¯t have any mystic force, so he was a normal person.

    <i>So the markings have nothing to do with cultivation?</i>

    ¡°Let¡¯s find a ce to learn more about this situation,¡± Yan Wugui suggested.

    Lu Mingshu nodded. This ce was weird, so it was a good idea to learn more.

    They found an inn and went in to ask for a room. But as soon as the shopkeeper heard them, he tapped the table impatiently and said, ¡°Low-ss room, ten coins per night.¡±

    Lu Mingshu furrowed her eyebrows and Yan Wugui mmed the counter. ¡°Who said we want the low-ss rooms?¡±

    ¡°Aliens can only stay in low-ss rooms.¡± The shopkeeper looked at him disdainfully. ¡°Get lost if you do not want to stay, we are a serious establishment.¡±

    Yan Wugui and Lu Mingshu exchanged nces and could see the surprise in each other¡¯s eyes. <i>Alien? What¡¯s that?</i>

    As they were in confusion, the shopkeeper saw the dagger in Yan Wugui¡¯s sleeve and shouted. ¡°You have weapons with you? Help! Call the police! An alien has weapons with him!¡±

    Before Yan Wugui and Lu Mingshu had time to react, a bunch of people started running toward them.

    Both of them fled before they could even get any information.

    After losing the people, Yan Wugui crouched down behind a wall and looked at Lu Mingshu, puzzled. ¡°What are aliens? What¡¯s wrong with bringing weapons around? And what the hell are they?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go find out.¡± Lu Mingshu tidied her hair and went off.

    But Yan Wugui pulled her back and pointed at her. ¡°You shall stay here and wait for me. Why would I need your help in doing something so simple?¡±

    Yan Wugui then walked off sneakily and left her behind.

    Lu Mingshu couldn¡¯t help butugh at how he walked.

    ¡°We are in big trouble,¡± Yan Wugui said sternly after he came back.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    It turned out that, in this world, people were grouped by the seal on their face. It symbolized a blood inheritance; those with a seal were called true humans, while those without were aliens.

    ¡°To them, those with the seal are true human beings. Those without a seal have a blood rtionship to devils. The aliens have no freedom and are mostly outcasts or ves.¡± Yan Wugui thenughed in amusement. ¡°What the hell is wrong with this world? Those with marks are just like the barbarians and are obviously the next generation of some creature. How are they the true human beings?¡±

    In China, barbarians and mankind might be enemies, but both had the same social status. They simply had different ancestors. But in this world, the difference in ancestor equaled to a difference in social status.

    ¡°What about cultivators? Only ¡®true humans¡¯ can cultivate?¡±

    ¡°Obviously.¡± Yan Wugui shrugged. ¡°Why would they allow someone with a low social status to cultivate? That¡¯s why we are in trouble; we have no seal on our faces so we are obviously aliens. If we walk around like this, we will be caught.¡±

    <i>Sounds like hell.</i> Lu Mingshu felt her head hurting.

    ¡°Come on, do you have any idea how to get back?¡±

    ¡°Yeah...¡±

    ¡°Well, spit it out then!¡±

    ¡°I have a treasure, but it needs energy....¡± Lu Mingshu hesitated.

    ¡°What energy?¡±

    ¡°Mystic force.¡±

    []

    ¡°What¡¯s the big deal then? Take it out and I¡¯ll give it all I have!¡±

    ¡°Not enough.¡± Lu Mingshu shook her head.

    Yan Wugui stared at her angrily.

    ¡°What?¡± Lu Mingshu looked at him unhappily.

    ¡°The reason why you do not want to go back is because you can¡¯t bear to part with me, right?¡± Yan Wuguiughed evilly.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Hey, why are you looking at me like that?¡±

    ¡°I thought that Xie Lianzhen was too full of himself, but you¡¯re even worse.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean ¡®full of myself¡¯? This is called knowing my charms well.¡±

    Lu Mingshu rolled her eyes and got back to her point. ¡°We need a lot of energy to make that treasure work, and just the two of us isn¡¯t enough.¡±

    To be more specific, it was called ¡°points.¡±

    When she was a newbie, there weren¡¯t any points for her, so she thought it was mystic force back then. Now, it was obvious that the key to opening up the passage was the points.

    A while ago, she would have had enough points toe here and go back. But after exchanging for the antidote and the Transformation of Bones previously, she only had a hundred points, which was just enough for her to open it up once. So now, they wouldn¡¯t be able to go back for quite some time.

    ¡°Are you being serious here?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    Seeing her expression, Yan Wugui gulped.

    ¡°Do mystic crystals work?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Lu Mingshu hesitated.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me we have to go out and earn money now.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid so.¡±

    By the Heavenly Wheel¡¯s standard, the bigger the impact to this world, the more points she would get. <i>So, we have to start with the aliens?</i>

    There was no reason why one group could cultivate and one couldn¡¯t. <i>Does this mean that we have to change their standard of living? Please, me and Yan Wugui are still in the Harmonization Realm. It¡¯s impossible.</i>

    <i>But how else could I make an impact?</i>

    Lu Mingshu sighed dejectedly. It was way more troublesome when one had no goal.

    ¡°Ah, who cares about that now. We have to find a ce to stay first.¡± Yan Wugui pointed out. ¡°Heaven never bars one¡¯s way, I¡¯m sure we will find a solution.¡±

    ¡°Okay....¡±

    <i>The good thing about him is that, no matter how difficult the situation is, he is still so optimistic.</i>

    Lu Mingshu suddenly thought about Xie Lianzhen. They were the same, yet different. With Xie Lianzhen¡¯s character, he would not like Yan Wugui taking over his body for so long. But he did, so why?

 Chapter 316 - Seal

    <h4>Chapter 316: Seal</h4>

    ¡°Look at this, how does it look?¡± Yan Wugui pointed to the mark drawn on his forehead and giggled.

    ¡°Yeah, nice,¡± Lu Mingshu mumbled, exasperated.

    Yan Wugui¡¯s solution was to give both of them a seal, and he swore that it would be so realistic that nobody could find out.

    <i>Is he joking?</i> Lu Mingshu had never heard that a barbarian¡¯s marking could be replicated. And it was based on birth, so it wasn¡¯t hard to check whether it was real or fake.

    But Yan Wugui insisted on his idea. ¡°Rx, this is a special kind of ink, and it¡¯s full of mystic force! Who could tell if they do not check personally? We are not nning on sneaking into any ce with security anyways, and I doubt we would be stopped on the street randomly just to check if we are true humans or not.¡±

    ¡°But have you ever thought of a certain issue?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°The barbarians¡¯ marks are rted to their blood. How do you know if your random drawing matches with their seals?¡±

    Yan Wugui pondered for a while before jumping up, wiping off the mark drawn on his forehead. ¡°Smart! Let¡¯s go!¡±

    ¡°Where to?¡±

    ¡°To catch someone here topare so we can get it right.¡±

    ...

    Ji Xulin was in a bad mood.

    He just got rid of the Scarlet Fire Beast, but now all his spirit tools were broken, so he had lost contact with the others.

    Of course, he would just have to walk back to find the ce where they were hunting earlier. But it was far away, and he did not have any spirit tools or mounts. Having to walk back? The eldest Young Master of the Ji Family having to walk?

    He rubbed the seal on his forehead that was burning hot and decided to find an inn.

    The Ji Family would surely send people out for him upon realizing that he was gone, and they would soon be here for him.

    ¡°Shopkeeper, I need a room!¡± Since nobody here recognized him, Ji Xulin didn¡¯t bother to maintain his elegance.

    Seeing him, the shopkeeper stered a wide smile on his face and bowed. ¡°Young Master, where are you nning to stay? We have the high-ss rooms, which provide-¡±

    ¡°Cut to the chase.¡± Ji Xulin threw a Soul Pearl at him. ¡°Lead the way.¡±

    The shopkeeper was on cloud nine upon receiving a Soul Pearl and pped. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, pleasee with me....¡±

    Being in a bad mood, Ji Xulin didn¡¯t bother to be polite. He mmed the door shut and yelled, ¡°Don¡¯te for me if there¡¯s nothing important!¡±

    ¡°Yes, Young Master....¡± The shopkeeper wiped away his sweat. <i>This young master has a bad temper, but a Soul Pearl is worth it after all.</i>

    Ji Xuliny down and sighed. <i>The Sea of Cloud¡¯s debate will mostly likely help me stand out, but it may be hard for me to rise above the others since all the talents in the world would be there. I¡¯m good in Bell Woods, butpared with the whole world...</i>

    Somebody knocked on the door.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I say to not bother me!?¡± Ji Xulin shouted in annoyance.

    ¡°Young Master, I¡¯m here to deliver your meal,¡± somebody answered from the door.

    Ji Xulin heard his stomach grumble. After a day of running for his life, he was indeed getting hungry. He waved his sleeve, and the door opened up automatically. ¡°ce it there.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± The clerk left the food there and ran away.

    <i>This inn may be small, but the food looks surprisingly okay.</i> Ji Xulin went over to take a look.

    The dishes were simple and there weren¡¯t any exotic delicacies. However, the fish soup stood out from the rest, and he downed the whole bowl.

    <i>Hmm, I¡¯ll take the chef who made this soup back with me too.</i> And with that, he fell asleep.

    While he was sleeping, he heard somebody open the door.

    It startled Ji Xulin. He wanted to get up and check who it was, but he realized that he was unable to control his body.

    <i>What¡¯s happening? Did I perhaps... get drugged?</i>

    His vision was blurred, but from the corner of his eyes he saw someone, and a voice was heard; ¡°Ha, my drug is powerful, right? Even someone in the Harmonization Realm is bowing to me!¡±

    Then a young girl¡¯s voice was heard; ¡°If you want to boast, go somewhere else. Hurry up.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Then, he was carried away.

    After that, Ji Xulin couldn¡¯t remember anything.

    ...

    Yan Wugui took off the clerk¡¯s shirt and bent down to have a close look at Ji Xulin¡¯s seal.

    It was a four-legged beast with a long and thin neck and red in color. It looked somewhat like a deer.

    ¡°It¡¯s easy!¡± Yan Wugui said. He took out a piece of paper and traced over the seal. ¡°See?¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked at the drawing. Yan Wugui was surprisingly not bad at drawing; it was already simr to Ji Xulin¡¯s seal. He just needed a few more tries and it would look exactly alike. Only...

    ¡°Are you sure that just drawing it out will do? What if they have secret skills?¡±

    Yan Wugui thought for a while. ¡°Right!¡±

    He threw his pen to the side and started stripping Ji Xulin.

    ¡°What in the world are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Just looking at what he has,¡± he said casually, not stopping his actions.

    A sachet, some ornaments...

    ¡°Eh?¡± Yan Wugui held up Ji Xulin¡¯s belt and looked at Lu Mingshu in surprise. ¡°The mustard seed pouch is attached to his belt.¡±

    He used some tricks to break it open, and there were some sounds as he poured out a bunch of things.

    Clothes, some necessities, random stuff, and books.

    ¡°This type of drug is not bad, it can improve blood cirction. You hold on to it!¡± Yan Wugui gave a bottle to Lu Mingshu.

    ¡°This looks like a treasure, keep it first!¡± It was a thin piece of gold foil.

    ¡°This as well, and this...¡± Everything was almost cleared before Yan Wugui picked up the book. ¡°Ji Family¡¯s Soul Congealing Secret Art? Heh, interesting!¡±

    Lu Mingshu ced everything aside, exasperated. ¡°We brought him here to look at his seal, not rob him. Is there a need for all this?¡±

    ¡°He is not a good guy.¡± Yan Wugui looked at the book with interest as he said, ¡°When we were at the mountain, he was being chased by that ferocious beast, and he purposely called out to me and even ran in my direction. Luckily I ran quickly. If I was caught by that beast, then there would¡¯ve been nowhere for me to go.¡±

    Yan Wugui was just a human, not a saint. Ji Xulin offended him and yet wanted him to be nice? <i>Sorry to disappoint, but I¡¯m rather petty. An eye for an eye!</i>

    ¡°Ooohhh!¡± Yan Wugui gasped in awe.

    ¡°Is it so powerful?¡± Lu Mingshu leaned over, unable to contain her curiosity.

    ¡°They indeed train differently from us. This type of cultivation method starts with the ¡®Solid Form Realm¡¯, then the ¡®Purity Soul Realm¡¯, then the ¡®Freezing Spirit Realm.¡¯ They focus more on soul energy instead of martial arts.¡± Yan Wugui threw the book over to Lu Mingshu. ¡°It¡¯s basically magic, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s good in some ways, but won¡¯t they die quickly, being so frail?¡±

    Lu Mingshu knew this type of cultivation well and looked up at him. ¡°Why would they? Soul energy is simr to mystic energy, it can form ayer of protection around them. Moreover, it¡¯s written here that they need to go through the Solid Form Realm, which is simr to our Body Tempering Realm.¡±

    ¡°Whatever.¡± Yan Wugui shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s a piece of cake for me to go against people at his level. I can even take on ten by myself!¡±

    Speaking of that, Lu Mingshu couldn¡¯t help but look at him curiously. ¡°You¡¯re Xie Lianzhen most of the time, right? How do you even train?¡±

 Chapter 317 - New Identity

    <h4>Chapter 317: New Identity</h4>

    ¡°Who said I¡¯m Xie Lianzhen most of the time?¡±

    ¡°Are you not?¡± Lu Mingshu looked at him in shock.

    ¡°Of course not.¡± Yan Wuguiughed.

    ¡°But...¡± Lu Mingshu couldn¡¯t seem to process what she heard.

    ¡°After fifteen, I¡¯m mostly the one appearing.¡± Yan Wugui seemed solemn. ¡°Why would someone who hates himself stay in control for such a long time?¡±

    Lu Mingshu bit her lips and said nothing more.

    ¡°Why? Can¡¯t bear to see him in such a situation?¡± Yan Wugui leaned in, smirking.

    Lu Mingshu rolled her eyes and red at him.

    ¡°Chill! I¡¯m just joking!¡± Yan Wugui chuckled. ¡°But I can sense that this is the first time he likes a person so much.¡±

    ¡°...¡± It was weird to hear from someone about how much Xie Lianzhen liked her, especially when it was Yan Wugui telling her.

    ¡°And to be very honest, we are the same. We may hate each other, but I can feel what he is feeling, and we feel the same.¡±

    Lu Mingshu stared at him nkly. <i>What does that mean?</i>

    But Yan Wugui ignored her questioning look and continued to examine the seal on Ji Xulin. ¡°Oh, so when one makes uses of the seal, it would light up. Maybe I should do something to it....¡±

    Later that night, a group of men were sent down to the town to look for Ji Xulin.

    The clerk told them that there was a gentleman that fit their description in their inn. With that, the group of men went up, but they came back empty-handed.

    They searched the whole city, but they were unable to find their young master.

    ¡°Boo hoo....¡± A girl stood at the city gate, wailing. ¡°Where are you, Elder Brother?¡±

    Suddenly, she felt her seal heating up. The girl looked up in shock and started searching frantically. ¡°Elder Brother, where are you?¡±

    It led her all the way to a run-down house. The girl ran in, and what she saw next was her brother lying on the floor, stripped. ¡°Elder Brother...?¡± she uttered.

    She blinked her eyes twice. When she realized what she was looking at, she hurried over. ¡°Brother!¡± <i>Was he robbed or even raped?</i>

    Suddenly, she couldn¡¯t feel her body, and her vision was blurred.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± She heard somebody asking.

    ¡°My name is Ji Zhenzhen....¡±

    ...

    Both of them came out of their hiding ce.

    ¡°What is this trick that you used? It¡¯s terrific!¡± Yan Wugui looked at her in awe.

    ¡°Same as the Dream Messenger that you use.¡± Lu Mingshu nced at him. It was just normal hypnotizing. It wasn¡¯t useful against Ji Xulin since he had the same cultivation as them, so he could resist it, but it was different for Ji Zhenzhen. She had lower cultivation, thus she was unable to resist the spell.

    ¡°Good. Now we know about them, so it will be easy for us to borrow their identities.¡±

    The both of them cleared the ce and took Ji Zhenzhen¡¯s and Ji Xulin¡¯s valuables, making it look like a robbery.

    ¡°Hey! What are you doing now?¡± Lu Mingshu snapped when she saw Yan Wugui stuffing something in Ji Xulin¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°Giving him something good, obviously.¡± Yan Wugui grinned, forcing the pills down Ji Xulin¡¯s throat violently. ¡°I¡¯m unhappy with how he looks.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Lu Mingshu stared at him.

    Yan Wugui and Xie Lianzhen were perhaps as different as night and day, but there was no doubt that they were both extremely petty and sought revenge for even the smallest grievance.

    <i>Whatever, time¡¯s precious, so we should go. If Ji Zhenzhen was able to find this ce, others might be able too.</i>

    Not after long, the Ji Family men found Ji Zhenzhen and Ji Xulin. When Ji Zhenzhen woke up, she couldn¡¯t seem to remember what happened after she found her brother.

    However, Ji Xulin was aware of what happened. He knew that he was robbed, but he didn¡¯t know the reason. He knew that his soul energy had been frozen as if he was poisoned.

    In no time, the three big aristocratic families got in a big fight since the Ji Family put the me on the Lu Family and the Zheng Family. (note: different from Lu Mingshu¡¯s ¡°Lu.¡±)

    Obviously, the Ji Family yed a part in the ident that Lu Shiheng and Zheng Cai encountered. Now, even Ji Xulin had met with a mishap, and Bell Woods would not be able to send in anyone for the Sea of Cloud¡¯spetition. The three families ced the me on one another, creating an irreconcble feud.

    Meanwhile, the main culprits had already escaped secretly to some unknown location.

    ¡°Sea of Cloud¡¯s debate? Interesting!¡± Yan Wugui bobbed his head, humming to a song. ¡°Shall we go and take a look? Their cultivation method is interesting.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded in agreement. She had thought about this too. Her points left were as empty as anything, so if she wanted to earn more, she¡¯d have to do something about it. umting a hundred points with just the passage of time would take forever, and she couldn¡¯t find a task on the forum suitable for her toplete. The easiest way would be to have some interaction with the world, like what she did during the Qilin Festival.

    Now that Yan Wugui suggested it, it spared her from thinking about how to bring it up to him.

    ¡°Do you want to join?¡± She tapped her portable stable, which was followed by a neigh, and Little Daze appeared in front of them.

    Yan Wugui was about to speak, but when he saw Little Daze, his eyes widened in shock. ¡°That...¡±

    ¡°I found it at Jade West Mountain Forest.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Yan Wugui rubbed his forehead. ¡°Oh, that! It¡¯s such a shame that I couldn¡¯t tell it was a Snow Winged Cloud-Treading Horse¡¯s foal!¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded her head. Little Daze being a Snow Winged Cloud-Treading Horse¡¯s foal was something she somehow expected.

    Little Daze neighed and proudly stared at Yan Wugui as if taunting Yan Wugui for not knowing what it was.

    But Yan Wugui kind of liked it. He went forward to caress it, not minding Little Daze¡¯s resistance. He touched its small, fleshy wings andughed. ¡°Are you sure you are able to fly? You have such small wings!¡±

    Little Daze neighed loudly, protesting.

    <i>Who says small wings will not allow one to fly? They¡¯re just there for bncing purposes.</i>

    ¡°Small body but big temper, just like your master.¡± Yan Wugui rubbed its fur.

    Little Daze got mad and kicked him with its hoof.

    ¡°Big temper indeed!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Lu Mingshu stopped them, ncing at Yan Wugui. ¡°Little Daze is still young, stop disturbing it.¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡± Yan Wugui stopped his action and summoned his own mount. ¡°Let¡¯s go learn more about whatever cloud debate now.¡±

    Bearing the Ji Family¡¯s seal on their faces, drawn with special material, the journey was smooth, without anyone calling them out for their fake seal.

    With that, they reached Yunjing sessfully.

    It was a huge city in the middle of a grasnd. No matter how powerful one was, everyone lined up outside the city gate, waiting patiently for their turn to get in.

    Lu Mingshu and Yan Wugui joined the queue too. They paid a fixed amount of Soul Pearls.

    ¡°Name?¡±

    ¡°Ji Xulin.¡±

    ¡°Ji Zhenzhen.¡±

    ¡°From?¡±

    ¡°Bell Woods.¡±

    ¡°Reason to be here?¡±

    ¡°To take part in the Sea of Cloud¡¯s debate.¡±

    The officer took down their information and gave each an entry pass, signaling for them to go in.

    Fortunately, the world wasn¡¯t very developed; they didn¡¯t have any image identification, so Lu Mingshu and Yan Wugui could sessfully sneak in.

    ¡°Such a beautiful ce!¡± Yan Wugui was awed, unable to take his eyes away from the city. ¡°Little sister, where now?¡±

    ¡°A ce to stay,¡± Lu Mingshu answered in monotone.

    What else? Stay on the streets?

 Chapter 318 - Yunjing

    <h4>Chapter 318: Yunjing</h4>

    ¡°Get out of the way, get out of the way!¡± Yelling was heard.

    The passersby on the road all moved to the side. Lu Mingshu looked back in curiosity, and all she saw was a luxurious carriage driving in, with two cultivators wearing the same uniform walking next to it, yelling, ¡°Young Master is driving in, get out of the way!¡±

    Some cultivators were angered by the actions and started protesting. ¡°This is Yunjing! How dare you y tyrant over here?!¡±

    A passerby went up to them, trying to calm them down. ¡°That is the young master of Floating Cloud. Bear with it, the Nie Family is powerful.¡±

    ¡°Who the hell is the young master of Floating Cloud?¡± somebody asked in disdain.

    ¡°You do not know who he is?¡± The other party scrunched his nose. ¡°You should at least know who the Nie Family is, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course, the Nie Family in Pinghu is a notable grand family of the world, right?¡± He rolled his eyes. ¡°I know every young master of the Nie Family, but not this Floating Cloud young master.¡±

    ¡°Obviously. The Floating Cloud young master isn¡¯t the Nie Family¡¯s son, but son-inw.¡±

    ¡°What the heck? Son-inw?¡±

    ¡°Indeed. The Nie Family¡¯s eldest daughter chose him. He looks like a million dors and is extremely talented. Rumor has it that he¡¯s at the peak of Purity Soul Realm and way better than the sons of the Nie Family.¡±

    ¡°Wow, where is he from?¡±

    ¡°Erm... I have no idea. He¡¯s a mysterious person.¡±

    Two passersby started to discuss, but someone else interrupted; ¡°Hmph! What do you mean by ¡®Floating Cloud young master¡¯? He is just an alien who has no right to be known as a young master!¡±

    There was another voice that opposed; ¡°Nonsense! The Floating Cloud young master could not possibly be an alien.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, someone who is an alien would never be the son-inw of the Nie Family.¡±

    ¡°I agree. Moreover, he¡¯s in the Purity Soul Realm. Which alien could do that?¡±

    ¡°He is speaking without proof, ignore him!¡±

    Lu Mingshu and Yan Wugui exchanged nces.

    Both of them had been in this world for days, and they started to understand this world more.

    Here, people were divided by seals. Those with seals on them were known as true humans since they were the authentic younger generations of the world¡¯s forefather, while those without were people from different races, and it was unknown where they actually came from.

    The true humans were born with soul energy, and when they reached a certain age, there was a very high chance that their seal would be excited. But for the aliens, it was difficult to cultivate because of inborn factors. Adding on the fact that they were marginalized, it was hard for them to get stronger even if they did sessfully train their soul energy.

    With such a big difference, a hierarchy was formed, and the aliens were at the bottom of it.

    In such a huge city, the aliens had a rtively better life. Many aristocratic families would choose talented or strong aliens to teach. If they performed well, they could escape from poverty and be promoted to a housekeeper.

    This was the best situation an alien could get in their life.

    In contrast to the aliens who were having a hard time, fighting hard for their survival, the true humans were in euphoria.

    With seals at birth, they did not need much work to activate them, and more than half were able to be cultivators. After that, they would only need to register with the government to get resources every month.

    Even if they failed to be a cultivator, tough jobs like the ones ves did were still not done by them. The aliens would take on all menial jobs.

    In conclusion, blood ties were what determined their life.

    This so-called Floating Cloud young master was treated so grandly, so of course not many would believe that he was an alien, and he likely wouldn¡¯t be.

    However, this had nothing to do with the Lu Mingshu duo. They left the ce soon after to search for an inn.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you find it weird? It¡¯s indeed harder for uspared to the barbarians to get started, but our speed of cultivation is obviously faster than them.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded her head slowly. The barbarians¡¯ strength was inherent because of the blood rtionship, but because it was so strong on its own, it was hard for them to break through to the next realm.

    After reading the Ji Family¡¯s Soul Congealing Secret Art, Lu Mingshu realized that the true humans were very simr to the barbarians. They activated their soul energy to cultivate, and the reason behind why the true humans could perform such an action was unknown to them too. In short, even if the true humans and barbarians were not from the same roots, they were simr existences.

    At the same time, they found out from Ji Zhenzhen¡¯s memory that the Freezing Spirit Realm in this world, which was equivalent to the Spirit Realm in their world, was considered god-like.

    ¡°If the aliens are like us, it isn¡¯t their fault that they can¡¯t cultivate well. The exciting of soul energy doesn¡¯t apply to them!¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Yan Wugui said half-heartedly as if he was in deep thought.

    While talking, both of them found an inn.

    Because of the Sea of Cloud¡¯s debate, Yunjing was crowded. Thus, the better inns were all packed.

    Lu Mingshu knocked the front desk and asked, ¡°Are there any more rooms left?¡±

    Yunjing was the capital of this world, so a lot of powerful cultivators had been here and was nothing new to the shopkeeper. ¡°Yes, how many will be staying?¡± he asked in monotone.

    ¡°Two people. We would like two high-ss rooms.¡±

    The shopkeeper flipped through some papers and looked up at them, stering an apologetic smile on his face. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, the high-ss rooms are full. We only have two normal rooms left.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s okay.¡± She was fine with anything, and Yan Wugui was not the type that bothered about simple things. He was more than grateful just to have a ce to stay.

    ¡°May I have your entry passes please?¡±

    After checking them, he called out to a clerk to bring them to their rooms.

    While walking past the corridor, Lu Mingshu suddenly stopped outside the reception hall.

    The room was filled, and everyone was talking loudly about the Sea of Cloud¡¯s debate.

    Being talkative, the clerk smiled widely and turned to Lu Mingshu. ¡°The Sea of Cloud¡¯s debate is being held soon, and it¡¯s the hottest topic in Yunjing right now! Miss, you¡¯vee from another ce to watch the fight, right?¡±

    Lu Mingshu smiled.

    The waiter felt encouraged and continued, ¡°This Sea of Cloud¡¯s debate, I heard that many have sent their best....¡±

    Soon, they reached their rooms, but the clerk continued on happily.

    Lu Mingshu gave him a Soul Pearl. ¡°Thanks.¡±

    The waiter was ted and became even warmer. ¡°That¡¯s right, in half an hour, you guys can have a meal. Our full roasted goat is yummy, youngdy, please don¡¯t miss it. I am on the first floor, if you need anything, just shout.¡±

    ¡°Sorry for the inconvenience.¡±

    She closed the door, then asked, ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± There was no reply.

    Yan Wugui came back to reality. ¡°Oh, I was thinking about the Sea of Cloud¡¯s debate.¡±

    The so-called Sea of Cloud¡¯s debate was simr to a tournament. It was held by the government triennially, and the participants were ced into three different ranks, where they would receive three different treatments.

    But what was different from a mere tournament was that it was rted to taxes. For example, Ji Xulin was from Bell Woods, so if he won the debate, the amount of tax citizens in Bell Woods would need to pay would change ording to his performance. The higher the rank, the less they would have to pay, and he would get rewarded too.

    In other words, the champion from the debate would benefit their family, mainly in terms of the aristocratic families¡¯ fights. Thus, the unhappiness between many families would be reflected in thepetition.

    ¡°Such a great idea.¡± Yan Wugui pped. ¡°Having them settle their unhappiness during the debate can allow them to live in peace. They would not need to be against each other daily, and this serves as motivation too. Such a smart idea.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded. ¡°They might be biologically like the barbarians, but they¡¯re way smarter.¡± The barbarians did not have that many ideas, they were just straightforward and loud, nothing else.

    ¡°I heard that the top three will get some huge rewards. What do you think about that?¡± Yan Wugui wiggled his eyebrows.

    ¡°They would have to have an audience with the emperor though. Do you think he couldn¡¯t tell that our seals are fake?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Yan Wugui sulked. ¡°What a pity.¡±

 Chapter 319 - Registration

    <h4>Chapter 319: Registration</h4>

    The selected ones for the Sea of Cloud¡¯s debate could get generous rewards such that one would even consider it an instant sess just to get in. The top three would get to meet the emperor, the leader of this world. To anyone else, it was best to get into the top three. However, Yan Wugui did not like the fact that they would have to visit the emperor. He just wanted the rewards.

    After staying a few days in Yunjing, the two of them realized that the cultivators weren¡¯t as weak as they first thought.

    It was a fact that Ji Xulin was taken down easily, but his ability was just normal. And with Bell Woods being such a small town, not many people in Yunjing would have heard about it. Ji Xulin might be the best in Bell Woods, but inparison to the huge aristocratic families, he still had a long way to go.

    Yunjing was well known for their four princes. They were either born into well-known aristocratic families or some other grand bloodline. They were the best of the best among their realm.

    And the Floating Cloud young master they came across the day before was one of them.

    ...

    ¡°Hurry up, let¡¯s get going now.¡± It was still dawn, yet Yan Wugui was already at Lu Mingshu¡¯s door, urging Lu Mingshu to hurry.

    The ¡°siblings¡± rushed to the yamen, but the scene they saw caused them to be rooted to the ground.

    ¡°Why is it so crowded?!¡±

    A man who, like them, camete and was crowding outside the yamen on his tip-toes to get a look inside heard that andughed. ¡°Count yourself lucky! It¡¯s only a thousand people now. Which Sea of Cloud¡¯s debate does not have more than five thousand participants? Registration is free after all.¡± He then eyed them. ¡°By the way, where are you guys from?¡±

    ¡°Bell Woods.¡± Yan Wugui smiled. ¡°Brother, five thousand is a lot of people! Can Yunjing hold that many?¡±

    ¡°Bell Woods? Never heard of it.¡± The man was bored, so he happily chatted with Yan Wugui. ¡°Five thousand is considered somewhat small. Amodating more than ten thousand people in the Sea of Cloud¡¯s mountain is not a big deal. Furthermore, many will be eliminated soon. Only ten will get into the finals.¡±

    ¡°So it works like that. We came from a small ce, so we are ignorant.¡± Yan Wuguiughed sheepishly. ¡°Brother, are you from Yunjing? You know so much about this!¡±

    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m just working here. ¡± He then pointed at Lu Mingshu. ¡°Your sister? Came to apany you, huh?¡±

    Yan Wugui pretended to step ahead to get a better look at the queue with the intention to block Lu Mingshu from his view. He shook his head andughed. ¡°My sister just got into the Purity Soul Realm and begged me to let her join the debate! Since I feel that it¡¯s good to increase her knowledge, I brought her along.¡±

    The other party raised his eyebrows and shook his head. ¡°Bro, are you aware of the injuries and death counts from this debate every year? This is not a yground! If I had a sister, I would lock her back at home! What if something bad happens?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, I have no choice! I can¡¯t beat her. And we can look out for each other since we came together too.¡±

    ¡°Then you must take very good care of her. Those powerful families, when they fight, they care about nothing. Even if we die, we are in no ce toment.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for the advice....¡±

    Yan Wugui tried to continue the talk, and soon, they were both chatting happily like good old friends.

    ¡°This year is definitely going to be hard!¡± The other party sighed. ¡°It¡¯s okay if you¡¯re just here for the rewards, but it¡¯s definitely not easy to get into the finals since the four princes participating!¡±

    ¡°Princes of Yunjing?¡± Yan Wugui looked awed. ¡°I have been hearing about them ever since I arrived, but I haven¡¯t gotten to meet them yet.¡±

    ¡°Yup, the princes of Yunjing. Even though that¡¯s just a nickname that originated out of fun, they are really the best of the best among their generation.¡±

    ¡°Wow! Can you please tell me more? I came from far, and I don¡¯t know much about Yunjing.¡±

    The queue was moving forward very slowly. Happy that there was someone to keep him entertained, the man started chatting happily. ¡°The four princes are, respectively, the Qin, Chu, Jiang, and Nie young masters. Prince Qin is called Mingjun, the eldest young master of the Qin family. He¡¯s gifted from birth and has been famous since he was young. Prince Chu is called Zhengyan. Even though the Chu Family is not a well-known family, he is the disciple of Master Bao Guang and sessfully got into the Purity Soul Realm. An example of a young, handsome, sessful man.

    ¡°In the early days, the Qin and Chu princes were the two jewels among their generation and were known as the Pearls of their Peers. Recently, about three or four years ago, the Jiang Family¡¯s young master shone during a sword ranking event and sprung into fame. From then on, people startedparing him with the Pearls of their Peers. Soon after, the Floating Cloud young master followed, and ta-da! That¡¯s how the princes of Yunjing came about.¡±

    ¡°Among those four, of course, the Pearls of their Peers are the best. They are slightly older and became famous earlier. I heard that, recently, they have been preparing to break through to the Freezing Spirit Realm. The Qin Family¡¯s young master didn¡¯t even want to participate in this debate, but it seems like he lost all his luck; all his siblings are apparently useless, so he has no choice. The Chu Family¡¯s young master is in a simr situation too.¡±

    As those queuing up were bored too, many had already started listening to the story that the man was telling Yan Wugui. When he got to this part, a passerby interrupted, ¡°No, you¡¯re wrong! I heard that the Chu Family¡¯s young master is participating because of his own benefit, not his family. He¡¯s here to prepare for his breakthrough.¡±

    Unhappy that he was refuted, the man felt embarrassed and snapped, ¡°Bullcrap! Young Master Chu is two years younger than Young Master Qin! How can he break through while Young Master Qin is still training?¡±

    But the other party seemed unwilling to give in. ¡°How is that bullcrap? Why can¡¯t he be lucky and break through first?¡±

    Seeing that both of them were about to fight, Yan Wugui stepped in. ¡°Both of you make sense. And I think it might be both. What could be better than training oneself and helping your family to gain fame at the same time?¡±

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Both of them stared at each other and turned away.

    ¡°What about the other two princes?¡± Yan Wugui asked.

    Seeing that Yan Wugui was looking at him with anticipation, he coughed and continued. ¡°For the Jiang Family¡¯s prince, he used to be an unknown figure, but he soared after reaching the Purity Soul Realm. But he isn¡¯t a true son of the Jiang Family, he¡¯s an illegitimate child, so he¡¯s obviously not treated as well as the other two Jiang Family young masters. Now, with his performance, it¡¯s a different thing. As long as he breaks through, the Jiang Family will be his.¡±

    Yan Wugui nodded his head: ¡°That¡¯s pretty easy, considering that he¡¯s an illegitimate child.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but notpared to thest prince.¡± The man smirked.

    ¡°The Floating Cloud young master?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s him! The other three, no matter how low their status is in the family, they are still blood-rted. However, the Floating Cloud young master¡¯s surname is not even Nie, and...¡±

 Chapter 320 - Four Princes of Yunjing

    <h4>Chapter 320: Four Princes of Yunjing</h4>

    After crossing paths with the Floating Cloud young master this morning, Yan Wugui was extremely curious about him.

    ¡°What is the Floating Cloud young master¡¯s name?¡±

    ¡°The Floating Cloud young master,¡± he said. ¡°He only became well-known after he married into the Nie Family, and no one knows his name or where he is from. But since the Nie Family addresses him as the Floating Cloud young master, others do the same.¡±

    Speaking about this, he sighed and sulked in jealousy. ¡°The Nie Family¡¯s eldest miss really treats him well! She dotes on him the most, even more than the family¡¯s other young masters, and gives him whatever he wants! She even did all she could just to gain fame for him. The Fourth Prince of Yunjing is a title that Nie Family gave. But because he does have the ability, everyone agreed to it.¡±

    Yan Wugui rolled his eyes. ¡°But I heard the other day that the Floating Cloud young master is an alien.¡±

    The other party sneered and looked at Yan Wugui in disdain. ¡°Are you an idiot? It¡¯s obviously bullcrap. Let¡¯s not talk about aristocratic families or strong powers, why would an ordinary family marry an alien? It would create a huge problem for them if the next generation is born without a seal!¡±

    The person who was perhaps the one who mentioned this info earlier appeared and said, ¡°So what if he has a seal? Seals can be drawn on and faked in other ways too.¡±

    The other rolled his eyes. ¡°Are you kidding me? <i>We</i> might be fakes, but he¡¯s the Nie Family¡¯s son-inw! They have several Freezing Spirit Realm elders.¡±

    ¡°But there must a reason why there is such a rumor! Where there¡¯s smoke, there¡¯s fire.¡±

    ¡°Who knows if it¡¯s just because somebody was jealous of him? That isn¡¯t umon.¡± The other party sighed. ¡°It¡¯s because of his special body constitution. His seal is faint normally, so it isn¡¯t obvious. It can only be seen when he excites his soul energy. Maybe that¡¯s where the rumors came from.¡±

    Many knew about the Floating Cloud young master, but this piece of information was new. Many heads turned around immediately and stared at him in shock. ¡°Is that true?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± The man looked joyfully satisfied. ¡°I have stayed in Yunjing for such a long time, how would I not know? His seal is special, so people always think that he¡¯s an alien. But as soon as he excites his soul energy, his seal bes as red as blood! That isn¡¯t possible if his seal is fake.¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s it! No wonder. The Nie Family, such a big family, marrying their precious daughter to an alien?¡±

    ¡°Indeed....¡±

    The group of people started chatting happily, leaving only after they finished their registration.

    The procedure was very simple and rxed. They didn¡¯t even do a thorough check, so Lu Mingshu and Yan Wugui got through with the Ji Family¡¯s siblings¡¯ seals and registered easily.

    After another ten days, the Sea of Cloud¡¯s debate finally started.

    The Supreme Sacred Imperial Pce was opened up on this day, and thousands went past it to the Sea of Clouds.

    Furthermore, this debate would be broadcasted live in Yunjing, with a huge number of people watching. If one coulde out as the champion, he or she would really be famous in a night.

    Lu Mingshu and Yan Wugui squeezed in with the thousands of people and got to the Sea of Clouds by the mass teleporting spell formation set up in the Sacred Imperial Pce.

    ¡°This item is awesome!¡± Yan Wuguimented, ¡°But it seemsplicated.¡±

    Teleporting formations existed in every world. They were nothing rare. But they wereplicated, so no magicians in Lu Mingshu¡¯s world were able to produce one.

    ¡°Do you think we will be safe? With these fake seals, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s reliable,¡± Lu Mingshu grabbed Yan Wugui¡¯s sleeve and whispered worriedly.

    The Sea of Cloud¡¯s debate was a grand asion. It may have been rxed when they registered, but what about the debate itself? There would surely be Freezing Spirit Realm cultivators present. What if...?

    ¡°Then we¡¯ll just run.¡± Yan Wugui shrugged.

    ¡°Do you think we would be able to do so at that point?¡± Lu Mingshu side-eyed him.

    ¡°Then what do you think we should do? Let this chance go?¡± Yan Wugui raised his eyebrows.

    ¡°....¡± After a while of thinking, she sighed and said, ¡°Let¡¯s think about itter. ¡±

    Yan Wuguiughed. ¡°How many times have I told you that kids should not think too much or you¡¯ll die early?¡±

    Lu Mingshu coldly said, ¡°I would be dead if I didn¡¯t think so much.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Yan Wugui sighed. ¡°A kid who¡¯s not adorable at all. You were like a stone when you were young. Now you have turned into an ugly stone.¡±

    ¡°Oh...?¡± Lu Mingshu gave him a cold sneer.

    The Sea of Clouds wasn¡¯t a sea, but ake.

    Theke was surrounded by mountains, and if one could break through and get to theke, one would be considered in the third rank. If one could pass theke and get to theke¡¯s heart ind, they would be in the second rank. Lastly, getting to the Sea of Clouds proper by the teleportation formation on the ind would be the first rank ¨C in the top three.

    ¡°Look! The four princes!¡±

    Hearing somebody¡¯s gasp, Lu Mingshu and Yan Wugui turned around to take a look.

    On the hillside, there stood two young men. They were about twenty-six years old, one in blue and one in white. The one in blue had a pretty face and a sharp jaw, outstanding and elegant. The man in white was not as good looking, but he was bulky and had a strong aura, showing that he was stronger than the man blue.

    ¡°The one in blue is Prince Chu. Back then, he had the nickname of the prettiest young master! Many aristocratic families¡¯ misses dreamt of marrying him.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for men to look that pretty. Prince Qin is what a man should be like! Bulky and unordinary bearing.¡±

    ¡°Pretty is for Prince Jiang, no? Even a woman can¡¯tpare to his appearance.¡±

    The others present burst out inughter.

    Among theughter, somebody snapped. ¡°What¡¯s so funny? Is Young Master Jiang someone you can mock? What would happen if the Jiang Family hears it? You wouldn¡¯t even know how you died!¡±

    Everyone present immediately shut up hearing that. It was no harder than killing ants for such a big family like the Jiang Family to kill them all.

    As they were talking, Lu Mingshu saw someone go up the hillside and bow to Prince Qin and Prince Chu.

    It was a young guy with dusky pink lips and a beautiful appearance.

    ¡°That¡¯s Prince Jiang? He... deserves the title of prettiest prince more than Prince Chu!¡± Somebody gasped in awe.

    Yan Wugui realized that Lu Mingshu had a weird expression. ¡°What is it?¡±

    Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t take her eyes off Prince Jiang. ¡°Perhaps... it¡¯s just my eyes ying tricks on me.¡±

    ¡°What is it? Do you know him?¡±

    Lu Mingshu nced at her surroundings. Seeing that everyone had their eyes on the prince, she leaned in and whispered, ¡°This Prince Jiang is a girl!¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Yan Wugui stared at her nkly. ¡°He¡¯s pretty, I would say, but he doesn¡¯t act like a girl.¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked over and whispered, ¡°She tried her best, but yeah.¡±

 Chapter 321 - Interesting

    <h4>Chapter 321: Interesting</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Exodus Tales <strong>Editor: </strong>Exodus Tales

    The crucial difference between a man and a woman wasn¡¯t what they looked like, but their posture.

    This ¡°Prince Jiang¡± obviously had done some painstaking work to masculinize her bodynguage, but no matter how well one tried to hide it, there were some things that would be hard to change. For example, the way women walk; when a woman walks, they had a lower center of gravity, thus the hips would naturally sway.

    Hearing Lu Mingshu, Yan Wugui observed for a moment and nodded. ¡°With what you said, whether it¡¯s a male dressed as a female or a female dressed as a male, we can tell at a nce!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, and it¡¯s not a problem of habit,¡± Lu Mingshu said. ¡°It¡¯s the difference of our bodies by birth. Unless one changes it with magic or something, anyone who¡¯s observant enough can easily tell.¡±

    ¡°What is ¡®Prince Jiang¡¯ after? What¡¯s her aim for pretending to be a guy?¡±

    ¡°Resources, or some other reason and she has no choice.¡±

    ¡°But she¡¯s talented! The Jiang Family would surely nurture her well, why is there a need to pretend?¡±

    ¡°Valuing males and belittling females, what¡¯s new?¡± Lu Mingshu shrugged. Especially in a world where one¡¯s status was dependent on your family and bloodline, it was hard to escape such problems. Even if a daughter could recruit a son-inw, they were still not as desired as a son.

    ¡°The Floating Cloud young master, he¡¯s here!¡±

    Lu Mingshu and Yan Wugui turned after hearing someone shout. They saw a couple walking up the hillside. The man looked ice-cold like an iceberg, but he was handsome. The woman hadrge almond eyes, creamy smooth skin, and cherry-red lips. She was dainty and, standing beside the Floating Cloud young master, they looked like a lovely young couple that many envied.

    ¡°That¡¯s the Nie Family¡¯s eldest miss? She¡¯s gorgeous!¡±

    ¡°I know, right?¡±

    The crowd stared at them, drooling in envy and feeling depressed because of the fact that ¡°the man Miss Nie loves isn¡¯t me!¡±

    ¡°He indeed does not have a seal!¡± Yan Wugui muttered.

    When the couple appeared, the Floating Cloud young master¡¯s face was clear, and they couldn¡¯t see any trace of the seal.

    ¡°Do you believe the rumors?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°His seal is special, that¡¯s why...¡±

    ¡°What did you find out this time around?¡±

    Lu Mingshu shook her head. ¡°Nothing.¡±<i> I¡¯m just saying because I¡¯m good at noticing special things.</i>

    ¡°Should be real. Many have seen him fight. And if it was fake, he wouldn¡¯t dare to be that arrogant. The more eye-catching he is, the more danger he would face.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s get closer.¡± Lu Mingshu pulled him. ¡°To hear what they say.¡±

    ...

    ¡°Brother Qin, Brother Chu.¡± Eldest Miss Nie giggled and waved.

    Prince Qin and Prince Chu both turned back. Prince Qin nodded, but Prince Chu, Chu Zhengyan, smiled widely and waved back. ¡°Sister Nie, you came!¡±

    Eldest Miss Nie eyed the Floating Cloud young master next to her and smiled shyly. ¡°To apany my husband.¡±

    After that, the Floating Cloud young master bowed to the three princes.

    He seemed to be someone who did not have many words. He stood by the side after greeting all of them.

    Eldest Miss Nie seemed to know Prince Qin and Prince Chu very well; they started chattering away. On the other hand, Prince Jiang, Jiang Yuan, who arrived earlier stood by the side quietly.

    ¡°Oh, she has beef with Prince Jiang!¡± Yan Wugui muttered.

    ¡°Nie, Qin, and Chu are big aristocratic families in Yunjing. It¡¯s normal that Eldest Miss Nie and the two others are close. They are from the same generation too.¡±

    On the other hand, Prince Jiang only became famous recently. Even though the Jiang Family wasn¡¯t small, she was an illegitimate child. It was normal that she was not close to the Nie Family¡¯s eldest miss.

    ¡°But Eldest Miss Nie hasn¡¯t even greeted Prince Jiang. Even if they aren¡¯t close, such a huge aristocratic family would not make things ugly for no reason.¡±

    Lu Mingshu blinked. She might¡¯ve been very observant and smart, but growing up in Green Jade Valley, she was somewhat ignorant about the ways of the world.

    ¡°What beef could they have?¡± Lu Mingshu looked at Yan Wugui weirdly. <i>Prince Jiang is an illegitimate child. She should not have had any interaction with Eldest Miss Nie.</i>

    ¡°Who knows? Let¡¯s see.¡±

    Meanwhile, Eldest Miss Nie was still chatting with Prince Chu and Prince Qin. ¡°Sister Nie, it¡¯s too risky for you to be here this time around,¡± Prince Chu said.

    Eldest Miss Nie giggled and whined. ¡°Brother Chu and Brother Qin are here, so why can¡¯t I be here? Don¡¯t look down on me!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m worried for you and yet you¡¯re hurting me like this!¡± Chu Zhengyanughed.

    ¡°Hmph! I don¡¯t care. I wille since you two came!¡±

    Chu Zhengyan chuckled and pretended to apologize. ¡°Anything Miss Nie says!¡±

    Qin Jun looked over and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s good that Sister Nie is here to experience things, but it¡¯s better not to meddle. Brother Yun should be here for the top three, right? If he has to worry about you too, you will only drag him down.¡±

    Eldest Miss Nie nodded. ¡°I have discussed with my husband. I will stop after reaching theke. He¡¯ll do the rest on his own.¡±

    Qin Jun nodded and looked at her seriously. ¡°That¡¯s good. It¡¯s safe outside. With Brother Yun here, you will surely be safe.¡± (note: Yun is cloud in Chinese.)

    Eldest Miss Nie looked at Floating Cloud young master with dreamy eyes and acted coquettishly. ¡°You guys are sopetitive! Is the emperor¡¯s order that valuable...?¡±

    ¡°Rufei!¡± the Floating Cloud young master snapped.

    Eldest Miss Nie seemed to know she said something wrong and immediately kept her mouth shut.

    Prince Qin looked at this scene expressionlessly, while Chu wasughing hard. ¡°When we were younger, I always thought that nothing could hold Sister Nie down! But now, look! The best example for the idiom, ¡®One object beats another object, everything has a weakness!¡¯¡±

    ¡°Brother Chu!¡± Eldest Miss Nie sulked and stomped.

    This sent Chu Zhengyan into moreughter, and Qin Jun smiled. Jiang Yuan stood there as if it was none of her business, and the Floating Cloud young master was still like an iceberg.

    On the other hand, Yan Wugui repeated what they said; ¡°Emperor¡¯s order? Is there some ulterior motive behind this debate?¡±

    Lu Mingshu also thought so. Based on what she heard from Yunjing¡¯s citizens, it was surprising that the four princes would participate in the debate together. Qin Juning was reasonable and Jiang Yuan may just be here to prove her worth, but Chu Zhengyan and the Floating Cloud young master really had no reason to participate this year.

    ¡°Even if there is, it¡¯s none of our business.¡± Lu Mingshu shrugged. ¡°We are already suspicious enough, so it¡¯s not a good idea to meddle in things that will create problems.¡±

    ¡°True.¡± Yan Wugui sighed.

    Neither of them had an actual seal, and if this was found out, they would be in deep trouble.

    After a while, Yan Wugui burst out inughter. ¡°Don¡¯t you find it funny? Prince Qin from a grand bloodline, Prince Chu from a famous master, Prince Jiang fighting as a man, and a Floating Cloud young master from who-knows-where. With this Eldest Miss Nie too, it¡¯s going to be an interesting show.¡±

    As he finished talking, they heard the bell. The participants all stopped what they were doing and looked over in that direction.

    They saw a few cultivators fly over.

    The first one to step out was an elder in the Freezing Spirit Realm. He looked at the crowd sternly and announced, ¡°Everybody, I guess you are already aware of the rules and regtions, right? There¡¯s no need for me to repeat, then. I¡¯ll open up the barrier soon, and you will be on your own. All the best.¡±

    The elder was clear-cut. After he finished, he indicated for the three Purity Soul Realm cultivators to step out. They took out a badge and activated it together. Light could be seen shining from the badge, and slowly, the curtain disappeared.

 Chapter 322 - Sea of Clouds Debate

    <h4>Chapter 322: Sea of Cloud¡¯s Debate</h4>

    The sea of people rushed into the woods from everywhere, creating chaos.

    ¡°Fuck off! Are you blind? Can¡¯t you see that I¡¯m in front of you?¡±

    ¡°Stop pushing me! Are you rushing to reincarnate?!¡±

    ...

    The smart ones, on the other hand, took their time. <i>This is not a race, why do you need to run?</i>

    ¡°Let¡¯s get going.¡± Yan Wugui grabbed Lu Mingshu¡¯s hand after a huge group of people stepped into the woods.

    ¡°Mhm.¡±

    It was unknown how big the woods were or what theyout was like. After walking for some time, the crowd started to disperse, and there were fewer and fewer people in front of them until there was no one left.

    This situation was exactly what Lu Mingshu and Yan Wugui desired. Their origin was unusual, and what they worried about the most was that others would find out.

    Not longter, they met with a test ¨C demonic beasts that were set to block the way.

    With every beast that they killed, it would give out a lump of spirit fire that went into the badge they got during their registration.

    This was how the Sea of Cloud¡¯s debate was done. Participants in the third rank would be graded based on the amount of spirit fire they had.

    With Lu Mingshu¡¯s and Yan Wugui¡¯s ability, it was not a hard task.

    To them, it was easy, but that wasn¡¯t necessarily true for others. There were more than five thousand participants, yet there could only be five hundred who made it into the third rank. That meant that only ten percent could get past the first round, and most would be eliminated here.

    And there were two rules in the Sea of Cloud¡¯s debate that turned it into a cruel killing sprint: Firstly, killing was not a crime, and secondly, the spirit fire in a badge could be transferred.

    Seeing the corpse, Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t want to look.

    ¡°How many is that now?¡± Yan Wugui asked.

    ¡°Three.¡±

    On their way, they passed three scenes of a fight. At first, they saw many injuries, but as they went by, they saw more corpses than injuries, showing that the fighting was getting fiercer.

    Competitions in China all had limits, and they were hardly this bloody. Especially when the sects sent their disciples out, they would make it clear that all their disciples had toe back alive. If anyone murdered, there would be serious punishments. For instance, if Lu Mingshu wasn¡¯t able to prove her innocence back then ¨C that she killed to protect her own life ¨C she would most likely have been hanged.

    But this world, on the other hand, was encouraging murder. Life seemed like a joke to them.

    ¡°Let¡¯s be careful. If we see fights, just sneak past or something.¡± Yan Wugui pulled her closer.

    Lu Mingshu shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s impossible.¡±

    ¡°What? Why?¡± Yan Wugui¡¯s eyes widened in shock.

    ¡°How many beasts have we killed?¡±

    ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t know.¡± Yan Wugui gritted his teeth. ¡°Twenty or thirty?¡±

    ¡°Twenty-seven. Thirteen and a half for each of us.¡±

    ¡°So?¡±

    ¡°How long have we not met any beasts?¡±

    ¡°Two hours?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s three. And with the frequency they appeared earlier, there shouldn¡¯t be any more left.¡±

    Yan Wugui suddenly understood her and looked at her in shock.

    ¡°Since there¡¯s no more beasts, how do they determine who wins? Five thousand people with spirit fire... do you think we can get into the third rank with just thirteen and a half beasts?¡±

    ¡°So what you¡¯re trying to say is that the rules are specifically set up to encourage murder?¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded.

    ¡°How troublesome.¡± Yan Wugui held his head. ¡°We have to start fighting if we want to make it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. From what I see, most people would have killed at least fifteen beasts. Taking away one badge will put one of us at thirty, and two would be forty or fifty. The more badges we take, the more spirit fire we gain. At the end, we might even be able to gain more than a hundred. With simple math, the rankers should have about a hundred in their badge.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Yan Wugui sighed. ¡°So, we need roughly ten badges for each of us?¡±

    ¡°If we are lucky, just one would do.¡±

    ¡°Okay....¡±

    As they were talking, Yan Wugui rolled out of the way just as a sword swung past him.

    <i>Ding!</i> The sound of swords shing could be heard.

    <i>Swish!</i> A tree branch was cut off, and something fell.

    Lu Mingshu rolled and fished out her sword, but itnded on something soft.

    Lu Mingshu and Yan Wugui jumped back, leaning back to back against each other.

    ¡°My Sky Net!¡± They heard a cry.

    They looked up to see two perpetrators jumping up in shock.

    The one who attacked Yan Wugui jumped up on the tree as well.

    The thing that was going for Lu Mingshu was a golden, and two of these people held an end.

    And one of them was now wailing because his golden was ruined.

    Seeing this, Lu Mingshu and Yan Wugui immediately understood that the three of them were hiding here, and one was responsible for distracting Yan Wugui so the other two could catch Lu Mingshu. If Yan Wugui cared for Lu Mingshu, he would have to exchange his spirit fire for her, and it would be an effortless victory. If not, they would still have Lu Mingshu¡¯s spirit fire.

    But it was a pity for them that they found the wrong opponents. They thought that Lu Mingshu was some easy kid, but she destroyed their treasure with her attack.

    ¡°How dare you destroy my!? Go to hell!¡± the cultivator yelled to the sky and stared at Lu Mingshu in anger before rushing up.

    The other two followed as well.

    Yan Wugui burst outughing at their actions. Jumping straight to murder over a? Were they a bunch of savages?

    However, it wouldn¡¯t be easy for them.

    ¡°Me one, you two,¡± Lu Mingshu said calmly. ¡°Shout for me if you can¡¯t take it.¡±

    ¡°Hey! How can you push whatever you want to me? Do you think I¡¯m your ve?¡±

    ¡°I said shout for me if it¡¯s too difficult for you. You can¡¯t handle it?¡± She side-eyed him.

    Seeing her side-eyeing him, Yan Wugui gritted his teeth and grimaced. ¡°Of course I can handle it!¡±

    ¡°Then there¡¯s nothing else to say.¡±

    Seeing the two act like they were invisible, the one whose was destroyed yelled at Lu Mingshu¡¯s. ¡°Do you think we don¡¯t exist? Do you want to die!?¡±

    After an hour, it appeared that the ones who wanted to die were them; they were now nowhere to be seen, leaving only three badges behind.

    ¡°They were better than expected.¡± Yan Wugui puffed.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Lu Mingshu nodded and took a badge, shaking it. The spirit fire came out, then she shook the other two badges. After this fight, they both had thirty units of spirit fire.

    ¡°If this is the average, then it might be hard for us to get into the second rank.¡± With Lu Mingshu¡¯s and Yan Wugui¡¯s ability, they were above average in China, probably in the top ten in the Harmonization Realm. But they spent an hour on those three, which meant the four princes would be at least as strong as Lu Mingshu and Yan Wugui, if not stronger.

 Chapter 323 - What Happened?

    <h4>Chapter 323: What Happened?</h4>

    However, Lu Mingshu soon realized that they didn¡¯t need to look for anybody to fight with.

    They went on aimlessly, and on the way, some participants came up to fight them.

    With the fighting on their way, they gained a hundred spirit fires shortly.

    In no time, they had already gotten used to the fighting sounds.

    Seeing the marks on the ground, Yan Wugui rubbed his hands and looked at Lu Mingshu in glee.

    ¡°A big target. Let¡¯s go steal some benefits.¡±

    ¡°Hold on.¡± Lu Mingshu pulled him back.

    ¡°What?¡±

    She pointed to the marks on the tree and shook her head. ¡°Not an easy opponent. There might be many, and they have a precise trap.¡±

    ¡°So what?¡± Yan Wugui rolled his eyes. The biggest difference between him and Xie Lianzhen was that Xie Lianzhen fancied ying mind games, but Yan Wugui was straightforward and, if there was any problem, he would just talk with his fists.

    ¡°How about we-¡±

    Before Yan Wugui could finish, they heard a girl shouting, ¡°If you dare touch me, the Nie Family will behead you!¡±

    They exchanged nces, and they could see fear from each other¡¯s eyes.

    <i>Isn¡¯t this... Eldest Miss Nie¡¯s voice? Shouldn¡¯t she be with the Floating Cloud young master? Were they both ambushed? If that¡¯s so...</i>

    ¡°How troublesome.¡± Yan Wugui pouted. They both agreed to avoid the four princes if they came across any. They weren¡¯t interested in fighting for the top three or letting everyone know who they were. Unfortunately, they probably met one in the first round.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. We shall hide over there and watch.¡± Lu Mingshu pondered and pulled Yan Wugui along with her. <i>Something¡¯s out of ce.</i>

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    Both of them hid well and move toward the fight slowly.

    They found a spot where they could see the fight clearly, and what they saw shocked Lu Mingshu and Yan Wugui; it was only Eldest Miss Nie who was ambushed. It was no wonder Eldest Miss Nie said ¡°me¡± and not ¡°we.¡±

    There were four people surrounding her, and they were obviously above average.

    Eldest Miss Nie was already an arrow at the end of its flight. The space she had to move became smaller and smaller. Her weapon was a small sword, and she was still able to send her sword shadows everywhere, showing that she wasn¡¯t weak.

    But ¡°wasn¡¯t weak¡± didn¡¯t mean that she was good, and the four people surrounding her were no worse than her.

    ¡°Who sent you?¡± Eldest Miss Nie gasped for breath while sending one of them a death re.

    The results were already clear, and the four of them let down their guards. The one she was staring at burst out intoughter. ¡°Miss, what answer are you expecting?¡±

    ¡°You...!¡± It was clear the other party didn¡¯t wish to answer.

    The four of them exchanged nces and went up. ¡°Now!¡±

    ¡°Hold on!¡± In an emergency, Eldest Miss Nie yelled. ¡°Whoever hired you, I¡¯ll pay double!¡±

    ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± The other party smirked. ¡°But Miss, we need to live up to our reputation, and we need to take you back alive.¡±

    The encirclement became smaller, and the four seemed like they were ying tag with her. They were not anxious to kill her, but it wasn¡¯t simple.

    The one standing behind her sent her suggestive looks. ¡°They say that Eldest Miss Nie is very pretty, and now, it seems to be true. Look, she seems like she¡¯ll cry if you pinch her. And her skill looks so smooth! Will it be that smooth if I touch it too?¡±

    The rest startedughing out loud.

    ¡°How dare you!?¡± Eldest Miss Nie yelled. Since when had she been treated in this manner? She was the eldest miss of the Nie Family! Who would ever dare to say obscene things to her? She looked at them in anger and yelled. ¡°My husband is just nearby, and he will be here soon!¡±

    ¡°Your husband? I¡¯m afraid he can¡¯t even save himself!¡± The manughed. ¡°But it¡¯s okay, we can be your husband too. Anyone can be the Floating Cloud young master, right?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s right! Choose one among us. If you are still unhappy, you can have four!¡± The others burst intoughter.

    Eldest Miss Nie was about to bite their heads off. ¡°You...! I¡¯ll make sure you turn into ashes!¡±

    ¡°Still acting so arrogant? You won¡¯t shed a tear until you see the coffin, huh?¡± One of them pulled out his sword. ¡°Hey, we should show her how good we are so she can pick!¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡±

    Seeing the four of them staring at her like prey, Eldest Miss Nie screamed and started waving her sword. But the more urgent she was, the more she seemed unable to perform.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Lu Mingshu wanted to jump out, but Yan Wugui pulled her back.

    ¡°What?¡± She stared at him angrily. If it was another matter, she could have pretended that she hadn¡¯t seen it, but to witness a woman being humiliated and not do anything was not something she would do.

    But Yan Wugui shook his head and whispered, ¡°Stay still.¡±

    ¡°But...¡±

    Before Lu Mingshu could finish her words, the situation changed.

    <i>ng!</i> The small sword dropped to the floor.

    <i>Swish!</i> The sleeve was torn, revealing her white arm.

    Eldest Miss Nie could smell the sweat from them. She was now like an ant on a hot brick. <i>I really can¡¯t escape, can I? I would rather die than get humiliated by these bastards!</i>

    She had lost her weapon, and two people were holding her arm. A guy in front looked at her with a wretched smile, as if he was about to grab her.

    ¡°Husband, save me...!¡±

    As soon as she said that, she heard a <i>Plop!</i>

    ¡°Ah!¡± The man in front of her was stabbed with an ice spike.

    ¡°Who the hell!?¡±

    Before the other three could react, they saw a tornadoing toward them, and ice spikes flew at them one by one.

    Within no time, the four were dead.

    The wind stopped, and a person stepped out from the mess.

    Prince Jiang!

    She eyed the corpses on the ground in disdain before walking over to Eldest Miss Nie. ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    Eldest Miss Nie barely escaped from death, and she couldn¡¯t seem to calm down.

    When she calmed down, she looked up. Seeing Jiang Yuan, she snapped at her. ¡°It¡¯s you!¡±

    Jiang Yuan nodded. ¡°Yeah. Where¡¯s Fu Yun?¡±

    ¡°None of your fucking business!¡± Eldest Miss Nie yelled.

    Jiang Yuan sighed and reached out her hand. ¡°It¡¯s unsafe here. Come with me. I¡¯ll leave once he¡¯s here.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need your help!¡± Eldest Miss Nie held her injury and stared at her with hatred. She wasn¡¯t so agitated even when she was being ambushed.

    ¡°You¡¯re being watched though,¡± Jiang yuan said after a moment.

    ¡°That¡¯s none of your fucking business either!¡±

    Seeing this, Prince Jiang stopped talking, but she didn¡¯t leave. If she did, Eldest Miss Nie would surely not escape if she was ambushed again.

    On the other hand, Lu Mingshu looked at Yan Wugui. ¡°You sensed that she was there?¡±

    Yan Wugui nodded. ¡°I felt it. But this Eldest Miss Nie is problematic; someone saved her, yet she¡¯s treating her like an enemy. What¡¯s wrong with both of them?¡±

    No matter how she saw it, they couldn¡¯t have any beef with each other. Even if they were both from aristocratic families, one was the precious eldest miss and the other one was an illegitimate child. They weren¡¯t the same.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± Lu Mingshu side-eyed him. ¡°Over a guy!¡±

 Chapter 324 - Boy Problems

    <h4>Chapter 324: Boy Problems</h4>

    Yan Wugui watched the scene in shock. He turned to Lu Mingshu and gulped. ¡°Wow, how do you know?¡±

    Lu Mingshu raised an eyebrow and kept quiet.

    But Yan Wugui couldn¡¯t contain his curiosity.

    <i>How do I know? I have been at Nine Jade Pce since I was a kid and I didn¡¯t get to experience much. The first ce I¡¯ve been to other than that is Zhongzhou, so obviously it¡¯s just a guess.</i>

    Lu Mingshu ignored him, continuing to think about what Prince Jiang did.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Yan Wugui shook Lu Mingshu furiously, not stopping until he got an answer.

    ¡°What is it?!¡±

    ¡°How the hell do you know the answer?!¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± Lu Mingshu looked at him in disdain. ¡°She only got angry when Prince Jiang spoke about the Floating Cloud young master. If not about him, then what?¡±

    ¡°Oh, indeed....¡± Yan Wugui heaved a sigh of relief.

    Lu Mingshu rolled her eyes. <i>Does he think that I don¡¯t read novels? This is amon plot! However, is Eldest Miss Nie aware that Prince Jiang is a girl?</i>

    Meanwhile, Eldest Miss Nie was struggling with cleaning the wound on her arm with a teardrop rolling down her face, making her look extremely pretty.

    Jiang Yuan stood at her side, expressionless. She didn¡¯t say anything or lend Eldest Miss Nie a helping hand even though she was struggling.

    If it were Lu Mingshu, she wouldn¡¯t help either. Why would Jiang Yuan help? She saved her and yet was scolded by her. She wasn¡¯t a charity. She was most probably here just because of the Nie Family.

    After a while, Eldest Miss Nie managed to bandage her wound and stop the blood roughly, but it was so painful that she couldn¡¯t stop crying. Realizing that Jiang Yuan was still next to her, she bit her lips to control herself from wailing.

    After some time, Eldest Miss Nie calmed down and stopped crying. When she looked up and saw that Jiang Yuan was still there, she red up. ¡°You¡¯re extremely happy now, right? I must look like a joke to you.¡±

    ¡°I never thought that you were a joke, and I am not happy right now,¡± Jiang Yuan replied, not even sparing a look at her.

    ¡°You...¡± Eldest Miss Nie blinked her eyes, taken aback by the reply. She then looked up at Jiang Yuan angrily and sneered. ¡°Cut the act. I know how much you hate me because I took Fu Yun away from you. If not for me, this pair of childhood sweethearts would still be together happily and make the sweetest couple alive! But don¡¯t you forget that, without me, Fu Yun wouldn¡¯t be where he is today, and you wouldn¡¯t be the most precious seventeenth young master of the Jiang Family!¡±

    Hearing this, Yan Wugui looked at Lu Mingshu in shock. ¡°Who would have expected the eldest miss to know so much?¡±

    He thought that a pampered daughter like Eldest Miss Nie would be some innocent party that wasn¡¯t aware of what was going on, but what she said revealed that she was well aware of Jiang Yuan¡¯s identity. <i>This is going to be an interesting show. She knows that Prince Jiang¡¯s a female, but she chooses to say nothing about it....</i>

    ¡°I never once hated you.¡± Jiang Yuan finally looked at Eldest Miss Nie.

    ¡°Keep pretending!¡± Eldest Miss Nie yelled.

    ¡°As you said,¡± Jiang Yuan started, ¡°Fu Yun wouldn¡¯t be where he is now without you and I wouldn¡¯t be the precious seventeenth young master of Jiang Family. So what if we were the sweetest couple alive? We may not have even had half of what we have today. Since we chose to give up for this, there¡¯s no one else to me.¡±

    ¡°You....¡± Eldest Miss Nie looked at her in shock.

    ¡°It¡¯s not anybody¡¯s fault that we broke up. It is just that we didn¡¯t love each other enough, and I am more than happy with my life now, so you can stop treating me like an enemy because I don¡¯t view you as one either.¡±

    Eldest Miss Nie looked at her in shock. She bit her lips and mumbled, ¡°Who knows if you are saying this just because I know your secret?¡±

    Hearing this, Jiang Yuan stared at her coldly.

    The stare sent Eldest Miss Nie moving back. ¡°Wha-what do you want?¡±

    Jiang Yuan smiled thinly and shook her head. ¡°In this situation, if I wanted to kill you, it would be incredibly easy.¡±

    ¡°Are you threatening me?!¡± Eldest Miss Nie was angry.

    Jiang Yuan shook her head. ¡°Since I didn¡¯t choose to kill you, I clearly do not care even if you know my secret. Now, the Jiang Family values me so much that, even if you spill the beans, they would do anything to cover it up. Rufei, five years have passed. I¡¯m no longer Jiang Wan, and Fu Yun is no longer the Fu Yun from back then. Five years have changed both of us so much, and if you¡¯re still going to behave like a child, you¡¯ll be left behind one day.¡±

    Even though Jiang Yuan sounded cold, she was being genuine. However, Eldest Miss Nie didn¡¯t appreciate it. ¡°I don¡¯t need somebody who is as ¡®good¡¯ as you to remind me!¡±

    In her hiding spot, Lu Mingshu sighed. The difference between their EQ was too huge, so this conversation basically made no sense. Just as Jiang Yuan said, they had both grown up, but Eldest Miss Nie was still like a child. Thus, their perspective was totally different, and Eldest Miss Nie couldn¡¯t know how Jiang Yuan really felt. Furthermore, Jiang Yuan was unexpectedly calm, which made Eldest Miss Nie even angrier.

    Lu Mingshu suddenly felt pity for Eldest Miss Nie. As the family¡¯s precious pearl, she had everything she ever wanted and always looked down on everything. But talent and ability were what differentiated her from the truly gifted. As much as she hated Jiang Yuan for being a love rival, the main thing she hated was the fact that Jiang Yuan was way more capable than her and was much stronger. This made her feel indignant and hate her even more.

    At this moment, footsteps could be heard. Somebody wasing over.

    Eldest Miss Nie¡¯s eyes shone. ¡°Husband?¡±

    The person emerged from the bush, and it was indeed the ice-cold Floating Cloud young master.

    ¡°Husband!¡± Eldest Miss Nie¡¯s eyes welled up as she pounced on him.

    He reached out to her, remaining expressionless despite seeing her in her current state.

    ¡°Howe you¡¯re injured?¡± he asked coldly.

    Hearing this, Eldest Miss Nie burst out in tears and wailed. ¡°Husband, just now...¡±

    She sniffed and told him everything. Floating Cloud young master raised his eyebrow upon hearing the story.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, you¡¯re fine now.¡± He patted her shoulder and helped her to rebandage her wound.

    Eldest Miss Nie smiled sweetly and looked at him shyly. This scene made Lu Mingshu feel like puking. <i>She¡¯s really...</i>

    After cleaning the wound, Floating Cloud young master went over to examine the four corpses on the ground.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to investigate them,¡± Jiang Yuan said indifferently. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t have any clues on them.¡±

    The Floating Cloud young master raised an eyebrow.

    Seeing this, Eldest Miss Nie tensed up, but as if fearing that her husband would be angry at her, she dared not make a noise.

    ¡°Their ability is above average, but not as good as true assassins. If I¡¯m not wrong, they areing after you, not her,¡± Prince Jiang said.

    The Floating Cloud young master nodded. ¡°Rufei doesn¡¯t have many enemies.¡±

    ¡°You should think about who you¡¯ve offended.¡± Jiang Yuan paused and shook her head. ¡°Nevermind, I don¡¯t think you would find an answer. You simply have too many interests involved.¡±

 Chapter 325 - The Deal

    <h4>Chapter 325: The Deal</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Exodus Tales <strong>Editor: </strong>Exodus Tales

    Even though Jiang Yuan said otherwise, the Floating Cloud young master insisted on checking the corpses. And just as she said, he found nothing.

    As soon as he stood up, Jiang Yuan smiled thinly and bowed. ¡°Since you¡¯re here, I¡¯ll leave now. Goodbye.¡±

    ¡°Goodbye,¡± the Floating Cloud young master replied calmly and bowed. ¡°Thank you so much for the trouble.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± Jiang Yuan nodded and left.

    ¡°Husband....¡± Eldest Miss Nie sniffed.

    The Floating Cloud young master went back to her side, allowing her to grab him tightly. ¡°My bad for getting tricked by them and being maneuvered away,¡± he said after Eldest Miss Nie stopped crying.

    Eldest Miss Nie took a deep breath and shook her head with tears still rolling down her cheeks. ¡°No, they are too crafty.¡±

    The Floating Cloud young master said no more and helped her up. ¡°It seems that I¡¯m now somebody¡¯s target. It¡¯s dangerous for you to be here.¡±

    ¡°Am I useless? I seem to have dragged you down.¡± Eldest Miss Nie bit her lips, looking at the Floating Cloud young master with puppy dog eyes.

    He looked at her for a while and sighed. ¡°Let me send you to the entrance.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m indeed useless, huh?¡± Eldest Miss Nie burst into tears again.

    But the Floating Cloud young master said nothing. After a while, he then looked down at her and reassured her, ¡°I didn¡¯t say that, and you need not think of yourself that way.¡±

    ¡°But...¡± Eldest Miss Nie started but decided to not continue.

    ¡°Just voice it out. What¡¯s there to hide between us?¡±

    ¡°...I¡¯m afraid, Fu Yun,¡± Eldest Miss Nie mumbled, looking at the ground.

    ¡°I¡¯m right here. There¡¯s nothing to fear.¡±

    ¡°No, not this.¡± She looked up in tears. ¡°I fear that... that you won¡¯t want me.¡±

    The Floating Cloud young master patted her shoulder. ¡°Rufei, I¡¯m going to repeat it; I have what you need and you have what I need. We benefit each other and we are suitable. There¡¯s no need to worry.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what you said....¡± Eldest Miss Nie bit her lips and decided to say it out, ¡°But I¡¯m not as good as Jiang Wan and would never be like her in your heart, right?¡±

    ¡°Can you stop thinking about her? I have already let go of my feelings for her, and you should do so too.¡± The Floating Cloud young master sounded exasperated.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry....¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be. Whatever, let¡¯s send you back first.¡±

    He held Eldest Miss Nie, and both of them left.

    ¡°Whew....¡± Yan Wugui looked at Lu Mingshu, amused. ¡°Women are indeed the most troublesome creatures ever!¡±

    Receiving Lu Mingshu¡¯s death re, he burst intoughter. ¡°Haha, I didn¡¯t mean that <i>you¡¯re </i>troublesome, really....¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m not a woman, right?¡± Lu Mingshu smiled sweetly.

    ¡°Hehehehe, look, it was just spur of the moment. A woman like her is the most troublesome, don¡¯t you agree? If she continues to be like this, she won¡¯t need anyone else to make problems for her, because she can do it on her own!¡±

    Lu Mingshu shook her head. She was indeed troublesome, but it wasn¡¯t hard to know what Eldest Miss Nie was thinking about. However, that was her choice. Since she chose to marry the Floating Cloud young master, she should have been prepared to ept the fact that her rival was way better than herself. Having a love rival way better than you was the hardest truth to ept, so why put oneself in such a pitiful position?

    The most hateful love rivals were the ones like Jiang Yuan. You take everything to heart, yet she does not seem to give a damn about you. The more she ignores you, the angrier you get.

    <i>Whatever, that¡¯s her problem, not mine.</i>

    As they were about to leave their hiding spot, a voice stopped them.

    ¡°How was the free show, miss and mister?¡±

    <i>Swish!</i> Yan Wugui fished out his sword immediately, shocked.

    Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t have such a huge reaction, but she immediately got into a defensive position.

    They looked up to see Jiang Yuan sitting on a tree a few meters away from them,ughing. ¡°Hey, calm down, I¡¯m not here to kill.¡±

    ¡°....¡± Lu Mingshu immediately understood how Eldest Miss Nie felt previously. When one was beside Prince Jiang, he or she immediately became a mere prop to make Jiang Yuan even more brilliant.

    ¡°Prince Jiang?¡± Yan Wugui looked at her cautiously, not keeping his weapon. ¡°Didn¡¯t you leave?¡±

    ¡°I knew that you were here since I arrived.¡±

    ¡°What the heck....¡± Yan Wugui gulped. They were indeed too rxed, thinking that they were well-hidden. <i>There are always skies above skies and mountains beyond mountains. But if she knows, the Floating Cloud young master...</i>

    As if she could read his mind, Jiang Yuan said, ¡°He should know it too. It¡¯s just that we could sense you¡¯re not here to kill, so we didn¡¯t care.¡±

    Lu Mingshu gulped. <i>It seems like we have underestimated them. They are stronger than we thought.</i>

    ¡°What does Prince Jiang need from us?¡± Lu Mingshu was very cautious. They heard everything, and while the Floating Cloud young master chose to not care about them, Prince Jiang was here next to them. <i>Does she want to kill us? But she said she¡¯s not here to kill....</i>

    Jiang Yuan raised an eyebrow and smirked. ¡°This question should be for you. What do you want from peeping?¡±

    ¡°Nothing much.¡± Yan Wugui shrugged. ¡°We¡¯re just passersby.¡±

    Jiang Yuan smiled thinly. ¡°But you heard everything, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Lu Mingshu and Yan Wugui exchanged nces.

    Jiang Yuan said, ¡°That is supposed to be a secret, you know.¡±

    ¡°You want to silence us?¡± Lu Mingshu furrowed her eyebrows.

    ¡°Not a bad idea.¡± Jiang Yuan crossed her arms. ¡°Even if I kill you here, there¡¯s nobody that woulde after me. It¡¯s the Sea of Cloud¡¯s debate!¡±

    ¡°But it won¡¯t be easy.¡± Yan Wugui smiled. ¡°You do not want so much trouble, do you?¡±

    Jiang Yuan nodded. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re not weak, so it¡¯s too troublesome. But you heard it all, so why should I let you go?¡±

    ¡°So?¡±

    ¡°So...¡± Jiang Yuan stared at them. ¡°Work with me.¡±

    Lu Mingshu and Yan Wugui both stood there, not knowing how to respond.

    <i>Work with her? Why us?</i>

    ¡°The debate is not difficult during the first two rounds, but thest round is. And to be very honest, the Jiang Family may value me, but I did not grow up there, so there aren¡¯t many I can trust. I need help.¡±

    ¡°That reason is so weak. You¡¯ve been there for five years already and don¡¯t trust your ownrades, but you trust a couple of strangers you just met who know your secret?¡±

    ¡°Since when did I say that I trust you?¡± Jiang Yuanughed. ¡°To be honest, I am not even asking for your opinion, just making it a peaceful solution. I wouldn¡¯t let you off so easily otherwise, and I don¡¯t think you would prefer to die.¡±

    ¡°So you want us to cooperate with you?¡±

    Jiang Yuan raised an eyebrow. ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s to your benefit.¡±

    Lu Mingshu stared at her coldly. <i>What does that mean?</i>

    ¡°I can¡¯t just let you off, but wasting my energy to kill you is not worth it. So, let¡¯s make a deal, alright?¡±

 Chapter 326 - Loophole

    <h4>Chapter 326: Loophole</h4>

    ¡°Deal?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t wish to kill, so here¡¯s a chance to redeem yourself.¡± Jiang Yuan nodded. ¡°As long as you agree to sign an agreement with me, I¡¯ll forgive you.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Before Lu Mingshu could say anything, Yan Wugui sneered. ¡°Prince Jiang, you must have overestimated yourself. We are the ones who have your secret and yet we have to work for you now? Are you so sure you¡¯re capable of taking us down?¡±

    This was the first time in his life that he was being threatened. However, Yan Wugui found it funny more than anger-inducing. There was no doubt that Prince Jiang was powerful, but with his and Lu Mingshu¡¯s ability, she might not be able to take them down.

    ¡°Oh? So confident. ¡± Jiang Yuanughed. ¡°Are you sure you have no secrets yourself?¡±

    Yan Wugui rolled his eyes, not willing to answer her.

    Jiang Yuan sighed and changed her posture. ¡°Such innocent kids, thinking that a Freezing Spirit senior can¡¯t tell that your seals are fake.¡±

    As soon as she said that, Lu Mingshu and Yan Wugui immediately got into defensive postures.

    ¡°Prince Jiang, I¡¯m not sure what you mean.¡± Lu Mingshu gave her a death re.

    Jiang Yuan shook her head and smiled. ¡°A seal can react when one activates his or her seal energy. Only cultivators in the Solid Form Realm cannot tell. Not even speaking about the third round, I can guarantee that you¡¯ll get caught before you even enter the second round checkpoint. Do you know the punishment for pretending to be a true human and participating in thispetition?¡±

    After some time, Lu Mingshu asked softly, ¡°How did you know?¡±

    <i>Nobody realized it during the registration, but she realized it just after meeting us? We didn¡¯t even fight in front of her.</i>

    Jiang Yuan snickered and ignored Lu Mingshu¡¯s question. ¡°So, what do you think? My secret might be a little bit troublesome if it leaks, but it isn¡¯t as troublesomepared to yours, which will result in the death penalty if it gets out.¡±

    Yan Wugui and Lu Mingshu exchanged a nce before turning to Jiang Yuan. ¡°So you¡¯ll help us get through this if we agree to assist you?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°But how can we make sure that you are not trying to trick us so you can kill us?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why we can make a deal!¡± Jiang Yuan smiled. ¡°We can sign a contract.¡±

    ¡°Contract?¡± Yan Wugui repeated.

    ¡°You aren¡¯t aware of it?¡± Jiang Yuan raised her eyebrows.

    ¡°Like you¡¯ve already pointed out, we are aliens, so we do not have a proper understanding of culture.¡± Lu Mingshu was fast to think of an answer.

    ¡°You can possess such strength even without aplete inheritance?¡± Jiang Yuanughed. ¡°I bet you could take down those four from earlier, right?¡±

    Lu Mingshu bit her lips. They weren¡¯t sure what this world was like, and Jiang Yuan, who was standing right in front of them, was observant and seemed to have already sensed that something was out of ce. It was best to keep quiet for now.

    Luckily, Jiang Yuan didn¡¯t probe. She took out a small badge from her pocket and inserted light from her palm into the badge before throwing it to them. ¡°This is what a contract is about.¡±

    In actuality, Lu Mingshu knew what a contract was, but with Yan Wugui here, she couldn¡¯t exin, so she continued her act.

    After Yan Wugui read the content in the badge, Lu Mingshu read it too. <i>This Prince Jiang is honest. She didn¡¯t try to trick us even though she thinks we are ignorant.</i>

    She looked over to Yan Wugui and nodded, indicating that she approved.

    ¡°Conditions?¡± Yan Wugui looked over at Jiang Yuan.

    ¡°Simple.¡± She nodded. ¡°Help me get into the top three, and I¡¯ll ensure that you pass through safely. After this, leave and never step back into Yunjing ever again. Your identity will be safe with me and I promise not to cause you any trouble. The conditions are negotiable if you two are unhappy with this.¡±

    Lu Mingshu and Yan Wugui stared at each other for a moment, looking for approval. Jiang Yuan sat back and waited patiently.

    It was a fair deal, and to them, as long as they were not caught during thepetition, it would be fine. After all, they were nning to leave this ce as soon as it was over anyway.

    ¡°Are you sure that you can let us pass through safely?¡± Lu Mingshu asked again.

    ¡°Well, if Fu Yun can, you can too.¡± Jiang Yuan smiled thinly.

    <i>So that means...</i>

    ¡°Deal.¡± Yan Wugui nodded. ¡°I hope you will keep your promise.¡±

    ¡°How can I not after signing a contract?¡± Jiang Yuan stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry, there¡¯s not much time left.¡±

    ...

    After signing the contract, Jiang Yuan heaved a sigh of relief and muttered, perhaps to them or perhaps to herself, ¡°Feels good to not have to kill.¡± Before either of them could reply, she turned to both of them and signaled for them to follow her. ¡°Follow me, and let¡¯s find out about each other¡¯s abilities.¡±

    <i>Ice cold and always taking the lead. Seems familiar...</i>

    Yan Wugui looked over at Jiang Yuan, then back at Lu Mingshu. He bit his lips to stop himself fromughing and mouthed, ¡°Are you and her long-lost siblings? Prince Jiang seems to act just like you.¡±

    Lu Mingshu rolled her eyes in annoyance.

    ¡°How do I address both of you?¡±

    ¡°Ji Xulin.¡±

    ¡°Ji Zhenzhen.¡±

    ¡°Siblings?¡±

    Yan Wugui and Lu Mingshu nodded.

    ¡°Nah, I don¡¯t think so.¡± Jiang Yuan shook her head.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lu Mingshu replied in monotone.

    ¡°You guys do not look alike.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Real names, please?¡±

    Silence took over.

    ¡°Nevermind. Where are you from?¡± Jiang Yuan didn¡¯t press.

    ¡°Bell Woods.¡±

    Jiang Yuan bit her lips. ¡°A small state in the north?¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded. Jiang Yuan was knowledgeable. Ever since they arrived in Yunjing, ny percent of the people they talked to weren¡¯t aware of what Bell Woods was. It was a very small state in a deste ce, and it was considered good if they could send two or three representatives to such events.

    ¡°Neither of you look like an alien.¡± Jiang Yuan raised an eyebrow. ¡°So, what special inheritance did you get?¡±

    Silence took over once again.

    ¡°Prince Jiang, please teach us how to get through safely! If even you can tell, then other Purity Soul elites will be able to as well.¡± Yan Wugui took the chance to divert her attention and asked about the matter that he was worried about.

    ¡°Be at ease.¡± Jiang Yuan smiled. ¡°A cultivator in the same realm as you can¡¯t really tell unless you activate it.¡±

    ¡°But you said before we will get caught before we get through the second round or the checkpoint....¡±

    ¡°Because there are Freezing Spirt elders guarding the checkpoint,¡± Jiang Yuan said. ¡°Ny percent of the participants will be eliminated during the first round, and it¡¯s not hard for them to check one by one at the checkpoint. It¡¯s lucky that you ran into me, or you would soon be dead.¡±

    ¡°So, can you...?¡± <i>Why is she not telling us how to solve this? Is she trying to buy time?</i>

    Jiang Yuan shook her head. ¡°Be at ease, it¡¯s not the right time yet. I will definitely settle this before we reach the checkpoint.¡±

    After saying that, she pushed both of them back. ¡°There¡¯s someoneing, hide.¡±

    Lu Mingshu and Yan Wugui sensed it too. Both jumped onto the tree and hid themselves immediately.

    Not longter, a team of five reached the ce.

    ¡°A lone wolf!¡± Among them, the one with the highest cultivation eximed in glee as he saw a person alone.

    The five sped over, but as soon as they realized who it was, they stopped in their tracks.

    Jiang Yuan looked at them and bowed, smiling. ¡°Right on time. I need a small favor from you all.¡±

 Chapter 327 - Fake

    <h4>Chapter 327: Fake</h4>

    Jiang Yuan looked gentle and seemed to be genuine, so the five of them didn¡¯t suspect anything. They exchanged nces before walking over to her filled with smiles. Who would be ignorant about how great Prince Jiang¡¯s reputation was? Lady Luck must have been with them to allow them to form a connection with Prince Jiang.

    The leader of the group walked up to her full of smiles and reached out his hand. ¡°You must be Prince Jiang, right? What favor do you need from us?¡±

    Jiang Yuan smiled thinly in return before staring at him like a tiger staring at her prey. ¡°Your soul energy!¡± she shouted coldly.

    Before he could react, the temperature of the surroundings dropped drastically. The wind howled, and snowkes fell rapidly from the sky alongside many icicles.

    Being too close to Jiang Yuan, the leader had no time to react, and an icicle pierced through his skull. Thest sound he made in his life was a blood-curdling screech.

    The other four guys jumped up and turned to escape immediately.

    A light shone in Jiang Yuan¡¯s eyes as she turned the icicles into small ice needles, forming an ice needle wall and blocking their way.

    ¡°Jiang Yuan, what do you want from us!?¡± one of them yelled.

    ¡°Your lives, of course.¡±

    ¡°But we have no grudges with you....¡±

    ¡°Sure you do. Didn¡¯t you want to kill me a moment ago?¡± She sneered.

    ¡°What utter bull crap...!¡±

    Indeed, they were nning to gang up on her when they found someone who was alone. However, they immediately dispelled that thought when they realized who the person was. If Prince Jiang was talking about that, it was just nitpicking.

    But it was a pity for them that Jiang Yuan seemed to have no interest in their exnation. ¡°If you want to kill, then you must be prepared to be killed.¡±

    As soon as she finished, the ice needle wall broke apart and disappeared.

    Seeing what she did to their leader, the other four had already mentally prepared as they joined forces to strike back.

    Seeing her ice needle being broken into pieces, she furrowed her eyebrows and yelled, ¡°What are you waiting for? Help out.¡±

    The four of them looked at each other nervously. Prince Jiang was already difficult to deal with, but now, he had an alliance...?

    But a sword light descended from the sky and cut off their train of thought.

    Icicles raised up from the ground and sped toward them.

    Lu Mingshu took out her sword and blocked one from running away.

    The next minute, the icicles turn into ice needles and pierced through the person.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Another blood-curdling screech could be heard.

    Lu Mingshu turned around, looking at Jiang Yuan in disapproval.

    But Jiang Yuan ignored her nce and continued her killing spree, taking down another one with an icicle.

    Not longter, five corpses could be seen on the floor.

    Jiang Yuan wiped her hands and started searching for badges on their bodies.

    Seeing Lu Mingshu rooted to the ground with fear in her eyes, Jiang Yuan smiled thinly. ¡°Miss Ji, I hope you are not going to tell me things like, ¡®It¡¯s not right to kill.¡¯¡±

    Lu Mingshu said nothing and shook her head. She wasn¡¯t a saint, and that was what the world was like. As Jiang Yuan mentioned, if you want to kill, then you must be prepared to be killed. It was how vicious and merciless Jiang Yuan was that made her feel fear.

    The three of them quietly shared the spirit fire they gained. Jiang Yuan smiled in content seeing how much she earned. ¡°Lady Luck is on our side. They earned so much that it will be enough for us to go through to the second round.¡±

    ¡°Great, we don¡¯t need to kill anymore....¡± Yan Wugui grabbed his chest and heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°So, can you please tell us how we can solve our issue now?¡±

    ¡°Drag these over.¡± Jiang Yuan pointed at the corpses.

    Yan Wugui looked over to Lu Mingshu. They nodded and started to drag the corpses, pilling them up by the side.

    Jiang Yuan walked over and pressed her finger to the seal on a corpse¡¯s forehead. Not longter, blood was sucked out of his forehead. Jiang Yuan exerted more energy, and it turned into a drop of blood, rolling around on her palm.

    After she was done, she kicked the corpse away and repeated her actions on the next corpse.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Yan Wugui blinked.

    Jiang Yuan didn¡¯t reply, she just continued to work on what she was doing. After some time, she managed to get five drops of blood out, and shebined them into one big drop.

    Seeing her sweating profusely, Lu Mingshu was aware of how much soul energy she had exerted, and her heart felt warm. <i>No matter how vicious and merciless she is, she still treats us genuinely since we are her allies now.</i>

    After resting for a while, Jiang Yuan stood up and walked toward them. ¡°If a person has just died, their soul energy will still be intact. We can get this soul blood out of them with secret methods, and with it, we can imitate a seal that even Freezing Spirt elders can¡¯t see through.¡±

    <i>So she killed them for us?</i>

    ¡°It¡¯s their blood though, will the seale out wrong?¡± Yan Wugui looked at her worriedly.

    ¡°At most, it would look like you have heterogenous soul energy. But you¡¯re from a small ce, so it¡¯smon.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±

    Hearing this, Jiang Yuan snickered andughed. ¡°Suspicious much, are you? Why the hell would I waste so much energy to scheme against you guys? Not worth it.¡±

    ¡°....¡± Yan Wugui red at Lu Mingshu. <i>Why is she so much like you? So unpleasant!</i>

    Lu Mingshu pretended she saw nothing.

    ¡°Hurry up. After some time, the soul energy will disappear, and this will all be in vain.¡± Jiang Yuan rushed them.

    ¡°Okay.¡± Since he had always been single, he stepped out immediately. ¡°I¡¯ll go first.¡±

    ¡°Sure, why not?¡± Jiang Yuan looked at Lu Mingshu, smirking.

    Of course, Jiang Yuan could tell why Yan Wugui went first. <i>Whatever, let him be happy.</i>

    Jiang Yuan moved her hands slowly, dragging the drop into a long line of blood before pressing it into the seal on Yan Wugui¡¯s forehead. ¡°Don¡¯t resist it,¡± she said gently. ¡°You won¡¯t feel good when someone else¡¯s soul blood enters your body. It will take some time for you to get used to it.¡±

    Yan Wugui focused on her words, and soon, the seal that Yan Wugui drew was slowly covered by blood and turned red, shining in the light.

    After the drop of blood was half gone, Jiang Yuan took her hand back.

    Yan Wugui¡¯s body shook.

    Lu Mingshu ran over and grabbed him. ¡°How are you feeling now?¡±

    After a while, Yan Wugui managed to stand back up and nodded. ¡°Not feeling so well. It feels very hot, but it¡¯s fine.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded and allowed Jiang Yuan to perform it on her.

    Like Yan Wugui said, the fake seal felt extremely hot, as if she had a fever.

    When the blood drop was all used up, Jiang Yuan stopped. ¡°We are in a rush, so this is all I can do. We do not have much soul blood, so it should only be able tost for a few days, but that should be enough for this debate.¡±

    When Lu Mingshu felt better, she saw that Yan Wugui¡¯s seal had disappeared and looked at Jiang Yuan in shock. ¡°It¡¯s gone!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s normal, it will arise when you fight.¡±

    <i>Arise when I fight?</i> A rumor ran through Lu Mingshu¡¯s head, and she blurted out, ¡°Is the Floating Cloud young master¡¯s seal fake too?¡±

 Chapter 328 - Current Situation

    <h4>Chapter 328: Current Situation</h4>

    Jiang Yuan looked at Lu Mingshu and shed her a smile but ignored her question.

    ¡°Okay, there is nothing else for us, let¡¯s go.¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked at Yan Wugui. Yan Wugui shook his head.

    Neither of them made a sound and followed Jiang Yuan toward the checkpoint.

    <i>What does she mean?</i> Lu Mingshu felt that something was off. <i>Why does it seem that she is helping us not because of the deal, but to expose the Floating Cloud young master?</i>

    She was involved in a love triangle with Eldest Miss Nie and the Floating Cloud young master, so it was hard for others to not think in the direction. Eldest Miss Nie might¡¯ve been nothing to her, but what about the Floating Cloud young master? Did she still love him, or did she hate him for leaving her? Perhaps she simply had nothing better to do and just wanted to get the Floating Cloud young master into trouble?

    ¡°Prince Jiang.¡± Yan Wugui pondered for a while and asked, ¡°Is there an ulterior motive to this debate?¡±

    ¡°What ulterior motive?¡± Jiang Yuan hummed.

    ¡°About the emperor...¡±

    Jiang Yuan stopped in her tracks and turned around to look at him.

    Yan Wugui shed her a huge smile.

    Jiang Yuan turned around and waved her hands. ¡°None of your business. All you need to do is help me get into the top three.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that bad?¡± Yan Wugui asked. ¡°If we do not know anything, won¡¯t that influence our decision-making?¡±

    Jiang Yuan stared back. ¡°What, are you trying to threaten me?¡±

    ¡°Of course I do not dare! Haha, we have already signed a contract, what would I get out of threatening you?¡±

    But his expression said otherwise. Jiang Yuan continued to walk on, ignoring him. ¡°How much do you know about the world?¡± she suddenly asked.

    This question took both of them aback. The only thing about this world they knew was what Ji Zhenzhen said after being hypnotized and some gossip with the Yunjing people.

    ¡°Erm, as of now, aristocratic families stand in great number, and the emperor is well-respected for creating a peaceful and pleasant world....¡± Yan Wugui bullcrapped.

    ¡°Peaceful? The Sea of Cloud¡¯s Debate is such a grand asion where we can kill as we wish and this is considered peaceful?¡± Jiang Yuan raised an eyebrow.

    Before they could even respond, Jiang Yuan was already snickering. ¡°That¡¯s just a mask. You are from a small state, so you should know better than anyone how aristocratic families became sessful by stepping over countless dead bodies.¡±

    Lu Mingshu gritted her teeth and looked at Jiang Yuan, who was filled with anger and fear.

    Even though she and Yan Wugui had just arrived, it was obvious how grand the world was today was due to the exchange of many alien¡¯s lives. The good lives that the true humans led was all thanks to the aliens.

    But what did that have to do with Jiang Yuan? She was from an aristocratic family, gaining the benefits from this inequality. <i>How can you feel indignant when you¡¯re the one benefitting?</i>

    ¡°The emperor¡¯s power is outstanding and the aristocratic families respect him, but more conflicts between the aristocratic families arise and the emperor hasn¡¯t left the Supreme Sacred Imperial Pce for a long time, so he has lost control of the situation.¡±

    ¡°So?¡± Yan Wugui looked back at her. ¡°Isn¡¯t this debate all about fighting for the emperor¡¯s reward?¡±

    ¡°The Sea of Cloud¡¯s Debate is all about distributing benefits.¡± Jiang Yuan smiled thinly. ¡°In normal times, it would be rtively peaceful. But the emperor is starting to lose control, and his rivals have started reappearing. With the conflicts too, it¡¯s a big mess.¡±

    ¡°Then the emperor¡¯s order...¡±

    ¡°Since this dynasty began, the emperor has never left the Supreme Sacred Imperial Pce, but some things still need to be done.¡±

    ¡°What you mean is that whoever gets the emperor¡¯s order will be the emperor¡¯s voice?¡±

    ¡°Who knows?¡± Jiang Yuan shrugged. ¡°Since this dynasty began, that has only happened twice. Who knows if they¡¯ll have it in this debate?¡±

    But since there was such a rumor, who wouldn¡¯t seize the chance? Thus, the four princes were all participating in this debate. The other aristocratic families had surely sent their best out too, they just weren¡¯t as well-known as the four princes.

    As they were chatting, the trio had already walked out of the woods. A scene of a clear blue sky and a luminouske weed them.

    It seemed to be a dock, with ten people guarding it. All of them wore uniforms. Other than the ten Purity Soul Realm guards, there were two Freezing Spirit Realm elders guarding it as well.

    There were fewer people at the checkpoint nowpared to the start of this debate, but the number of people couldn¡¯t be considered small. People were queuing up to hand over their badge, and they waited patiently at the side for their spirit fire to be counted.

    Lu Mingshu saw Eldest Miss Nie and the Floating Cloud young master at the side. When they saw them, the Floating Cloud young master just looked at them calmly, while Eldest Miss Nie red at Jiang Yuan unhappily.

    But Jiang Yuan pretended to not notice them and joined the queue calmly before going to the side to wait for calction.

    The guard took her badge and started counting seriously.

    Soon after, they had their points recorded, then they sat by the side and rested.

    asionally, young masters and misses from aristocratic families woulde over to greet her, but Jiang Yuan ignored them.

    After greeting her, a guy turned around and increased his volume. ¡°He¡¯s just a bastard! Why act so arrogantly when Prince Qin isn¡¯t doing so?¡±

    Shortly, this guy was pulled away unwillingly by his attendant.

    ¡°Prince Jiang, you do not seem to be popr,¡± Yan Wugui muttered.

    ¡°Why else would I ask for your help?¡±

    Soon after, Prince Chu walked over to her, full of smiles. ¡°Brother Jiang, you¡¯re early.¡±

    Jiang Yuan bowed back. ¡°Brother Chu isn¡¯tte either.¡±

    ¡°Haha, and these two...?¡± Chu Zhengyan looked over at Yan Wugui and Lu Mingshu.

    Jiang Yuan looked over at them and shrugged. ¡°Ji family from Bell Woods. They have some rtions with us Jiangs.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Chu Zhengyan bowed and smiled at Lu Mingshu and Yan Wugui and looked back at Jiang Yuan, continuing their conversation.

    The Chu family wasn¡¯t big, but maybe because they were from Yunjing, they weren¡¯t considered small either. What Jiang Yuan meant by ¡°some rtions¡± was mostly smaller familiesing to them for benefits. Normally, if the other party had some usefulness, the big family wouldn¡¯t reject them, they would just take what they needed from each other. Since Lu Mingshu and Yan Wugui looked quite capable, it was nothing bad if they used the Jiang name to prevent trouble, and they would give a helping hand to Jiang Yuan in return. Since Jiang Yuan was an illegitimate child, Jiang Yuan would not have many trusted aids back in the Jiang family.

    After some idle gossip, Prince Chu left after giving his goodbye.

    Before the sun set, the guard stopped collecting badges and announced the name list. ¡°Those who intend to give up, just report here tomorrow.¡±

    Obviously, the three of them got into the next round sessfully. ¡°Let¡¯s find a ce to stay,¡± Jiang Yuan said to them.

 Chapter 329 - Who Are You?

    <h4>Chapter 329: Who Are You?</h4>

    The next morning, when the sun rose, the guard opened the entrance to the Lake of Clouds. The participants of the next round tried to outdo each other as they ran to get the boats at the dock.

    In no time, a few hundred boats took sail and went in the direction of Lake Heart Ind.

    But Jiang Yuan seemed to be calm. Yan Wugui looked over at her and yelled, ¡°Hey! If we do not hurry, we might be left with broken boats!¡±

    ¡°You really underestimate Yunjing¡¯s aristocratic families.¡±

    By now, most had already left. Jiang Yuan walked over slowly and took out an item from her bag and threw it into the water. The item then erged and turned into a boat.

    ¡°Cool!¡± Yan Wugui¡¯s eyes shone. He had seen this treasure in a book once, but the records of it were from the Era of Heavenly Sovereigns. The ones passed down had be less and less powerful.

    The three of them got into the boat, and Jiang Yuan snapped her fingers. A light could be seen, and the boat started sailing.

    During the morning, it was smooth sailing.

    But as time passed by, they met up with water beasts here and there, dying their journey by a while.

    When night fell, the three of them rotated shifts to steer the boat.

    The Lake of Clouds was huge, so it would take about two days for them to reach Lake Heart Ind. For this round, it was apetition of speed; whoever arrived first would get into the next round. Therefore, it was the most ruthless round. The participants would do anything to get into the next round.

    The night was luminous with starlight, the moon full and bright. Lu Mingshu sat at the bow. It was her turn now. She could not do anything, but she needed to be wide awake.

    Perhaps it was because it was nighttime, but the beasts were apparently all asleep instead of harassing them.

    After a while, she could hear shuffling from the hold of the ship, and Yan Wugui emerged from within.

    ¡°It¡¯s still not your turn,¡± she whispered.

    ¡°I know,¡± Yan Wugui said and plopped down beside her. ¡°I¡¯m feeling energetic, so I¡¯m here to apany you.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    They sat in silence for a while, and Lu Mingshu¡¯s hand suddenly felt warm. She wanted to draw her hand back, but Yan Wugui pressed it down. ¡°Shh,¡± he whispered and started writing something on her hand.

    Her palm felt itchy, but Lu Mingshu tried to focus on what he was writing.

    ¡°Jiang, something wrong.¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked up at Yan Wugui, and he shed her a cheeky smile.

    This world¡¯s cultivation method seemed to be superior to theirs, so Lu Mingshu and Yan Wugui didn¡¯t dare to use methods like dreaming messenger or secret transmission. What if the other party could hear and listen to their long conversation?

    Lu Mingshu tilted her head and started to write in his palm.

    ¡°What?¡±

    Yan Wugui furrowed his eyebrows and slowly wrote down a reply.

    ¡°She¡¯s using us.¡±

    Lu Mingshu raised her eyebrows. ¡°You found out something?¡±

    Yan Wugui grinned and shook his head, mouthing, ¡°Sorry.¡±

    Lu Mingshu rolled her eyes. ¡°Then why are you telling me this?¡± Lu Mingshu thought that there was something wrong with Jiang Yuan too, but...

    Yan Wugui continued to write. ¡°Be careful, don¡¯t end up as her stepping stone.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded. Even though they had not talked about it, ever since Jiang Yuan approached them, she and Yan Wugui had a mutual understanding. Prince Jiang did not have a great background, she was stubborn and domineering too. So, they both let her take the lead so that, sooner orter, her motive would be revealed.

    ¡°Indeed not siblings.¡± Prince Jiang¡¯s voice rang in her ears, and soon, she was in front of Lu Mingshu.

    Jiang Yuan smirked and pointed to their hands. ¡°It¡¯s hard to see siblings doing such things.¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked down at her hand to realize that Yan Wugui was still holding it. And previously, while they were writing on each other¡¯s hands, they seemed like a sweet couple.

    She drew back her hand immediately and wiped her hand, annoyed.

    But Yan Wugui was still all smiles. He looked up at Jiang Yuan and nodded. ¡°Prince Jiang is really observant. To be very honest, she isn¡¯t my biological sister.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    Lu Mingshu sat at the side, waiting to hear him talk nonsense. ¡°Yeah. She¡¯s adopted, so we can be considered green plums and hobby horses. Sadly, our parents do not agree to this, so we decided to join this debate together.¡±

    ¡°Eloping?¡± Jiang Yuan leaned back, raising her eyebrows.

    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not like that.¡± Yan Wugui grinned. ¡°If we seed here, we can go back well-regarded.¡±

    ¡°Hah...¡± Jiang Yuanughed. She suddenly leaned in, staring at him coldly. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m an idiot?¡±

    Yan Wugui shrugged. <i>You can choose to not believe if you do not want to.</i>

    ¡°Ji Xulin and Ji Zhenzhen, such nice names, but those aren¡¯t yours, right?¡± She sneered. ¡°Even in Bell Woods, there wouldn¡¯t be aliens in an aristocratic family.¡±

    Aristocratic families were the mainstream culture in this world because of the seals that were passed down by the family. In order to maintain the pure blood, they did not marry aliens, so their offspring would surely be true humans. Sometimes there were those kinds of marriages and the offspring would be without a seal, so they were seen as aliens. Some chose to fake it, but no family would fake it for two of their kids.

    So, either the Ji family was problematic, or they were people taking the Ji siblings¡¯ identities, and thetter seemed to have a higher possibility.

    Yan Wugui and Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t reply, but they didn¡¯t seem to be scared either. They had already signed a contract, so who cared if she wanted to expose them at this point?

    ¡°Which rebel army are you from?¡± Jiang Yuan whispered.

    Yan Wugui stared at her weirdly. <i>Does she mean...?</i>

    Before he could reply, Prince Jiang shook her head. ¡°Whatever, no matter which army you are from, leave immediately after this. I do not care about your grudges with the emperor. It¡¯s not my problem.¡±

    Lu Mingshu and Yan Wugui looked at each other in confusion. <i>What is she trying to hide?</i>

    Yan Wugui came up with an idea quickly and grinned. ¡°Prince Jiang, why are you so cold-blooded? We have signed a contract, it¡¯s a great chance to turn an acquaintance into a friend!¡±

    ¡°Dream on!¡± Jiang Yuan sneered. ¡°I¡¯m a true human, why would I help overthrow the emperor?¡±

    This sentence sent chills running down both of their spines.

    <i>So there¡¯s somebody in this world who wants to overthrow the emperor? And it¡¯s the aliens?</i>

    ¡°Ah, calm down, Prince Jiang!¡± Yan Wugui continued to probe. ¡°It¡¯s not like all aristocratic family members have a good life. Look at yourself. You are way stronger than everyone, yet you have to put in so much more effort! It¡¯s so unfair, so why shouldn¡¯t he be overthrown?¡±

    ¡°Hmph! Are you very fair then? Cultivating is always unfair. Some have a lot of resources, but some have nothing. Only winners survive.¡±

    ¡°What about Eldest Miss Nie?¡± Lu Mingshu suddenly asked. ¡°Is she a winner? Why must she have everything? Even the Floating Cloud young master... oh yeah, he¡¯s an alien too, right? You must have done so much for him, but what about him?¡±

    ¡°Shut the hell up!¡± Jiang Yuan snapped. ¡°What does any of that have to do with you?¡±

    Lu Mingshu heaved a sigh of relief after provoking Jiang Yuan. She still had feelings like a normal person after all. <i>I thought she was actually cold-blooded.</i>

    ¡°You¡¯ve given so much, yet nobody recognizes your effort. Even if they do, they ignore it. Prince Jiang, what¡¯s all this hiding your feelings for?¡±

 Chapter 330 - Spell Formation

    <h4>Chapter 330: Spell Formation</h4>

    Jiang Yuan stared nkly at Lu Mingshu for a moment, before bursting out intoughter. She seemed less serious now too.

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll help you if you anger me?¡± she asked unenthusiastically. ¡°Whatever, with your ability, I can¡¯t get much out of you even if I torture you. After this debate, we will part ways anyway so it¡¯s no longer my problem.¡±

    After this, she went back into the hold.

    Lu Mingshu looked at Yan Wugui weirdly at the sudden change of Jiang Yuan¡¯s mood. But Yan Wugui just shook his head and sat back down at the bow. ¡°Go and rest. It¡¯s my turn now.¡±

    ¡°...okay.¡±

    She nodded and went into the hold.

    Jiang Yuan was leaning against the wall, staring into space instead of meditating, sleeping, or even talking to Lu Mingshu.

    Lu Mingshu chose a spot that was nearer to the entrance and slept.

    Time passed by quickly, and soon it was Jiang Yuan¡¯s turn to be on guard and Yan Wugui¡¯s turn to rest.

    When the sun rose up, the trio was standing side by side on the bow, and they could already see the ind vaguely. There were only a few boats in front of them that were dashing toward the ind.

    ¡°Are wete or early?¡± Yan Wugui asked.

    Jiang Yuan looked over at him and said nothing.

    <i>Obviously early. How would the provided boats function better than a boat that the aristocratic families prepared?</i>

    As soon as they got near the end, the boat started to sway left and right, followed by a strong force, driving the boat up.

    The three of them reacted fast. Yan Wugui was the first one the dive into the waters while Lu Mingshunded on her bronze leaf. Jiang Yuan pressed the boat down to prevent it from tipping.

    Soon, Yan Wugui came back with some dead beasts that he killed.

    ¡°We¡¯re good, right?¡± Before Jiang Yuan could respond, he happily kept the water beasts.

    ¡°...¡± Of course Jiang Yuan wouldn¡¯t make a fuss about it. <i>Why would I, who¡¯s from the Jiang family,ck water beast corpses? But this guy somehow looks extremely unpleasant!</i>

    The sky slowly turned bright, and theke glistered under the sunlight. Lake Heart Ind was already close to them.

    Jiang Yuan suddenly stomped, and the boat came to a halt.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Yan Wugui asked.

    ¡°Wait.¡±

    Suddenly, a boat that was a bit faster than them was tipped over by a huge wave.

    This was a normal boat, which was parked at the dock previously, prepared by the Supreme Sacred Imperial Pce. There were four participants on the boat, and they must have put in a lot of hard work to be able to arrive at such a fast pace.

    Facing this change, the four participants reacted quickly. Two of them tried to stabilize the boat while the other two prepared to attack. Their seals lit up and they sessfully got back on safely.

    ¡°Oh, so there¡¯s a trap here!¡± Yan Wugui looked back at the two of them in shock.

    But Jiang Yuan¡¯s eyes were stuck on the four of them, and it seemed she did not hear him.

    After some time, the four of them finally got rid of the water beasts and continued their journey. But in the blink of an eye, another water beast came up, and a killing spree began.

    That was still not the end; after they got rid of this water beast, another emerged from the waters again after they travelled for less than a mile.

    To this kind of boat, which was designed like a speedboat, a mile was only a blink of an eye for them, which meant that they had not gotten any rest since they killed the first one.

    No matter how slow someone was, they would have realized that something was wrong by now.

    ¡°This route is a wrong one?¡± Yan Wugui asked.

    Jiang Yuan hummed in response but said nothing more.

    After killing this beast, the four of them learned their lesson. They stopped in their tracks to get a rest first.

    But even so, another beast came up to attack them soon after.

    After observing for a while Lu Mingshu suddenly said, ¡°If we want to get through here safely, there must be a special path, right?¡±

    Jiang Yuan raised her eyebrows and looked at Lu Mingshu weirdly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t feel anything, which is enough to prove that the beasts are all hiding, waiting for someone to step into the trap.¡±

    ¡°So?¡±

    ¡°The distance is so huge, if one were to kill one beast every step they take, it would be extremely tedious. But if one waits for the participants in front to clear the road, that would not be fair.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a bad idea to sign a contract with you guys!¡± Jiang Yuan burst out inughter.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that obvious?¡± Yan Wugui side-eyed her. ¡°Where else can you find helpers like us?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Ignoring Yan Wugui, Lu Mingshu continued to watch the battle. ¡°The first round is already so cruel, the second round wouldn¡¯t be that simple, so the route would be the main factor here.¡±

    Finally, this got Jiang Yuan to spill the secret. ¡°Yeah. Lake Heart Ind is surrounded with ambushing water beasts. One can only pass this round if they sessfully pass by the beasts and get to the ind.¡±

    ¡°So what¡¯s the solution?¡±

    ¡°You can kill your way in, that¡¯s the most direct and stupid way. Or...¡± Jiang Yuan smirked. ¡°Do it more easily by having certain pieces of information.¡±

    ¡°Do you have that information?¡±

    Jiang Yuan smiled and shrugged.

    The smile was somehow arrogant. If Lu Mingshu was really from Bell Woods, she would be throwing a fit right now.

    However, to Lu Mingshu, this world had nothing to do with her, and the more information Jiang Yuan had, the better.

    Watching the battle between the four participants and the water beasts getting increasingly intense, Jiang Yuan clicked her tongue. ¡°There¡¯s a spell formation around this ind, and the water beasts are all raised there. If you aren¡¯t aware of it, you will end up like those four. Lucky ones might survive, but if you¡¯re not so lucky...¡±

    <i>You will turn into food for the water beasts.</i>

    Lu Mingshu finished the sentence in her head.

    ¡°Since there¡¯s a spell, there¡¯s a way to break it?¡± Yan Wugui asked.

    ¡°How is it possible for us to break such a big formation? We only have to choose the right methods.¡± Jiang Yuan looked over at him.

    However, Yan Wugui wasn¡¯t interested in her stories. ¡°Tell us if you want, but stop wasting our time.¡±

    Jiang Yuan¡¯s face darkened and she huffed. ¡°I need to observe first. It changes.¡±

    This was the first time Lu Mingshu had ever seen such a spell formation, so of course, she couldn¡¯t tell. But within no time, she could sense the spell¡¯s wave motion.

    <i>Thanks to the Drug Lord, after he did his drug testing on me, not only did I be healthier, I¡¯m more sensitive too.</i>

    She closed her eyes to feel it better.

    It was like a drum, drumming softly.

    <i>Boom! Boom Boom! Boom Boom Boom!</i>

    Lu Mingshu tried to observe for its pattern, calcting it in her mind. Of course, she wouldn¡¯t be able to break the formation. She was not a magician to start with. But this spell formation was not an advanced spell.

    After some time, a few more boats arrived. Some stopped to watch like them while some went on.

    ¡°Brother Jiang.¡± A small boat sped over to them, and Chu Zhengyan came out of the hold, smiling widely at her. ¡°Early, aren¡¯t you?¡±

 Chapter 331 - King of the Beasts

    <h4>Chapter 331: King of the Beasts</h4>

    Jiang Yuan smiled thinly and bowed back. ¡°Brother Chu is early too.¡±

    As soon as she said this, she saw the Floating Cloud young mastering out of the hold of the ship, and she unconsciously narrowed her eyes.

    Noticing the slight change in her expression, Chu Zhengyan smiled. ¡°Ah, I met Brother Yun on my way, so I invited him to join me.¡±

    Jiang Yuan looked at the Floating Cloud young master calmly and smiled. ¡°I see.¡± And bowed to him too.

    Lu Mingshu looked over to Jiang Yuan. She knew that Jiang Yuan wasn¡¯t that calm deep inside. Putting aside her rtionship with the Floating Cloud young master, the nickname Four Princes of Yunjing, while somewhat of a joke, symbolized how powerful their families and supporters were. The Qin, Jiang, and Nie families were three big aristocratic families. The Chu family was not as good, but Chu Zhengyan¡¯s master, Bao Guang, was a strong power in his own right. Any two among these four joining forces would not be something so simple.

    Chu Zhengyan and the Floating Cloud young master, what was the hidden truth? A simple deal or a full alliance?

    After greeting Jiang Yuan, the Floating Cloud young master noticed Lu Mingshu and Yan Wugui and reached out his hand to them. ¡°Two unfamiliar faces, how may I address you?¡±

    ¡°Bell Woods¡¯ Ji family¡¯s Gentleman Ji and Miss Ji,¡± replied Jiang Yuan.

    She sounded like she was introducing somebody who she did not really care about. If they were really the Ji siblings, someone like Prince Jiang would really not care much about them.

    The Floating Cloud young master nodded and said no more.

    On the other hand, Chu Zhengyan was all smiles. ¡°Brother Jiang, are you going to stay here for a moment?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Jiang Yuan nodded. ¡°Our ability iscking, so we are nning to get enough rest before continuing.¡±

    ¡°Brother Jiang is too humble. Since that¡¯s the case, we will make a move first.¡±

    ¡°Please.¡± Jiang Yuan bowed.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Chu Zhengyang told a younger cultivator, and the boat sped into the formation in the blink of an eye.

    ¡°Chu Zhengyan¡¯s junior brother,¡± Jiang Yuan said, perhaps for herself or perhaps for the duo. ¡°He¡¯s not as good as Chu Zhengyan, but simr.¡±

    Lu Mingshu and Yan Wugui exchanged nces.

    ¡°Fu Yun is known for being suspicious,¡± Jiang Yuan continued. ¡°Even though he married into the Nie family, he still doesn¡¯t trust them. He brought none of them along with him. Is he with Chu Zhengyan because of convenience or because the Nie family told him to do so?¡±

    Obviously, Jiang Yuan was talking to herself this time. Someone who knew nothing about Yunjing would not be able to answer.

    Jiang Yuan closed her eyes slightly, seeming to be in deep thought.

    Meanwhile, Prince Chu¡¯s boat had already entered the formation. And expectedly, as soon as they entered, a water beast went up to them.

    The Floating Cloud young master waved his hands, and many sharp des flew out to strike the water beast down.

    Lu Mingshu couldn¡¯t help but look over at Jiang Yuan. Even though her weapon was icicles, Jiang Yuan and the Floating Cloud young master¡¯s skills seemed to be like different tunes yed with equal skill toplement each other. If they were like what Elder Miss Nie said ¨C childhood sweethearts ¨C they might have trained together. <i>I wonder how she feels when she sees that.</i>

    <i>She might not hate the Floating Cloud young master anymore, but it¡¯s clear that she still cares, or she would not have been provoked by me and Yan Wugui.</i>

    Right now, there was no need for her to hate or be jealous of Elder Miss Nie. She was better than her and able to look down on her with her status. But if it was five years ago, what would she have felt? Back then, Jiang Yuan gave the Floating Cloud young master so much, yet they had to part ways just because Elder Miss Nie was richer and could provide him with more resources.

    The Jiang Yuan now no longer needed Elder Miss Nie¡¯s approval, but the humiliation was something she would never be able to forget.

    <i>I hope she will be able to stay calm throughout the debate.</i>

    At this point, Chu Zhengyan seemed to have chosen the same strategy as the first four participants. After a while, Lu Ming realized that they had already overtaken the first boat.

    Her eyes widened in shock, but when she thought back, Lu Mingshu realized why.

    <i>So it¡¯s that! The boat seems to be the same, but Chu Zhengyan¡¯s boat never flipped, and it seems to move in a certain rhythm!</i>

    After some time, another boat entered the formation. It was Prince Qin.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get going.¡± Jiang Yuan suddenly turned to them. ¡°Are you ready? If we stay here any longer, we will bete.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re ready when you are,¡± Yan Wugui said casually.

    Jiang Yuan nodded. She stomped, and the boat started to speed into the formation.

    ¡°¡®I¡¯ll take center, you guys take the wing.¡±

    As soon as she finished this, they met with a water beast immediately.

    Within no time, icicles were everywhere, and the water beast was taken down sessfully.

    Under Jiang Yuan¡¯s control, the boat suddenly took a turn and went ahead for a mile, but soon, they met another water beast.

    And the killing spree continued.

    If everything went well, they would be able to reach the ind by noon.

    Suddenly, the boat shook violently. Jiang Yuan pressed the boat down casually.

    She didn¡¯t take much notice as it was always like this when a water beast attacked.

    But this time around, it was different. The beast did a vigorous counterattack, and she was unable to control the boat. With a whoosh, water started filling the boat, and her cover made of soul energy shattered.

    Jiang Yuan was sent flying out, but before she dropped into the water, she jumped up quickly and stopped mid-air.

    She turned green and stared at the water beast, which looked extremely fierce.

    Cries of rms from boats nearby could be heard, and all participants took a deep breath.

    ¡°What the hell, Freezing Spirit?¡±

    ¡°Where the hell did ite from?¡±

    ¡°Oh my god, it¡¯s the king of beasts used to suppress the formation! And is that Prince Jiang?! The king of beasts rarely makes an appearance, he¡¯s so unlucky.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s ever appeared at all. I have never heard about it before.¡±

    ¡°Once, very long ago during the debate, it went bonkers and killed half of the participants....¡±

    Hearing this, chills ran down everyone¡¯s spine.

    <i>Will I be that unlucky to meet up with the king of beasts when it goes crazy?</i>

    ¡°How could this have happened?¡± Some already started trembling. ¡°Don¡¯t they have Freezing Spirt elders here?¡±

    The other party gulped. ¡°Yes, but elders are at the ind, it will take some time for them to reach here.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, and they might not even notice too since the debate has been peaceful for years....¡±

    The few of them got more fearful as they spoke, and they even wanted to do a U-turn.

    ¡°Shall we turn around? This might not get us a rank, but it¡¯s better than losing our lives.¡±

    One of his friends choked. ¡°How are we going to do that? Killing our way out is harder than killing our way in!¡±

    ¡°This...¡±

    ¡°Calm down. If anything bad happens, it will happen to Prince Jiang too. Let¡¯s wait....¡±

    All of them took a deep breath and waited.

    On the other hand, Jiang Yuan turned ck seeing the king of beasts.

    <i>Somebody¡¯s trying to kill me!</i> She gritted her teeth.

 Chapter 332 - A Tough Fight

    <h4>Chapter 332: A Tough Fight</h4>

    idents aren¡¯t actually idents.

    Those who were high up strongly believed in this saying.

    Benefits and enemies, there were so many who were going after them for different reasons. No matter how minor the change was, it might possibly be some evil intention premeditated by someone.

    And Jiang Yuan knew in her heart that there were many out there who hated her to the core as well as the benefits that woulde with her failing.

    She returned to the Jiang family as an illegitimate child. Step by step, with blood, sweat, and tears, she managed to get to where she was now, bing Prince Jiang. How much she had been through wasn¡¯t something anybody could imagine.

    When the king of the beasts threw her off the boat, many possibilities flew past Jiang Yuan¡¯s mind.

    The chance of a beast king suddenly going crazy was too low, so she immediately came to the conclusion that somebody was going after her.

    But who? The Jiang family or outsiders?

    There was no time to think. She did a somersault andnded on the canopy of the boat, and her seal lit up, forming a cover to protect the boat.

    ¡°Prince Jiang!¡± Yan Wugui shouted to her ¡°It¡¯s a Freezing Spirit beast, we can¡¯t fight it, can we?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no turning around after entering the formation. Either we dash forward, reaching the ind, or be its food.¡± Jiang Yuan looked back at him coldly.

    Yan Wugui looked at Lu Mingshu in horror. The appearance of the beast shocked them too, but what hest expected was how the formation worked.

    <i>Either we dash or kill it? That¡¯s insane!</i>

    <i>This cooperation is a loss for us!</i>

    Sadly, they couldn¡¯t back out or regret now. The only thing they could do now was fight hard for their lives.

    Jiang Yuan waved her hand, and tons of icicles popped up from the sky, going for the king of the beasts.

    The beast king let out a roar and spit out water, which then turned into arrows, dashing toward them.

    Jiang Yuannded down on the boat and stomped, turning the boat away from the water arrows.

    However, the beast was in the Freezing Spirit Realm. Even if they could dodge, it wasn¡¯t easy work.

    Even if they dodged the thickest water arrow, the small water droplets that scattered apart still hit the shield hard, causing ripples, and the cover seemed like it would break apart at any time.

    Yan Wugui took a look at Lu Mingshu and yelled. ¡°Let¡¯s go! Defend too!¡±

    In fact, this was not a smart move. Dashing forward would only trigger the formation and attract water beasts to them, and this king of beasts wouldn¡¯t let them go so easily. Going forward and defending at the same time meant that they would have to fight a Freezing Spirit Realm beast while fighting many Purity Soul Realm beasts at the same time.

    Furthermore, they were only a team of three. One of them would have to control the boat and try to not trigger the formation too frequently. Too many beasts attacking would be deadly. Thus, they only had two people to fight the king of the beasts and the normal beasts. This was way too hard!

    If there was really someone behind all this, they wereing after Jiang Yuan¡¯s life.

    Many boats started crowding around with themotion they heard and cried out in rm at the beast attack.

    Looking at the boat advancing and retreating while the king of beasts attacked, it was thrilling, but they were still moving forward steadily. ¡°Ah, no wonder he¡¯s a prince. If we were the ones there, we would be dead by now.¡± Someone sighed.

    ¡°Yes....¡± His friend narrowed his eyes to get a better look at the other two on the boat, Lu Mingshu and Yan Wugui. ¡°Who are they? They¡¯re not bad either.¡±

    ¡°Who knows? Servants or disciples attached to the Jiang family,¡± somebody answered in monotone. Aristocratic families held the biggest power in the world, so even if Lu Mingshu and Yan Wugui were even better, nobody would take notice of them if they weren¡¯t with Prince Jiang.

    ¡°Hey, what the hell are you all doing? We should leave right now since it¡¯s being held up by Prince Jiang. What if it decides to change targets ande for us?¡±

    Hearing this, the cultivators nearby all suddenly realized the situation and sped off. Even if a water beast came to attack them, they didn¡¯t slow down.

    <i>Who knows how long Prince Jiang canst? What if he is...? Then it will be our turn next!</i>

    Like a fountain, the water droplets rained down on them and blocked their view. The king of beasts swung its tail, sending huge waves over. Feeling the danger, Yan Wugui sent out an attack and pulled Lu Mingshu back.

    ¡°You cover there, and I¡¯ll take here!¡± Yan Wugui grabbed her tightly and looked at her seriously. ¡°If anything goes wrong, run!¡±

    Jiang Yuan gave him a death re, but Yan Wugui paid no attention to him.

    <i>Die alongside with you? I¡¯m not an idiot!</i>

    ¡°You...¡± Before Lu Mingshu could say anything, she was pushed away.

    Immediately, the water showered down on him, covering him. Only some faintly discernible sword light could be seen.

    Lu Mingshu opened her mouth to say something but ended up deciding not to say anything and focused on attacking the beast.

    There were three beasts surrounding them, giving them a lot of pressure. Butpared to the king of beasts, it was nothing much.

    Jiang Yuan activated her soul energy and supported them with cover. Yan Wugui was everywhere now, trying his best to fight the beasts.

    Even so, the cover was shaking vigorously, and Yan Wugui was constantly being sent flying off the boat. Despite that, he recovered quickly.

    After a few nces, Lu Mingshu fished out her sword and started attacking the three water beasts.

    <i>Calm down, calm down. I¡¯ll try to settle these three before thinking of what to do.</i>

    As soon as the king of beasts appeared, Chu Zhengyan and his team, who were in the middle of a killing spree, noticed it.

    ¡°Is that the beast king?¡± Chu Zhengyan¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°Why is it attacking Jiang Yuan?¡±

    The Floating Cloud young master looked over to the direction he was pointing at and bit his lips.

    All of them knew what the appearance of the beast king signified: Freezing Spirit Realm! Furthermore, the king of beasts was stronger than normal Freezing Spirit beasts because of its bloodline.

    Under normal circumstances, Jiang Yuan could manage to escape. All four princes would definitely be equipped with something that allowed them to safely deal with higher realm cultivators, so even if they were unable to defeat them, they would still be able to escape without fail.

    However, they were in a special situation right now. This was the Sea of Cloud¡¯s Debate, and this formation only allowed people to get in but not get out. There may have been Freezing Spirit Realms on the ind, but it wasn¡¯t simple for them to interfere.

    Being surrounded by a huge number of water beasts and with the king of beasts chasing after her, no matter how good Jiang Yuan was, it would be hard for her to escape.

    Maybe because the king of beasts was there, more powerful water beasts were attracted to Jiang Yuan¡¯s side too, allowing Chu Zhengyan and his team to divert their attention and watch the battle between Jiang Yuan and the king of beasts.

    After some time, Chu Zhengyan suddenly realized something. ¡°Who are those with Jiang Yuan? They seem good, even better than us.¡±

    ¡°From the Ji family, Bell Woods,¡± Chu Zhengyan¡¯s junior brother, who was controlling the boat, replied.

    ¡°Bell Woods?¡±

    ¡°An isted state.¡± The junior brother nodded. ¡°There are only three aristocratic families from there worth mentioning, and they are one of them. But I have never heard that they have such outstanding disciples....¡±

    It was rare for a small aristocratic family to have such an outstanding disciple, let alone two. Somehow, their tactics and skills seemed weird as well....

 Chapter 333 - Follow My Commands

    <h4>Chapter 333: Follow My Commands</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Exodus Tales <strong>Editor: </strong>Exodus Tales

    Qin Jun stood at the bow of the ship, watching the battle not far away with a poker face.

    ¡°Brother, is Jiang Yuan being schemed against?¡± His younger sibling who was apanying him on this trip shouted out to him.

    ¡°Maybe,¡± Qin Jun answered after some time.

    ¡°I wonder how much they paid to be able to y tricks during the debate.¡± His younger sibling sighed. ¡°How much do they hate him that they are going after his life?¡±

    ¡°Mm.¡± This was Qin Jun¡¯s only reply.

    ¡°Let¡¯s leave now, shall we? The king of beasts has already been angered, and all it has in its eyes is Jiang Yuan. If it decides to suddenly change targets or something, we may-¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll go over.¡±

    The Qin young master was busy thinking about what to do next, so it took him a while to register what Qin Jun said. When he did, he looked at him in horror. ¡°Brother, what did you say? We will get attacked if we go over now!¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Qin Jun said calmly. ¡°Just a little bit closer, enough to catch the king of beast¡¯s attention.¡±

    ¡°Brother, do you wish to help him?¡± The Qin young master looked at his elder brother in shock.

    Qin Jun¡¯s eyes trailed after Chu Zhengyan and his team¡¯s boat and nodded. ¡°If something bad happens to him, I¡¯ll be alone.¡±

    The nickname Four Princes of Yunjing symbolized their great talent. There would only be three winners from the third round, and everyone was expecting them to be from the four princes. Now, Jiang Yuan was in trouble, so it was assumed that the top three would be the Floating Cloud young master, Chu Zhengyan, and Qin Jun. However, there were always surprises in life. Chu Zhengyan and the Floating Cloud young master were obviously joining forces, so who knew if they would work together to eliminate Qin Jun first? The possibility of this happening was high, so he needed to prepare himself for it.

    After getting affirmation from his elder brother, the Qin young master moved quickly and drove the boat nearer. But they would only help to distract the beasts, not join in the battle.

    Chu Zhengyan broke into a smile after seeing the boat moving closer. ¡°Ah, he finally made his decision. Qin Jun is indeed afraid that we will join hands!¡±

    The Floating Cloud young master remained emotionless, but his eyes were still stuck to the battle, showing great interest in it.

    It could be said that the result of this battle would affect the third round and even the final result.

    If Jiang Yuan was unlucky, Chu Zhengyan and the Floating Cloud young master would take over the third round and take the first two ces sessfully, unless one of them decided to backstab the other. If this happened, the Jiang family would be affected in many areas.

    Chu Zhengyan seemed to be d that this incident took ce. ¡°God bless the person who did this! It¡¯s such a big helping hand.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not you?¡± the Floating Cloud young master blurted.

    ¡°Me?¡± Chu Zhengyan looked at him, mouth agape. ¡°Do you really think that the Chu family is powerful enough to achieve this?¡±

    ying tricks in the debate was not easy. One needed to pass through the Supreme Sacred Imperial Pce, and the Chu family wasn¡¯t powerful enough to do that.

    ¡°Of course not from the Chu family, but you have more than one support, right?¡± the Floating Cloud young master continued.

    As everyone knew, the reason why Prince Chu was so famous was mainly because of his master, Master Bao Guang, an elite from the emperor¡¯s generation.

    Chu Zhengyan sighed and pouted. ¡°I didn¡¯t know Brother Yun had so little trust in me! This is so heartbreaking.¡±

    The Floating Cloud young master did not continue and went back to focusing on the battle.

    Chu Zhengyan sighed and looked over too. However, what he saw rooted him to the ground. ¡°Wha- what?!¡±

    The trio had changed their formation.

    Now, the person controlling the boat was the girl from the Ji family. The other Ji family member and Jiang Yuan were on the wings, as if... listening to hermands?!

    Chu Zhengyan couldn¡¯t help but blurt out a curse word. ¡°What the hell, Jian Yuan... has given up the lead?!¡±

    ...

    With the king of beasts harassing them non-stop and the water beastsing up to attack them continuously, Lu Mingshu finally seized a chance to understand the situation.

    Thanks to the Drug Lord¡¯s experiments, she was able to stay focused for a longer period of time and think faster, which allowed her to collect more data.

    To others, the formation¡¯s existence was a pain because it brought along many distractions.

    However, Lu Mingshu was d that the spell formation was ced there.

    Spell formations had patterns, and to her, it was obvious what the patterns were. One that was aware of the patterns would be able to work around them easily, while those who were not would have an extremely hard time.

    She might not have understood spells, but she knew some stuff about them, enough to understand the pattern.

    The spell formation was very simple. The actions of the water beasts could be calcted by how much one activated the spell, making it simple to settle for Lu Mingshu.

    When the boundary Jiang Yuan made was broken apart, Lu Mingshu spoke up. ¡°I can get us out.¡±

    Jiang Yuan looked at her in doubt. ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°I can get us out.¡±

    After a while, when Jiang Yuan registered her words, she looked at Lu Mingshu sternly. ¡°Miss Ji, it¡¯s not the time for you to joke. This formation is not simple.¡±

    ¡°I meant what I said,¡± Lu Mingshu replied. ¡°We can¡¯t go on like this for long. If you think I¡¯m joking, then do it your way.¡±

    ¡°Trust her!¡± Yan Wugui dodged a water arrow and yelled at Jiang Yuan. ¡°My sister is dope!¡±

    Seeing the confidence on his face, Jiang Yuan furrowed her eyebrows. ¡°It¡¯s not that I do not want to trust her. Are you aware of the risk?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think anything can be worse than this, right?¡±

    The king of beasts roared, and Yan Wugui went up against it again.

    ¡°Even though Prince Qin is trying to divert its attention, he¡¯s trying to test our ability too. If we aren¡¯t good enough, he won¡¯t want to waste his energy on us. If we show him that we can tackle this situation, he would surely help us. Prince Jiang, if you have any better idea, please use it, or me and my brother will escape on our own.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Hearing her, Jiang Yuan took a deep breath and nodded. ¡°Okay, I trust you. Do it your way now.¡±

    <i>Their ability has been shown throughout this round. Even though their skills and tactics are weird, their ability isparable to mine. But how can they be this good if they do not have seals? Or have the rebels been telling the truth? Seals are not rted to ability, but an excuse to keep the aliens down?</i>

    ¡°Let¡¯s switch ces. I¡¯ll take the center while you take the wing.¡± Lu Mingshu waved her hand. ¡°I¡¯ll take the lead. Follow mymands strictly. If you decide to go on your own and something bad happens, I¡¯m not ountable.¡±

    Jiang Yuan had never beenmanded before ever since she became famous, but she was aware of what the situation was, so she took it. ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°I always listen to you, man!¡± Yan Wugui pped and shouted to Lu Mingshu.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s start now!¡±

 Chapter 334 - No Slight Difference

    <h4>Chapter 334: No Slight Difference</h4>

    This battle which was a fight for their lives was a huge test for the three who were in it.

    There¡¯s a king right behind her, and a herd of beasts surrounding them. If they made any mistake, they would all die instantly.

    <i>I worked so hard to finally escape from that old, disgusting drug lord and dying here as a result is uneptable .</i> Lu Mingshu gritted her teeth.

    After they switched ces, she turned to Jiang Yuan. ¡°Prince Jiang, you have the control of this boat, right?¡±

    Jiang Yuan looked up at her right after she killed a water beast. She gritted her teeth and sent Lu Mingshu death res. <i>She¡¯s doing it on purpose! She¡¯s trying to force me into giving out my secret.</i> Even though Jiang Yuan knew that doing so would benefit all of them, she can¡¯t help but feel unhappy at Lu Mingshu using tricks on her. Ever since she became Prince Jiang, nobody dared to do this except Lu Mingshu!

    Jiang Yuan rolled her eyes and threw the badge over in anger. ¡°Take it! Activate it with soul energy and it can form temporary boundaries which canst one attack from the freezing spirit phrase. Don¡¯t waste it because you need an extreme amount of soul energy for this and even I can only use it three times.¡±

    Lu Mingshu caught the badge and nodded her head: ¡°Okay.¡±

    Lu Mingshu smirked. She indeed did it on purpose to force it out of Jiang Yuan. Because nobody would give away such things to another¡¯s possession easily, and by doing so, she¡¯ll need not waste her breath on convincing Jiang Yuan.

    The King of Beasts dashed up to them and created waves with it¡¯s tails.

    ¡°Iing!¡± Jiang yan yelled and wanted to attack.

    Lu Mingshu nce over at her and increased her volume. ¡°Prince Jiang, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve given anymand.¡±

    ¡°you¡ª¡ª¡±

    It was not what Lu Mingshu said that made Jiang Yuan unhappy. But it was her tone that somehow hinted that she¡¯s better than Jiang Yuan making her boil. Jiang Yuan took in a deep breath and calmed herself down before answering. ¡°But miss Ji, we can¡¯t just sit here and not do anything, right?¡±

    The boat is now already mid air, thrown up by the waves, and it was soon going to fall back into the water, with the king of beastsing for them again. This time, it is not aiming for the water, but the boat.

    Jiang Yuan¡¯s heart already inher throat.~ <i>If this attack hits us sessfully, the boat will surely be turned into ashes. Without the boat? Our ability will go drop by at least thirty percent! If Lu Mingshu can¡¯t deal with this, I¡¯ll take control back no matter how bad it will make me look!~</i>

    Suddenly, the king of beast¡¯s tail is above her head.

    The sky turned dark immediately as the tail covered their light.

    ¡°Keep still!¡± By reflex, Jiang Yuan was about to counterattack, but Lu Mingshu¡¯smand stopped her and she managed to keep herself still. But the tail that was right above her head made chills run down her spine.

    As the tail got closer to her¡ª-

    A light shone past, and the boat suddenly turned, making the tail miss by a few centimeters. The huge energy near the boat sent it flying away, and Jiang Yuan felt like it was going to break the boat apart.

    <i>Since I chose to believe in her, then I should at least keep my promise before anything happens.</i>

    The boat made another turn and swiftly went past the huge waves.

    In no time, the sky lit up, and the king of beasts was no longering after them.

    As Jiang Yuan was about to heave a sigh of relief, a group of beasts were now surrounding their boat once again.

    ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± Lu Mingsumanded again.

    The water beasts pounced up towards them one after another, and even though their strength was nothingpared to the king of beasts, a group of them made things hard.

    After the close shave, Jiang Yuan had let her guard down and took a quick nce at Yan Wugui. To her surprise, he was standing there casually, fiddling with his weapon as if he was on a cruise.

    <i>Maybe this girl is that powerful?</i>

    Seeing how calm Yan Wugui was, Jiang Yuan felt more confident and at ease. She then looked back at Lu Mingshu, to see that under her control, the boat was going up towards the four water beasts!

    ¡°Ahhh!¡± Jiang yan cried. She raised her hand unconsciously and got into a defensive posture.

    However, in the blink of an eye, the king of beastsnded an attack ,unching a huge wave that sent the boat flying up once more, just barley scraping past the four beasts.

    ¡°whoosh!¡± the small boat fell back into the water and continued to speed foward.

    The four beasts which they passed by were now behind them, and just nice, they met up with the king of beasts and were crushed within a second.

    Jiang Yuan¡¯s jaw dropped at this scene. They were being surrounded by the herd of beasts and nearly died! <i>But we managed to escape just like this, and we haven¡¯t even done anything! Miss Ji didn¡¯t even activate the defence in the boat!</i>

    <i>What the heck?!</i>

    But Jiang Yuan wasn¡¯t the only who who was taken aback.

    The cultivators who were trying to seize this chance pass the second round were dumbfounded too.

    ¡°Wha¡ªwhat the hell. Even this is possible?!¡± They stared at the battle, jaws wide open. The three people on the boat seemed to have not done anything yet they managed to escape in the blink of an eye without even doing anything!

    Everyone here is a cultivator, but this was something that none of them had ever seen before.

    On the Chu¡¯s family boat, Chu Zhengyan was knocked down by a feather.

    ¡°What the heck, are my eyes ying tricks on me? They did nothing to control the boat but got out safely?!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, your eyes are fine.¡±His junior brother nodded and answered in a monotone voice.

    ¡°This is...unbelievable...¡± Chu Zhengyan stared at the nk space, dumbfounded. ¡°Brother Yun, do you agree?¡±

    Floating cloud nodded his head, his voice was deep: ¡°mhm....¡±

    Seeing his reaction, Chu Zhengyan smiled thinly. ¡°Is brother Yun worried what changes these two cultivators might bring to the debate?¡±

    Floating cloud gentleman said in a deep voice: ¡°With their ability, getting into the 3rd round, might be....¡±

    ¡°Indeed.¡± Chu Zhengyan thought for a while andughed, ¡°But whatever, if anything goes badly, we will bring Qin Jun over.¡±

    Floating cloud gentlemen nced over at him and did not reply.

    <i>~This prince chu, who is also called the pretty prince seems to be a gentleman in front of others, but not in reality. Three of the princes going against one is not a very nice sight, and me and Qin Jun would think twice before doing so. But he does not seem to care about this.~</i>

    <i>Oh and one more....</i>

    ¡°Oh yeah, the two from the Ji family seems to be simr to brother Yun!¡±

    This sentence made the floating cloud¡¯s gentleman heart skip a beat. He looked over but Chu Zhengyan¡¯s eyes were still stuck on the battle. ¡°Their seal seems faint at first, I thought it was because their blood isn¡¯t that pure thus that¡¯s why but when they activate their soul energy, it¡¯s very obvious!¡±

    Jiang Yuan helped them to fake it, and Yan Wugui had redrawn it faintly again. If the seal only appears when they activate their soul energy, it will reminds others lol of the floating cloud gentleman, making them suspicious. Thus Jiang Yuan tried her best and this was the best she could do.

    ¡°Mhm.¡± Floating cloud gentleman muttered.

    Seeing that he did not have much reaction, Chu Zhengyan continued. ¡°Where is brother Yun from though, do you coincidentally have the same bloodline as the Jis?¡±

    The floating cloud gentleman nced over at him coldly. ¡°Don¡¯t all the cultivators in this world have the same ancestor? Brother Chu thinks too much.¡±

 Chapter 335 - Brand new style

    <h4>Chapter 335: Brand new style</h4>

    On the other hand, Qin Jun¡¯s eyes brightened at the scene in front of him.

    He was very near the battle, thus he could better understand how nerve wrecking the battle waspared to the other spectators. And indeed, if they were a few secondste, they would have be minced meat.

    However, the trio managed to escape just by controlling the boat and doing nothing else!

    ¡°Catch up to them!¡± he made amand.

    Qin Jun¡¯s younger brother hummed in agreement and sped up.

    Escaping one attack doesn¡¯t mean that they were safe.

    Realising it was being tricked, the king of beasts got angry and chased after them.

    Looking at the beast chasing her, Jiang Yuan felt both at ease but angry.

    <i>I made the right choice in trusting her. Miss Ji is trustable.</i> This should be something that she was happy about, but on the other hand, she did not feel happy as there was someone better than her.

    Ever since she became famous as prince Jiang, she did not have manypetitors at her age and there was no other female who was better than her. This made Jiang Yuan proud of who she was.

    Yet ever since Miss Ji took over the control, she felt like there was an opponent standing right infront of her currently. It was both exciting because she has finally met a worthy opponent and yet it was depressing because she seemed to have snatched away the spotlight.

    But nheless, Jiang Yuan is where she is today because of her ability, so the unhappiness only remained for a while. <i>Since we are allies now, the stronger she is, the more beneficial it is for me.</i>

    Jiang Yuan¡¯s change in emotion didn¡¯t escape Lu Mingshu¡¯s eyes, as they were both girls afterall. In fact, it would have been easier for her if she had not gotten Jiang Yuan or Yan Wugui¡¯s help. However, she chose to do that to gain Jiang Yuan¡¯s trust. For someone like Jiang Yuan, who had always been in control of her own life, she is naturally suspicious and always double checks anything and everything. So if Lu Mingshu were tomand, it would bring about negative impacts if Jiang Yuan were to act on her own. Thus, this trust was necessary.

    The result was obviously good. And now Jiang Yan believed in her strength.

    Lu Mingsu heaved a sigh of relief and set her heart down to focus on the battle ording to the circumstances, and at a lightning speed she quickly changed the data and inserted a new one into her brain.

    Now, there were numerous numbers flying around in her brain at such a fast speed that one would not be able to see them clearly.

    Lu Mingshu then pooled the data and thought of ways to counter attack.

    Soon, the king of the beasts caught up with them, but this time it did not whoop its tail, instead opening its mouth and spitting out countless water arrows.

    Lu Mingsu activated the defence of the boat, and moved forward against the water arrows.

    ¡°Listen up!¡± she gave her firstmand, ¡°Attack the left!¡±

    The one at the left was Yan Wugui. As soon as lu Mingshu finished her words, a sword light flew out, splitting the huge waves into half.

    ¡°Whoosh¡ª¡± and blood sttered all over the ce.

    ¡± Plop!¡± a water beast jumped out of the water but was headless in no time.

    Lu Mingsu said again: ¡°Move two steps towards forward from the right and attack!¡¯

    Jiang Yuan followed themand carefully. She waved her sleeves and countless icicles appeared in mid air.

    If she didn¡¯t move two steps forward, then she would have been surrounded by two beasts. But now that she did, she could move and attack with ease and get rid of the two beasts in no time.

    And the timing was perfect.

    Not far away, Chu zhengyan was jumping up and down excitedly ¡°Look, their method is so new and weird, but so strong and cool!¡± He squealed and grabbed onto his junior brother.

    His junior brother hummed and escaped his grasp and sighed. ¡°Nothing new, weird or strong. Just great observation skills.¡±

    ¡°But not everyone can do it! We can¡¯t, can we?!¡±

    ¡°Mhm.¡±

    Chu Zhengyan looked around, and went over to the floating cloud gentleman excitedly. ¡°Brother Yun, what do you think?¡±

    Seeing Chu Zhengyan so excited, what else could he say? He nodded and smiled thinly. ¡°Yeah it¡¯s good.¡±

    ¡°Miss Ji is so good! She is from the Ji family of Bell¡¯s Forest right? What do they do?!¡±

    ¡± The Bell¡¯s Forest is a small isted state. They only have three known aristocratic families. The Ji family is one of them. And previously I heard that the Ji family was dead set on sending their disciples over for the debate but none of them were good enough to qualify.¡± His junior brother didn¡¯t even spare him a nce and answered monotonously.

    Chu Zhengyan knows well that his junior brother has extraordinary memory, and he memorised detailed information of all the aristocratic families which were participating in the debate by heart. <i>That means none of the Ji have ever made it to the second round of the debate.</i>

    ¡°Interesting, huh?¡± He smirked. ¡°Bell Forest¡¯s Ji family. Good material to do research on.¡±

    Chu Zhengyan was all hyped up, while on the other hand, Qin Jun was in deep shock.

    He was very close to the battle, so he could see and feel the coordination between the trio more clearly. How precise they were would determine the result, yet the trio was able to perform the attacks well and made the coordination seem like easy work.

    <i>With a freezing spirit king of beasts and the many water beasts going after them, how were they able to pass it so easily?</i>

    Qin Jun¡¯s younger brother was dumbfounded too. He was confused by the things that ured at such a fast speed. Yet the trio on the boat seemed to be standing straight and firm despite the vigorous movements of their boat.

    Qin jun¡¯s younger brother¡¯s ability is not as good, and his eyesight isn¡¯t that good either. He couldn¡¯t tell how they did it, but he knows that they escaped easily.

    ¡°Older brother, why have those water beasts be so weak?¡±

    But how would Qin Jun have time for him? He was so caught up with the battle that he was tempted to have first hand experience of this. <i>Thay was amazing!</i>

    ¡°Elder brother!¡±

    ¡°Watch closely!¡± Qin Jun sounded snapped. ¡°Pay attention and speak less!¡±

    His younger brother looked up at him in shock. <i>What¡¯s wrong with him today? He has never been this fierce.</i>

    The water beasts dropped dead one by one, coloring theke red. The stench of blood was so strong that it provoked the king of beasts.

    It had high cultivation, so it was intelligent. The water beasts that the trio killed were it¡¯s descendants. How could he not be angry when his descendants were massacred right in front of him?

    ¡°Ahhhh¡ª-¡± it roared, and the king of beasts jumped up.

    Prince Chu jumped out of his skin seeing that. ¡°the.....king of beasts got angry? They are doomed!¡±

    When the king of beasts got mad, its power was shown!

    Qin Jun also had this thought, he did not have time to think, shouted: ¡°Hurry! Attack from here!¡±

    ¡°Older brother!¡± The Qin¡¯s family gentleman was shocked.

    The Qin¡¯s family servant looked back in shock too : ¡°Sir?¡±

    ¡°Attack!¡± Qin Jun without the slightest hesitation, ¡°We can thank them this way!¡±

 Chapter 336 - Breathtaking

    <h4>Chapter 336: Breathtaking</h4>

    ¡°Oh no, the beast king is mad!¡± Jiang Yuan shouted over to Lu Mingshu. When she didn¡¯t receive any reply, she looked back to see Lu Mingshu standing at the boat¡¯s bow, as if she did not hear the warning.

    Even though she believed in Lu Mingsu¡¯s skills, Jiang Yuan was still extremely worried about their safety. <i>Miss Ji might not know that it has gone crazy!</i> ¡°Miss Ji! The king of beasts has gone crazy, its strength will go up three timespared to its usual, the stronger ones can even make it five times, this is not a joke!¡±

    However, Lu Mingshu only turned around and red at her. ¡°I know!¡± Jiang Yuan wanted to say something, but Lu Mingshu had already held up her hand, warning Jiang Yuan to not make anyments. ¡°Do not disturb me!¡±

    Hearing her reply, Jiang Yuan nearly cursed. Luckily, she had already mentally prepared herself and seen how good Lu Mingshu was. She constantly reminded herself throughout the battle that if she made up her mind to trust Lu Mingshu, she should abide by her promise.

    She let out a deep sigh and turned over to look at Yan Wugui, who was still as calm as always. Seeing him, Jiang Yuan felt more at ease and patted herself. <i>~ It¡¯s okay, if anything bad happens, they will die alongside me!~</i>

    Lu Mingshu drove the boat and sped across theke, trying to gain more information about the beast as she increased her speed.

    If one could read her mind, they would be able to see many green colored lines turning red all of a sudden, with green as the road that Lu Mingshu can take and red as the ones that she cannot. The number of red-colored lines had increased, but she didn¡¯t give up. ~<i>no matter how many choices I am left with now, it¡¯s not the time to give up.~</i>

    At the same time, another boat got nearer to the battle, killing all the water beast going after the boat or following behind the king of beasts.

    Chu Zhengyan pouted when he saw this scene. ¡°Qin jun has already made up his mind. So if Jiang Yuan manages to escape this attack, he will definitely be on her side.¡±

    But the floating cloud gentleman did not respond and focused on the battle.

    If Qin Jun chose to help in such a dangerous situation. He would be showing that he was putting his bet on Jiang Yuan. If Jiang Yuan escaped, why would he still join forces with them? For what would he be assisting Jiang Yuan then?

    ¡°Brother Yun, tell me, can they escape?¡±

    Floating cloud gentlemen shook his head.

    ¡°No?¡±

    ¡°No,¡¯ floating cloud gentlemen sounded unsure, ¡°Unable to predict.¡±

    Chu Zhengyan bit his lips and sighed dejectedly. <i>~Life is indeed unpredictable. I once thought that Jiang Yuan would suffer a huge loss even if the freezing spirit elders step in. But now, it seems like they are on the bright side and got the upper hand. I have not heard of such sess stories when going up against the king of beasts, but what if they manage to do so? Since Qin Jun has ced his bet on her, the percentage of winning must be high or else he wouldn¡¯t do so,</i>

    ¡°Miss Ji, prince Qin has attacked.¡± Even though Lu Mingshu said to not disturb her, Jiang Yuan felt it was safer to do so; thus, she reminded her.

    Lu Mingshu nced over to see the Qin¡¯s family boat nearby and nodded. ¡°Prince Jiang, can you please request them to kill all the surrounding beasts and stay at least ten feet away from us?¡±

    Jiang Yuan look at her in shock. ¡°You mean....¡± She was d that Qin Jun decided to help her, which means that he¡¯s willing to join forces with them, and they would surely escape with his help. <i>~but Miss Ji....~</i>

    ¡°Just do as I say!¡¯

    Immediately, Jiang Yuan used a tele-message and connected with Qin Jun.

    After a while, she nodded. ¡°Done.¡±

    And the Qin family boat was now indeed ten feet away from them.

    Lu Mingshu heaved a sigh of relief and erased the beasts¡¯ data, which were swimming ten feet away from her.

    It¡¯s hard for outsiders to understand her method. And to them, putting strong people like Qin Jun ten feet away is suicidal. Like digging a hole for herself to jump in. But in fact, putting them ten feet away made Lu Mingshu¡¯s life easier.

    Data from real life is actually veryplicated. One needs to update it constantly as many factors might change at any moment, even if it was something very minor. If Qin¡¯s family members could help her tackle the beasts, which were swarming up to ten feet away, it would decrease her distraction.

    On the other hand, as she did not know the Qin family members personally. It was impossible for her to control them, as it might backfire.

    <i>~ There¡¯s too much I have to hide, but it¡¯s fine just like this~</i>

    The king of beasts let out a roar, and bubbles started to surface on theke as if it was boiling.

    Lu Mingshu gritted her teeth and yelled. ¡°Hold on!¡±

    As soon as she finished, the boat sped up and took a turn in mid-air, speeding to the left. Many cultivators avoided their boat frantically as they sped past.

    The king of beasts continued to dash after them, trying to smash them with its tail. Its scale turned bright red could be turned into knives, flying towards the trio while the beast continued to spit out water arrow.

    And the boat they were on was suddenly tossed up to the sky and even did several somersaults right in the air.

    Luckily, When the boat was about tond on its bow, Jiang yuan managed to stomp hard and keep the boat straight with soul energy.

    The boat tossed at a fast speed and was thrown out of the water again. Itnded in a split second but managed to avoid the knives made out of scales. However, the water arrows were so fast that they couldn¡¯t avoid them. In an emergency, Lu Mingshu activated the boat¡¯s defense, and the water arrowsnded on the shield.

    The water arrow and shield disappeared at the same time and manage to avoid the danger.

    ¡°Miss Ji, beware of the amount of energy you use.¡± Jiang Yan reminded her.¡±

    The boat¡¯s defense allowed one to take down one attack from the freezing spirit. Still, it used up quite a considerable amount of soul energy. It was good enough if one could activate it even twice.

    ¡°I know.¡± Lu Mingshu simply replied.

    What Lu Mingshu was most worried about was not how much energy she has lost. This defense method indeed used up vast amounts of energy. But what Jiang Yuan was unaware of is that she had skills that allowed her to replenish her energy while battling.

    <i>~If I can control it well, I can activate it up to five times.~</i>

    There¡¯s an increasing amount of boats getting nearer to the ind, and this scene has gotten all their eyes fixed on the battle. Some tried to take the chance to pass through when the smaller beasts were being distracted, while some worried about their lives and were finding ways to get out of the formation. However, they knew by heart that it¡¯s not possible and prayed that Jiang Yuan would seed.

    Some who knew that they would not pass the second round decided to just stand outside the formation and watch. <i>This is not something that I¡¯ll get to see every day. If I can¡¯t take a ce in thispetition. I can still take this story!</i>

    So, now, a situation that had never once urred arose. A boat being chased by numerous beasts and attacked by the king of beasts in the formation, while many boats stayed outside the formation to watch, cheer them on and even gavements at times...

 Chapter 337 - Self destructive

    <h4>Chapter 337: Self destructive</h4>

    Looking at her activating the defense mode the third time, Jiang Yan could not help but ask, ¡°Miss Ji, do you still have any soul energy left?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Lu Mingshu replied and gave her amand, ¡°Move to the south-east, attack!¡±

    Jiang Yan nodded and attacked at lightning speed. Until now, she has already gotten used to listening to Lu Mingshu¡¯smand.

    Of course, another water beast was soon killed, and its body dropped back into the river.

    Now, Jiang Yuan trusted Lu Mingshu totally and gasped in awe when she gave anothermand. <i>Hermands are never wrong. Even though I can sense the beast¡¯s action too, I cannot do it so precisely.</i>

    As time passed, Jiang Yuan had killed numerous water beast. Theke was now blood-red in color due to the many beast¡¯s blood. The trio was also soaked in blood, as if they have just bathed in blood. Their faces and clothes were all stained with blood.

    Jiang Yuan felt extremely tired, but she felt motivated as well. The continuous battle was challenging her limit, and she had already broken some, so her overall ability has increased.

    <i>~Persevere, just for a little more.....~</i>

    Jiang Yuan gritted her teeth and nodded. <i>I don¡¯t want to die; I have persevered for too long, to reach where I am now, I must live!</i>

    While thinking, she prepared her next move. But when she turned around, the king of beast¡¯s body was surrounded by a red-colored light. ¡°Oh no!¡± She screamed.

    Every scale on the beast¡¯s body lit up blood-red. As time passed, it turned increasingly red, shining brightly.

    ¡°This is.....¡± Chu Zhengyan widened his eyes in shock and gulped.

    ¡°Self-destruction!¡± From the Qin¡¯s boat, Qin jun yelled to warn them.

    ¡°Brother, what¡¯s that?¡± His younger brother turned around to look at him in confusion.

    But Qin Jun did not have the time to answer him, and he focused on the battle. He did not know whether tough or to cry. It was a good thing that he was ten feet away so that he couldn¡¯t help much, and nobody could me him for Jiang Yuan¡¯s death. <i>~But I have already put in much effort, and it¡¯s a loss if he doesn¡¯t manage to escape!~</i>

    <i>~What a pity. What a pity!~</i> Qin Jun sighed.

    Self-destruction was something that a beast would do only when it has gone crazy. It happens when the urge to win was so strong for the beast that it doesn¡¯t care about its life anymore. In this case, the king of beasts had seen with its own eyes its descendants getting massacred right in front of it as it was helpless to stop them. Even people would mad if this happened to them. At this time, it¡¯s likely to be thest move that a beast would make in a battle, and they would kill the enemy no matter the cost.

    For example, this king of beasts has transferred its soul blood to its scales. No matter if this attack works or not, it might die because of the enormous loss of soul blood. Suppose it was lucky, its cultivation might drop by a phrase only.

    Usually, this type of attack, not even a cultivator of the same phase would escape alive.

    Jiang Yuan is dead without a doubt.

    ¡°Oh my god!¡± Even though many spectators did not understand what self-destruction meant. They could surely tell from what they saw that this would be a devastating attack.

    <i>~Such a pity...They exhibited such strong ability, yet it¡¯s all going down the drain. If the freezing spirit elders arrived sooner, it would be good. ~</i>

    On the Chu¡¯s family boat, Chu Zhengyan was so shocked that he couldn¡¯t even talk properly. Meanwhile, the floating cloud gentleman seemed to be very nervous and wanted to rush up to help. But he suddenly stopped in his tracks, and his eyes were filled with sadness, which was rarely seen on the floating cloud gentleman as he was mostly emotionless. But even so, his feet felt very heavy....

    He shut his eyes tightly, not wanting to watch.

    ¡°Whoosh¡ª¡± the water thundered. The blood-colored light burst out, exploding in the sky as if a firework.

    Jiang Yuan was so nervous that all she could do was barely follow Lu Mingshu¡¯smand. She used all her soul energy to form a strong shield.

    At the same time, Yan Wugui used all his mystic force to activate the boat¡¯s defense.

    Three energies joined together, forming a huge shield.

    ¡°Boom!¡± Jiang Yuan heard something explode, and she was thrown back in no time.

    She did not dare to open her eyes, and the wind made her face feel like needles were piercing it. It also made her body numb, to the point where she might not feel anything when shended.

    ¡°Plop!¡± She felt like her bones had all been crushed.

    Until she realized she was being carried, her mindpletely nk.

    ¡°Prince Jiang! Prince Jiang!¡±

    She opened up her eyes upon hearing someone shouting for her. When she opened up her eyes, the first thing she saw was Lu Mingshu. ¡°Miss Ji...?¡± She mumbled.

    ¡°Great, you¡¯re fine.¡± Seeing that she was still conscious, Lu Mingshu slowly put her down and went to look for Yan Wugui.

    Jiang Yuan sat up slowly and registered her surroundings. When she finished, Jiang Yuan yelled. ¡°Did we pass?¡±

    ¡°Are you dead?¡± Lu Mingshu rolled her eyes.

    ¡°But we were in theke!¡±

    ¡°One step away from the ind.¡± Lu Mingshu reminded her. ¡°Did you turn stupid after everything happened?¡±

    Jiang Yuan rubbed her eyes twice and felt incredulous. Just now, she was only focused on following Lu Mingshu¡¯smands and didn¡¯t even realize where they were. ~<i>How did we arrive?~</i>

    She looked at the other side in confusion, and Lu Mingshu seemed a bit worried as she was kneeling beside Yan Wugui, shaking him. ¡°Hey, are you still alive?¡±

    Yan Wugui didn¡¯t respond.

    After two more minutes, Yan Wugui still hadn¡¯t responded. Lu Mingshu couldn¡¯t help but panic. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? You are not even injured very seriously. Wait, I have some medicine with me....¡±

    As she was looking for it, Yan Wugui suddenly jumped up and yelled. ¡°Boo!¡±

    In surprise, Lu Mingshu punched him in the face hard.

    Yan Wugui flew a few meters back andnded hard on the floor. He gritted his teeth and wailed. ¡°You punched me? You dared to hit me?!¡±

    Lu Mingshu stood up and sneered. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s hard enough, though?¡± She rubbed her fist and yelled. ¡°Do you know what situation we are in now? And you still dare to joke around?!¡±

    Yan Wugui scrunched his nose andughed, running away.

    But Lu Mingshu¡¯s attention was no longer on him. She walked over to take a look at the king of beasts, which was now dead.

    Yan Wugui trailed behind her and sing-songed. ¡°Haish, why so serious? I didn¡¯t know you were so afraid that I¡¯ll die!¡±

    Lu Mingshu huffed and walked away.

    ¡°....¡± Jiang Yuan stared into nk space, seeing Yan Wugui still joking around. It felt like a dream that these two clowns in front of her were joking around now was the same two who managed to help her escape death.

    Just then, Qin Jun walked over with his brother and servant. ¡°Brother Jiang.¡±

 Chapter 338 - Finally

    <h4>Chapter 338: Finally</h4>

    Seeing him, Jiang Yuan took a deep breath and stood up fast. ¡°Brother Qin.¡± She bowed and greeted Qin Jun, his younger brother, and his and servant.

    Qin Jun look at her and smiled thinly. ¡°We can cut the courtesy, right?¡±

    Jiang Yuan immediately understood the hidden meaning and nodded. ¡°Of course.¡±

    Qin Jun smiled widely and nodded. ¡°After this round, it will be a dangerous journey. Why not we move onwards together?¡±

    Of course, Jiang Yuan wouldn¡¯t decline. ¡°Younger brother has this thought too.¡±

    With just a few words, a temporary alliance was formed.

    Qin Jun then turned to Lu Mingshu and Yan Wugui and reached out his hand. ¡°I have not met either of you before, I wonder...¡±

    Jiang Yuan had already guessed that one of the factors that caused Qin Jun to join hands with her was due to Lu Mingshu and Yan Wugui. Because of the duo, she became stronger.

    Firstly Jiang Yuan didn¡¯t pay much attention to them. She only thought that they were quite good, so it would be beneficial to keep them by her side. It was not hard to kill Lu Mingshu or Yan Wugui if they were useless or caused her trouble. She could easily find people to do so.

    However, she had changed her mind now. After the battle, she realized that Lu Mingshu¡¯s unique skills were very beneficial to her, and Yan Wugui was stronger than her. No matter what instructions Lu Mingshu gave them, Yan Wugui was able to coordinate.

    This somehow saddened Jiang Yuan. She put in so much time and hard work only to realize that she was weaker than two disciples from an isted ce, one in terms of skills and one in ability. However, Prince Jiang still lived by her nickname. She recovered from her sense of failure fast and looked at the situation optimistically.

    <i>I can¡¯t let anyone else get these two!</i>

    ¡°My good friends.¡± Jiang Yuan changed her answer and introduced them formally. ¡°This is the gentleman Ji, Ji Xulin, and this is his younger sister, Miss Ji Zhenzhen.¡±

    ¡°So it¡¯s gentleman Ji and Miss Ji. Nice to meet you.¡± He bowed.

    ¡°Pleasure to meet Prince Qin.¡± Yan Wugui bowed. <i>~Luckily, he knows when to joke and when to not~</i> Jiang Yuan heaved a sigh of relief.

    ¡± May I know where you two are from? Qin Jun is too ignorant to not know such outstanding cultivators.¡± Qin Jun was very enthusiastic about it.

    ¡°Wee from the bell¡¯s forest.¡± Yan Wugui said and waved his hand. ¡°It¡¯s a small ce. Normal for Prince Qin to have never heard of it.¡±

    Yan Wugui was handsome. Adding on his outgoing character and attractive smile, he is one of those that will make strangers like him easily. Not a few minutester and Prince Qin already wants to treat him to a meal to have a hearty chat with, and if possible, get him on his side.

    Shortly, Prince Chu and his team arrived. Jiang Yuan waved to him. ¡°Brother Chu!¡±

    Qin Jun turned back and smiled. ¡°Brother Chu, Brother Yun.¡± he bowed.

    Chu Zhengyan smiled sweetly and greeted Qin Jun. He then turned to Jiang Yuan and patted her shoulder. ¡°I was so scared for you, brother Jiang! It was nerve-wracking to watch!¡±

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s not my effort this time around.¡± Jiang Yuan smiled thinly. ¡°I¡¯m thankful for my good friends who helped me out. I¡¯m d we are all okay.¡±

    ¡°I know, right. The battle just now was so interesting that I could talk about it for days....¡±

    As they were chatting, a ray of light shot up from the center of the ind andnded right in front of them.

    Seeing the person who¡¯s now in front of them, they immediately stood straight and bowed. ¡°Senior.¡±

    The freezing spirit phrase¡¯s elder who¡¯s guarding theke¡¯s heart ind had finally arrived.

    He was a middle-aged man, and he looked bored. After the princes greeted him, he coughed and raised his voice. ¡°What happened earlier?¡¯

    Jiang Yuan stepped up and bowed. ¡°Senior, I¡¯m not sure why but the king of beast suddenly broke out of the formation¡¯s control and chased us juniors around.¡±

    ¡°Uh?¡±

    In fact, Jiang Yuan did not even need to repeat. He was guarding the ce; why would he not know? Jiang Yuan had already suspected that it was nned for the king of beasts to go crazy. Moreover, the freezing spirit elder guarding the ce did not arrive in time; it further confirmed her guess.

    But she was prince Jiang, so she continued to smile and continued politely. ¡°Senior, please have a look. My alliance apanied me, and they are all my eyewitnesses.¡±

    The freezing spirit phrase elder took a nce at everyone present and nodded. ¡°I¡¯m aware of the incident.¡±

    ¡°So what does senior n to do about this?¡±

    As soon as she asked this question, the senior stared at her, seeming angry.

    However, Jiang Yuan ignored his stare and continued. ¡°The king of beasts should not go crazy anytime, anywhere they want. Am I right? It¡¯s the sea of cloud¡¯s debate; if this happened, it might kill a lot of us!¡±

    The other party sneered and shot her a death re. ¡°Gentleman Jiang, are you trying to challenge me?¡±

    ¡°Junior dares not.¡± Jiang Yuan replied calmly. ¡°It¡¯s just that senior is guarding this ce, and senior would have to answer for this.¡±

    Before the other party could reply, Qin Jun stepped up and smiled. ¡°Prince Jiang¡¯s words indeed makes sense. The incident has already urred, and we need an exnation. It¡¯s fair, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    The Jiang¡¯s may not be powerful enough, but adding but the Qins....

    The freezing spirit phrase elder coughed dryly and smiled thinly. ¡°I¡¯ll investigate further into this and report it to the emperor. But it will take some time, so focus on the debate first. All the best.¡± He sounded more caring now as if his angerpletely vanished.

    Seeing this, Jiang Yuan didn¡¯t push it further and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m just afraid that senior may forget. But since senior already has it in mind, then I shall not talk too much.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± The cultivator seemed friendlier nowpared to thest time. ¡°Do not let this affect you. The third round is about to start, so get ready soon.¡± He smiled at them as if he was worried about them.

    ¡°Noted.¡± The princes nodded, and a ray of light reappeared, sending the elder off.

    Not after long, a group of purity phase cultivators came out of the ind and cleaned the dead king of beast¡¯s body away.

    Qin Jun look over to Jiang Yuan. ¡°Brother Jiang, let¡¯s go to the sea of clouds now?¡±

    ¡°Sure. Brother Qin, please.¡±

    They went over to Chu Zhengyan and floating cloud gentleman and bowed. ¡°We¡¯ll get going first.¡±

    With that, the different groups went separate ways.

    Lu Mingshu and Yan Wugui were thest. Yan Wugui grabbed her over and whispered. ¡°Oh my god, such an actress. She must be dying to kill him, yet she was still acting so nicely. Yuck.¡±

    ¡°Or what?¡± Lu Mingshuughed. ¡°Call him out like a madwoman? That¡¯s not nice, and it wouldn¡¯t have worked as well.¡± Lu Mingshu looked around, then continued. ¡°Who do you think is the culprit?¡±

    ¡°Who knows?¡± Yan Wugui shrugged.

    Lu Mingshu sighed upon seeing his reaction. ¡°The difference....¡±

    If it were Xie Lianzhen, the dramatic guy would already havee up with tons of scenarios. But Yan Wugui does not even want to use his brain! He¡¯s not stupid, just that the way he handles things is different from Xie Lianzhen. <i>~well, if they were the same, what is there to split?~</i>

 Chapter 339 - Sea of clouds

    <h4>Chapter 339: Sea of clouds</h4>

    The journey to the center of the ind was smooth sailing. There weren¡¯t any other challenges on the way and the team arrived at their designated area following the inbuilt trail.

    The Sea of clouds lives up to its name. On top of a hill on the ind, there was a special ce with a uniquendform. It seemed like a valley, surrounded by clouds and stone pirs shooting up to the sky.

    On the shorter hill tops surrounding the valley, there were many pavilions built on them. Participants would need to get into the pavilions and fight for the first ten ces.

    Jiang Yuan pointed to the stone pir in the middle and whispered to them. ¡°Look at that. There¡¯s a teleportation spell formation there. It can only take up to ten people.¡±

    In summary, this round may not need one to start a killing spree. Only ten would have the right to fight for the top three spots. This is the round that was easiest for one to get into idents and one where people would set many traps. So irregardless of one¡¯s ability, he or she may be kicked out too.

    ¡°Where is the emperor¡¯s order?¡± Yan Wugui asked.

    At this stage, Jiang Yuan is not keeping anything from them anymore. ¡°If its here, it will appear at the end¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Jiang Yuan then turned to Lu Mingshu. ¡°Miss Ji?¡±

    ¡°Does prince Jiang want me to put in hundred or fifty percent of my effort?¡±

    Jiang Yuan stared at her nkly.

    ¡°If it¡¯s fifty, I¡¯ll do as you say to help you get into the top ten.¡±

    ¡°What about one hundred?¡± Jiang Yuan asked curiously.

    ¡°Then you¡¯ll have to let me lead.¡± Lu Mingshu said monotonously.

    ¡°You¡¯re not shy, are you?¡± Jiang Yuan joked and shook her head. ¡°It is not an easy decision.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded and let her have some time to decide.

    Jiang Yuan thought for a while before nodding. ¡°Then I¡¯ll let Miss Ji leas.¡±

    ¡°I think prince Jiang is already aware of my rules.¡± Lu Mingshu nodded. ¡°If you choose to let me the lead, then you must follow mymands strictly, no matter how ridiculous they are.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Jiang Yuan smiled.

    After the previous battle, Jiang Yuan had seen how valuable Lu Mingshu was. Her strength was simr, or only a bit weaker than hers, and nowhere near Yan Wugui¡¯s. But her skill and nning was something that Jiang Yuan knows that she would not be able to find anywhere.

    ¡°Okay, so there are some things that I did not have the time to inform prince Jiang previously. But now, let¡¯s get some things clear first.¡±

    ¡°Please.¡± Jiang Yuan reached out her hand, indicating for her to start.

    Lu Mingshu did not say anything that was tooplicated. She only exined hermands again, for example, direction and timing.

    Jiang Yuan listened to it carefully and asked questions when she wasn¡¯t sure. She even took note of things she needed. After confirming with Lu Mingshu, she then rested awhile and looked around to see who else was already in the pavilion.

    The four princes were the first to arrive, they shared a pavilion and each stood at a side, discussing with their team members the next step.

    All three of them broughtpanions, only the floating cloud gentleman who was on his own. He stood at the side by himself, which made him look lonely as the others were all discussing their next step.

    Lu Mingshu bit her lips and went closer to Jiang Yuan. ¡°Prince Jiang, I have some questions. If you find them too private, you can choose to not answer.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± Jiang Yuan shrugged. ¡°As long as it¡¯s not about a secret about the Jiangs or something that is too private, I will answer them.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded. ¡°How¡¯s the floating cloud gentleman¡¯s situation like in the Nie family?¡±

    ¡°Nie Rufei is obsessed with him, and he can have anything he wants.¡± Jiang Yuan said without any thought.

    ¡°No, what I mean is that who in the Nie family treats him well?¡±

    Jiang Yuan raised her eyebrow. She answered after awhile. ¡°The Nie family dotes on their elder miss, they will do anything she asks for. Fu Yun is talented on the other hand too, worth the investment.¡±

    ¡°But he isn¡¯t rted to them, and he doesn¡¯t talk to others much, am I right?¡±

    ¡°Well, he wqs always like this. Unpleasant but still better than hypocrites who sweet talk.¡± Jiang Yuanughed.

    ¡°That¡¯s what the Nie family thinks about him?¡±

    ¡°I guess so?¡± Jiang Yuan shrugged . She doesn¡¯t seem to be interested in how the Nies viewed the floating cloud gentleman.

    ¡°Do you think that he joined forces with Prince Chu because of his family or was it his own decision?¡±

    ¡°From what I know about him, it should be his decision. But it¡¯s definitely not something that the Nie¡¯s would disagree to.¡± Jiang Yuan thought for a while before answering.

    ¡°So that means he does still have a certain ce in the Nie family.¡± Lu Mingshu asked.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    After this, Lu Ming shu asked about the other princes, getting to know the rtionship between them.

    As time passed, more and more arrived at the pavilion.

    When the pavilions were filled, the time was up.

    There were more than five thousand people at the start, but there were only a hundred left now. Most were aristocratic family members, and only a few were from weak backgrounds or private candidates.

    The bell rang and three freezing spirit elders appeared. One of them was the one that questioned them previously.

    They didn¡¯t waste much time and gave the instructiona fast. ¡°For the third round, the first ten to reach the heaven core will be the winner. There is no limited time and everything is allowed. Start.¡±

    When they finished, the freezing spirit elders went into the hill and sat down. Not doing anything else.

    The crowd mingled for an hour and everyone made deals with everyone they know to go in together.

    ¡°Miss Ji? Jiang Yuan whispered.

    ¡°Since the other three princes aren¡¯t doing anything, then we don¡¯t need to either, right?¡± Lu Mingshu remained seated.

    Jiang Yuan stared at her nkly for a moment before nodding.

    The four princes might be just a nickname, but in these few years, it had created an image for them and the cultivators in their generation all dared not mess with them. So if the four of them did not start, none dared to as well.

    ¡°Then we will take our time.¡±

    ¡°Mhmm.¡± Jiang Yuan leaned back. That¡¯s something she would do too.

    At the start, the cultivators in the sea of cloud dared not make a move, but as the number of peopleing in increased, filling up the ce, many start to fight.

    Lu Mingshu stared at the clouds. ¡°They are a distraction?¡± She pointed at the clouds.

    ¡°Not only so.¡± Jiang Yuan nooded. It will slowly take in soul energy, and once it¡¯s full, it will realise, hitting the one who¡¯se nearer to him. So, you will need to take note of what you¡¯re stepping onter.

    Lu Mingshu sighed. It¡¯s really not an easy round. There¡¯s too much distraction. A hundered of people fighting against each other is not a simple task, she¡¯ll need to figure out where to stand adn take note of the cloud too. ~to suceed, not only you have to be capable, but lucky too.~

    To her, only data is realistic. She do not know how to calcte luck, and it¡¯s uncontroble. ~I will try to get enough data to lower the per centage of luck affecting.~

    After sometime, the cloud finally collected enough soul energy, and let out a fire ball out of sudden, hitting the first cultivating down, leaving a blood curling scream behind.

    The crowd turned silent after he fell.

    But soon after, the fight became way mroe intense.

    The participants are all aware how bad the consiquence would be if they fail. Falling down frpom here would only cause an injury if one¡¯s lucky, but half of his life if he¡¯s not.

    Lu mingshu suddenly stood up and shouted. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

 Chapter 340 - Again

    <h4>Chapter 340: Again</h4>

    When the three of them made their move, the other participants made a move as well.

    ¡°How are you? Can you handle it?¡± After Yan Wugui knocked out a participant, he rushed over to Lu Mingshu.

    ¡°What?¡± seeing that he looked worried, Lu Mingshu retorted.

    ¡°You frowned.¡±

    Lu Mingshu stopped her actions for a moment before she replied. ¡°Troublesome.¡± She admitted.

    ¡°What is?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s too many distractions.¡± She said and nced over at the participants in the sea of clouds. ¡±

    The number of people here is too huge! All of their actions need to be taken into calctions.¡±

    Yan Wugui pondered. ¡°How about grouping them up?¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked at him in shock. <i>~That¡¯s just what I thought of, but....~</i>

    ¡°It would be better, but the clouds would take up soul energy and attack the participants too.¡±

    Yan Wugui nodded, and the three of them slowly moved to the center of the sea of clouds. On their way there, other than the participants who avoid them, they did not spare any who came against them.

    The trio stopped under a big stone pir, Yan Wugui suddenly pped. ¡°If there is too much distraction, then we should get rid of them one by one!¡±

    Lu Mingshu stared at him nkly. Yan Wugui smirked andughed. ¡°Now, it¡¯s my turn!¡±

    In a split second, he passed the clouds and jumped up onto another stone pir.

    The pirs were of different sizes, the small ones are about three cubic meters, and the huge ones can be as huge as ten feet. The pirs were used to divide the space into smaller areas for fights.

    There were two participants fighting on the pir that Yan Wugui jumped onto. He immediately interrupted the one who was performing his magic spell and kicked him down the pir. The other party was dumbfounded and stood there surprised. Before he could react, a sword light appeared in front of him, the other party reacted fast and used his sword to block the attack. However, Yan Wugui is too strong for him and he was pushed down in no time.

    After getting rid of these two, Yan Wugui immediately went to another pir.

    This pir was way bigger than the previous pir, and there were four cultivators there. He intervened in their fight suddenly and before they could react, he pushed one of them down. The other three realized that something had gone wrong, and they joined forces immediately.

    However, what they least expected was that Yan Wugui would turn around and run away!

    The three of them stared at each other in confusion, and soon, they heard another scream, unsure which unlucky guy had been chosen by Yan Wugui this time.

    ¡°Jiang Yuan¡¯s jaws dropped at what she had seen. ¡°Miss Ji, your elder brother....¡±

    She thought she was aware of how strong Yan Wugui is, but Jiang Yuan never expected him to be.....

    It took awhile for Lu Mingshu to register what happened. She burst out inughter after realising. ~Yeah, this is exactly what Yan Wugui would do. He is very fast and strong, and has fast reactions. The method that suited Yan Wugui the most would be ambushing.~

    ¡°Ignore him, let¡¯s continue.¡±

    She looked up at the pavilion again. The other three princes were no longer at the pavilion, and there was no one left.

    Lu Mingshu took in a deep breath and got herself mentally ready to focus on the battle.

    She slowly built up the model and inserted data in at a fast speed.

    At the start, she rarely gave Jiang Yuanmands, and allowed her to fight as she wished.

    Jiang Yuan didn¡¯t make a singlement. Lu Mingshu already proved herself in the previous battle, so Jiang Yuan trusted her fully.

    Lu Mingshu and Jiang Yuan was having a great time, while Yan Wugui was causing a total mess.

    ¡°Who the hell are you?¡±

    ¡°Get lost you asshole, or I¡¯ll¡ªah!¡±

    ¡°Guys, let¡¯s go team up against him!¡±

    Yan Wugui felt like someone who¡¯s just here to look for trouble. He had intervened in many fights and ambushed many people. In no time, he angered the crowd and many of them teamed up to go against him.

    However, Yan Wugui was well known for being sneaky. Sensing that something wasn¡¯t right, he started to run around the sea of clouds, bumping into participants here and there and within a few minutes, he angered a huge number of people which led to a huge group of people chasing him around everywhere.

    At the start, Jiang Yuan could still feel the pressure from thispetition. But as time passed by, herpetitors got lesser and she was starting to have an easier time. When she looked over to realise what¡¯s happening, Jiang Yuan was unsure whether tough or cry. ¡°Erm, miss Ji

    ...¡±

    ¡°Leave him be.¡± Lu Mingshu waved her hand. ¡°Continue.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    Jiang Yuan leaped onto another stone pir, ¡°piak¡± she heard an explosion and a ray of light shot up at her from below the stone pir.

    She reacted fast and jumped up high, dodging the ray of light.

    ¡°Move back!¡± Lu Mingshu yelled, being used to listening to hermand, Jiang Yuan moved back on instinct and with a ¡°boom¡± the light turned into a thunder ball and went towards her.

    Jiang Yuan bit her lip and immediately formed an ice shield. The thunderball smashed on the ice shield and cracked into many small pieces.

    Lu Mingshu shed up towards her with her weapon. The sword light dash towards the debris of the thunder ball and collided into it, and both disappeared in the air immediately .

    Both of them looked at each other in fear and bit their lips.

    ¡°Prince Jiang, are you okay?¡±

    Jiang Yuan stood up and brushed her clothes. ¡°My legs are numb.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s take a rest first.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Jiang Yuan plopped down to the floor and applied some ointment to her legs.

    Lu Mingshu sat by her side to keep an eye out. Thanks to Yan Wugui who had already attracted a huge group of participants, there weren¡¯t many left here to fight them. There¡¯s only one or two who were fighting them and when Lu Mingshu had made them retreat, Jiang Yuan had already recovered.

    The both of them started going towards the heaven core slowly.

    At first, both of them thought that the previous incident was just by chance. But when the clouds fully aimed at Jiang Yuan again, both Lu Mingshu and Jiang Yuan sensed that something was out of ce.

    ¡°There¡¯s somebody going after you?¡±

    Face as white as a sheet of paper, Jiang Yuan held onto Lu Mingshu as her legs felt weak. She looked up, turning green andughed at herself. ¡°Wow, I did not know that I¡¯m so important that there is somebody who would be willing to pay such a huge price to attack me so many times during the debate!¡±

    Lu Mingshu stared at her for a moment, and decided to be straightforward with her. ¡°Prince Jiang, we are on the same boat right now, there¡¯s no need for you to lie to me. You should have guessed who¡¯s the one behind all this by now, am I right?¡±

    After staring at the floor for sometime, Jiang yuan sighed. ¡°It¡¯s nothing to do with the debate.¡±

    ¡°He or she is trying his best to kill you right here and yet it¡¯s nothing to do with the sea of cloud¡¯s debate?¡± Lu Mingshu raised an eyebrow, and nced at the participants around her. ¡°Everyone here is a suspect right now, who do you think has the biggest possibility?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°If you are unwilling to tell me, then I¡¯ll guess.¡± Lu Mingshu shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s either for benefit or internal conflict. The first possibility would be someone who wants the Jiangs to fall. You are the most outstanding disciple from the Jiang family, whoever that¡¯s going after your family would go for you too. Secondly, someone from the Jiang family. You came back after years and shone brightly, sessfully bing Prince Jiang must have out done many peers and some who would have potentially shone if not for your existence. Lastlt, Elder Miss Nie, or another enemy you have made in your life.¡±

    Seeing how persistent she was, Jiang Yuan sighed and spilled the beans. ¡°Elder Miss Nie and any of my enemies aren¡¯t that powerful to do such things. Now, Yun Jing is in aplicated state, and I believe it is one of the other aristocratic families.¡±:

    ¡°Aristocratic family?¡± Lu Mingshu furrowed her brows. ¡°To be powerful enough to intervene in the debate, they must have sent their disciples in too, right?¡±

 Chapter 341 - An idea

    <h4>Chapter 341: An idea</h4>

    Jiang Yuan understood the point Lu Mingshu was trying to bring across, but she chose to keep quiet and not say anything.

    However, Lu Mingshu was determined to get an answer. Since Jiang Yuan isn¡¯t willing to answer, Lu Mingshu decided to voice her suspicions. ¡°The four princes are the most suspicious, am I right?¡±

    ¡°.....Yeah.¡± At this point, Jiang Yuan did not wish to lie anymore. ¡°But Miss Ji, the rtionship between the aristocratic families are tooplicated, so I can¡¯t say that for sure.¡±

    Jiang Yuan blinked. In fact, she suspected the pair that she joined forces with too. Firstly the king of beasts, then the thunder ball. If they could help her avoid those attacks, it showed that their ability was extraordinary. <i>~They would be used to going against a freezing spirit phase instead of me, it¡¯s like using a canon to kill a chicken!¡±~</i>

    And to be honest, the three possibilities Lu Mingshu has listed out were all valid, but Jiang Yuan hadn¡¯t broken through the freezing spirit phase, so even if the Jiang family lost her, it wouldn¡¯t be a huge loss. For Elder Miss Nie or Jiang family members, they weren¡¯t this powerful.

    ¡°In other words, any one could be our enemy, and nobody is trustworthy.¡± Lu Mingshu shook her head.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Jiang Yuan ammited. There was no choice, the answer was so obvious.

    ¡°It¡¯s a bad choice to join forces with us at this time.¡± Lu Mingshu mumbled.

    ¡°...¡±

    The fight went on for a period of time, and soon, there were participants who gave up willingly, while there were some who chose to persevere but were pushed down and out of the sea of clouds. The number of participants left decreased, and the fights slowly came to a halt, as most of them started moving towards the teleportation spell formation located at the heaven core.

    When the total number of participants were less than thirty, the fighting finally came to a stop¡ª-the easy targets were all disqualified. The ones left were all very strong.

    Yan Wugui jogged back to them and wiped the sweat that was dripping down his forehead profusely. ¡°What the fuck is wrong with you guys? One second you two are getting burned by fire and the next you are being struck by lighting?¡± After hearing what happened from Lu Mingshu, he stared at him weirdly.

    ¡°Not my fault.¡± Lu Mingshu shrugged. ¡°Ask Prince Jiang to recall who she has offended.¡±

    ¡°Are you kidding?¡± Yan Wugui choked on his saliva. ¡°How are we going topete?¡±

    They had all witnessed how powerful the clouds could be, it¡¯s simr to a purity soul phase elite disciple¡¯s power. ~<i>If Jiang Yuan gets hit by it.....how troublesome it will be!~</i>

    ¡°Fuck my life.¡± Yan Wugui huffed. ¡°If I knew it would be this troublesome, I would have listed conditions.¡±

    Jiang Yuan sighed and looked up at them earnestly. ¡°Miss and gentleman Ji, if I can sessfully get into the top three, I¡¯ll reward you substantially.¡±

    ¡°The reward is not the problem....¡± Yan Wugui looked at her gloomly. ¡°How much is it anyway?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Yan Wuguiughed at his own joke. He had promised her and signed a treaty, of course he would do his best to help her. <i>~But the bigger the reward, the better it is of course. Who dosen¡¯t like big prizes?~</i>

    ¡°Ladies and gentleman,¡± As the fight came to a halt, Prince Chu increased his voice and gathered the attention of all present. ¡°All of you are still here because you are strong. But if we continue like this, the losses might be....¡±

    Before he could finish his sentence, somebody on the other side sneered. ¡°Oh my god, you must be blind. Can¡¯t you see how many have already died? Talking about this as if there wasn¡¯t any loss earlier. Don¡¯t you feel that you are toote?¡±

    However, Chu Zhengyan did not re up. Heughed and smiled at him sweetly. ¡°Of course I can see, but those who died earlier aren¡¯t you, who knows if you would be next?¡±

    ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± Hearing him, the other party bursted out in anger.

    ¡°What do you mean by threatening you?¡± Chu Zhengyan whipped out a fan and start fanning himself. ¡°I am just stating facts. Who wishes to die here? Do you not remember how manypetitors we have?¡±

    ¡°Prince Chu, what are you trying to say?¡± Someone yelled at him, ¡°Trying to convince us to give up?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Chu Zhengyan smiled and shook his finger. ¡°We can only have ten for the third round, how can my team take up all the slots? I just feel that we all are elites here, and if we start killing each other, it will be a waste.¡±

    ¡°Brother Chu.¡± the floating cloud gentleman spoke up suddenly. ¡°Just speak up, our time is precious.¡±

    ¡°Brother Yun is indeed straightforward.¡± Chu Zhengyanughed and twirled his fan, ¡°I feel that the method we were using previously is too barbaric and will cause unhappiness, life is too precious. So let¡¯s do it another way, shall we?¡±

    The crowd ce at each other upon hearing this.

    <i>~What is this Chu Zhengyan up to? Everyone is here topete with their ability, and to fight with all their strength here as the prize for being in the top ten is so huge that it¡¯s irresistible and yet he is suggesting a new way topete? ~</i>

    ¡°Brother Qin, what do you think?¡± Chu Zhengyan smiled and called for Qin Jun.

    Qin Jun smiled at him and nodded. ¡°Brother chu, please voice it out. If it¡¯s good, we will follow it.¡±

    ¡°Great!¡± Chu Zhengyan pped. ¡°Brother Qin is indeed open minded.¡±

    He pointed towards the heaven core and smiled. ¡°My n is very simple. If we are going to fight, we will end up with a lot of casualties and death, so why not we rece our life with something else?¡±

    ¡°Something else?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Chu Zhengyan took out his badge and waved in front of all. ¡°This. The item that acts as our identification card in this debate. If another sessfully snatches this away from us, it will be counted as a loss. In short, we are betting on this instead of our lifes.¡±

    ¡°What brother Chu means is that whoever loses their badge is considered as having lost, am I right?¡± Qin Jun looked up.

    ¡°Uh huh.¡± Chu Zhengyanughed. ¡°I think most of you have forgotten that there¡¯s a boundary set up for this debate, to prevent cheating. So whoever loses their badge will be disqualified.

    ¡°Well....¡±

    The crowd nced at each other. <i>Prince Chu¡¯s idea is good. To prevent the badge from being taken away, everyone will put in the same effort as if they are fighting for their lives. Now, with everyone going after the badges, there will not be any need to worry about the number of casualties and death.</i>

    There¡¯s no doubt that every participant at the debate had put in their all to get here today. Of course nobody would be willing to die here. Moreover, he or she had sessfully gotten to this round, which further proved their ability and after the debate, they would surely gain even more recognition and prizes. Who would not want such things?

    However, some of them still had doubts. ¡°But is it okay that we set our own rules?¡±

    ¡°Ask them,¡± Chu Zhengyan turned to the freezing spirits elders and greeted them one by one. ¡°Seniors, may junior know if my suggestion could be approved?¡±

    After a moment of silence, the other party than replied. ¡°Yes.¡±

    Chu Zhengyan smiled widely and bowed. ¡°Thank You very much.¡± He then turned back to the crowd and raised his volume. ¡°Any questions?¡±

    The crowd shook their head. ¡°Prince Chu¡¯s idea is good. I am willing to give it a try.¡± Soon, there was someone who showed interest in it.

    And more and more people stood by them. In no time, everybody agreed with prince Chu.

    ¡°What about brother Qin and brother Jiang?¡± Prince Chu walked to them, smiling. The rest had all agreed, leaving only them.

    Qin Jun looked over at Jiang Yuan and nodded. ¡°It¡¯s worth a shot.¡±

 Chapter 342 - By force

    <h4>Chapter 342: By force</h4>

    Jiang Yuan¡¯s eyes widened slightly as she looked over at Chu Zhengyan.

    This suggestion seemed to be beneficial to Jiang Yuan. Recing her life with the badge would reduce the danger that she would face.

    If Qin Jun was the one who suggested this, she would believe that he needed this alliance, and wanted her to be safe. However it was Chu Zhengyan, and he did not show any interest in helping her previously.

    <i>~What the hell is he thinking?~</i>

    But the crowd was waiting for Jiang Yuan to agree, and she couldn¡¯t exactly take her own sweet time.

    ¡°ept.¡± Lu Mingshu whispered. ¡°Even if it¡¯s a trap, it would be better than what we are facing right now.¡±

    <i>~Yeah right!~</i> Jiang Yuan bit her lips. <i>~It¡¯s obvious that someone¡¯sing after me, what is there to hesitate about?~</i>

    ¡°Since everyone is agreeable to it, then I will have no reason to go against it.¡±

    ¡°Great!¡± Chu Zhengyan pped and turned to the crowd. ¡°Then it¡¯s settled. When I count to three, everyone tosses your badge. Let¡¯s get to the heaven core based on our ability!¡±

    When he finished, Chu Zhengyan opened up his hand and showed the crowd his badge.

    Seeing it, the crowd did the same thing too.

    ¡°Three, two, one!¡±

    Chu Zhengyan then threw his badge into the air.

    The rest immediately threw their badges into the air as well.

    Soon, the sky of the sea of clouds was filled with badges, flying in the air.

    The floating cloud gentleman was the first to attack. He raised his fingers and knives flew towards a badge.

    Seeing him going for his badge, the owner of the badge replied in kind.

    The crowd immediately followed after him seeing him do so.

    ¡°Miss Ji?¡± Jiang Yuan whispered.

    ¡°Stay still.¡± Lu Mingshu whispered. ¡°The next attack from the clouds is about toe.¡±

    Jiang Yuan froze.

    Lu Mingshu nced around the fight rapidly and did a mental calction.

    ¡°Now!¡±

    Once Lu Mingshu said that, Jiang Yuan¡¯s feet moved.

    She jumped up and snapped her fingers, forming an ice shield.

    ¡°Boom¨C¡± her ice shield shattered. However, the attack from the clouds was not stopped. Light raised up to the sky, forming golden needles which dashed towards Jiang Yuan.

    Jiang Yuan immediately summoned more ice shields.

    Lu Mingshu brought out her sword light and shed down.

    Suddenly, knives started flying towards Lu Mingshu, and she turned around to realize that the attack was from Chu Zhengyan who was standing not far away.

    Seeing this, his junior brother attacked as well.

    Helping Jiang Yuan to block the attack from the clouds, Lu Mingshu was unable to tackle both attacks at the same time. If either was sessful, they would surely be severely wounded, or dead if even a little bit unlucky.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Yan Wugui leapt up and shed his sword down.

    ¡°Ding ding ding ding¡ª-¡± the sounds of weapon meeting could be heard and in no time, the knives which came from Chu Zhengyan¡¯s fan had fallen to the ground.

    Yan Wugui immediately turned to the other side to block the second attack.

    Hended on the stone pir and exchanged a nce with Lu Mingshu. Understanding what Lu Mingshu¡¯s meant, he leapt up again and pounced towards the Chu brothers.

    Even though he was still mid-air, sword light was already everywhere, making the brothers have no choice but to put up a strong defence.

    Seeing this, Lu Mingshu turned around to focus on helping Jiang Yuan.

    With Yan Wugui¡¯s ability, there¡¯s no doubt that he¡¯d do well when going up against the Chu brothers. But will he let them escape or sessfully manage to eliminate one of them, it would be another question.

    The ice shields had shattered, and Jiang Yuan managed to block the attack. But she was as pale as a sheet of paper when shended.

    ¡°Miss Ji,¡± She panted. ¡°The attacks are too frequent, I don¡¯t think I canst....¡±

    ¡°How many more can youst?¡± Lu Mingshu cut her off.

    ¡°Three.¡± Jiang Yuan then shook her head. ¡°If I do not use much strength, five.¡±

    ¡°Take this!¡± Lu Mingshu threw a bottle to her. ¡°You willst two times more.¡±

    Jiang Yuan caught it and stuffed it in her mouth immediately.

    Lu Mingshu bit her lips and tried to increase the speed of her calction.

    The more intense the fight among the participants was, the more soul energy the clouds would take in, and the frequency of it¡¯s attack would increase. ~<i>By now, she seems to be only able tost for fifteen minutes more and she¡¯d be beat. By then, it¡¯s either we withdraw, or she might.... ~</i>

    ¡°Prince Jiang, is being in the top ten really that important to you? Even if you might pay with your life?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Jiang Yuan coughed. As an illegitimate child, her position in the Jiang family right now was gained by her hardwork and improvement. ~<i>If I lose this debate, the elders in the Jiang family will be disappointed with me and...~</i>

    ¡°Okay, in that case from now on, follow mymands.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Two o¡¯clock, hundred feet ahead.¡±

    The both of them jumped up at the same time andnded at a bigger pir.

    ¡°The badge on your left, attack!¡±

    Icicles and sword light flew towards the badge and threw the badge out of the sea of cloud.

    The other party was just about to counter-attack, but before she could do so, she disappeared in mid-air and reappeared in a pavilion outside the sea of clouds.

    Immediately after the attack, Lu Mingshu gave anothermand. ¡°Ten o¡¯clock, fifty feet ahead.¡±

    Theynded on the next pir, but they did not attack any badge, but only moved closer to the heaven core.

    ¡°Three o¡¯ clock, six feet.¡±

    In no time, they shot down another badge.

    ¡°Six o¡¯ clock, forty feet.¡±

    ¡°Nine o¡¯clock, thirty feet.¡±

    ...

    Unknowingly, they had gotten very close to the heaven core.

    The cloudsunched another attack.

    ¡°Move back! To your left and stop!¡±

    Lu Mingshu yelled and kept her spirit tool.

    She had no time to recover, so she just shoved a pill into her mouth and continued tomand. ¡°One o¡¯clock, fifty feet.¡±

    They slowly wandered around the sea of clouds. Nobody noticed them at first, but once they were closer, the participants started to notice them andunched attacks.

    Jiang Yuan bit her lips and dared not let her guards down.

    In fact, she was already aware of Lu Mingshu¡¯s n. Since it was a free for all fight, she was trying to sneak to the heaven core without anyone noticing them. So now, they were trying to be as low-key as possible and take advantage of other participant¡¯s crises to benefit, for example, sneaking past when others were busy fighting each other or waiting for them to be tired, thenunching an attack, quickly defeating them.

    However, someone had ced traps for her here. Jiang Yuan did not have much time left. The only way to win seemed to be to force her way to the heaven core before she had no more soul energy left.

    After blocking numerous attacks, Jiang Yuan no longer had the energy to think about what to do. She turned herself into a fighting robot, fully controlled by Lu Mingshu.

    <i>~A hundred feet more!~</i>

    Lu Mingshu stared at the heaven core.

    The distance seemed to be short, but it was way more difficult than the previous jumps she did. Going into this area would surely attract everyone¡¯s attention, and it was time for the cloud tounch an attack again.

    <i>But she cannot wait anymore. She only has one-third of her soul energy left.</i>

    ¡°Go!¡± Lu Mingshu pushed her.

 Chapter 343 - Even youre going to stop me?

    <h4>Chapter 343: Even you¡¯re going to stop me?</h4>

    ¡°Where do you think you are going?!¡± Chu Zhengyan had his eyes on them from the start, and he rushed over to them immediately after he lost Yan Wugui.

    He waved his sleeve and a golden coloured disk appeared in his hands. Chu Zhengyan threw it over towards them, and the disk turned into countless knives, chasing after Jiang Yuan.

    ¡°Don¡¯t stop!¡± Lu Mingshu yelled.

    Jiang Yuan continued to dash towards the heaven core without looking back.

    <i>~Her badge would surely turn into pieces if any of my golden knives hits it, yet she¡¯s betting it all on her?~</i> Chu Zhengyan eyes widened in shock.

    But the next second, Lu Mingshu¡¯s sword light had already turned into a long ray of light, blocking his golden knives.

    ¡°Ding, ding ding ding....¡± the knives fell to the floor.

    Chu Zhengyan narrowed his eyes and prepared tounch another attack. However, Yan Wugui was already behind him.

    Yan Wugui held knives in both hands and was furiously shing in the air, aiming for his badge

    Chu Zhengyan¡¯s legs moved and he turned away to defend. <i>~If I let him continue, my badge will be chopped into pieces!~</i>

    Even though Chu Zhengyan was unwilling to give up this precious chance to take Jiang Yuan down, he had no choice but to leap into mid-air and defend against Yan Wugui¡¯s attacks.

    Within a split-second, Lu Mingshu had already run past him.

    ¡°To the right!¡± She shouted and dashed towards the participants who were on Jiang Yuan¡¯s right.

    Jiang Yuan calmly threw icicles around and sessfully broke out of the blockade.

    ¡°Ten ¡®clock, twenty feet.¡±

    There were already three participants on that stone pir waiting to block her, yet Jiang Yuan jumped onto it without the slightest hesitation.

    She waved her hands and icicles turned into small ice needles and shot down towards their heads.

    Two of them had no choice but to defend themselves from her attack, while another one seized the chance to mix his blood with his sword light, and went for Jiang Yuan.

    Seeing that Jiang Yuan could no longer escape, Lu Mingshu managed to get out from her siege suddenly and her sword light immediately went for the other party¡¯s sword light like a dragon¡¯s roar.

    The bloody sword light and her sword light collided and both dispersed.

    ¡°Twelve o¡¯clock, ten feet.¡± Lu Mingshu yelled. ¡°Get ready for the cloud¡¯s attack, there¡¯s nobody to help you this time around.¡±

    Jiang Yuan gritted her teeth andnded on another stone pir.

    ¡°Elder brother,¡± Not far away from them, Qin Jun¡¯s younger brother called out to him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Jiang Yuan? She seems weird.¡±

    ¡°Someone has plotted against her,¡± He side-eyed his younger brother and replied monotonously.

    Qin Jun had already known it when the king of beasts attacked Jiang Yuan, but what he had never expected was that the other party would even ce traps in the sea of clouds.

    ¡°Should we help?¡±

    ¡°How do you want to help her when we are so far behind?¡± Qin Jun said contemptuously

    ¡°Elder brother, but you said you wanted to join hands with them just now but yet you are not helping them. What is this alliance for then since the risk we....¡±

    Qin Jun cut him off and pushed him to the left. ¡°Can you see that guy? Take care of him.¡±

    After sending his younger brother away, Qin Jun shook his head in annoyance ¡°The Tenth young master is still young, there are a lot of factors that he still hasn¡¯t considered yet.¡± The Qin family¡¯s servant walked up to him and said

    Seeing him, Qin Jun smiled thinly. He had hand picked this helper after all. ¡°Xiao Shi doesn¡¯t use his brain. If we help Jiang Yuan now, we¡¯d be in trouble too.¡± He said, his voice softer.

    ¡°Young master is right.¡± the servant stroked his beard. ¡°I do wonder who Prince Jiang offended though. Not helping him might lead to our previous efforts being wasted, but it¡¯s better than getting into unnecessary trouble.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Qin Jun stood aside to watch the fight. He was nning to save his energy first and when most people were tired, he would then start his attack.

    <i>~It would be great if Jiang Yuan wasn¡¯t this unlucky. Moreover, it is always nicer to have a friend who can look out for each other and prevent Fu Yun and Chu Zhengyan beating us. But sadly, I¡¯d be at a big loss now if I choose to help her.~</i>

    ¡°Who could be so powerful to be able to plot against her here?¡± Qin Jun muttered. ¡°It is a waste to put in so much just to sabotage one Jiang Yuan.¡±

    ¡°This may be actually lessplicated than what the Young master is thinking.¡± The servant chuckled.

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    If Qin Jun valued him, it showed that this servant was very capable. ¡°Whoever is able to do so must have a high position in the aristocratic circle. So he is sure to be an elder. No matter which elder , it is stupid and will cause much trouble if his or her aim was Prince Jiang. So, the motive might not be this clear.¡±

    ¡°You mean Jiang Yuan is a bait?¡± Qin Jun understood him immediately.

    His servant nodded. ¡°Yet the motive is still not clear.¡±

    ¡°It is Jiang Yuan they are plotting against, so obviously that person is aiming for the Jiangs.¡± Qin Jun said without thinking.

    However, his servant seems to think otherwise. ¡°Young master, you are wrong. Think about it, why do they need to make such a big fuss if it¡¯s the Jiangs they are aiming for?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°The same reason.¡± Heughed. ¡°There is too much investment, it¡¯s a waste of resources to put so much effort for one Jiang Yuan. If the Jiangs are their goal, he or she is making a really big fuss right now:

    Qin Jun ponder for a moment and nodded. ¡°True.¡±

    Seeing his young master taking his opinions seriously, Qin Jun¡¯s servant can¡¯t help but smile happily. ¡°Young master, let¡¯s not intervene and whatever the other party wants, we¡¯ll see when ites.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Even so, Qin Jun couldn¡¯t help but look over at Jiang Yuan. ¡°He¡¯s both lucky and unlucky.¡± He sighed. ¡°He has two worthy helpers. The bell¡¯s forest Ji siblings. Are you aware of them?¡±

    The servant shook his head. ¡°Young master, I¡¯m afraid their identity is just a mask.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Why is that so?¡±

    ¡°It is abnormal for such a small aristocratic family located in such an isted ce to be able to produce such outstanding disciples. And their skills are extremely weird. I highly suspect that the Bell¡¯s forest Ji sibling is just a fake identity for a cover up.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Qin Jun nodded. ¡°But it is still a pity. It would be good if we met them first.¡±

    But his servant disapprove with his idea. ¡°Hiring them surely cost Prince Jiang a lot, and not only money. He is taking a risk because there¡¯s nobody he can trust and she does not have any choice. Would young master be willing to take this risk?¡±

    Qin Jun look at him nkly and burst outughing. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true.¡±

    But even so, Qin Jun still felt pity. <i>~The both of them are extremely good! If not for them, Jiang Yuan would have been eliminated or even killed during the second round! What a pity....~</i>

    Jiang Yuannded safely. Her vision was blurred, and sweat was dripping down profusely.

    She did not have much soul energy left to begin with and yet she had to face the cloud¡¯s attack all on her own. She used up all her skills and treasures and luckily, she barely managed to survive it.

    Jiang Yuan eyes are fixed on the heaven core.

    <i>~Fifty feet. Just fifty feet more.~</i>

    ¡°Why the heck are you daydreaming?!¡± Lu Mingshu yelled at her. ¡°Just go, go quickly! Nothing else is more important!¡±

    Jiang Yuan bit her lip. She ate a pill and gathered herst bit of soul energy and dashed forward at the speed of light.

    <i>Fourty, thirty, twenty....</i>

    A de suddenly appeared in front of her.

    It shed onto the icicle and with a ¡°boom¡± the weapons were nowhere to be seen.

    Seeing the person right in front of her, her heart dropped and she mumbled. ¡°Even you¡¯re moving to stop me, huh.¡±

    The floating cloud gentleman stared at her, expressionless.

 Chapter 344 - Urgent

    <h4>Chapter 344: Urgent</h4>

    ¡°Ah, right.¡± Jiang Yuan stared at him, emotionless. ¡°We are strangers right now, aren¡¯t we?¡±

    Immediately, Jiang Yuan raised her hand, and snow quickly filled the air, icicles appearing mid-air.

    Since she made her move, the floating cloud gentleman did not hesitate and strong wind immediately surrounded him.

    In a split second, the icicle and des made out of wind collided, and fragments of ice flew all around, and the two of them could no longer be seen clearly.

    Yan Wugui turned around and blocked an attack for Lu Mingshu. ¡°What do we do now?¡± He yelled.

    Lu Mingshu nned to push Jiang Yuan into the heaven core, and then she and Yan Wugui would find ways to escape. It wasn¡¯t a big deal if they did not get into the top ten. They did not want it either as it would attract too much unnecessary attention.

    But now, it wasn¡¯t easy if they wanted to escape.

    ¡°Oh, no.¡± She muttered. ¡°The clouds are collecting soul energy for another attack.¡±

    Jiang yuan and the floating cloud gentleman were fighting. Their strengths were simr, and if the cloud attacked her at this time, Jiang Yuan would be in danger.

    Lu Mingshu made a decision quickly in her mind and shouted. ¡°Let¡¯s go over now!¡±

    ¡°To where?¡± Yan Wugui yelled at her, but he saw Chu Zhengyaning after him from the corner of his eyes.

    Lu Mingshu saw it too and threw him a nce. Yan Wugui nodded and turned around to stop him.

    Chu Zhengyan¡¯s junior brother followed suit, and he reached out to block Lu Mingshu but was blocked by Yan Wugui, and could only watch her join the fight between Jiang Yuan and the floating cloud gentleman.

    ¡°Why are you guys following me everywhere like a dog?¡± Yan Wugui narrowed his eyes. ¡°Have you guys fallen in love with me ?¡±

    Chu Zhengyan looked at him in confusion, moving forward as he counter-attacked, but Yan Wugui jumped back in no time and look at him in disgust. ¡°Hey, Prince Chu, you might be gay, but I¡¯m 100% straight!¡±

    Chu Zhengyan can¡¯t help but burst outughing. ¡°What on earth....¡±

    He did indeed look quite feminine. When he was younger, some idiots even mistook him for a girl! But as time passed, and more people knew him as the pretty prince, there wasn¡¯t many that would talk about his appearance right in front of him, and now that Yan Wugui was doing so and iming that he was gay, Chu Zhengyan wasn¡¯t even angry, but he found it quite funny.

    ¡°Hey, hold on!¡± Yan Wugui blocked his way. ¡°Bro, there are ten ces, so please stop following me, alright?¡±

    Chu Zhengyang chuckled and shook his head. ¡°Gentleman Ji, the fight for the top ten is fierce, and I¡¯d happily take down any opponents I can here and now. And from what I know, the Jiangs did not help your family in the aristocratic circle, which shows that you are not that important to them. So why work so hard for them? If you get lost now, I¡¯ll give you everything that the Jiangs gave you and maybe even more afterward.¡±

    However, Yan Wugui look at him, mouth wide open and eyebrows raised as if he was looking at an idiot.

    Yan Wugui¡¯s stare made Chu Zhengyan feel like fishing out a mirror to check if there¡¯s anything on his face. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Does gentleman Ji not trust my words?¡±

    Yan Wugui caressed his nonexistent beard and shook his head. ¡°They say that the four princes are the best out of best. I¡¯m not sure about others, but Prince Chu is....¡±

    ¡°Is what?¡± Even though Chu Zhengyan had expected the answer to be unpleasant, he couldn¡¯t help but want to hear what he had to say.

    ¡°An idiot!¡± Yan Wugui tip-toed and look down at him. ¡°Changing sides in a war, I¡¯d lose all my reputation! And if I agree to you now, you will think I¡¯m too easy and look down on me! You tell me, if I agree now, who will dare to hire my sister and me next time? Then we will end up jobless just because I am greedy for your thank you gift! Do you think I¡¯m stupid, or are you overestimating yourself?¡±

    While Yan Wugui was talking nonsense with Chu Zhengyan, Lu Mingshu had already entered the fight.

    Sword energy was everywhere, alongside with icicles and wind des.

    ¡°Move your feet!¡± Lu Mingshu stood in front to defend Jiang Yuan and shouted at her.

    The clouds rumbled, and soon, a fire arose mid-air and dashed towards Jiang Yuan.

    In a rush, Lu Mingshu jumped up with her sword and mystic force surrounded her, the sword light swiftly shot towards the floating cloud gentleman.

    With one attack, the wind des and icicles disappeared into thin air.

    The floating cloud gentleman was mostly emotionless, but shock appeared on his face when he saw that.

    <i>~Such a powerful technique! Which family is it from? Why have I never seen it before?~</i>

    Explosions started urring mid-air due to the friction between her sword energy and the air. The floating cloud gentleman did not have much time to think left. He rolled up his sleeves and his seal turned even redder. The wind started howling furiously and went right towards Lu Mingshu.

    The wind de shed with the sword energy, and many ¡°dings¡± could be heard.

    While the two were focused on their fight, Lu Mingshu heard Jiang Yuan scream.

    She looked over and look back in shock.

    <i>~oh no! The cloud had strengthened its attack, and Jiang Yuan won¡¯t be unable to handle it herself!~</i>

    Lu Mingshu recalcted the results. But no matter what method she uses, the result would be tragic. Lu Mingshu bit her lip and turned to Yan Wugui. ¡°Come here!¡±

    Yan Wugui said nothing and forced the Chu brothers to retreat before jumping over to the stone pir she was at.

    ¡°Listen to mymands.¡± Lu Mingshu said. . ¡°Prince Jiang?¡±

    Jiang Yuan dodged the cloud¡¯s attack while nodding. ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go in!¡± Lu Mingshu said to Yan Wugui.

    ¡°Okay!¡±

    Both of them disengaged and went into the area where the clouds were attack.

    ¡°Boom!¡± the rumbling of the clouds could be heard.

    The Chu brothers rushed over to meet the floating cloud gentleman. Now, it was three against three, and Lu Mingshu and her team still had to deal with the cloud¡¯s attack.

    ¡°What are they up to?¡± Qin Jun¡¯s servant was dumbfounded. ¡°Why did prince Jiang choose to give up her advantage? Gentleman Ji is strong, he could block the Chu brothers and Miss Ji could block the floating cloud gentleman and Prince Jiang would be able to pass sessfully, but....¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that.¡± Qin Jun watched the fight in admiration. ¡°You saw how powerful the cloud is, and Jiang Yuan definitely cannot pass through on her own.¡±

    ¡°But this is an unnecessary risk! Compared to that, this is even riskier!¡±

    Qin Jun shook his head. ¡°Seems to be, but they can drag Fu Yun and Chu Zhengyan down with them!¡±

    The rumbling of clouds continued, and a fire started shooting out, paired with many thunderbolts. <i>~If the floating cloud gentleman and Prince Chu get dragged into this...~</i> Qin Jun¡¯s servant suddenly looked up to him in admiration. ¡°Young master is indeed smart!¡± ~<i>In terms of other fields, I may be a better strategizer, but fighting wise, surely nobody can beat my young master!~</i>

    ¡°So what if I can tell? The person who made this decision is way smarter!¡± Qin Jun sighed. <i>~Why didn¡¯t I meet them earlier?~</i>

    Lu Mingshu was surrounded by fire and thunder, but even so, she was clear about what she was doing. She grabbed her sword tightly and yelled. ¡°Let¡¯s go, towards the heaven core!¡±

    Jiang Yuan hesitated for a moment, but Lu Mingshu and Yan Wugui had already drabbed her along with them. With the cloud¡¯s thunderball following them, they dash into the heaven core.

    ¡°Oh no!¡± Chu Zhengyan wanted to go forward to block them.

    But, the Thunderball blocked his way, and all he could do was to watch them reach the heaven core and disappear.

    Chu Zhengyan stopped in his tracks and tsked in annoyance.

    When the thunder dispersed, the floating cloud gentleman came out from the fog. ¡°They have already taken the top three ces, and we must enter now.¡±

 Chapter 345 - Top ten

    <h4>Chapter 345: Top ten</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Exodus Tales <strong>Editor: </strong>Exodus Tales

    As soon as the light surrounding them dispersed, Lu Mingshu bent down and vomited blood all of a sudden.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± like a cat on hot coal, Yan Wugui supported her and checked her body. ¡°Are you injured? Why are you so stubborn, huh? Would you rather be a bull instead of a human? What¡¯s the big deal if we cannot get in? Our safety is way more important!¡±

    Yan Wugui was aware of the risk when Lu Mingshu made the decision. His calction may not be as precise as Lu Mingshu, but it was obvious that the chance of her getting injured was very high.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Lu Mingshu said and wiped the blood on her face away. ¡°It¡¯s just extravasated blood piled up from just now. I¡¯ll feel better after I vomit it out.¡±

    <i>~Oh right, bullshit. Can people randomly have extravasated blood? It¡¯s present because you are injured!~</i>

    ¡°Mind your own business from now on.¡± Yan Wugui told her sternly and turned to Jiang Yuan. ¡°Prince Jiang, I¡¯m sure you are aware of how dangerous our situation is now. We have already done as promised and fulfilled our duty. Now, you are in the top ten and on your own. Good luck!¡±

    Jiang Yuan was as pale as Lu Mingshu. Upon hearing that, she smiled at Yan Wugui bitterly. ¡°Gentleman Ji, I am afraid that this time, you have no say in this.¡±

    Yan Wugui stared at her nkly.

    He and Lu Mingshu weren¡¯t interested in getting a rank in this debate, so they did not research the top ten beforehand.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Jiang Yuan took in a deep breath to calm herself down. ¡°Bro, the emperor¡¯s order. Have you forgotten about it?¡±

    ¡°So what?¡±

    Jiang Yuan rolled her eyes and sighed before proceeding to exin. ¡°I got news saying that the order is on one of the participants in thest round. So no matter whether you like it or not, people will stille after you.¡±

    ¡°Can I like, give up or quit right now?¡±

    ¡°Once youe in, there¡¯s no going out.¡± Jiang Yuan shook her head.

    Yan Wugui stared at her, unable to believe what he just heard and shook his head. ¡°Oh my fucking god, please tell me this is a joke.¡±

    ¡°So that means that the only choice is that we continue to join forces?¡± Lu Mingshu asked. She was calmer than Yan Wugui.

    ¡°I guess so?¡± Jiang Yuan smiled sheepishly.

    Since there¡¯s no other choice, both of them decided to ept their fate. <i>~Just more fights and debates, what¡¯s new?~ </i>

    Lu Mingshu nced around. We¡¯re in a foggy wood, and it¡¯s unknown how big it is or if any beasts are lurking around here. ¡°Let¡¯s find a ce to rest first.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Jiang Yuan nodded. ¡°I think Fu Yun and his team will be here soon.¡±

    Lu Mingshu stared at her for a few seconds, wanting to find some trace of emotions on her face, but sadly there was none.

    Seeing her action, Jiang Yuanughed. ¡°Is there something Miss Ji wants to say? We have been through two rounds together, somehow equivalent to trusting our lives with each other, so feel free to ask anything.¡±

    As the three of them slowly walked into the fog, Lu Mingshu asked. ¡°If something happens that results in either you dying or him dying, can you kill the floating cloud gentleman?¡±

    Jiang Yuan didn¡¯t reply immediately but nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Do you hate him?¡±

    ¡°Not really.¡± Jiang Yuan paused. ¡°But like what you said, I contributed so much, and he just abandoned me for some benefits. Even though I am happy with my life right now, it¡¯s still unfair, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Lu Mingshu stared at her in shock for a minute. Previously, when she and Yan Wugui tried to get her to open up, she even scolded them, but now, she was willing to open up. <i>~Maybe because we spent too much time together, she finds us trustworthy now?~ </i>

    ¡°If there¡¯s no chance, I would not bother to take revenge.¡± Jiang Yuan said. ¡°But if there¡¯s a chance, I would take it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the right way, man!¡± Yan Wugui interrupted. ¡°Why should we force ourselves to be forgiving and nice? Take what revenge we need, and repay any kindness we get. This is what a good life is!¡±

    This made Jiang Yuanugh heartily. But she still exined herself. ¡°We can¡¯t say we are enemies, though. None of us said anything about it, and I am in no position to make anyments.¡±

    ¡°Prince Jiang, if you do not mind, can you tell us what happened between you three?¡±

    ¡°What is there to mind?¡± Maybe since she has let down her guard, Jiang Yuan was very cooperative and open.

    ¡°Back then, we were still not here in Yun Jing. I was a nobody to the Jiangs, and he was a nobody too. One day, we met elder miss Nie, who was on a trip, and she fell in love with him at first sight. When she was going to return home, she confessed and asked if he wanted to go with her. He said yes and left.¡±

    ¡°After he left, I sat at home for two days, staring into nk space. I decided toe to Yun Jing after that. And ta-da, prince Jiang now.¡±

    Jiang Yuan summarised it in a sentence, but she couldn¡¯t hide how much unfairness and unhappiness she had experienced. It was almost impossible for her not to feel anything about it.

    ¡°Did you be Prince Jiang to take revenge?¡±

    Jiang Yuanughed and shook her head. ¡°Is it worth it to do so much just to take revenge?¡± She sighed. ¡°I just felt it was unfair; once he left, I could see how good his new life would be. I felt uneasy thinking about it. Why is he the one shining while I am still living my life like how Jiang Wan was? I wanted to fight him, to see who was actually better.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d you think of it this way.¡± Lu Mingshu nodded. ¡°But I¡¯m afraid you shouldn¡¯t attack himter on. You will drag us down if that is so.¡±

    ¡°Rx. I won¡¯t.¡± Jiang Yuanughed, but her eyes dimmed. ¡°He¡¯s no longer the Fu Yun I knew, and I¡¯m no longer Jiang Wan. I have changed after so many years.

    ...

    The floating cloud gentleman and Chu Zhengyan emerged at the entrance.

    ¡°They have already left.¡± Chu Zhengyan looked around and announced.

    The floating cloud gentleman nodded. ¡°Let us take a rest first, it¡¯s going to be a tough battleter.¡±

    ¡°Hold on.¡± Chu Zhengyan said. ¡°I want to see who¡¯s next.¡±

    ¡°Is it important?¡± The floating cloud gentleman said monotonously. ¡°Surely Qin Jun, and one more from his team. There are only two more ces left; who it is will not make much difference.¡±

    Chu Zhengyan looked over andughed. ¡°True. But it is still better to be on guard. It will not take much energy anyway.¡±

    The floating cloud gentleman had no choice but to do as he said.

    The trio stood there silently for a while, and indeed, Qin Jun entered with his servant.

    ¡°Brother Qin.¡± Chu Zhengyan bowed. ¡°Hope you can go easy on meter on.¡±

    Qin Jun smiled at him widely and shook his head. ¡°Brother Chu is too humble, it is you who should be going easy on me instead; you two are very strong!¡±

    ¡°Ah, you are too humble...¡±

    The both of them stood there to chat and talked about useless stuff. But their eyes were on the entrance, waiting to see the other two participants to be sent in.

    Not long after, two rays of light were seen and formed into two people.

    It was two unfamiliar faces, and seeing everyone standing here, they were shocked and quickly went into defensive mode.

    Qin Jun smiled gently and bowed. ¡°Nice to meet you; please guide meter on.¡±

    Seeing that he was nice, and Chu Zhengyan had no intentions to attack them, they let down their guard and chatted for a short while before leaving soon.

    Everyone had used a lot of their energy in the sea of clouds, and this is a good time for them to rest.

 Chapter 346 - Foggy woods

    <h4>Chapter 346: Foggy woods</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Exodus Tales <strong>Editor: </strong>Exodus Tales

    Bamboo trees swayed lightly in the wind. Inside the fog, they became ck silhouettes against a nket of white, as if it was heaven in the human world.

    Lu Mingshu had a good rest. She opened her eyes to see Yan Wugui standing not far away, sitting on a stone polishing his knives.

    This made him seem both slender and buff.

    Lu Mingshu stared at him silently for a while. <i>~If I did not see it myself, who would have thought that both he and Xie Lianzhen would be the same?~ </i>

    Yan Wugui turned around to see her staring at him and snickered. ¡°Dumbfounded by how handsome I am?¡±

    ¡°.....Are you okay now?¡± Lu Mingshu asked.

    ¡°Better than okay.¡± He flung the knife away, and ¡°swoosh,¡± itnded back into its sheath.

    ¡°Why did you choose to master knives?¡± Lu Mingshu suddenly asked. ¡°The seventh truth tform¡¯s technique is stronger, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Because it focuses more on strength.¡± Yan Wugui shrugged. ¡°My arms aren¡¯t strong, so a sword is harder for me to control as it requires more strength to be urate. But knives are lighter, you know?¡±

    This reminded Lu Mingshu of how Wei Chunqiu described Xie Lianzhen. Because he was wheelchair-bound, he couldn¡¯t practice normal cultivation, and he could only train his arms. <i>~That¡¯s why his arms are so strong?~ </i>

    ¡°Who are you guys, actually?¡± Jiang Yuan came over after resting, and it was evident that she was in a better state. Her seal was colored now too. ¡°You guys aren¡¯t the rebels, are you?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s better for you, isn¡¯t it?¡± Yan Wugui shrugged. ¡°If we were rebels, you would be in huge trouble if we were exposed.¡±

    ¡°True.¡± Jiang Yuan nodded. ¡°But an unknown origin has even more danger.¡±

    ¡°Prince Jiang is still worried about this even now?¡± Lu Mingshu stood up and brushed off her clothes. ¡°You can be at ease. Because we will leave and most likely never appear again after this.¡±

    ¡°Uh, actually.¡± Jiang Yuan shook her head. ¡°I intended to ask if you two were willing to stay behind.¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked at her in shock, but before she could say anything, Yan Wugui was already waving his hands. ¡°Ooh, trying to hire us? We¡¯re honored, but it¡¯s impossible for us to stay.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Jiang Yuan turned to Lu Mingshu.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± She nodded.

    ¡°Such a pity.¡± Jiang Yuan sighed. ¡°If you were willing to, I would have treated you extremely well, and as long as I had control of the Jiang family, you could have the world.¡±

    Yan Wuguiughed and shrugged.

    This world was not more advanced than ancient China, and whatever the Jiangs could get, the Alioth Star-Lord would be able to get more and better resources. Jiang Yuan¡¯s condition was extremely unattractive to him.

    As for Lu Mingshu, why would she care about such a small amount of resources when she had the heavenly wheel?

    Seeing that both of them remained unmoved, Jiang Yuan sighed and said nothing else.

    Since all of them were clear of each other¡¯s intention, they stopped the conversation and returned to talking about the debate.

    ¡°Prince Jiang, are there any traps here.¡±

    ¡°This is the foggy wood, thest round in the sea of cloud¡¯s debate. This fog has the effect of drugs; it can mess with your mind and be lethal. So this round is the most dangerous one as we do not know when will we be attacked.¡±

    ¡°By the other participants?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Jiang Yuan nodded. ¡°There isn¡¯t anything else here, except for the top ten.¡±

    ¡°How do we determine if we win or lose?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a special item here in the wood, called the Yuan crystal. Whoever gets the most crystals wins.¡± Jiang Yuan replied.

    ¡°Yuan crystal? What use does it have? Can I take it away?¡± Yan Wugui asked immediately.

    ¡°Anything you want. You can eat it, make weapons, or use it as medicine. But you cannot take it away, you have to hand it up at the end.¡±

    Yan Wugui looked bored immediately. ¡°If I cannot take it away then it¡¯s worthless!¡±

    Just as Jiang Yuan was about to say something, she suddenly waved her sleeve and formed an ice shield.

    There was no response.

    After some time, she dissolved her ice shield and looked around. ¡°That¡¯s weird...¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Lu Mingshu asked.

    ¡°I felt someone watching us.¡±

    Noticing Lu Mingshu¡¯s nce, Yan Wugui shook his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t notice anything.¡±

    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m just too nervous?¡± Jiang Yuanughed nervously and shook her head. ¡°We don¡¯t have much time left, let¡¯s get going.¡±

    The other two nodded, and the three of them packed up and prepared to leave.

    ...

    ¡°Brother Yun.¡± Chu Zhengyan asked. ¡°What do you think about this round?¡±

    The floating cloud gentleman looks at him emotionlessly. ¡°What about it?¡±

    ¡°Obviously who we should be wary against!¡± Chu Zhengyan continued to walk and picked up some bamboo along the way. He then waved at his junior brother, signalingfor him toe over. ¡°Qin Jun should be the most dangerous one, but Jiang Yuan is a dark horse this time...¡±

    ¡°Her two helpers aren¡¯t normal.¡± The floating cloud gentleman said. ¡°Their skills aren¡¯t just weird, but powerful too.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought as well.¡± The both of them stood next to each other, keeping an eye out, in case somebody ambushed them. ¡°Does brother Yun feel that they are simr to...¡±

    Chu Zhenguan suddenly stopped.

    ¡°What?¡± The floating cloud gentleman asked.

    Seeing that he didn¡¯t get what he meant, Chu Zhengyan could only voice it out. ¡°Rebels.¡±

    The floating cloud gentleman furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°Feels like it, but...¡±

    ¡°But?¡±

    ¡°If I were a rebel, I wouldn¡¯t do something like this. The top ten in the debate are always well investigated. If they are suspicious, they would be identified easily.¡±

    ¡°Make sense.¡± Chu Zhengyan nodded.

    ¡°Their existence is not totally useless, either.¡± The floating cloud gentleman pointed out monotonously. ¡°Maybe because their identity is suspicious, Qin Jun is afraid to work with Jiang Yuan. If they ally together, we¡¯d likely lose.¡±

    The general opinion is that the four princes¡¯ strength were simr, there was nobody who could crush another. With the two princes having two more helpers, it was dangerous for Chu Zhengyan¡¯s team.

    ¡°This is what I¡¯m worried about.¡± Chu Zhengyan patted the floating cloud gentleman¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Qin Jun is good at strategies, he might not fully work with them but if anything goes wrong, he would surely be on Jiang Yuan¡¯s side.¡±

    ¡°Uh huh.¡±

    ¡°Do you think we can get them on our side?¡± Chu Zhengyan whispered.

    The floating cloud gentleman knew that he was referring to thest two participants who entered.

    ¡°But who are they though....¡± The floating cloud gentleman did not agree or disagree. It was just that he had never seen them before, and they were surely not elites from Yu Jing.

    ¡°Ah, I recognize them.¡± Chu Zhengyanughed. ¡°Elites from elsewhere. I had heard about them previously but had never expected that they would make it into the top ten. It shows that they are quite strong.¡±

    ¡°If brother Chu thinks it¡¯s fine, then I¡¯m okay.¡± The floating cloud gentleman nodded.

    ¡°Great.¡± Chu Zhengyan smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll try to talk to them, and if we seed, we will be bnced out.¡±

    ¡°Found one!¡± Chu Zhengyan¡¯s junior brother suddenly yelled, and took a crystal out of a bamboo shoot.

 Chapter 347 - King crystal

    <h4>Chapter 347: King crystal</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Exodus Tales <strong>Editor: </strong>Exodus Tales

    Yan Wugui fiddled around with the Yuan crystal for a while and turned to Lu Mingshu. ¡°It¡¯s simr to mystic crystals, but has more energy in it.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded. There were many simrities to the source of energy in the different worlds. This Yuan crystal was ten times as powerful than a mystic crystal and would surely cost more than ten times than a mystic crystal because of its superior characteristics. Firstly, it¡¯s easier to carry the Yuan crystal around as it¡¯s smaller than 10 same sized mystic crystals. Secondly, the purity level is high and as a result you can absorb the energy faster. If one were to exchange mystic crystal for it in the heavenly wheel, it might cost up to a hundred of mystic crystals.

    If the Yuan crystals could be taken away, Lu Mingshu would bring a pile of it home.

    Yan Wugui threw it at Jiang Yuan casually and signalled for them to continue their journey. ¡°Let¡¯s get going and look for more.¡±

    Jiang Yuan shook the bag filled with Yuan crystals and looked at them. ¡°Do you guys want some? Will give you better quality ones and a better price.¡±

    ¡°Nah.¡± Lu Mingshu shook her head. ¡°Top ten is good enough for us, and the more prince Jiang has, the higher the chances are for you to get top three.¡±

    Hearing this, Jiang Yuan thanked them dly and promised to award them with huge rewards. ¡°Thank you for being so generous, I¡¯ll definitely reward you heavilyter on.¡±

    The both of them thanked her calmly, and this made Jiang Yuan trust them even more.

    ¡°There¡¯s somebody there!¡±, Jiang Yuan suddenly retreated.

    A ray of red light flew past their heads.

    The woods were filled with fog, making the surroundings white, and items look like they are covered by a veil. It is not a ce where you should fly, but the other party seems to have lost their brain and rather than attacking them, he or she seems to be running away from something.

    Jiang Yuan summoned an ice shield and with a ¡°boom¡±, the red light crashed into it.

    The light disappeared, and it revealed a girl.

    The other party stumbled backwards, face as white as a piece of paper with blood on it. She seemed to be seriously injured. Seeing the trio, she moved a few steps back frantically and coughed. ¡°Please don¡¯t kill me, I have no more Yuan crystals, there¡¯s no point in taking my life.¡±

    ¡°Who took the crystals away?¡± Jiang Yuan shouted at her.

    The other party looked at her warily and muttered. ¡°Prince Qin.¡±

    Jiang Yuan stared at the ground for a moment before looking at her. ¡°Do you want to join us?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Jiang Yuan took a bottle of medicine out and threw it to her. ¡°If you want to, take it.¡±

    The other party stood there silently.

    ¡°Make up your mind, or someone else is going toe.¡± Jiang Yuan pointed to her back.

    Indeed, the rustling of the bamboo leaves could be heard, and the girl hurriedly nodded. ¡°Fine.¡±

    She swallowed the pill in no time, with Qin Jun and his servant reaching as she did so.

    Seeing that it was Jiang Yuan, Qin Jun¡¯s eyes shone and he walked up to greet her. ¡°Brother Jiang, I didn¡¯t realize that you were here.¡±

    Jiang Yuan smiled at him widely and greeted him. ¡°It seems like brother Qin has gained quite a lot!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s an average amount, but I think you guys have more.¡± Qin Junughed and looked towards the girl. ¡°This....¡±

    ¡°She promised to not fight for the Yuan crystals. Let her follow us.¡± Jiang Yuan smiled.

    Qin Jun understood and nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±

    The team moved for a while, and Qin Jun initiated the conversation. ¡°Brother Jiang, since we met again, why not we team up together?¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡± Jiang Yuan followed the currents. ¡°I feel safer with brother Qin on my side.¡±

    Both parties had the same thoughts. Chu Zhengyan and the floating cloud gentleman had already joined forces, and if they were to go separately, they might get taken down by them individually. So, forming a temporary alliance now was the best idea. <i>~Priority is to take the other two down first.~</i>

    ...

    ¡°Who is that?¡± Chu Zhengyan yelled.

    A guy in ck rolled out of the bushes. His clothes were torn and covered with blood.

    ¡°Please spare me!¡± Seeing them, the guy immediately shouted. ¡°I am willing to hand over all my crystals.¡±

    Chu Zhengyan and the floating cloud gentleman share a nce.

    ¡°Who injured you?¡± Chu Zhengyan asked.

    ¡°Just now, I met Prince Qin. Miss Yu¡¯s crystals were all snatched away, but I barely got away in time.¡± The guy replied and smiled bitterly. ¡°I wanted to look for a ce to hide until the end of the debate, but unlucky me, I met Prince Chu and the floating cloud gentleman. Please spare my life and look out for me, I¡¯ll give you all my crystals.¡±

    ¡°You do have a clear view of things.¡± Chu Zhengyan took his Yuan crystals and nodded. ¡°Gentleman Feng, am I right? How do you want us to look out for you?¡±

    ¡°I dare not be addressed as a gentleman.¡± The man shook his head. ¡°Giving up my Yuan crystals is equivalent to me giving up on the debate. May I request for the princes to allow me to follow you?¡±

    ¡°Follow us?

    ¡°Yes, I can help out as well.¡±

    Chu Zhengyan raised an eyebrow and asked. ¡°If you are here, it exins that you are quite strong. So why?¡±

    ¡°I was hoping to get into the top three, but I crossed paths with Prince Qin and both of you have already joined hands, so there¡¯s no hope for me anymore. So why not?¡± The other party smiled bitterly.

    ¡°Wow, optimistic huh?¡± Chu zhengyan chuckled.

    The guy smiled and bowed. ¡°I hope that in return, you will take care of me, as you can see, I am injured.¡±

    ¡°Be at ease.¡± Chu Zhengyan nodded. ¡°I always treat people who work for me well. If you keep your promise, I¡¯ll reward you after this.¡±

    The guy looked up at him, pleasantly surprised. As he was going to thank Chu Zhengyan, Chu Zhengyan cut him off. ¡°One more thing though, you need to make a vow, because I do not trust people easily.¡±

    ¡°Of course of course.¡± The guy nodded without the slightest hesitation. ¡°If Prince Chu trusts me, I have a gift for you too!¡±

    ...

    A group of six slowly walked through the woods.

    ¡°You have something to say?¡± Jiang Yuan looked over to the girl.

    Miss Yu opened up her mouth, but decided to not say anything.

    ¡°Voice it out if you need. If it¡¯s useful, we will reward you.¡±

    ¡°If I tell you, can you give me the pill you gave me previously?¡±

    ¡°Depends on what you say.¡± Jiang Yuan looked at her calmly and continued walking, not waiting for her to reply.¡±

    Miss Yu hesitated for quite a while before starting. ¡°I found a Yuan crystal mine just now, and the size and grade looks like King crystals.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± All of them look back at her.

    ¡°Where? And why didn¡¯t you keep it for yourself?¡± Qin Jun stared at her.

    Miss Yu looked down at her shoes and pointed back to the direction where they came from. ¡°Well, I wanted to, but I met Prince Qin soon after.....¡±

    Qin Jun and Jiang Yuan looked at each other.

    ¡°Lead the way.¡± Jiang Yuan said. ¡°If we really find it, not just the antidote but we will give you other huge rewards too.¡±

    ¡°Same here.¡± Qin Jun nodded.

    Hearing those words from the two princes, the girl seemed to rx for a bit and look up at them. ¡°Promise?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± They answered in sync.

    ¡°What about your buddy?¡± Qin Jun asked. ¡°Does he know about it too?¡±

    Miss Yu bit her lips and hesitated for a while before nodding her head.

    Qin Jun and Jiang Yuan exchanged a nce. ¡°We must hurry!¡±

    They both remembered something. Miss Yu¡¯s buddy had managed to escape. It would be good if he managed to find a hiding spot. But who knew, if Chu Zhengyan met him and threatened his life, there was a high chance he would give them the information. <i>~We must get there before them!~ </i>

 Chapter 348 - A mess

    <h4>Chapter 348: A mess</h4>

    Miss Yu brought them to a very small pool. It was surrounded with nts, and on one side of the pool, there was a mountain well and water was flowing out of the hole, supplying the pool with fresh water.

    ¡°In there.¡± Miss Yu pointed at the water. ¡°But there¡¯s a beast inside who is about to break through to the freezing spirit phrase, so we did not dare to venture inside.¡±

    ¡°Brother Jiang, what do you think?¡± Qin Jun looked over towards Jiang Yuan.

    ¡°We will take care of the beast, you guys can go down.¡± Jiang Yuan replied without the slightest hesitation.

    Qin Jun nodded in agreement. That¡¯s just what he thought as well. ~ording to our ability, Jiang Yuan¡¯s team is stronger than mine, and the Ji siblings are rare elites too.~

    ¡°Let¡¯s start then.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go first.¡± Yan wugui stepped forward and pulled out his knife. He lowered his body and shed the knife down.

    The pearly white knife light shone and disappeared in the water.

    However, there was no activity.

    Qin Jun waited for awhile. Just as he was about to say something, the pool started bubbling and an explosion could be heard as water shot up to the sky.

    Along with the water that was being sshed up, a dark figure shot out of the water.

    ¡°Fucking get lost!¡± Yan Wugui shouted and jumped up towards the ck figure, attacking it.

    ¡°Prince Jiang, you will be okay alone, right?¡± Lu Mingshu looked over at Jiang Yuan.

    ¡°Go ahead.¡± Jiang Yuan nodded.

    After receiving her permission, Lu Ming leaped up and shed her sword downwards, joining the fight.

    The beast waspletely ck, and had short limbs. It¡¯s tail was extremelyrge and was now swimming in the waters.

    When Yan Wugui and Lu Mingshu were going up against the beast, Qin Jun looked over at his servant and he dived down into the waters.

    Qin Jun and Jiang Yuan stared at the water without even blinking.

    They could see the water ripples, and their heart skipped a beat.

    ~Miss Yu was right. The ripples are so big, it¡¯s not a surprise that it¡¯s a King grade crystal.~

    Suddenly, you could hear the wind howl.

    Jiang Yuan immediately formed an ice shield bur with a ¡°piang¡±, it was broken almost immediately.

    Jiang Yuan jumped backwards, the shattered ice shield had turned into icicles, floating around her.

    Qin Jun was attacked simultaneously.

    He narrowed his eyes and his seal lit up. The sword that he was carrying turned into a ray of light and shot out.

    If any outsider saw this, they would think that the four princes had fallen out and were now fighting each other. ~it would surely be the biggest gossip in the world.~

    Qin Jun and Jiang Yuan were being held down, and the Chu brothers, together with gentleman Feng were now going towards Yan Wugui and Lu Mingshu!

    The beast was almost in the freezing spirit phase. Maybe that¡¯s the reason why it was guarding the king grade crystal. Its strength made it hard for purity soul phase fighters to deal with, and yet two of them were holding it back now!

    Yan Wugui looked over at Lu Mingshu and mouthed. ¡°The Mystic dewdrop. Pass it to me.¡±

    Without the slightest hesitation, Lu Mingshu jumped out andnded in front of Chu Zhengyan¡¯s junior brother and gentleman Feng.

    Oh no! The junior brother looked up in shock. He immediately brought out his soul energy but in no time, he saw a sword light fly pass, and his soul energy was wiped out totally.

    Gentleman Feng¡¯s weapon was a long whip. He whipped down thinking that since Lu Mingshu was busy trying to withdraw and Chu Zhengyan¡¯s junior brother was going to block her, he would be able to take her down and defeat her.

    But what he least expected would be that Lu Mingshu could react so fast, after taking down Chu zhengyan¡¯s younger brother¡¯s soul energy, she flew over towards him.

    He heard a crackle and rattling sounds near his ear, and in no time, he was sent flying backwards.

    Just at this time, a violent shaking could be felt and a light shot out of the waters, flying high into the sky.

    The king crystal!

    Qin Jun¡¯s servant emerged from the water with a huge crystal.

    The four princes who were fighting on the shore changed their targets at the same time and ran towards the servant.

    At this point in time, none of them cared about their alliance anymore. Because whoever got it, would take first ce for sure.

    Jiang Yuan waved her sleeves and icicles appeared mid-air, blocking Chu Zhengyan. The floating cloud gentleman was now surrounded by his own wind des, and Qin Jun¡¯s sword light had already arrived. The four of thempeted fiercely, offering no quarter to snatch the king crystal.

    ¡°Young master!¡± Qin Jun¡¯s servant shouted.

    Qin Jun wanted to ask him to throw it over, but seeing how the other three princes were acting , he did not even dare tomand him to do so. ~If I do not take these three down, the crystal is sure to fall to someone else¡¯s hand halfway.¡±

    ¡°Retreat!¡± Seeing the situation, Lu Mingshumanded.

    Yan Wugui immediately understood what she meant and stopped fighting the beast.

    Both of them ran off immediately after the beast was angered, and of course, why would it let them off? So obviously, it went after them.

    Seeing the situation, Yan Wugui bent down and crawled in between the four princes.

    After Lu Mingshu had retreated, Chu Zhengyan¡¯s junior brother and gentleman Feng saw their chance and wanted to counter-attack. However, Yan Wugui suddenly changed his mind to sneak amongst the princes and with Lu Mingshu chasing after them, they had no choice but to go after Yan Wugui.

    So now, with the other four irrelevant people, four princes and Qin Jun¡¯s servant who was stuck in the middle with the king crystal in hand. The already small area that wasn¡¯t even that big had be even more filled.

    What a mess!

    Among the nine, half of them felt like crying. Chu Zhengyan¡¯s golden disk, Jiang Yuan¡¯s icicle and the floating cloud gentleman¡¯s wind de required a lot of space. ~How do we even fight if we don¡¯t have enough space to use our weapons?~

    But unfortunately, the water beast has caught up to them.

    ¡°Whoosh¡ª¡± Water sshed everywhere.

    ¡°Get lost!¡±

    ¡°Stop getting in my way!¡±

    The small pool was in a mess now.

    There were so many things going on, that they didn¡¯t even know who their attack was going towards.

    Seeing this, Qin Jun¡¯s servant went back into the water again.

    Before long, he felt a strong suction. He turned back and all he could see was the beast¡¯s gaping mouth.

    In a panic, Qin Jun servant reached out for his sword causing the king crystal to slip out of his hand.

    ¡°Be careful!¡±

    Suddenly, all of them raced for the crystal.

    And this made the water beast go crazy. ~How long have I been guarding this crystal and you insect-like humans expect to steal it from me today?~ It opened its mouth and flung its tail towards them.

    How powerful was a beast who was about to breakthrough? Furthermore, the pool was so small and half of it was encircled by the bamboo woods, resulting in it being equivalent to an enclosed space.

    ¡°Pu! Pu! Pu!¡±

    Under numerous random attacks, the ones with lower cultivation were pushed out, either to the mountain wall or the bamboo trees.

    While Lu Mingshu was being chased by the beast, she jumped into the waters to find the crystal that had fallen back in.

    The crystal was shiny, and bright underwater, Lu Mingshu could immediately see it.

    When her sword light coiled around the crystal, a strong force suddenly shot towards Lu Mingshu and collided with ehr sword light.

    The force was so strong that Lu Mingshu felt her hands go numb, and she had to move backwards a few feet.

    And this made her panic.

    This situation was a mess she created, to enable herself to have more space to maneuver and snatch the crystal sessfully. Everything went as nned and no one who should be able to counter-attack

    ~Oh no!~

    She suddenly remembered someone.

 Chapter 349 - A trap

    <h4>Chapter 349: A trap</h4>

    A glittering ray of light shone into the pool, creating a small rainbow.

    The beast had already been seriously injured by the four princes, and now, the rainbow shone onto it and started to twist around it, making it howl in pain.

    ¡°Bang¡ª¨C¡± The beast blood sttered everywhere, dyeing the small pool red in colour, and the ce was now reeking of blood.

    In the blink of an eye, the beast which was about to break through the freezing spirit phase turned into minced meat.

    The crowd stood rooted to the ground seeing this scene.

    Even though the beast had been seriously injured, the person must be extremely strong to be able to kill it so quickly.

    Jiang Yuan looked up to see someone standing on the rainbow, staring at the remaining pieces of the beast emotionlessly.

    ~Miss Yu!~

    ¡°Who the fuck are you!¡± Jiang Yuan blurted out.

    She had never seen this skill before, but it was weirdly familiar.

    Jiang Yuan turned to her side, to see the floating cloud gentleman¡¯s face turning extremely white, and staring at Miss Yu like his soul had left his body.

    ¡°Who are you...¡± He muttered to himself.

    Qin Jun¡¯s jaw was wide open, as he stared at Miss Yu. ¡°This....¡±

    On the other hand, Chu Zhengyan sighed. ¡°You, huh? Of course, it¡¯s you, who else hates Jiang Yuan that much?¡±

    Jiang Yuan stared at all of them dumbfounded, not aware of what was going on. She looked closely and eximed in shock. ¡°Nie Rufei?¡±

    Miss Yu reached out to peel something off from her face, and indeed, it was Nie Rufei.

    ¡°Hate her that much?¡± She looked at Chu Zhengyan weirdly and shrugged. ¡°Do you think I am that bored? And Thank you brother Chu, for nearly ruining my n!¡±

    Even though she called him brother Chu, this Nie Rufei was extremely different from the one they knew¡ª-she was a stranger now in all aspects. Her expression and tone were no longer the same either. If anyone who didn¡¯t know her met her now, who would guess that she was a pampered and spoiled elder miss since young?

    Suddenly, Qin Jun came to realise something. ¡°So all of you knew it...?¡±

    The floating cloud gentleman pursed his lips and did not reply. His face fell and turned extremely ck.

    This left Jiang Yuan staring at them dumbfoundedly.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± In the nook, Yan Wugui whispered. ~I don¡¯t even know what¡¯s going on!~

    Next to him, Lu Mingshu was twisting her clothes, trying to squeeze the remaining water out. ¡°How would I know? Just watch the show, quietly please.¡±

    ¡°I am the only one who knows nothing, huh?¡± Jiang Yuan mumbled to herself.

    Chu Zhengyan sighed and looked at her, seeming to be pitying her. ¡°Miss Jiang, it¡¯s not your fault. You are just unlucky to be associated with him.¡± He nced at the floating cloud gentleman.

    Jiang Yuan took a deep breath and observed all of them slowly.

    Chu Zhengyan looked at her in sympathy, which shows that he was aware of the n. And that might be the reason why he suggested a change of rules and kept targeting her to stop her from passing that round. ~So he was trying to help me out of this?~

    Qin Jun furrowed his eyebrows and stared at everyone. He seemed to be in shock and sighed when he finally understood what was going on. This made Jiang Yuan feel better. It showed that Qin Jun probably knew that there was something going on behind the debate, and he did not work with her to get her into trouble.

    While the floating cloud gentleman stared at Nie Rufei like he was going to tear her head off any second.

    Nie Rufei stood there, staring at them as if mocking them.

    All of a sudden, Jiang Yuan felt like she was a joke. She gave up her rtionship, her identity as a girl to join the brutal world, fighting at risk of her own life. Jiang Yuan always believed that it was the result of her own effort that she got to where she was today. At times, she even looked down on Nie Rufei, thinking that she was hopelessly narrow-minded. ~So this was all just a lie? And yet I have been mocking the one who tricked me into this, when I was the one being yed?~

    ¡°Why?¡± She muttered to herself.

    Nie Rufei nced over at her, and smirked. ¡°Jiang Wan, you have never once suspected who he was?¡±

    Jiang Wan looked up vacantly.

    Nie Rufeiughed evilly and pouted. She still looked and acted like a spoiled miss, but she sounded extremely sarcastic. ¡°Love is indeed harmful. With how smart you are, why would you not know? If he was just an alienator, would he have all these techniques to hide his identity?¡±

    ¡°Alienator?¡± Qin Jun looked over at him. ¡°You are really an alienator?¡±

    Even though there have already been rumours regarding this, all of them thought that the rumours could not be taken seriously.

    The floating cloud gentleman looked at all of them emotionally. He looked over at Jiang Wan who seemed to be in a daze, Qin Jun who was in a loss and Chu Zhengyan who looked curious and a little bit excited about what would happen next, with a trace of pity for Jiang Wan in his eyes. His eyes stopped at Nie Rufei who was mocking him.

    He smiled thinly and rubbed his forehead slowly. A thick trail of soul blood rolled down his head.

    ¡°True are the chosen, and seals are what god gave them to prove their superiority, while the alienators have always been deemed to be the lower ss, and never be able to cultivate.¡± The floating cloud gentleman looked at her coldly and shook his head, ¡°It has been years, and it would be time for them to pay us back.¡±

    ¡°You? Just you alone?¡± Nie Rufei snicked.

    ¡°Someday, there will be someone, who will make it happen.¡±

    Yan Wugui stared at them dumbfoundedly. He grabbed Lu Mingshu and whispered. ¡°Oh my god, so that means her love for him was all lies?¡±

    Lu Mingshu shrugged.

    ¡°No wonder.¡± Qin Jun said softly. ¡°Elder Miss Nie was talented when she was younger, and the Nie family doted on you so much, why would they suddenly groom someone else? So you had already nned this long ago?¡±

    Jiang Wan finally got her rationality back and stared at Nie Rufei, face turning extremely pale. ¡°Nie Rufei, you turning up at Evening city back, was it all an act too?¡±

    ¡°Duh¡± Nie Rufei looked at her, she seemed like she was smiling, but it wasn¡¯t a smile. ¡°Why would I, someone from such a rich family go to such a ce?¡±

    Seeing Jiang Wan turning even paler, she seemed to be enjoying it andughed. ¡°Oh no, disappointed, are you? Do you think you are good, by beating the garbage in the Jiang family? The world is much crueler than you realise. All the stories of me falling in love with him at first sight and taking him away from you was fake. I wanted to use him to find the rebels, and he wanted to make use of me to get authority....¡±

    ¡°Shut the fuck up!¡± Jiang Wan pointed at her and gritted her teeth. ¡°Disgusting bitch! Both of youpletely dis-gust me!¡± She mouthed the word clearly and loudly.

    Seeing Jiang Wan rage made Nie Rufei even happier. She giggled and looked over at the floating cloud gentleman. ¡°Heard her? Both of us, me and you. We¡¯re disgusting to her.¡±

    He said nothing and simply stared at her.

    ¡°Fu Yun, you are so heartless!¡± Nie Rufei pouted and acted coquettishly. ¡°You left her behind toplete your important mission and did not even show any concern. Even if I nned to kill her, you were unconcerned. Was the mission so important that her life is worth it? Worth you giving everything up?¡±

    ¡°Do you even have the right toment about me when you do the same?¡± The floating cloud gentleman snickered, ¡°Grand Elder Miss Nie, making herself worth less than a dog to find clues about the rebels.¡± His eyes were filled with disgust and hatred. ¡°Why can you do so while I can¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°We are indeed made for each other.¡± Nie Rufei yed with her hair as if there was nothing happening. ¡°Acting is so tiring. You must have spread the information of the emperor being obsessed with cultivating, thus hiding the emperor¡¯s order in this debate to choose a new heir, am I right? Haha, you were useless, used as bait.¡±

 Chapter 350 - Accept it if you lose

    <h4>Chapter 350: ept it if you lose</h4>

    The floating cloud gentleman was as pale as a sheet of paper.

    He didn¡¯t want to admit it, but he had lost, and badly.

    Going undercover inside the enemy¡¯s camp for five years, trying to find more information to help the rebels, but in the end, he fell victim to Nie Rufei¡¯s scheme. Yes, he had reported the information as soon as he got it, and his chief should be on his way to the Supreme Scared Imperial Pce. If they got ambushed, the damage would be so severe that even if he paid with his life, it wouldn¡¯t make up for it.

    Seeing how pleased Nie Rufei was with herself, Qin Jun sighed, feeling apologetic for Jiang Wan.

    This was a huge project, so Nie Rufei shouldn¡¯t be the only one involved. <i>~Seems like the Nie family had gotten the emperor¡¯s trust long ago and if this n seeds, it would not be good for my family. As for the Chu¡¯s, seeing how Chu Zhengyan reacted, he is somehow involved in this scheme too. So the Chu¡¯s would surely benefit, even though not by much. As for the Jiangs, they are the most innocent party ....~</i> Jiang Wan may not be a rebel herself, but may be rted to an important rebel. The damage to the Jiang family will be so huge that it will be almost impossible for them to get back up again.

    Qin Jun couldn¡¯t help but pity Jiang Wan. He saw how much effort she had put in to get where she was today and she was sacrificed just because she knew the floating cloud gentleman in the past.

    <i>~A cruel game, that you might not even win if you put in more effort. The result was decided since her birth....~</i>

    The floating cloud gentleman¡¯s body starts to light up, shocking Qin Jun. He started to shout, ¡°Look out¡ª-¡± but it was toote.

    Nie Rufei shot towards Jiang Wan and rainbow-colored spiral lights had formed.

    Strength-wise, Jiang Wan was not weaker than her. But Jiang Wan¡¯s was in a daze, and Nie Rufei¡¯s attack was so sudden that Jiang wan did not have time to react.

    An ice shield was formed just in time, but it was crushed into pieces by the rainbow light. The spiralling light did not even slow down as it shot towards Jiang Wan.

    They were very close, and if the attacknded, it would be hard to say if Jiang Wan could make it out alive.

    Just then, the floating cloud gentleman snapped his fingers, and numerous wind des flew towards Jiang Wan as well.

    ¡°Whoosh¡ª¡±

    The spiral light and wind des collided, dispersing along with the shattered ice shield.

    Seizing the chance, Nie Rufei used her other hand tounch another attack, causing the light around the floating cloud gentleman to disappear.

    After this, Nie Rufei smirked and shook her head. ¡°Wow, I thought you really didn¡¯t have feelings for her! Can¡¯t hold it in anymore, can you?¡±

    The floating cloud gentleman gave her a death re, unknown if it was because he was angry or annoyed.

    ¡°Eh, that was....¡± Yan Wugui whispered.

    ¡°The floating cloud gentleman went into his enemy¡¯s camp, he must have some secret skills or techniques to protect himself.¡± Lu Mingshu whispered.

    ¡°Ah....¡± Yan Wugui nodded. ¡°No wonder she kept aiming towards Prince Jiang. Elder Miss Nie must be trying to find what the floating cloud gentleman¡¯s secret skill is, so he wouldn¡¯t have any methods to counter-attack after he realised that something went wrong.

    Lu Mingshu kept quiet. This was really outside her expectations. Who would have expected that the princessy Elder Miss Nie would have so much hidden underneath her mask?

    ¡°Hey, but do you think she¡¯s trying to kill Prince Jiang because she¡¯s jealous?¡± Yan Wugui watched the show with gusto. ¡°I don¡¯t believe she would not feel a single thing after being married to him for five years.¡±

    <i>~Maybe?~</i> Lu Mingshu shrugged. In order to trick the rebels, she had even sacrificed her marriage.~Elder Miss Nie was obviously a selfish and egotistical person. No matter what was the reason that tied them together, they had been married for five years, and she wasparable to or better than Jiang Wan no matter which angle you consider things from. However, the person the floating cloud gentleman preferred had always been Jiang Wan. <i>~I would not believe that she did not try to kill prince Jiang because she was jealous.~</i>

    Seeing how angry the floating cloud gentleman looked, Yan Wugui felt a pang of pity. ¡°Haish, he¡¯s a poor thing.¡±

    ¡°Interested in helping him?¡± Lu Mingshu nced over at him.

    ¡°Nah.¡± Yan Wugui shook his head immediately. ¡°They might be the ones fighting, but they are representing the emperor and the rebel chief. We aren¡¯t qualified to meddle in this.¡±

    Lu Mingshu smiled. <i>~Even though he wasn¡¯t as crafty as Xie Lianzhen, he had always understood the big picture.~</i>

    ¡°And I don¡¯t like him anyway.¡± Yan Wugui rolled his eyes. ¡°He gave up everything yet he decided to choose his lover now. Failing in the end because he can¡¯t decide what he wants.¡±

    <i>~Errr....Make sense, though~.</i>

    Jiang Wan looked up in anger at the married couple and yelled. ¡°That¡¯s enough! Don¡¯t drag me into your family matters! Nie Rufei, I admit that I have lost, and I was stupid to let you toy around with me! But as for your personal feuds, they have nothing to do with me so please fucking settle it on your own and leave me out of this! And you!¡± She turned to face the floating could gentleman. Her eyes seemed to be tearing up but anger soon took over. ¡°There¡¯s no use in you doing all this fucking nonsence. Live up to the decision you made like a man! I may have hated you before, but it¡¯s all the past. Now, don¡¯t regret the choice you made and act like a real man!¡±

    The floating cloud gentleman was extremely pale. He bit his lips and only started to speak after sometime. ¡°I have never once regretted my mistake, but I admit I was stupid enough to fall for your trap.¡±

    However, Nie Rufei sighed as she saw them concede defeat. ¡°No fun. But whatever, let¡¯s stop fooling around then, huh?¡±

    She stared at the rest and shouted. ¡°Get lost if you do not wish to die! If you do, I¡¯m not taking responsibility!¡±

    With that, she raised up the king crystal and crushed it.

    They could hear it crack and saw it turn into many small shards.

    A bright ray of light flew out of the crystal, and a tiny badge floated up mid-air.

    Seeing the badge in Nie Rufei¡¯s hand, Chu Zhengyan couldn¡¯t help but grunt in annoyance.

    <i>~The emperor¡¯s order!~</i> The information was true indeed. The emperor did really hide an emperor¡¯s order in the sea of cloud¡¯s debate! Even though it was not like what the rumour said, that the one who got it would be the next emperor. It would still be very beneficial to win it. Nie Rufei seeded in tricking the enemy, and managed to get ahold of the emperor¡¯s order. After this, the emperor would surely sit up and take notice of her.

    <i>~The Nies are really taking a single step to heaven.~</i>

    The badge turned into a ray of light and shot into Nie Rufei¡¯s body. Formidable energy bursted out from her body and her strength rose substantially.

    Yan Wugui moved back frantically, closely staring at Nie Rufei.

    <i>~This vicious and merciless bitch seems to be keen to kill the floating cloud gentleman. With her character, she should not care about if she idently kills anyone else. Anyone getting dragged down would be extremely unlucky.~</i>

    Nie Rufei towered above the floating cloud gentleman, admiring the dire situation he was now. ¡°I raised him up myself, and now, I will destroy him myself. I will finish what I started!¡±

    As soon as she finished her sentence, she raised her hand and a huge palm appeared, emitting cold air which pressed down on the floating cloud gentleman.

    Lu Mingshu might have been a distance from it, but she could still feel the impact and force of Nie Rufei¡¯s attack. <i>~The emperor¡¯s order most likely must have strengthened her ability to the freezing spirit phrase, the floating cloud gentleman will most likely not escape this round alive.~</i>

    Despite facing his near certain death, the floating cloud gentlemen was instead calm. He raised his hands and released all the soul energy in his body.

    As a cultivator, even though he was aware that he would likely die, he would still try his best to counter attack too.

    He embraced hising death, but in thest moment, he saw an ice shield right form right in front of him.

    It was crystal clear as if made of ss.

 Chapter 351 - Emperor

    <h4>Chapter 351: Emperor</h4>

    Jiang Wan, It was Jiang Wan!

    Some did a double take while others were struck dumb. Chu Zhengyan even yelled at her. ¡°Miss Jiang!¡±

    But Jiang Wan did not even bother to look at him. The seal in between her brows was now as red as blood.

    She had let out all her soul energy, as ice shields formed one by one. The surrounding temperature dropped abruptly, freezing everything around her.

    ¡°What the hell is she thinking?!¡± Yan Wugui looked at Jiang Wan, unable to believe what he saw, <i>~Didn¡¯t she ask the floating cloud gentleman to live up to his choice, which meant that she would watch with folded arms? But now....~</i>

    This was the first time that the floating cloud gentleman turned pale with fright. Under Nie Rufei¡¯s attack, the ice shield cracked and shattered one by one. She even slowed down her attacks to make sure they could hear the ice shields crack apart slowly and watch the floating cloud gentleman lose his mind.

    <i>~This man made me put down my pride for five years, but he never treated me well or cared about me! Even after we got married, he didn¡¯t even bother to pretend to care, and treated me as if I was nothing! ~</i>

    <i>~Am I thatcking that he does not even want to bother to pretend?~</i>

    <i>~Is Jiang Wan that good, to keep her in his mind constantly?~</i>

    <i>~Finally, I¡¯ve gotten a chance to get back at him~</i>

    <i>~Slowly enjoy watching your crush die right in front of you, but there¡¯s nothing that you can do, except to meet her in hell again!~</i>

    A thin smile could be seen on Nie Rufei¡¯s face, as she watched Jiang Wan¡¯s seal dim slowly, while the floating cloud gentleman was trying his best to block attacks for Jiang Wan, staring at her helplessly.

    <i>~Finally, I have tolerated him for five years, it is time.~</i>

    Realising that Lu Mingshu wanted to move, Yan Wugui grabbed onto her tightly and pulled her close. ¡°Don¡¯t. We can¡¯t help them.¡±

    Lu Mingshu took a deep breath and looked down. ¡°I know.¡± <i>~It¡¯s just upsetting to see someone die in front of me without being able to help.~</i>

    ¡°Pu!¡± The floating cloud gentleman vomited blood and the light on his body exploded. ¡°Boom!¡± A palm struck out and the soul light vanished.

    The palm was so strong that it sent Jiang Wan flying together with the floating cloud gentleman, almost a hundred miles away.

    ¡°Wan!¡± The floating cloud gentleman used all the energy he had left to support Jiang Wan.

    Jiang Wan inhaled a trembling breath, as fresh blood flowed from her mouth, down her icy cold skin.

    Hearing the floating cloud gentleman¡¯s call, she looked over at him slowly.

    ¡°Why did you....¡± The floating cloud gentleman couldn¡¯t finish his words.

    She blinked, and looked at him calmly. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be touched. You took an attack for me, and I returned the favor. We are even.¡±

    ¡°Wan....¡±

    ¡°If I knew that you left me because you had no choice, I may have retained some feelings for you. But it¡¯s toote now, the feelings that died long ago cannot be rekindled anymore.¡±

    ¡°.....¡± The floating cloud gentleman looked down and held her hand tighter.

    Jiang Wan seemed to get more and more tired, her eyes closing as she mumbled. ¡°If I had a choice, I never want to have met any of you. I am even dragged into your feuds ...¡±

    ¡°Hahahaha....¡± Nie Rufei let out a monsterous crackle. Seeing the despair the floating cloud gentleman was in, she snickered. ¡°Such a poor girl. She must have been extremely disgusted huh? Her bright future has been ruined by us, because of our hidden dealings. Oh, and her hard work and effort all turned into a joke, being my chess piece from the start.¡±

    ¡°Fu Yun, Fu Yun. Your life was such a failure. Life as a spy must have been extremely tough, and yet you sent your chief into a trap and also caused your precious crush to die. But this is not the worst part.¡± Sheughed and looked at her nails. Nie Rufei¡¯s appearance may have made her seem cheerful, but the wordsing out of her were like a sharp knife, piercing through one¡¯s heart. ¡°The worst part was that she died not because she loved you, but wanted nothing. To. Do. With. You! Hahahaha....¡±

    ¡°What about you?¡± The floating cloud gentleman looks up, amongst herughter, staring at Nie Rufei as if she was a joke. ¡°Of course, you won. She may be your chess piece and I may be the loser here. But so what? What is the point of begging for attention now?¡±

    ¡°You¡ª-¡±

    ¡°So what if I¡¯m a failure? Are you any better? Please, mighty elder miss Nie. Needing to be humble to me must have sucked, especially since you knew I was an alienator, right? I bet this must be the reason for your mental illness that you think it would only heal and that you¡¯d feel happier if you kill the both of us. Nie Rufei, you are just jealous. Jealous that Wan could lead a simple and happy life while you had to sacrifice yourself for your family¡¯s benefit. Sure, you can continue to lie to yourself that this is the life you desire and I wish that you would continue to believe in this lie forever!

    Nie Rufei turned extremely green and pointed at him angrily. ¡°Who do you think you are? Since you can¡¯t wait to die, I¡¯ll fulfil your wish!¡±

    The palm reappeared, blinding the crowd with light. This time around, there was nobody to help him take the attack. He and Jiang Wan would soon be turned into minced meat....

    ¡°Boom!¡±

    ¡°Ahhh¡ª-¡± a few people who were nearby suffered too and were sent flying.

    ¡°Be careful!¡± Yan Wugui pulled Lu Mingshu into the water and they submerged inside the pool.

    An explosion could be heard, with debris flying around, the bamboo trees were broken and it felt like it could make someone deaf.

    Thanks to the water, both of them were shielded better and they came out of the water soon after.

    Lu Mingshu spit out some water and grabbed Yan Wugui tightly. ¡°No, this is weird!¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    As soon as Yan Wugui opened his mouth, he felt strong energy gush up his chest and with that, he vomited blood.

    He looked over to Lu Mingshu who was in the same state too.

    And everyone that was around him experienced the same thing, even Nie Rufei who was previously so majestic fell down with a thud.

    ¡°Expert,an expert made a move!¡± He heard Lu Mingshu mumbling.

    Yan Wugui vomited blood once more, immediately fishing out a pill from his pocket and stuffing it into Lu Mingshu¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°Uh....¡± Lu Mingshu nearly choked on it. With great difficulty, she then swallowed the pill and looked over at Yan Wugui. ¡°What about you.....¡±

    But Yan Wugui had already taken out another pill and stuffed it into his own mouth. Seeing this, Lu Mingshu felt stupid. <i>~What am I thinking? The scenario of there being only one pill avable but I will give it for you only appears in melodramatic love stories.~</i>

    Two strong energies flew past mid-air.

    The extremely strong forces fighting near-by created strong energy waves. And this was enough for them to be unable to handle. All who were present used their true energy to protect themselves from the strong waves.

    Suddenly, a strong force joined in the fight. Two fighting against one, and with a loud explosion, andslide was created and the ground shook violently. After some time, then suddenly became peaceful.

    A calm voice could be heard ringing through the area. ¡°Living in seclusion for a hundred years yet you are only this strong. Such a disappointment.¡±

    ¡°Your majesty, please take some time to worry about yourself! Going into obsession is not a joke and if you don¡¯t recover soon, your title might soon belong to others. Am I right, master Bao Guang?¡±

    ¡°Hmmp!¡±

    Lu Mingshu and Yan Wugui could feel the vibration again, but the other party seemed to not wish to continue the fight.

    ¡°Your majesty, you have won this round, but the future is long.¡± Heughed and snapped his finger.

    ¡°Ahhhh!¡± Nie Rufei let out a blood-curdling scream and flew out.

    The emperor could not arrive in time to help Nie Rufei, but he shot out a ray of light to catch her, saving her life.

    ¡°Bye.¡± The other partyughed and strong wind surrounded the area. He then picked up the floating cloud gentleman and Jiang wan before leaving.

    Only now did the crowd dared to look up.

    But all they could see was a man with a majestic presence with light surrounding him as hended.

    Qin Jun and the rest immediately kneeled down and bowed. ¡°Your majesty.¡±

    The emperor nodded coldly. ¡°You performed well. Rewarded to be a baron.¡±

    The crowd was more than delighted. It was hard to be given one of the five (aristocratic) peerage ranks, and even if the baron was the lowest rank, it was still considered very valuable.

    Before the crowd could thank him, the emperor turned around and stared at Lu Mingshu and Yan Wugui angrily. ¡°Alienators, how dare you sneak into the debate!¡±

    He pointed at them and a lighting bolt shot towards the both of them.

 Chapter 352 - Injured

    <h4>Chapter 352: Injured</h4>

    In a split second, before they could even blink, many thoughts filled Lu Mingshu¡¯s mind.

    Before they signed up for the debate, they considered many possibilities and ways to not meet the emperor. It was not easy to meet the emperor, but easy to not. However, man proposes, god disposes, who would have thought that this debate was just a game of chess between two leaders of different groups, the most important figures in the world?

    No matter how urate a n was, it could be crushed by true strength.

    Strength mattered the most amongst all factors.

    But Lu Mingshu still didn¡¯t want to die. She had much yet to be done. Revenge to take, and the favors to repay.

    And Yan Wugui. Xie Lianzhen left Zhongzhou for her and ended up here together, partly because of her, so she should send him back to Zhongzhou safely!

    ¡°Get lost!¡± Yan Wugui pushed her to the side, and a light suddenly lit up from within his chest.

    The light continued to erge, and the surroundings turned dark as if it was night. The image of a big dipper formed, and the first star of the big dipper shot out, spilling light over Lu Mingshu and Yan Wugui and encircling them.

    ¡°Eh?¡± The emperor was taken back.

    But after all, he was still the emperor, towering over the world, and his attack could easily destroy mountains and cause huge destruction.

    ¡°Crack!¡± the shield formed by the starlight cracked and slowly fall apart.

    Yan Wugui¡ª-Nope, Xie Lianzhen, looked down and snapped his fingers furiously. Starlight flew around his hands and continuously repaired the shield¡ª-This was the secret skill of an Alioth star lord. Yan Wugui and Xie Lianzhen trained with different methods, and only Xie Lianzhen would be able to use this skill as the one who knew about it.

    However, the difference in their strength was too much no matter how much the Alioth star-lord increased his ability by using a secret skill

    The emperor rolled his eyes and attacked again. It¡¯s was such a waste of time and energy for him to attack a twice junior personally twice.

    The starlight shield turned into ashes and fell to the ground. A light blue light shot past them, lighting up the forest in blue. The leftover water in the pond shot up and went towards Lu Mingshu and Xie Lianzhen, surrounding them. It was so close that they could even see the ripples and smell the water.

    ¡°Boom¡ª¡± an explosion was heard, and water flew everywhere.

    The attack of the emperor passed them both.

    ¡°Crack!¡± The bottom of the pool had a crack, and both of them fell into it.

    Leaving only the raging waters to swirl around mid-air.

    The emperor furrowed his brows and waved his sleeves. With that, the water went back to where it belonged in the pool.

    Everything turned back to how it was originally like, except for Lu Mingshu and Xie Lianzhen, who disappeared into thin air.

    Qin Jun and Chu Zhengyan stood rooted to the ground.

    It all urred so fast that they did not even have time to react.

    A light could be seen flying over andnding within the bamboo forest which was already turned into a mess.

    It was a schr dressed in green, and he held a feather fan. Chu Zhengyan immediately kneeled upon seeing him. ¡°Master.¡±

    Master Bao Guang raised his fan. ¡°No need for such formalities.¡± He turned to the emperor. ¡°Well, I would never expect two younger generation cultivators would have such a treasure with them.¡±

    The emperor did not reply, but he stared nkly at the ce they disappeared, as if in deep thought.

    ¡°They have fallen into the heart of clouds, and it¡¯s going to be troublesome if we want to get them out. We will have to shut down all the spell formations and who knows how it would affect our production the next year.¡± Master Bao Guang shook his head and smiled. ¡°This loss is not worth two kids in the purity soul phase.¡±

    The emperor smiled thinly and nodded. ¡°Yes, You make sense. Since that¡¯s the case, we¡¯ll spare ourselves the trouble. Even if they did not die from my attack, they would have been fatally injured.¡±

    He turned around and yelled. ¡°Come here!¡±

    In the blink of an eye, the three freezing spirit elders who were guarding the sea of clouds appeared from the fog, and bowed together. ¡°Your majesty.¡±

    ¡°Settle this.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The emperor then turned to Master Bao Guang who was next to him. ¡°Please.¡±

    ¡°I see the emperor off.¡± Master Bao Guang bowed.

    The emperor slowly faded away and disappeared.

    ¡°Master.¡± Chu Zhengyan greeted.

    After the guards and Qin Jun left, leaving only him and his disciple, Master Bao Guang shook his head. ¡°Your performance this round was just okay. Not as scheming as Nie Rufei or urate as the girl from the Jiang¡¯s family.¡±

    He said it calmly, but it sent Chu Zhengyan and his junior breaking into a cold sweat as they kneeled almost immediately, asking for forgiveness. ¡°Your disciple did not do his duty well, please punish me, master.¡±

    ¡°No need.¡± Master Bao Guang smiled. ¡°You may not have performed well this round, but for this situation, it¡¯s perfect. The emperor is nning to make the Nie family stronger, so we should let them have the spotlight as he wishes.¡±

    Seeing that his master wasn¡¯t angry with him, Chu Zhengyan heaved a sigh of relief. He looked at his master and asked cautiously. ¡°Master, what is the emperor nning? The old codger has already stepped into the trap; why did the emperor let him off so easily?¡±

    Master Bao Guangughed and shook his head. ¡°Do you think that spiritual master Fa Xiang is that easy to get rid of? Even if the emperor and I joined hands, we could only at most injure him.¡± He paused for a moment before continuing. ¡°Moreover, the emperor has not recovered from his obsession, why would he make an all-out effort?¡±

    Chu Zhengyan¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°Wasn¡¯t the news of him being in obsession just to bait the other party out?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought as well.¡± Master Bao Guang said. ¡°But after the fight, I realized that it was true. Just that it isn¡¯t as serious as the rumor said it was. The emperor wanted to trick the old man and take the chance to seriously injure him so he could heal peacefully. But who would have expected that the old man¡¯s ability was out of the ordinary and could cause the emperor¡¯s injury to resurge.¡±

    ¡°This....¡± Chu Zhengyan suddenly remembered something, and his face lit up.

    Bao Guang master nced at him.

    Chu Zhengyan bit his lips shut immediately.

    ¡°Okay, we shall get going too. After this, we can enjoy peace for a long....¡±

    Master Bao Guang waved his sleeve and walked out of the foggy woods.

    ¡°Master.¡± Chu Zhengyan caught up to him, pointing at the pool. ¡°Are they really alienators?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°They are quite talented too, and maybe even more so than Fu Yun. Why did the old codger not bring them along?¡±

    ¡°Erm, well.....¡±

    ¡°Warning! Warning! Your body is seriously damaged and urgently in need of repair.¡±

    Lu Mingshu heard Xiao Sang¡¯s voice ringing in her head in excruciating pain.

    She pinched herself to ensure that she stayed awake and coughed. ¡°Xiao Sang, how many points do I have?¡±

    ¡°You have seventeen umted points.¡±

    ¡°.....The reward has yet to arrive? I can only exchange for the basic treatment, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Okay, please exchange that.¡±

    Warm energy flowed through her body as her injuries were treated one by one, and her meridians were slowly eased of pain, Lu Mingshu passed out again with that. But even so, there was still something on her mind. <i>~He is still alive, right?~</i>

 Chapter 353 - As virtue rises one foot, vice rises ten

    <h4>Chapter 353: ¡°As virtue rises one foot, vice rises ten¡±.</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Exodus Tales <strong>Editor: </strong>Exodus Tales

    Water dripped onto her lips, bringing a slight chill. Lu Mingshu unconsciously opened up her mouth to conveniently allow the water into her mouth.

    Her dry mouth and throat felt better as the water moisturized it a bit, and the pain decreased too. She slowly regained her consciousness and opened up her eyes.

    ¡°Ha! You are finally awake!¡± A robotic voice paired with a pair of lights blinked in the dark, a strange scene.

    Lu Mingshu stared around her nkly for a moment, trying to register what was going on.

    ¡°Little boo?¡± She sounded extremely sore.

    ¡°Yes master?¡±

    <i>~it¡¯s little boo, which means I am still alive.~</i>

    Lu Mingshu heaved a sigh of relief.

    Darkness surrounded her, and it was so dark that she couldn¡¯t even see her fingers. But Lu Mingshu could feel a pair of arms surrounding her, one holding on to the back of her head and the other around her waist.

    It was trying to protect her. Holding on to the ce that she was most vulnerable and where she was injured.

    The other party did not even move in the slightest, and his breathing was so soft that she was almost unable to feel it. Because they were so close to each other, she could feel his body temperature and knew that he was alive.

    ¡°It¡¯s so dark.....¡± she mumbled.

    As soon as she finished, a light shone in front of her and she was instantly blinded by the light.

    Due to her eyes having adapted to the darkness, Lu Mingshu couldn¡¯t stand the brightness and shut her eyes immediately.

    ¡°Ka, master, is this enough?¡± Little boo¡¯s robotic voice could be heard.

    ¡°You.....move further back.¡± She waved her hands

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Little boo moved back.

    It took her a while to get used to the light. Lu Mingshu looked around her only to see little boo standing not far away, it¡¯s eyes were the source of light and it was holding on to a small cup. ~must be what he he used to feed me water~

    She can¡¯t help but burst outughing. ¡°Little Boo, I didn¡¯t know that you were antern too!¡±

    ¡°Not just that, but little Boo can also be a cauldron.¡± And the next second, little Boo had already thrown the cup away and opened up his body. *Crack, crack* his body was rearranged into a small cauldron.

    ¡°What the ...this is so weird!¡± Lu Mingshu¡¯s jaw dropped.

    <i>~what was the Grandmaster thinking? It¡¯s not just a torch, but a cauldron?! What do I do with a cauldron? Cook????~</i>

    ¡°Little Boo can even turn into a...¡±

    ¡°Little boo,¡± Lu Mingshu cut it off. ¡°We don¡¯t need those functions yet, please turn back to normal?¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    As little Boo transformed back into the bronze man it originally was, Lu Mingshu tried her best to get out of a certain person¡¯s hug.

    He was also unconscious, but his grip was so tight that Lu Mingshu had a hard time to get his arms off.

    The injuries on her had been treated by the heavenly wheel. However, the basic treatment could only heal surface injuries. If Lu Mingshu wanted to fully recover, it would still take some time.

    She pressed onto her chest,

    ¡°Little boo,e over here.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Lu Mingshu checked Xie Lianzhen¡¯s body with little boo¡¯s eyes acting as a light.

    There were two injuries on Xie Lianzhen. One on his back, deep and spanning across his back, while the other was on the back of his head, and it felt hard due to a blood clot

    ¡°Oh no...¡± Lu Mingshu mumbled.

    If the injury on his back had affected his spine, Xie Lianzhen might be paralyzed. He already was disabled since young and had only recovered recently, <i>~what if..... No, there is no what ifs. No matter how huge the price, I should take care of him.~</i>

    Not only that, the injury on the back of his head was also a major issue. The human¡¯s brain was an essential organ. Who would be able to predict the consequences of that injury? <i>~Furthermore, Xie Lianzhen was born with a huge number of health issues since young, and now with an additional injury.... Whatever, let¡¯s wake him up first and see.~</i>

    The injury on his back was way more serious, and needed immediate medical attention. Lu Mingshu got on her knees and tore the clothes off his back to reveal the injury.

    ¡°Little Boo, where did you get the water from?¡±

    ¡°Outside.¡±

    ¡°Can you get me some more, as much as possible.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Little Boo slowly waddled out with his short limbs.

    Lu Mingshu watched as he went away, light shining across the surrounding. They were now in a huge cave, little boo had squeezed out of the cave through a hole and returned after a few minutes.

    It had changed into a cauldron, that was currently filled with water.

    ¡°Ka, master, water is here.¡±

    Cleaning the wound, applying an ointment and binding up the wound was the basic procedure for treating a wound. After finishing them, Lu Mingshu sat down and heaved a sigh of relief. The injury was just skin and flesh, and his spine was not injured. ~Thank God~

    As for the injury on the back of his head, it seemed to be minor, but who knows if it would affect his brain or not.

    After doing so, Lu Mingshu felt dizzy. She had just recovered too, and she needed to rest.

    ¡°Little Boo, is it safe here?¡±

    Little Boo¡¯s eye lit up and nodded. ¡°Ka, there is no one else here.¡±

    ¡°Can you watch guard? I need to rest.¡±

    ¡°Yes, master.¡±

    She took out the pills that she had exchanged for previously and stuffed one in Xie Lianzhen¡¯s mouth and the other in her own. With that, she can no longer take it and fell asleep.

    Lu Mingshu had a long dream. There were happy moments as well as sad moments in it. Lastly, a soft touch on her face woke her up.

    A pair of shining eyes met hers.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Nothing.¡± Xie Lianzhen kept his hands and smiled. Lu Mingshu tried to sit up but winced in pain, and Xie Lianzhen noticed it. ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± She reached out to push him away, who was trying to help her up away but identally tore his clothes.

    When they fell, Xie Lianzhen¡¯s clothes were already torn. In order to clean his wound, Lu Mingshu tore it further and now, it was like pieces of cloth loosely hanging on Xie Lianzhen¡¯s body that would fall off if someone touched it.

    Xie Lianzhen looked down and pouted. ¡°Well, It¡¯s your fault.¡±

    Lu Mingshu stared at him like she was about to skin him alive.

    Xie Lianzhen smiled cheekily and scratched his head. ¡°I am unable to move now, do you want to help me?¡±

    ¡°Get lost!¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± xie Lianzhen hugged his head.

    Lu Mingshu rolled her eyes and stood up, ready to walk away. But seeing his face pale white, she sighed and lowered her volume. ¡°You have lost a lot of blood, and might have injured your brain.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s cold.¡± He trembled. ¡°Cold.¡±

    Lu Mingshu wanted to ignore him, but seeing him in pain, she pitied him and looked over at little boo. ¡°Little boo, if you can turn into a cauldron, you can warm us up too, right?¡±

    ¡°Ka!¡± Little Boo said no more and transformed itself into a heater. It started heating the fuel in it with fire.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°As virtue rises one foot, vice rises ten¡±.

    Xie Lianzhen could only concede defeat.

    He slowly took out some spare clothes from his mustard seed pouch and tidied his hair. Soon, he looked clean and fresh, like the gentleman he was.

    He took out a towel and started cleaning the blood stains on him while grumbling. ¡°Where are we? How can that idiot manage tond himself into this state and not protect you? Useless.¡±

 Chapter 354 - Leave me alone

    <h4>Chapter 354: Leave me alone</h4>

    ¡°Alioth star lord,¡± Lu Mingshu side eyed him. ¡°Let me remind you that you were in control of his body at that moment.¡±

    But instead of being embarrassed, Xie Lianzhen rolled his eyes in annoyance. ¡°If he was more useful I wouldn¡¯t need to control him, right?¡± He stared into Lu Mingshu¡¯s eyes and sulked. ¡°Why are you always on his side? I¡¯m so hurt.¡±

    ¡°Your heart should be big enough to ept this.¡±

    Since using words against Lu Mingshu was ineffective, Xie Lianzhen changed to using feelings. ¡°Heartless.¡±

    ¡°Hmmph!¡±

    Seeing that the other party was impervious to his swords and spears, Xie Lianzhen returned in low spirits and sulked.

    Lu Mingshu took out a handkerchief, and an unknown bead that had been shattered into many pieces fell to the ground. ¡°What is this.¡±

    ¡°Mystic dewdrop.¡±

    At thest moment, Xie Lianzhen¡¯s starlight shield had shattered, and Lu Mingshu activated her mystic dewdrop to use the pond water as protection to block the emperor¡¯s attack.

    Mystic dewdrops and items from the seafloor, generally only appeared once in a thousand years. Such rare treasure was extremely precious and valuable, moreover, it was a string! This was the only other valuable item that Lu Mingshu had besides her heavenly wheel.

    ¡°Stop looking at it like you¡¯re going to cry. It¡¯s already used up.¡± Xie Lianzhen cut her train of thought. ¡°If you like it so much I¡¯ll give you another string of beads when we get back.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a gift from the queen.¡± Lu Mingshu stared at him coldly.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a bead of crystals.¡± Xie Lianzhen shrugged. ¡°The Queen would say that it¡¯s worth our lives.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Not wanting to talk to him anymore, Lu Mingshu kept her items and called little boo oevr. ¡°Little boo.¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go for a walk.¡±

    ¡°Ka, okay.¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± Xie Lianzhen shouted after her. ¡°Are you going to leave me here alone?¡±

    The only response were footsteps that were gradually getting further away from him.

    ¡°I am afraid of the dark!¡±

    ¡°Afraid.....dark.....¡± He could hear his own voice echo.

    ¡°Why the hell is she treating me worsepared to that idiot!¡± Xie Lianzhen mumbled. ¡°Am I that hateful?¡±

    ...

    ¡°Little boo, have you explored this ce?¡± Lu Mingshu asked as she walked.

    ¡°Yes, master.¡± Little boo¡¯s legs might be short, but he walked at a fast speed.

    ¡°Where¡¯s the exit?¡±

    ¡°Ka.¡± Little boo¡¯s eyes blink. ¡°There.¡±

    ¡°Is this where you went to get water?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°No other exit?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Lu Mingshu reached out her hand to feel the cave walls. The stone was extremely solid and hard to break. The small crack where little boo went out to fetch water was only about a one meter cube. Even though she was small, even Lu Mingshu could not squeeze through, let alone Xie Lianzhen.

    <i>~Well, it seems like we will be staying here for some time~</i>

    Little Boo¡¯s eyes turned, light shing on the objects in front of it.

    ¡°Hold on.¡± Lu Mingshu stopped it.

    ¡°Ka.¡±

    ¡°Come over here, little boo.¡±

    Little boo followed suit and went towards a wall with a small crack.

    Lu Mingshu pointed at the crack and examined it for a moment before looking over at Little Boo. ¡°Can you get in?¡±

    Little boo reached out its bronze arm and transformed it into a thin and long rope-like arm. It put its arm into the crack and after a while, its eyes blinked profusely. ¡°There is a lot of mystic force energy. A lot.¡± It replied excitedly.

    A lot of mystic force, which meant that it¡¯s a special geographical position, and they have hit a jackpot.

    ¡°But I can¡¯t open it.¡± Little Boo said. ¡°Too hard.¡±

    Lu Mingshu crouched down to observe the surroundings.

    Little Boo stood at her side and waited. After a moment, it called Lu Mingshu as it had never received anymand. ¡°Master?¡±

    ¡°Shh!¡± Lu Mingshu pointed her index finger, signalling for it to keep quiet.

    Little boo stood quietly at her side, providing light for her.

    After some time, Lu Mingshu felt dizzy and her eyes dimmed. After all, she had been seriously injured, she needed time to heal and regain her strength even if she had received basic treatment from the heavenly wheel.

    She stood up and massaged her throbbing temple. Lu Mingshu shut her eyes and leaned against the wall to rest. After some time, she felt better and continued to examine the crevice.

    This continued for half a day before Lu Mingshu felt that beat and could no longer continue anymore.

    ¡°Little boo, let¡¯s head back.¡±

    ¡°Ka, okay.¡±

    Lu Mingshu and little boo slowly walked back to where they came from, and she saw Xie Lianzhen sitting crossed legged on the floor, resting.

    The dark blue coloured Daoist gown made Xie Lianzhen look like an upright man who cared about his appearance, and the golden embroidery added an elegant touch. Paired with his ck hair which was tied up with a jade hair pin that seemed to enhance his beauty.

    Even though she had seen him many times, this was the first time Lu Mingshu had seen him alone in the dark. Yet, she still felt that his beauty was unparalleled.

    It was a weird feeling. They were the same person, having the same body. But Yan Wugui and Xie Lianzhen gave out different vibes, and Yan Wugui¡¯s distinctive feature was definitely not his beauty.

    As Lu Mingshu was deep in thought, Xie Lianzhen noticed her presence. He opened his eyes and smiled sweetly. ¡°You¡¯re back.¡±

    This smile would melt anybody that saw it, and the low and gentle voice soothed one¡¯s ears....

    ¡°If you y any weird tricks, I¡¯ll throw you out!¡± Lu Mingshu snapped.

    The smile fell from his face and Xie Lianzhen whined. ¡°Ruthless indeed....¡±

    ¡°Hmmpf!¡±

    <i>~Whining doesn¡¯t work, honey trap doesn¡¯t work either, is she heartless?!~</i>

    Lu Mingshu sat down at a corner and leaned against the wall, as if in pain. Xie Lianzhen immediately stopped his nonsense and went over to her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You seem weaker.¡±

    But Lu Mingshu was so tired that she did not even have the energy to talk. She waved her hands and mumbled. ¡°Leave me alone....¡±

    With that, she fell asleep.

    Xie Lianzhen stared at her intensely and was unaware of the time that had passed. He only got his spirit back when a cold wind blew in.

    ¡°How can you sleep in such a cold ce?¡±

    He rummaged through his mustard seed pouch and finally found a nket after some time andid it down on the floor.

    ¡°Wake up, it¡¯s too cold. Let¡¯s go somewhere else.¡±

    Lu Mingshu did not respond. Her injury was only slightly less severe than his was, and the basic treatment could only heal injuries on the surface, which was only enough to stop it from bleeding and worsening. It still hurt and needed more time and medicine to recuperate. She was already weak, yet she exhausted herself further during the exploration and she was now both mentally and physically exhausted.

    Xie Lianzhen sighed and wrapped his arm around her body and lifted her up.

    With much effort, Xie Lianzhen managed to carry her elsewhere, but it seemed to affect the injury on his back. He gasped in surprise and tried to steady himself. After a moment, he then ced her on the nket slowly and covered her with some spare clothes.

    ¡°I wish I could look at this forever.....¡± He stared at her for a moment with heart-shaped eyes for a moment,

    Lu Mingshu woke up upon smelling some food.

    She opened her eyes and blinked.

    <i>~Where am I? Why is the ce so dark and what smells so good....~</i>

    She suddenly got up to realize that Xie Lianzhen was lighting a fire at her side and evenmanding little boo while doing so. ¡°The fire is too big, lower it down slightly.¡±

    And the temporary boiler was obviously little boo. It gave a short reply and did as it was told.

    ¡°Yeah, just like this, and boil it a bit longer.¡±

    He turned back to see that Lu Mingshu was already awake, and smiled warmly. ¡°You¡¯re awake? Come over, wash your hands and we can eat soon.¡±

    She wasn¡¯t sure where he got a wet handkerchief from, but he passed her one. ¡°Such a pity we can¡¯t go out, so just bear with this first. Haish, we need to find a way out soon, or we would be star smelling....¡±

    Lu Mingshu blinked her eyes profusely. <i>~Is he Xie Lianzhen, or Yan Wugui?~</i>

 Chapter 355 - The spell formation

    <h4>Chapter 355: The spell formation</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Exodus Tales <strong>Editor: </strong>Exodus Tales

    ¡°Why? Surprised?¡± Xie Lianzhen scooted closer to her. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m all yours. You can stare at me as much as you want....aiya!¡±

    Lu Mingshu shoved him away roughly. ¡°No direct contact with the opposite sex until marriage.¡± She said monotonously.

    But who knows, Xie Lianzhen¡¯s eyes lit up immediately and looked at her cheerfully. ¡°So that means that we are considered married? You see, we have hugged and carried each other before.¡±

    ¡°Get lost!¡±

    <i>~Who in the world would has such thick-skin?~</i>

    ¡°Stop being so heartless....¡±

    After joking around for some time, Lu Mingshu finally got to drink some of the soup.

    This soup¡¯s vor surprised her. ¡°What is this?¡±

    ¡°Wild chicken soup.¡± Xie Lianzhen smiled proudly. ¡°Tastes good, right?¡±

    ¡°Where did you get it from?¡±

    ¡°Little boo caught it.¡± He said and looked over at little boo. ¡°Your bronze man is extremely helpful. He does whatever I say and can fetch water, catch a chicken and turn into a pot for cooking! It can even wash itself! This is my first time seeing a pot which can hunt its own ingredients and wash itself after....¡±

    Lu Mingshu side-eyed him. <i>~Little boo is the grandmaster¡¯s masterpiece, yet in his eyes, it¡¯s just a pot that can wash itself?~</i>

    ¡°Ahem¡± Xie Lianzhen coughed and smiled. ¡°It tastes good because of my skills.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nced at him. ¡°You¡¯re experienced in cooking?¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡± Xie Lianzhen answered. ¡°When would I have cooked before? But I did help senior brother Wei light the fire when he brought back wild chicken to barbeque.¡± He smiled proudly and patted his own shoulder. ¡°I am good, right? I did so well despite it¡¯s my first time cooking. I can make you more if you want. I can fight, cook, and I am extremely good-looking. The perfect husband....¡±

    Xie Lianzhen continued to sell himself, but Lu Mingshu was no longer listening to him. She upied her mind with other thoughts.

    <i>~This soup tastes just like what Yan Wugui made.....~</i>

    After finishing the soup, Lu Mingshu felt better and rested for a short moment. She then called little boo. ¡°Little boo, go and clean up. Let¡¯s continue to explore.¡±

    ¡°Ka, okay, master.¡± little boo eyes blinked. It then waddled out of the hole slowly with the leftover soup inside it.

    <i>~Well, it actually does feels good to have a bowl which can catch its own ingredients and clean itself...~ </i>

    Not after long, little boo had returned, and it was back in the form of a bronze man.

    ¡°Master, I have cleaned up.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Lu Mingshu slowly helped herself up.

    ¡°Hold on!¡± Xie Lianzhen scrambled up. ¡°I want to go too.¡±

    ¡°You should rest more, since you are still seriously injured.¡± Lu Mingshu looked over at him.

    ¡°Oh no, how can I let you do all the work while I rest? That¡¯s unfair to you.¡± Xie Lianzhen insisted. <i>~How rarely do I get a chance to spend time with her alone? And it¡¯s finally my turn, not that idiot.~</i>

    ¡°Whatever, please don¡¯t faint or die along the way.¡± Lu Mingshu rolled her eyes and shrugged.

    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m very strong!¡±

    <i>~No matter how painful it is, I will persevere. I must show that I¡¯m capable, or she will think that only the idiot is useful and I¡¯m a good for nothing!~</i>

    But Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t even bother to nce at him as she continued walking to the ce she went the day before.

    It was a silent journey, but it was better than being alone, and Lu Mingshu felt more at ease with apanion.

    <i>~Actually, he is pretty useful too. Other than being too annoying, Xie Lianzhen is a great travelling buddy. Like what he said, he can fight, cook, act as a pleasant looking decoration or a loyal pet dog who will follow me everywhere~</i>

    Lu Mingshu shook her head and sighed. <i>~Did I get brainwashed by him? Whatever, as long as he is quiet, it¡¯s all good.~</i>

    She went back to the crack she discovered previously and continued from where she left off.

    Xie Lianzhen went to take a look as well. ¡°It¡¯s a spell formation?¡± He said after some time.

    ¡°How did you know?¡± Lu Mingshu looked at him in shock.

    ¡°What is the seventh truth tform good at?¡± Xie Lianzhen chuckled. ¡°The Big Dipper Seven Star Lords is also a type of spell formation. If you want to find a reliable magician in ancient China, the best ce toe to was us.¡±

    <i>~True.~ </i>

    ¡°Can you tell what formation this is?¡±

    Xie Lianzhen observed it for a moment and turned back to her. ¡°This spell formation is extremelyplicated. There are many connections and it might be made toplement other spell formations.

    Furthermore, the formations seems concentrated with energy, as if it¡¯s the centre of a giant formation.¡±

    ¡°Centre.¡±

    ¡°Uh.¡± He pointed to a part. ¡°Look, there¡¯s obviously mystic force that is congealed here. What it does is to provide energy for the formation....Ah, I know where we are now.¡±

    Lu Mingshu stared at him and furrowed her brows.

    ¡°Where you two had gone previously was where the sea of cloud debate was held. It was obviously a ce that stood alone. There were woods, a bigke and other resources. It should be a ce to breed demonic beasts or grow medicine and herbs. The sea of cloud¡¯s debate was just in passing.¡±

    Lu Mingshu pondered for a moment and realised it was true.

    There were quite a number of demonic beasts in the forest they went to, and theke was filled with water beasts, showing that they produced many water beasts every year. As for theke of heart¡¯s ind, it had a special geographical position, which was a good ce to grow medicines and herbs. And there were Yuan Crystals in the foggy wood.

    ¡°A stand alone space to rear beasts and grow resources...?¡± ~There are many simr ces in other worlds!~ ¡°But a stand-alone space requires a motor to drive it....¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why this exists.¡± Xie Lianzhen raised his eyebrows.

    ¡°What you mean is that this spell formation is the sea of the cloud¡¯s main energy source?¡±

    Xie Lianzhen nodded. ¡°Should be. It is huge andplicated. It contains strong mystic force but it¡¯s not dangerous. So it should be used to keep the sea of clouds running.¡±

    ¡°So that means...¡± Lu Mingshu blinked her eyes.

    Xie Lianzhen looked around. ¡°The cultivators in this world are much stronger than the ones in ancient china. We don¡¯t have such powerful things. It will be good if we can get inside and cultivate there.¡±

    That was what Lu Mingshu thought off as well, but there was something else on her mind.

    ¡°Will he suddenlye to kill us?¡±

    ¡°Not likely.¡± Xie Lianzhen shook his head firmly.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°The spell is a confined one.¡± He pointed up at it. ¡°If there is any external force interfering, it would destroy the equilibrium of this spell formation.¡±

    ¡°If our existence would affect the equilibrium of this spell formation, the emperor would surely send someone toe for us, am I right?¡± Lu Mingshu pondered.

    ¡°Such a spell formation will naturally have the ability to self repair. We have been here for quite a while. It might have affected it at first but it will get better soon. There should be two reasons why the emperor isn¡¯ting for us. Firstly, we are seriously injured. He would have expected for us to die soon, and secondly, we aren¡¯t that strong. So the equilibrium will not bergely affected.¡±

    ¡°So, we should try to be as quiet as possible so we don¡¯t beat the grass to scare the snake.¡±

    ¡°No, ¡± Xie Lianzhen smiled mysteriously. ¡°The best method is to make ourselves a part of the spell formation.¡±

 Chapter 356 - How about sharing?

    <h4>Chapter 356: How about sharing?</h4>

    When Xie Lianzhen returned, Lu Mingshu felt that a burden was lifted off her shoulder. Any thinking could be left to Xie Lianzhen.

    Perhaps it was because he spent twenty years in a wheelchair with nothing he could do but think; thus he ended up mastering spell formations.

    ¡°The guards of this spell formation should have realized that there¡¯s foreign matter in here.¡± Xie Lianzhen pointed out. ¡°The emperor isn¡¯t paying attention to us now because we are still insignificant to him. But if we remain here, alive and slowly restoring our strength, someone wille to end us sooner rather thanter.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s impossible for us to escape now.....¡±

    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s not talk about this first. But there are surely people who take turns to guard this ce daily. If we get out, there will surely be someone who will notice. What we should be doing now is to stay here and recuperate before doing anything.¡±

    The emperor thought they will definitely die after some time due to their serious injury. For example, Xie Lianzhen was still alive, but his meridians were nearly broken, and he had no mystic force left. Such an injury would take at least a few years to heal. On the other hand, Lu Mingshu¡¯s situation was slightly better. When they fell, Xie Lianzhen took the impact for her, and secondly, the heavenly wheel treated her physical injuries. But even so, they were still considered as half-crippled, and anybody in the harmonization realm would be able to take their lives easily.

    And in fact, if they weren¡¯t stuck here, they wouldn¡¯t be able to escape because of how injured they were now.

    ¡°Even if we aren¡¯t injured, it would be hard for us to escape. The guard would be at least in the freezing spirit phrase, which is the spirit realm. If we want to sneak past safely, we can only wait for a chance.¡±

    ¡°The sea of cloud¡¯s debate.¡± Lu Mingshu said without the slightest hesitation.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Xie Lianzhen smiled. ¡°Tons of cultivators woulde here when that happens, and it will be our chance then. Which means that we need to stay here for three years.¡±

    Xie Lianzhen was still exining, but Lu Mingshu¡¯s mind was already elsewhere. <i>~When will the heavenly wheel give me my points? If they do, I don¡¯t need to take any risk. And by right, the event has alreadye to an end, but I have still haven¡¯t received my points. Is it because I was defeated by the emperor at the end, so it was deemed as a failure, or because I am still stuck here? It would be better if it was because I am still stuck here, or I will need to find another way to earn points....~</i>

    <i>~Who cares? We won¡¯t be able to leave soon anyway. Just follow what Xie Lianzhen suggested.~</i>

    Xie Lianzhen lowered down to get a better look and shook his head. ¡°This is problematic. The spell formation is tooplicated, so if we want to get the energy, it would be hard. I am not sure if I am able to do it.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Lu Mingshu said. ¡°I¡¯ll think of a way out.¡±

    ¡°You?¡± Xie Lianzhen stared at her weirdly.

    ¡°Yeah. No matter what method I use, I will be able to do it.¡±

    ¡°Okay, then it¡¯s yours.¡± Xie Lianzhen smiled sweetly and step backward, allowing her to take a closer look at the formation.

    Xie Lianzhen immediately agreed, but this made Lu Mingshu feel uneasy. ¡°Don¡¯t you have any other questions for me?¡±

    ¡°I believe in whatever you say. Save the proof.¡± Xie Lianzhen answered without a second thought.

    But this made Lu Mingshu¡¯s heart drop. ¡°Are you not afraid that I might trick you?¡± she muttered.

    ¡°To me, your words matter the most¡± Xie Lianzhen stared at her with heart eyes while saying this.

    ¡°...¡±

    Xie Lianzhen had already turned to observe other ces. ¡°Both of us are seriously injured. It¡¯s not feasible for us to move around so much. Why not we rest first? But this will trouble little boo though; he would have to travel more.¡±

    Little boo¡¯s eyes shone. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± It replied in a robotic voice. ¡°Little boo likes to walk; my previous master said only things that can move are living things.¡±

    It was so lovable that it made Lu Mingshu¡¯s heart melt. ¡°You are already one.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Little boo¡¯s robotic voice seems to be happy.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Back at Bei Ming, when the voyage fleet got Lu Mingshu to go to Jasper sun mountain, they have prepared her well and given her a full set of equipment, and now it all seemed to be useful.

    ¡°Eh, this tent looks quite good.¡± Xie Lianzhen fiddled with it and looked at her cheesily. ¡°Mingshu.....¡±

    ¡°What the f*** do you want.¡±

    ¡°You see, I am seriously injured. Do you have the heart to let me sleep outside?¡± Before Lu Mingshu could reply, he shook his head and smiled sweetly. ¡°I won¡¯t let you sleep outside. If we had a choice, we would be restingfortably on a bed right now.¡±

    <i>~So, both of us should share a tent?~</i>

    Receiving her nce, he immediately kept his hands behind him. ¡°I promise you that I will not try anything with you, I will be as nice as little boo.¡±

    Hearing its name, little boo, who was willingly bearing all the hard tasks looked over. ¡°Ka?¡±

    Seeing Lu Mingshu already cracking her knuckles, Xie Lianzhen jokingly moved away and started to whine. ¡°Ah, my wounds, it hurts!¡±

    It was just a joke, but Xie Lianzhen identally touched his injury, and now it hurt like mad. A cold sweat broke out from his forehead, and his lips turned extremely pale.

    Seeing that Xie Lianzhen seemed to be in pain for real, she got behind him and made him lie down and stay still. ¡°Let me have a look.¡±

    After taking off his clothes, Lu Mingshu realized that blood had already seeped through the bandages. Like what Xie Lianzhen had said, if they were back at the seventh truth tform, they would already have been bed-ridden.

    ¡°Sit still, I¡¯ll help you bandage them again.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Xie Lianzhen nodded obediently. He sat still and did not make any noise while allowing her to remove the bandage, revealing a cut so deep that his bones could be seen.

    Seeing that the injury had worsened, Lu Mingshu bit her lip and patted him carefully. ¡°It will hurt, but try to endure it.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± He then looked back at her and smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, I am still alive, just that I am slightly injured.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Medicine was exchanged from the heavenly wheel, and it had great effects. Lu Mingshu even exchanged for a healing skill, using it while applying the medication. Seeing that the wound got smaller as time passed, she then heaved a sigh of relief and stopped.

    After cleaning his wounds, Lu Mingshu rebandaged them. ¡°Rest well for a few days until you get better.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll sleep in the tent?¡± Xie Lianzhen looked at her, eyes shining.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°What about you?¡±

    Lu Mingshu ignored him.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to allow you to sleep outside.¡± Xie Lianzhen continued. ¡°It¡¯s cold outside. What if you get sick?¡±

    Lu Mingshu put her items back into her mustard seed pouch and looked at him. ¡°Don¡¯t you have a tent with you?¡±

    ¡°Why would I have such things?¡±

    ¡°But I remember that Yan Wugui had one though?¡±

    Lu Mingshu gave him a death re, and Xie Lianzhen shrugged. ¡°Er, maybe ...I think....he has one?¡±

    ¡°Take it out!¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    After two minutes, Xie Lianzheny inside one of the tents and looked out of it. ¡°Are you really not going to share a tent with me? It¡¯s so cold here, it will be warmer if the two of us share one.¡±

    ¡°Little boo.¡± Lu Mingshu called it over.

    ¡°Ka!¡± Little boo knew what she meant and immediately transformed into a heater.

    ¡°...¡±

    Xie Lianzhen went back to his tent sulking.

 Chapter 357 - Yuan crystal mine

    <h4>Chapter 357: Yuan crystal mine</h4>

    Resting and studying the spell formation was how the duo spent their days inside the dark cave.

    Lu Mingshu contacted the magician again. When the other party heard that there was a formation she needed him to figure out, he agreed immediately. He even allowed her to out the bill on her tab, knowing that she was having a hard time.

    Time flew, and soon, a month had passed. Both of them had already healed, and they could finally walk normally.

    As for the spell formation, there was progress too.

    ¡°That fast?¡± Xie Lianzhen stared at her. ¡°Hey, this formation is extremelyplicated and ovepped by at least a hundred other spell formations! Even if we only analyze one per day, it should take us at least three months!¡±

    ¡°Do you not trust me?¡± Lu Mingshu continued to concentrate on drawing the spell formation¡¯s maze following the magician¡¯s instruction.

    ¡°I do!¡±

    ¡°Then shut the fuck up.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    After three days, the drawing was finally done.

    ¡°Where are your mystic crystals? Take them all out.¡±

    Xie Lianzhen threw his mustard seed pouch to her.

    Lu Mingshu took out all her mystic crystals andbined them with Xie Lianzhen¡¯s. She then put them in ce ording to her drawing.

    ¡°Come over.¡±

    Xie Lianzhen followed Lu Mingshu¡¯s instruction and stood where she told him.

    Lu Mingshu put thest mystic crystal in ce, and in no time, the mystic crystals all lit up as if on fire as the mystic force moved towards the center of the maze.

    ¡°Boom!¡± Lu Mingshu turned away immediately to avoid being blinded by the light.

    The mystic force around her was so strong that it might result in a massive explosion. She couldn¡¯t help but reach out for Xie Lianzhen, gripping onto him for dear life.

    The lights slowly dimmed down, and after some time, the mystic force around her slowly bnced out.

    They looked up, and what they saw made them stand rooted to the ground.

    The cave wall¡¯s crack had be so huge that it could allow one person to pass through. The ray of light shining out through the gap was so sparkly and bright that Lu Mingshu¡¯s eyes hurt by looking at it directly.

    Both of them squeezed into the crack, and the scene that weed them made them do a double-take.

    ¡°This is....¡± Lu Mingshu muttered.

    ¡°A Yuan crystal mine!¡± Xie Lianzhen lowered his volume but still couldn¡¯t hide his excitement.

    There was a hill shaped like a gourd, and on the hillside, there were numerousrge Yuan crystals. The crystals were extremely clear and smooth, easily the purest crystals that Lu Mingshu and Xie Lianzhen had ever seen in their lives. As the duo took a step closer, it sounded like something cracked under their feet. To their surprise, they were stepping on fragments of Yuan Crystals.

    The both of them stood rooted to the ground; the scenery around them made them feel like they were in heaven.

    Before they opened up the center of the spell formation, they already expected to see a Yuan crystal mine or something simr as the spell formation¡¯s primary energy source. However, the scene in front of them was better than they had expected.

    Xie Lianzhen looked around, his eyes wide with happiness, and smiled. ¡°These Yuan crystals are more than enough for me to buy the whole seventh truth tform!¡±

    This brought Lu Mingshu back to reality. ¡°The center of the spell formation uses this Yuan crystal mine as its main energy source. If we touch it, the emperor will know.¡±

    Xie Lianzhen realized it and sighed. ¡°Such a pity.¡±

    ¡°Not aplete pity.¡± Lu Mingshu smiled. ¡°We may not be able to take it with us, but using it here is fine.¡±

    If what Xie Lianzhen said was right, this spell formation was used to raise life inside the formation. Xie Lianzhen meant that by making themselves a part of the spell, they blended in with the formation and acted as if they are part of the living creatures inside the formation. By doing this, the guard would not care about them and hunt them down as there was nothing wrong with the things they were rearing to grow bigger and healthier.

    Spell formations were made up of many rules and regtions; all they had to do is follow them strictly. All the duo needed to do was learn the rules and adhere to them strictly.

    The Yuan crystals were everywhere and filled the area with mystic force. How many times would they be able to something like this in their lives? If they did not make full use of this, it would be a waste.

    ¡°There seems to be a path here.¡± Lu Mingshu saw a hole that was as big as a person on the hillside. ¡°Should we go in?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go first.¡± Xie Lianzhen stepped in front of Lu Mingshu and went in.

    This hole was filled with Yuan crystals; you couldn¡¯t even tell if there were more crystals or dirt.

    ¡°This...¡±

    The tunnel opened into a narrow valley, about thirty hectares. It was a small valley, but there were numerous bizarre-looking nts that they had never seen in their lives before. There was even a tiny stream that extended down from the cliff wall.

    Lu Mingshu looked up, and sunlight shone down through a crack in the rock.

    <i>~Wow, I would have never expected to see such a ce inside the hill!~</i>

    Xie Lianzhen walked further down to a peculiar tree. The leaves were like needles, thin and sharp; they were also red in color.

    ¡°We have hit the jackpot! Xie Lianzhen whispered. ¡°This must be the emperor¡¯s secret garden, which grows rare herbs and nts using the force from the mystic crystal mine.¡±

    ¡°Keep your hands to yourself!¡± Lu Mingshu pulled him back. ¡°The emperor will surely find out if his secret garden is missing anything.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal.¡± Xie Lianzhen shrugged. ¡°This garden is so secluded that I bet the emperor uses the spell formation to monitor this garden. We have already opened up the center of the formation; we only need to alter the contents slightly.¡±

    ¡°What if the emperores to get some herbs?¡± Lu Mingshu wanted to apud him for being so daring.

    ¡°No worries.¡± Xie Lianzhen smiled mysteriously and pointed to the red-colored tree. ¡°Look at this tree, it¡¯s empty, and there aren¡¯t any fruits. Same for the other nts, there aren¡¯t any huge fruits left. That means he has been here not long ago to harvest them. It¡¯s normal for the nts to only be ready for harvest after ten years or even longer. Since the emperor recently came, there¡¯s no way he will be back in a short time.¡±

    Xie Lianzhen paused before continuing. ¡°Anyways, if hees, he will realize that we are still alive and kill us then. So why not just take his stuff?¡±

    <i>~That actually makes sense!~</i>

    Lu Mingshu stared at him for a moment before nodding. ¡°We should be careful for now and try to figure out what the spell formation does first.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± Xie Lianzhen had already rolled up his sleeves, ready to steal something. It¡¯s been a long since I made medicine. The herbs here are so rare that I may not even be able to get them in ancient China!¡±

    ~Oh yeah, he is skilled in medicine!¡±

    Xie Lianzhen was already running around the garden excitedly. ¡°So many Yuan crystals and herbs here! With these, not only will we be able to recover quickly, but maybe we can break through to the spirit realm too....¡±

    Lu Mingshu recalled that he had broken through to the spirit realm previously, but he regressed back to the harmonization realm again after his obsession. After so, he was always getting injured and never got a chance to break through to the spirit realm again. If he could do so now, it would be a good thing.

    As for her, she had just entered the harmonization realm, and it¡¯s not even been two years since then. It would be tough for her to breakthrough. But since Xie Lianzhen was so excited, she just let him be.¡±

    ~And if he likes medicine, I can exchange two forms for him from the heavenly wheel? Since there are so many Yuan crystals here, it would be a waste if I don¡¯t make use of them.~

 Chapter 358 - stagnant time zone

    <h4>Chapter 358: stagnant time zone</h4>

    As soon as Lu Mingshu let little daze out of the portable stable, it began to lick Lu Mingshu everywhere.

    ¡°Okay, okay.¡± Lu Mingshu pushed it away and wiped the saliva off her body. ¡°You must be bored in there all the time, right? Now you are allowed to stay here.¡±

    Little daze ran around Lu Mingshu excitedly.

    She gave it a piece of rabbit meat and stroked it¡¯s mane before pointing in a direction. ¡°You can run around, but not too far away.¡±

    Little Daze licked her happily again before trotting off.

    Lu Mingshu turned back and walked towards the little temporary house they built. Xie Lianzhen was sitting inside, reading a book about medicine that she exchanged for him from the heavenly wheel. He was so obsessed that he did not realize Lu Mingshu hade in.

    If anybody saw what Lu Mingshu could see, they would surely turn green in envy of how luxurious their life was.

    The small house, along with the door and furniture was made out of wood and Yuan crystals. Anyone who stayed here would be able to receive energy that the Yuan crystal emanated every second. As a result, Lu Mingshu was almost fully healed.

    However, she did not seem happy. She sighed and sat down on the chair, taking her pocket watch out.

    She got the pocket watch from the heavenly wheel, and not only she could use it to tell time, it works as apass too. And now, the second hand of the pocket watch isn¡¯t moving at all.

    Lu Mingshu thought that it was spoiled. But after a closer inspection, she realized that the watch was just functioning differently.

    <i>~What happened?~</i>

    On the other hand, Xie Lianzhen had just finished reading the <basics to alchemy> that Lu Mingshu had gotten him. He closed the book happily and sighed in contentment. ¡°Where did you get this? This method of making medicine...oh no, I mean alchemy is incredible!¡±

    ¡°Not important. If you like it, than keep it.¡± Lu Mingshu kept her pocket watch and smiled.

    ¡°Thanks! This is extremely useful!¡± Xie Lianzhen smiled widely and thanked Lu Mingshu. ¡°The contents of the book are very helpful and gave me tons of inspiration. It will help improve the quality of my medication by more than two times!¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded and passed him another book. ¡°What about this? Do you like it?¡±

    Xie Lianzhen scooted closer to get a better look. His eyes lit up upon seeing the title <Best of alchemy>. Xie Lianzhen snatched the book away from her quickly and started to read, totally ignoring Lu Mingshu.

    Lu Mingshu stopped bothering him and went back to the house, entering the heavenly wheel.

    Thanks to the magician, the both of them managed to steal Yuan crystals from the spell formation and Lu Mingshu used them to repay her debts and exchange for numerous items.

    If everything went well, they will fully recover after a few more months of resy.

    Lu Mingshu pondered for a moment and decided to hit up brother six.

    ¡°Brother six, are you there?¡±

    ¡°Ya, you¡¯re back! Anything you want to exchange?¡±

    Brother six had earned quite a huge amount of money these days from helping her exchange items. Seeing that she called for him, he responded immediately.

    But to his disappointment , Lu Mingshu wasn¡¯t there to exchange for anything.

    ¡°Oh, no brother six. Can you help me check if my pocket watch is spoilt?¡±

    ¡°Sure. Mail it over.¡±

    Lu Mingshu mailed it through the heavenly wheel¡¯s portal.

    Not long after, she received a reply. ¡°It¡¯s working fine.

    ¡°All good?¡± Lu Mingshu felt her heart sink. ¡°Is the time urate?¡±

    ¡°There is a time difference in our worlds. I can¡¯t tell if it is urate or not but it¡¯s functioning perfectly.¡± Brother Six sent her watch back.

    Lu Mingshu took her watch and stared at it in confusion. ¡°Brother six, wait for me a second.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Okay.¡±

    Lu mingshu exited the heavenly wheel and checked the watch. The second hand was still at the same spot, and it wasn¡¯t moving. <i>~If the problem isn¡¯t the watch, then is it the time?~</i>

    She went back into the heavenly wheel. ¡°Brother six, under what situation will time be slower?¡±

    ¡°You are in a stagnant time zone?¡± Brother six replied. ¡°I am not sure. Maybe because something or some spell caused it. I suggest you ask a magician.¡±

    ¡°....Thank you brother six.¡±

    Lu Mingshu stared at space nkly after ending her conversation with brother six. She immediately contacted the magician that she had always asked for help to get a better understanding of the situation she was in right now.

    ¡°Sir Zhu, please contact me when you are avable.¡±

    ¡°Miss, is there anything wrong?¡± The magician replied in no time.

    Lu Mingshu exined her situation to him.

    ¡°Stagnant time zone?¡± He sounded excited. ¡°Miss, please repeat yourself again.¡±

    After confirming what she said, he paused for a while before replying. ¡°I¡¯ll get back to you in a few days. This is an extremely rare case and I need to do some research.¡±

    ¡°Sorry for the trouble.¡±

    As soon as she exited the heavenly wheel, she could see little boo waddling towards her at a fast speed.

    ¡°Master, master!¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    Little boo¡¯s eyes blinked profusely, trying ut¡¯s best to speak faster. However, it¡¯s voice is still robotic. ¡°Master, your pet isn¡¯t moving anymore.¡±

    ¡°Not moving?¡±

    Lu Mingshu almost jumped out of her skin.

    ¡°What do you mean by not moving?¡± Xie Lianzhen looked up from the book.

    ¡°Ka. I can¡¯t seem to wake it up.¡± Little boo said.

    Lu Mingshu shared a nce wuth Xie lianzhen before jumping up. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    Little daze wasn¡¯t far away. It was in the tunnel which led to the Yuan crystal mine.

    The both of them hurried inside to see little daze lying on the Yuan crystals, and there were even some in it¡¯s mouth.

    Seeing this, Lu Mingshu¡¯s face turned ck. ¡°Why does this idiot eat everything it sees? Who in the world would eat a crystal? See, you¡¯re in trouble right now!¡±

    Xie Lianzhen bend down to feel it¡¯s pulse. ¡°Eh?¡± He raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lu Mingshu was pacing up and down, like a cat on hot coal.

    But Xie Lianzhen did not reply. He did a thorough check on Little daze before looking up at Lu Mingshu, with a smile on his face. ¡°No worries. It¡¯s something good.¡±

    ¡°Good sign?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Xie Lianzhen nodded. ¡°It¡¯s evolving.¡±

    ¡°Evolving?¡± Lu Mingshu stared at him in disbelief. ¡°Thanks to eating Yuan crystals?¡±

    ¡°Should be.¡± Xie Lianzhenughed. ¡°Fortune indeed favours the bold. The Yuan crystals in this mine are extremely pure. It must have gained a huge amount of mystic force in one go to suddenly be able to break through. Rx, it¡¯s fine but it might not wake up anytime soon.¡±

    <i>~I¡¯m just d it¡¯s okay.~</i> Lu Mingshu heaved a sigh of relief and turned to little boo. ¡°Check on it everyday and inform me if anything changes.¡±

    ¡°Ka, yes, master.¡±

    Lu Mingshu felt tired after all this and went back to take a rest.

    After a few days, she received a message from the magician. ¡°Hi, Miss Lu. Please contact me.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Sir Zhu?¡± Lu Mingshu contacted him immediately upon seeing his message.

    ¡°Regarding the stagnant time zone, there are two possibilities. One, the space you are in right now is slower than a normal one. It¡¯s like how the heavenly wheel works.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± One day in the outside world, ten days in the heavenly wheel.

    ¡°And secondly, it might be that the space you are in is frozen.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean.¡± Lu Mingshu did not understand.

    ¡°Let me give you an example. A storage space. To keep things fresh, we freeze time to ensure that the things inside stay fresh even after a long time.¡±

    The exnation was simple, but Lu Mingshu got more confused. ¡°But I am in a herbal garden. How would the herbs grow if they freeze time.¡±

    ¡°Miss Lu.¡± Heughed. ¡°Freezing time is a way to store unique herbs. Maybe the garden you are in has a special type of herb that needs special care but the owner does not have time to tend it now. So he or she chose to freeze time temporarily.¡±

 Chapter 359 - Where is it?

    <h4>Chapter 359: Where is it?</h4>

    Xie Lianzhen who was currently obsessed with alchemy brought little boo along with him everywhere he went.

    ¡°Lower the fire a bit, yeah that¡¯s it.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡±

    Lu Mingshu stood in the middle of the herbal garden, scanning the garden slowly.

    It¡¯s just a mustard seed pouch, nothing important. But if one could freeze time in the whole garden, he must be extremely powerful. And to store that one special herb, the emperor was willing to sacrifice the growing of all the other herbs. How rare must that herb be?

    <i>~What is it?~</i>

    ¡°Okay, open the lid now.¡±

    ¡°Ka.¡± Little boo followed his instruction and Lu Mingshu could smell something sweet.

    She could see Xie Lianzhen walking over with something one his hand that looked like candy.

    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± He took one and tried to stuff it in her mouth.

    Lu Mingshu unconsciously pushed him away.

    ¡°It¡¯s not anything harmful. I just made this, a Congeal Constituent Pill.¡±

    Lu Mingshu stared at him weirdly.

    ¡°Yeah. Just try one.¡± Xie Lianzhen smiled.

    Lu Mingshu took a pill and examined it. <i>~Xie Lianzhen indeed has talent in alchemy, this pill looks quite pure.~</i>

    She nodded and ate the pill.

    It melted in her mouth instantly, and it tasted sweet. ~it¡¯s like a sweet, but I¡¯ve had numerous congeal constitution pills before, are they sweet to begin with?~

    ¡°I just added some dried fruit, so it should taste a bit sweet. So we can just take it as a snack!¡±

    Seeing him smile proudly, Lu Mingshu nodded. ¡°Not bad.¡±

    ¡°You like it? Then I¡¯ll go make more!¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Seeing her deep in thought, Xie Lianzhen scooted over and tapped her. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±

    <i>~He is smart, and it¡¯s not like he doesn¡¯t know me well.~</i> Lu Mingshu took out her pocket watch and put it in front of him.

    ¡°Wow, what¡¯s this?¡± Xie Lianzhen eyes widen.

    ¡°A clock. The minute hand is here, the second hand is here and ...¡± Lu Mingshu exined.

    ¡°Time has slowed down?¡± Xie Lianzhen immediately realized what was wrong.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Lu Mingshu nodded. ¡°But I feel that it¡¯s the time zone that has be stagnant...¡±

    She used her mustard seed pouch as an example, and Xie Lianzhen understood immediately. ¡°So you are looking for the special item that the emperor is guarding?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Xie Lianzhen walked around the herbal garden and stopped right in front of the red needle tree.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have wasted time hiding it if I was the emperor.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°This garden is extremely secluded. Anybody who can get here would either be the emperor, or somebody stronger than him. ¡± Xie Lianzhen hummed and tapped the tree. ¡°What do you think about this tree?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nted in the best spot around the entire garden.¡± Lu mingshu replied.

    The tree was nted in the best geographical position in the garden, it would get direct sunlight. When they reached it, Xie Lianzhen ced the ley line spiritual root he got from the jade west mountain forest to gather energy.

    ¡°The best thing should be ced in the best location!¡± Lu Mingshu suddenly realized.

    Xie Lianzhen nodded and carrased the red needle tree. He held onto its branch and climbed up on the tree.

    There was a huge receptacle hanging from the tree, but there was nothing on it. The fruit should have been picked.

    Xie Lianzhen moved closer and put his hand inside.

    He grinned and after awhile, he pulled something out from the receptacle.

    ¡°Look!¡±

    <i>~....All bad characters think alike huh? How would they think of looking for it there?~</i>

    Xie Lianzhen gave it to her. ¡°Open it up and see what¡¯s inside.¡±

    It was a small parcel, with a fossilised amber that is as huge as her palm in it. But the colour was so dark that she could not see what was inside.

    They both took turns to examine it, but they still couldn¡¯t tell what it was.

    ¡°Eh? There is something here.¡± Xie Lianzhen took the leather that was used to wrap the amber that they put aside.

    Lu Mingshu took it and started examining it with him. There were scribbles on the leather, and the sentence was broken.

    Even so, it made the two of them extremely excited.

    After reading it many times, the both of them had memorised what was on the leather.

    ¡°We are damn lucky! Xie Lianzhen mumbled.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Lu Mingshu hummed, but she was equally excited.

    It might be scribbles, but after sometime, they were able to figure out that it was the emperor¡¯s own recorded experience when he broke through to the freezing spirit phase. It might be messy, but it was thorough and in depth too.

    Xie Lianzhen pped his hands and stood up. ¡°Previously we got a book from gentleman Ji, and there were ways that taught people how to break through inside. It was simple, but now we have this leather, we will be even clearer on how to break through. The cultivators here surely cultivate differentlypared to the ones in ancient china. Their spells may even work better than our sword skills from what I see based on the few we have met. If we learned their same techniques, we will have another self defence method.

    Xie Lianzhen suddenly stood up andughed. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s do this when I have recovered, and if it works, you can do the same when you break through.¡±

    However, Lu Mingshu¡¯s stared at him weirdly.

    ¡°Why? Is there something wrong with what I said?¡± Seeing her gaze, Xie Lianzhen asked confusedly. He thought that his n was perfect!

    ¡°Nah. It¡¯s okay.¡± ~<i>No matter the circumstance, he will also strive to be first. Both him and Yan Wugui.~</i>

    And soon, Xie Lianzhen returned to being obsessed with alchemy and the various ways of breaking through that he almost forgot about Lu Mingshu.

    Lu Mingshu did not know if she should feel happy that Xie Lianzhen was finally not harassing her or worried anything might go wrong. <i>~He is quite unlucky eh? After he met me, he hasn¡¯t stopped getting injured. I bet he has gotten more injuries nowpared to twenty years ago. ~</i>

    She shook her head and went into the heavenly wheel and ced information on the fossil on the forum, looking for more clues.

    At first, there were only people who came to take a look, which wasn¡¯t really useful. After sometime, she finally received a useful reply, however. ¡°This should be a winter summer stone, congrats, you are rich!¡±

    Lu Mingshu immediately contacted him. ¡°Hi, do you know what this is?¡±

    The other party was looking around the forum, thus she received a fast reply. ¡°Have you heard of caterpir fungus?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Simr to that. It¡¯s an egg in the beginning, and after being infected by bacteria, it stays as is and turns to look like a stone. But it has already grown.¡±

    ¡°How can I make use of this?¡± Lu Mingshu thought for a moment and added. ¡°If this gentleman can inform me, I¡¯ll surely thank you well.¡±

    She then sent an invitation for a portal and sent a Yuan crystal over.

    The other party did not expect her to really sent a gift over. When he received the Yuan crystal, heughed and replied. ¡°An egg that can stay in its original form even after being infected must belong to a very powerful type of beast. Your winter summer stone seems to only be half formed. The bacteria has not fully infected the egg inside, but when it has, it will evolve and you will be able to use it. Most people sell them in liquid form.¡± The other party then further examined it and added on. ¡°I¡¯m unsure if your stone will survive with the state it is in. I suggest that miss gets a senior with higher cultivation to deal with it or it may die.¡±

    ¡°How can I help it grow?¡± Lu Mingshu asked immediately.

    ¡°Force. But you need high cultivation.¡±

    Lu Mingshu immediately understood why the emperor froze time. It was because he did not have time to take care of the stone now.

 Chapter 360 - Nothing last forever

    <h4>Chapter 360: Nothingst forever</h4>

    After understanding the winter-summer stone more, she immediately told Xie Lianzhen, who was busy learning alchemy, about what she knew about it. He didn¡¯t even bother to look over at her and waved his hand. ¡°Just use the spell formation if you need power.¡±

    Lu Mingshu stared at him nkly. <i>~Makes sense!~</i>

    Magicians have a saying. ¡°There¡¯s nothing a spell formation can¡¯t solve. If there is, it will take two spell formations to solve.¡±

    A spell formation can perform acts that an average person was unable to. For example, creating a fake space with the desired environment to achieve specific goals was like creating a superhero.

    Anyway, there were so many valuable items here. <i>~If I can¡¯t take the Yuan crystals out with me, why not spend them? They aren¡¯t mine anyway.~</i>

    She contacted the magician once more. Upon hearing her situation, he just gave her a spell formation that had already been constructed. ¡°Just hatching an egg, take this.¡±

    He even gave her a discount due to the numerous trades they had previously done.

    And now, there was a different spell formation in the cave.

    There was Little daze in aa on one side, while the winter-summer stone was on the other side.

    There was nothing else Lu Mingshu could do other than recuperating and spending her time in the heavenly wheel. She even took this chance to learn about spells. ~Since I have nothing better to do, it makes things simpler for me with my calction speed.~

    Time flew, and soon enough, a whole year has passed.

    As she did every day, Lu Mingshu went to check up on little daze and the winter-summer stone after cultivating. When she got back, the scene in front of her rooted her to the ground.

    A ray of light was shooting out of the house they built with Yuan crystals.

    The energy wave surrounded the house and got stronger as time passes by. Finally, the energy grew so strong that it went out of control.

    The energy wave was so strong that it turned into another ray of light and shot up into the sky. Before itnded, it turned into a talisman and shot back into the house.

    ¡°Boom¡ª¡± she could hear an explosion.

    The energy waves started to slow down, and there wasn¡¯t any more light to be seen.

    Not long after, Xie Lianzhen came out of the house and brushed his clothes, looking proud of himself.

    He smiled happily at Lu Mingshu. He waited for a while, but she didn¡¯t say anything. Xie Lianzhen sighed and pointed at himself. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to congratte me for breaking through sessfully?¡±

    ¡°Uhhhh, congrats?¡± Lu Mingshu faked a smile.

    ¡°.....you sound like I forced you into this. Isn¡¯t this supposed to be a happy asion?¡±

    ¡°It was expected.¡± Lu Mingshuughed. ~Why should I feel happy if I had already expected this oue?~

    Hearing this, Xie Lianzhen beamed and nodded. ¡°True.¡±

    After Xie Lianzhen had sessfully broken through, he was more even obsessed with alchemy.

    So, not only did Lu Mingshu have the Yuan crystal mine to help her, there were strengthening pills to help Lu Minhshu with her cultivation.

    Lu Mingshu and Xie Lianzhen believed that they would get to leave after three years. But now it had been so long, yet there was still no change.

    Lu Mingshu furrowed her eyebrows. ~Has the sea of cloud debate been canceled?~

    ¡°I think something happened outside.¡± XIe Lianzhen mumbled.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°The sea of cloud debate is an important event that urs every four years. It¡¯s like our Qilin festival. It¡¯s not likely to ever be canceled. See, that time when the previous king of Zhongzhou died, they only postponed it, but didn¡¯t cancel it.¡±

    ¡°So has it been dyed?¡±

    ¡°Who knows?¡± Xie Lianzhen looked at his jade piece and fiddled with it. ¡°No matter what, something bad must have urred. During the year where we were trapped, the rebel¡¯s chief and the emperor were both injured in their fight. By right, it should be peaceful as both of them need time to heal.¡±

    Lu Mingshu furrowed her eyebrows. Comparing to Xie Lianzhen, she knew nothing about governance. ¡°So how is it possible that something had happened?¡±

    ¡°Well, peace was just a prediction,¡± Xie Lianzhenughed. ¡°Both us and the rebels would love for the emperor to be injured, as well as some others who might wish to take over his position.¡±

    ¡°Do you mean internal conflict?¡±

    Xie Lianzhen nodded. ¡°Maybe? Many clues show that the emperor is seriously injured. He left the winter-summer stone here, and he did not even bother toe and see if we are dead or not.¡±

    Xie Lianzhen stood up and tidied his clothes. ¡°I thought it was because he didn¡¯t think we would survive, but now I understand that it may be because he is afraid that this secret realm would be exposed! This shows that there are many threats around him, and it isn¡¯t feasible for him toe. We are lucky to be still alive. If the emperor was in a better situation, he would be here by now.¡±

    Lu Mingshi heaved a sigh of relief.

    ¡°But when will he....¡±

    ¡°Three more years?¡± Xie Lianzhen cut her off. ¡°Focus on breaking through first; when you do, we will be able to escape. But only as long as you are fast enough.¡±

    ¡°...okay.¡±

    For the rest of the year, Lu Mingshu focused on cultivating and earning umted points from the heavenly wheel by taking requests. After three years, she had already improved her spells. Even though she was no match for the magician she always went to, Sir Zhu, she was still better than averagepared to newbie magicians.

    And Xie Lianzhen¡¯s words woke her up. <i>~I cannot rely on luck. I need more umted points. So if we don¡¯t escape, we can just escape through the heavenly wheel.~</i>

    After a year, Lu Mingshu finally saved enough umted points.

    ~Finally.~

    This was an optimal spot for cultivating. Unlimited Yuan crystals and fresh herbs avable.~ It would be a waste if I don¡¯t use it wisely.~

    Five years quickly passed. One day, Lu Mingshu felt that her body could not contain all her energy, and there was no way to further improve.

    <i>~Oh, I¡¯ve finally hit my bottleneck.~</i>

    ...

    ¡°Miss, we have arrived.¡± A horse cart stopped outside the gate of Yun Jing.

    A slender figure stepped out of the cart. She wasn¡¯t extremely beautiful, but her sharp nose and milky white skin paired with her long ck flowing hair that hung down over her shoulder. It made one unable to take their eyes off her. she looked over at the coachman and threw a few soul pearls at him. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°Thank You so much miss, have a great day!¡± The coachman grabbed the pearls and thanked her profusely.

    The woman tilted her head to get a better look at the gate and strolled in slowly.

    If Qin Jun or Chu Zhengyan were to see her, they would immediately recognize her as the ¡°Prince Jiang¡± who went missing years ago.

    Six years had passed, and she had returned as Jiang Wan. Even though she was standing in the busy streets of Yun Jing, nobody could recognize her anymore.

    The four Princes of Yun Jing remained a story that every Yun Jing citizen heard of. Back then, during the sea of clouds debate, both the floating cloud gentleman and Prince Jiang lost their lives. This caused the Jiang family to wane and the Nie family to seed.

    As for the Qin family, even though they still held power, they had been slowly overtaken by the Nie¡¯s and were losing their status too. On the other hand, the Chu family got stronger thanks to the emperor not caring about them and Chu Zhengyan¡¯s master. Now, they were the secondrgest aristocratic family right behind the Nies.

    ~Life is so unpredictable, huh?~

    Jiang Wan sighed and stepped into Yun Jing.

 Chapter 361 - Times up

    <h4>Chapter 361: Time¡¯s up</h4>

    As for Prince Jiang¡¯s identity, Jiang Yuan and her original identity, Jiang Wan could no longer be used. She was now Shun Nuo, who came from a small, isted state.

    It must be fate. Back then, the chief of rebel saved her life, and when she woke up, she found herself in a ce called bell¡¯s forest. With some research, she realized that that was where the Ji family lived.

    This made her more curious about ¡°Ji Xulin¡± and ¡°Ji Zhenzhen.¡± The chief of rebels did not care about their lives, showing that they were not part of the insurgents. However, they used a fake identity and were indeed alienators.

    After the debate, she did try to look for them. But only to realize that the impersonated Ji siblings did not return from the debate. <i>~Perhaps, their identity was found out, and they were killed on the spot?~</i>

    The past six years had not been easy for Jiang Wan. She left the rebels not long after the chief brought her back and lived up to what she said. She blocked the attack for Fu Yun because she wanted to give herself an exnation, not because she loved him.

    Without the Jiang¡¯s as her backbone and limited possessions, she barely survived. But thanks to god, she was lucky and still jumping around now.

    Thest thing Jiang Wan expected was the changes in the past six years. The emperor and the rebel¡¯s chief were seriously injured, which should have promised up to ten years of peace. But what nobody expected was that the numerous aristocratic families would wage war. It was so severe that even the sea of cloud¡¯s debate nned three years ago was canceled. Even so, the emperor had yet to intervene, which resulted in many guessing that the emperor could not recover.

    Whatever happened to the top of the hierarchy would affect the bottom too, being the innocent citizens. Compared to six years ago, Yun Jing was no longer the busy city that it once was. Even if they held the debate once more, it might not go back to what it was at its peak.

    Jiang Wan used to be the Jiang family¡¯s wannabe sessor, so her foresight would surely be good.

    Under Master Bao Guang¡¯s support, the Chu family had improved a lot, and they were soon rivals with the Nies to holding power. The Qin family was stuck between a rock and a hard ce. Whether they stood on the emperor¡¯s side or supported Master Bao Guang.

    However, these no longer had anything to do with Jiang Wan. Her life may be tough now, but not as tough as having to spend her days thinking about what steps she should take next to benefit her family.

    As for why she returned, she just wanted to see the world, and decide what she should do next.

    The yamen was right in front of her. And even though it was not as huge amotion as it was in the past, it was still so crowded that there wasn¡¯t even space for an apple to fall.

    Jiang Wan walked over to have a look. As she was about to walk away, she hesitated for a moment before joining the queue.

    ...

    As usual, Lu Mingshu went to check on little daze.

    She had broken through the spirit realm a year ago, thanks to the abundant resources avable to her.

    If she were to talk about it,dy luck did indeed shower her with love. Lu Mingshu got a book on sword cultivating from Qiu Yu. After the drug lord¡¯s experiments, she had sessfully formed her sword embryo. While she broke through, she used the method that Xie Lianzhen concluded from the emperor¡¯s research and incidentally, her skills merged with her embryo.

    Now, her sword embryo was stronger than that of most sword cultivators. Because of this, her sword energy possessed double the force of a normal one, and she could attack faster. Lu Mingshu was confident that she could take down the few freezing spirit guard guarding the garden now.

    As normal, little daze was sound asleep, surrounded by tons of Yuan crystals.

    The winter-summer stone at it¡¯s side was now different from when they got it. It was initially a dirty yellow color. Now, it had turned both clearer and brighter. Every three months, the winter-summer would secrete out a yellow colored liquid. Xie Lianzhen told her that the liquid was very useful. It could even help regenerate a limb.

    <i>~If a limb could be regenerated, what about meridians? Can they regenerate, too?~</i>

    This gave Lu Mingshu an idea. <i>~If there was really such a thing, master would be able to continue cultivating and not be stuck at this stage.~</i>

    So, she proceeded to look for medicine simr to the winter-summer stone in the heavenly wheels and hung a request on the forums, promising a substantial reward.

    As she was busy with this, she suddenly felt a wave she hadn¡¯t felt for a long time.

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s face lit up, and she ran towards Xie Lianzhen.

    <i>~Oh my god! The sea of cloud¡¯s debate is here! Our chance!~</i>

    Before she could say anything, Xie Lianzhen shouted excitedly. ¡°Is this the sea of cloud¡¯s debate? I felt the waves.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Lu Mingshu suppressed her excitement and nodded. ¡°Little boo.¡±

    ¡°Ka.¡± Little boo waddled over fast.

    ¡°Get ready; we are finally leaving.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Little boo shrunk and transformed back into its original form, hanging from her clothes.

    Lu Mingshu carried little daze up and handed the winter-summer stone to Xie Lianzhen. ¡°Take this.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    They took everything they needed, and Lu Mingshu removed all their unnecessary spell formations.

    After they packed all their stuff, both of them left.

    Xie Lian Zhen snickered, ¡°I wonder what the emperor would think if he saw this.¡±

    In the past six years, the many treasures were either turned into pills for both of them to get stronger or wasted in failed experiments.

    As for the mine, it was in a better state. Since the mine was the primary source of energy for the sea of clouds, both of them could not take as they liked. Only taking a few pieces here and there, but it is enough for them to lead them a good life.

    ¡°Hurry up, will you?¡± Lu Mingshu nced over at him. ¡°We did something wrong, yet you still want to stay here longer?¡±

    The two of them scurried to the hole little boo used to go in and out from, Xie Lianzhen snapped his fingers, and a ray of light appeared, erging the cave so it was big enough to fit a person.

    As they exited, they saw a small trail in front of them, which should have been made by little boo, who used this route daily as they were currently surrounded by rock walls.

    The steep terrain made it hard for them to travel. Thankfully, they had already broken through, so it wasn¡¯t that hard for them anymore. In no time, they reached a concealed peak.

    Looking down from the peak, they could see the foggy woods on their left and the sea of clouds debate on their right.

    The sea of clouds debate had started not long ago, and there were still no participants.

    Both of them traveled side by side, and soon, they reached the entrance.

    Three freezing spirits were hosting this event, and adding onto the guards who never appeared, there were a total of ten freezing spirits in the sea of clouds.

    Lu Mingshu raised an eyebrow and nudged him. ¡°You can ask him to take over if you aren¡¯t confident.¡±

    Xie Lianzhen jumped up immediately and stared at her. ¡°Hey, who am I? It¡¯s just a few people; what could be easier than this.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay; I can help if you can¡¯t do it.¡±

    ¡°I! Can! Handle! This!¡± He shouted into Lu Mingshu¡¯s ear, word by word. ¡°Just wait and see.¡±

    In the blink of an eye, he was already at the exit.

    Lu Mingshu sighed. <i>~Why does he hate Yan Wugui so much?~</i>

 Chapter 362 - Far away

    <h4>Chapter 362: Far away</h4>

    Even though Jiang Wan signed up for the debate, she wasn¡¯t aiming for the prize, but she wanted to see who held control of Yun Jing right now.

    The sea of cloud debate depicted a future trend. Whoever held a say in the sea of cloud debate would control the world.

    <i>~Things have really changed.~</i> The guards of the sea of clouds had been changed, and only a few familiar faces were left. <i>~The emperor has surely lost much power, and now he is struggling to keep the situation under control.~</i>

    This was a good thing for her. The messier the political situation was, the more people would forget about the past. She would be able to live her life happily without anyone finding out. However, she must leave Yun Jing soon. It might be peaceful currently, but after that, it would be a mess when the emperor lost all his power.

    Jiang Wan was leaving when a light flew past her head andnded in front of her.

    She blinked her eyes. <i>~ What¡¯s going on? Where was thate from? There should be freezing spirit phase guards, and based on how fast the light was, they seem to be here to fight.~</i>

    Not after long, a few freezing spirit phase guards shot after the light.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Such a coincidence, the middle-aged freezing spirit phase guard who came to get them was the one that took care of the king of beast matter six years ago. The freezing spirit fighter stopped in his tracks and blinked. <i>~Visuals that are out of this world and a flirtatious attitude, even more outstanding than the four princes back then, he also looks familiar somehow.~</i>

    The guy in front of him waved his hand andughed. ¡°I¡¯m a participant.¡±

    Before the freezing spirit guard could reply, he leaped up and disappeared into mid-air.

    This made the freezing spirit guards jump and scramble after him. <i>~A weird guy suddenly appeared like this and messes with the guards? What on earth?~</i>

    The red light sh passed the freezing spirit guards in no time, as some of them tried their best to catch Xie Lianzhen.

    They did not expect that instead of dodging, Xie Lianzhen counter-attacked instead.

    ¡°Crash¡ª¡ª¡±

    ¡°Whoosh¡ª-¡±

    ¡°Crack¡ª¨C¡±

    Their attacks were destroyed in no time.

    ¡°Oh no! Activate the spell formation, now!¡± Someone yelled.

    As he ran to activate the spell formation, the middle-aged man suddenly realized something.

    <i>~ He was the Jiang¡¯s family prince¡¯s teammate!~</i> Just that he changed his outfit.

    <i>~ Didn¡¯t they fall into the heart of clouds after being fatally injured by the emperor? I thought that they should have died? What the heck, he is now in the freezing spirit realm too?~</i>

    He was not the only one who was shocked, Jiang Wan, who stood not far away widened her eyes in surprise. She had spent quite some time with them, so even if Yan Wugui had changed into Xie Lianzhen, she could recognize them immediately.

    Jiang Wan is conflicted. <i>~ He¡¯s alive? So that means Miss Ji is alive too?~</i>

    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going, huh?¡± Xie Lianzhen waved his hands, and sparks shed.

    The freezing spirit guards moved backward to dodge, but a bright-colored sword light shot down from the sky, andnded right in front of them.

    The sword light was so fast that the guards did not even have time to dodge. All of them had no choice but to take out their secret treasures to block the attack.

    ¡°Boom¡ª¨C¡±

    Themotion attracted other freezing spirit guards attention.

    ¡°Capture them!¡± Somebody yelled.

    The few guards seated next to the spell formation took out their badges and started chanting.

    Lu Mingshu looked over and turned her sword into a rainbow, shing down ruthlessly.

    ¡°Boom¡ª¡± The attack was so powerful that it broke their shield with one strike.

    The first round had just started, and thus there were still many participants who were still here. Breaking a part of the spell formation caused a colossal energy wave surge, which sent the pure soul realm fighters to the floor, watching with fright.

    <i>~What on earth happened? Why are there trespassers?~</i>

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Lu Mingshu yelled.

    If they wanted to leave in one piece, they had to defeat the guards, but beware of the emperor.

    Time was the most important factor.

    As theynded in front of the exit, the guard there grabbed some purity soul cultivators over desperately to try and block the both of them.

    Xie Lianzhen sneered. To him, taking innocent lives was nothing. Heunched some attacks to remove the human sandbags. ~Well, it¡¯s not my problem if they die.~

    As a light was about tond, Lu Mingshu abruptly released a sword light and grabbed its target to her.

    Time was precious, so Xie Lianzhen pushed her and shouted. ¡°now!¡±

    One after another, the both of them stepped out of the exit, and a bright light shone. When it faded, the both of them could no longer be seen.

    The guards stood rooted to the ground. In such a short time, Lu Mingshu and Xie Lianzhen managed to turn the whole sea of clouds into a huge mess.

    ¡°Report to the emperor!¡±

    This woke the crowd up as they scrambled to get back to their assigned positions. At the same time, some hurriedly started reporting information upwards.

    The supreme sacred imperial pce was located right outside the sea of clouds. They could feel the waves of energying towards them.

    The both of them turned pale immediately.

    ~oh no, the emperor realized that we are here, he will arrive in no time~

    Lu Mingshu had already decided that she would activate the heavenly wheel if she saw the emperor. Who cares if the umted points were lost, her life was way more important.

    Suddenly, the portable stable started shaking.

    An idea came into her head, and she shouted. ¡°Little daze!¡±

    The stable lit up, and a snow-white mythical pegasus appeared.

    The pegasus hissed and disyed its snow-white wings.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± She grabbed Xie Lianzhen, and both of them jumped onto little daze¡¯s back as she took off.

    ¡°Look, a pegasus!¡± The crowd looked up to see a pegasus fly through the sky before quickly turning vanishing in the distance.

    The emperor saw the light shing past the top of his pce. He furrowed his eyebrows.

    As he was about to chase after them, a ray of light appeared in front of him, and master Baoguang appeared, waving his feather fan while smiling cheerfully. ¡°Greetings, your highness.¡±

    The emperor stared at him for a moment.

    He coughed and faked a smile. ¡°I remember that Master Baoguang was in seclusion. So what brings you here now?¡±

    Master Baoguang smiled. ¡°I heard that something bad has happened so I¡¯m here to check it out.¡±

    ¡°Just two kids, nothing much.¡±

    ¡°They are the alienators that you injured six years ago, right?¡± Master Baoguangughed while fanning himself. ¡°Your Highness, how are you nning to punish them?¡±

    ¡°Order their arrest.¡± The emperor shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s just a small matter, why waste so much effort?¡±

    ¡°Yes, your highness.¡± Master Baoguang stood up and bowed.

    The emperor gritted his teeth and did not bother to deal with him. He left and went back into his pce.

    When he felt strong energy waves from the spell formation, he knew that something was not right. Back then, the fight between him and the rebel chief revealed that he was seriously injured to Master Baoguang. He had been waiting for a chance to take the emperor down, so the emperor dared not act rashly. He thought that both kids should have died, but the energy waves he received brought another message. <i>~What did they do to my precious secret garden? And my secret treasure....~</i>

    The emperor wanted to go in and check, but Master Baoguang¡¯s presence made him hold back.

    <i>~This son of a bitch, he is getting more arrogant as time passes, huh? He knows that if I cannot capture the person who disrupted the debate, the people¡¯s trust in me will fall. Thus he came to stop me. Old bastard....~</i>

    After a few days, the emperor finally got a chance to visit his garden. The scene that weed him almost made him flip. But no matter how he tried to track them down, it was impossible because they had already left this world....

 Chapter 363 - Be a human

    <h4>Chapter 363: Be a human</h4>

    After a day, little daze stopped somewhere in the wild.

    They had traveled quite the distance, and Lu Mingshu only stopped when she made sure the emperor was no longer chasing them. They had traveled a huge distance, and the emperor had probably given up by now.

    Lu Mingshu dismounted from little daze and went to Jiang Wan. ¡°Prince Jiang, are you okay?¡±

    Jiang Wan¡¯s was leaning on little daze¡¯s back, and she was as pale as a sheet of paper. She took a deep breath and coughed.

    ¡°No more prince Jiang, please.¡± She panted.

    ¡°Miss Jiang?¡±

    Seeing Jiang Wan nod, Lu Mingshu patted her back to make her feel better. ¡°Why are you here? Where¡¯s the floating cloud gentleman?¡±

    ¡°We aren¡¯t together.¡± Jiang Wan shook her head. ¡°After that day, I left as soon as I recovered. ¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked at her in shock.

    Jiang Wanughed. ¡°I¡¯m now a lone cultivator. I wander around without a home. Days are harder, but I think I am happier?¡±

    She does indeed looks happier, so Lu Mingshu smiled and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±

    ¡°Congrattions, though.¡± Jiang Wan looked at the both of them and nodded. ¡°To be honest, I thought you were both dead. Thank god,dy luck is on your side. I won¡¯t feel guilty either.¡±

    Lu Mingshu smiled in return. They had a great time in the formation. But they weren¡¯t close, so Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t see a need to inform her.

    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m still confused. Who are you guys, actually? I¡¯m no longer prince Jiang now, so it¡¯s okay to tell me, right?¡±

    ¡°All I can say is that we aren¡¯t natives.¡±

    ¡°Foreigners?¡±

    But before Jiang Wan could continue, Xie Lianzhen shed her a smile and cut her off. ¡°Miss Jiang, we¡¯ve offended the emperor, so I don¡¯t think that it¡¯s a good idea for me to stay here any longer. See you again, if we ever have a chance.¡±

    He pulled Little daze away immediately, not letting her have a chance to speak.

    ¡°Haish....¡±

    Watching the both of them leave, Jiang Wan increased her volume and shouted. ¡°Just tell me your names, is that too much?¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked back and waved. ¡°My surname is Lu. Hope to see you again one day, Miss Jiang!¡±

    The pegasus lifted off and disappeared into the clouds.

    ...

    In mid-air, Lu Mingshu pped Xie Lianzhen¡¯s hand away coldly, ¡°What are you trying to do?¡±

    He wanted to seize the chance to hold her, but unfortunately, she saw through his intention. ¡°I¡¯m afraid of heights...¡±

    ¡°Fuck off.¡±

    Now, Lu Mingshu contacted Xiao Sang. After being certain that she had enough points, she told Xiao Snag to send her back. ¡°Xiao Sang, send us back.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Xiao Sang replied monotonously. If one paid close attention, they would realize that the pegasus suddenly disappeared together with the two-person it¡¯s ferrying.

    ...

    They returned where they left.

    Back then, the queen sent people to search for them, but they didn¡¯t find anything, so the troops left.

    Now, what they saw was only a deserted ind.

    They walked out from the cave, all the way to the Ming river, yet they didn¡¯t see any living creature.

    ¡°Shall we return?¡± Xie Lianzhen looked at her.

    But Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t reply. She stared at the water, seemingly with something on her mind.

    Seeing her deep in thought, Xie Lianzhen didn¡¯t continue and stood there quietly.

    She let out a deep breath, and it turned white in color.

    The air froze her skin, and beneath her shoes was fluffy white snow. But the water of the Ming River was still unfrozen.

    ¡°Xie Lianzhen, I lied.¡± She murmured. ¡°Whatever I said about needing energy to return, it¡¯s all a lie.¡±

    ¡°I already know.¡± Xie Lianzhen shrugged. ¡°I realized when we discovered the Yuan crystal mine.¡±

    ¡°But why.....¡±

    ¡°I said it.¡± He shed a smile. ¡°As long as it¡¯s something you said, the truth doesn¡¯t matter.¡±

    But before Lu Mingshu can continue, he threw his hands into the air andughed. ¡°The person you are lying to is him, not me anyway.¡±

    Seeing him smiling sweetly, Lu Mingshu gritted her teeth and stopped herself from pping him. ~What the fuck, taking another character in him as a love rival. Is he insane?~

    Lu Mingshu took a deep breath, and when she has calmed down, she turned to look at him. ¡°I think we need to talk.¡±

    ¡°Okay, about what?¡± The reply came so fast, with a smirk that Lu Mingshu wanted to p off.

    She breathed in and out to calm herself down. <i>~ He¡¯s crazy. You can¡¯t argue with crazy people.~</i>

    ¡°Xie Lianzhen, do you think that you¡¯re normal?¡± She gritted her teeth.

    ¡°Normal?¡± Xie Lianzhen raised his eyebrows. ¡°Since when? Maybe before I was twelve? I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°.....¡± <i>~How the fuck am I supposed tomunicate with him...~</i>

    Lu Mingshu bit her lips and sighed. Who would be willing to talk to a mental patient? Back in the other world, they only had each other so she could put it off. But now, since they returned, Lu Mingshu needed to settle the matter.

    ¡°Do you remember the day when we first met at Tianyun city?¡± Before Xie Lian Zhen could reply, she continued. ¡°You were sneaky, cold, arrogant, and extremely self-centered. Everyone was a chess piece to you back then, and you looked down on everyone. But look at you now, are you still the Alioth star-lord I knew?¡±

    ¡°When we met?¡± Xie Lianzhen burst outughing. ¡°You¡¯re insane! Didn¡¯t you hate me so much that you would strangle me if you could?¡± Seeing her staring coldly at him, Xie Lianzhen shrugged and mumbled. ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t have a goal in life back then. But now I have. Isn¡¯t it great that I¡¯m living like a normal person right now?¡±

    ¡°Normal person? A life goal?¡± Lu Mingshu huffed. ¡°So, what¡¯s your goal in life?¡±

    ¡°Marry you!¡± He chuckled! ¡°I love life more when I¡¯m with you.¡± He winked.

    However, Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t give him any reply but continued staring at him.

    Seeing that, Xie Lianzhen stopped fooling around and shrugged.

    ¡°Okay, okay.¡± He muttered. ¡°You really don¡¯t like the idea, huh...? ¡±

    She sighed and shook her head, exasperated. ¡°Why are you living for me? What if I refuse to be with you? Are you going tomit suicide?¡±

    Xie Lianzhen stared at her so hard that his eyes looked as if they were falling out, looking for signs that she was joking, but he didn¡¯t see any.

    ¡°You.....¡± he coughed. ¡°Like him?¡±

    ¡°I....¡¯

    Before she could respond, he smiled grimly and shook his head.¡± Ah, that¡¯s fine too. If you do, I¡¯ll let him out more. As long as he makes you happy.¡±

    Lu Mingshu bit her lips and shut her eyes. For someone like her, who was abandoned since young, would obviously crave love and attention. And it felt extremely nice to have someone who didn¡¯t even care about the world but only you.

    But she knew that this wasn¡¯t a good thing. A person should not obsess over someone else to the point of not caring about himself. Or make himself someone that others wanted. He shouldn¡¯t be someone who ¡°lives for Lu Mingshu.¡±

    He should be someone who lives for himself.

    ¡°Xie Lianzhen, I don¡¯t want to date a puppet. If you want to be with me, then be a human. I get it that you are sick. But you are still not living for yourself. I¡¯m not going to trust anything you say now because you aren¡¯t you. If you are genuine in dating me, try again when you mean what you say.¡±

 Chapter 364 - Who is this?

    <h4>Chapter 364: Who is this?</h4>

    The pegasus flew into the sky, pping its wings lightly as it slowly disappeared from Xie Lianzhen¡¯s sight.

    Xie Lianzhen looked up, watching the pegasus turn into a ck dot and disappear. But he kept looking at where Lu Mingshu disappeared even a long time.

    He remained there until mist shrouded the Ming river, blurring his vision.

    He looked down at this reflection in the water.

    Xie Lianzhen¡¯s features were well defined with shiny ck eyes that contrasted with his smooth ivory skin. He had a face that even girls would envy and make everyone that saw him fall in love at first sight.

    <i>~Haish, there are always people that can¡¯t be swayed with looks, and she¡¯s one of them.~</i>

    ¡°You¡¯ve conceded defeat already?¡± He mumbled to his reflection in the water and shook his head. ¡± No wonder you can¡¯t get her.¡±

    If Lu Mingshu was still here, she would realize that the Xie Lianzhen now was the same one she saw in the greenhouse.

    Soon, the sun set. Seeing the sky get darker, Xie Lianzhen stood up and packed his belongings. He let out a slight chuckle and left.

    ...

    The speed of a snowy winged cloud treading horse was unbelievable. Little daze had just entered the spirit realm, yet it was already faster than most beasts.

    On the tenth day, she could already see the nine jade mountain.

    ¡°What the heck is that?!¡± A disciple screamed, surprised by the beast flying mid-air above a mountain.

    Snow-white and strong wings, paired along with a strong figure, the fat little daze was reced with a strong one.

    It stopped mid-air and howled, pping its wings furiously.

    This made Lu Mingshu burst out inughter. ¡°I have eyes, little daze! Good to see that you¡¯re in shape now. But if you continue eating everything you see, you¡¯ll be fat again.¡±

    Not only the disciples had seen this scene. Inside the nine jade pce, a man saw Lyu Mingshu and pulled out his sword, using his sword energy to build a path up to the sky, towards Lu Mingshu.

    ¡°Nice to meet you, traveler. May I know why you are here at the nine jade pce?¡±

    Hearing his voice, Lu Mingshu couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Senior Uncle An, it¡¯s been a while.¡±

    It was An Tongchen. He was as young as ever, but he seemed more tired and weathered.

    He squinted to look closer. When he saw Lu Mingshu, he stared at her, unable to believe what he saw. He blinked to make sure he wasn¡¯t seeing things, and his jaw dropped. ¡°Mingshu?¡±

    Even though six years had passed, Lu Mingshu still looked the same. Just that she had grown taller. It should be easy for him to identify her.

    ¡°Yes. Greetings, senior uncle An.¡±

    An Tongchen nced around, and after he made sure it was her, he pped his hands together lightly and whispered. ¡°Oh my god, thank god you¡¯re okay!¡±

    This made Lu Mingshu feel off. An Tongchen was extremely introverted and did not like to express his feelings openly. He did not speak much usually, and even if he was her senior, he usually spoke politely.

    But the An Tongchen in front of her now was so agitated that he couldn¡¯t stop smiling.

    ¡°Senior uncle An?¡±

    Realizing that he was too agitated, An Tongchen coughed and led her down. ¡°Let¡¯s go inside first since you¡¯re back.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    They walked down together.

    After six years, the disciples in the nine jade pce had changed. Most of them were unable to recognize Lu Mingshu and thought that she was a visitor. They looked at her, green with envy as she already had a snowy winged cloud treading horse, which was a precious beast mount as well as her ivory smooth skin that glowed under the light.

    ¡°Anybody know who she is? She looks so fair....¡±

    ¡°Did you see her mount? It¡¯s so pretty!¡±

    ¡°I know, right!¡±

    A disciple who knew better stepped up and rapped their heads. ¡°Hey, mind your words. She is of higher cultivation than all of us. We should address her as senior aunt or sister.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure? She looks quite young, man....¡±

    Hearing themotion, an older disciple walked over. He stared at Lu Mingshu nkly before screaming. ¡°What the fuck....senior sister Lu? She¡¯s returned?¡±

    He attracted the attention of the crowd as they then surrounded him. ¡°Senior brother, do you know her? Who is she? Where is she from?:

    ¡°What do you mean by where is she from? She¡¯s from our sect!¡± He raised his eyebrows. ¡°Lu Mingshu, senior sister Lu, first ce in thest Qilin festival!¡±

    As soon as he said that, all the disciples understood. Back then, news about her spread through ancient China, and the nine jade pce saw rapid growth. Unfortunately....

    ¡°Ah, that senior sister Lu. But how could it be? She¡¯s been missing for years.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I heard that they were already dead. She vanished with that Alioth star-lord, right? Nevermind, it doesn¡¯t matter, but the queen nearly flipped Bei Ming upside down back then.¡±

    ¡°I know right, the queen of Zhongzhou even sent assimtion realm fighters to track them down. If she was alive, they would have found her!¡±

    ¡°I heard that the seventh truth tform is even voting for a new Alioth star-lord now. If they were alive, was there a need for this?¡±

    ¡°Ah, shut up!¡± The senior disciple yelled in frustration. He watched Lu Mingshupete in both the heavenly doorpetition as well as the Qilin Festival. Six years ago, he looked up to Lu Mingshu and her skills. Hearing the younger disciples talking about her being dead, he couldn¡¯t help but get mad at them disrespecting his idol. ¡°Who says that going missing means dying? It¡¯s Bei Ming, mind you. What¡¯s the big deal of getting lost there? Are you guys blind? Can¡¯t you see that she¡¯s alive still?¡±

    The young disciples all quietened immediately.

    ¡°Oh? Who¡¯s blind?¡± He heard a sneer from behind him.

    The crowd looked up to see a twenty-year-old woman standing in front of them. If one didn¡¯t look at her closely, they would think that she resembled Lu Mingshu. But when you look closer, she looked like Zhou Yinru and Zhou Minoru.

    ¡°Senior sister Fu.¡± The disciple who told the others to shut up stammers, looking at her with fear.

    It was Fu Mingxi, and she was holding a whip, walking slowly towards him.

    ¡°Who are you calling senior sister, dear? Who does that bitch thinks she is? Is she anything other than a bitch?¡±

    She spoke softly, but every word was dripping with malice.

    ...

    After An Tongchen and Mingshunded, he realized something was different.

    He stared at her for a few seconds before looking shocked. ¡°You broke through?¡±

    ¡°Only by chance. I was just lucky.¡± Lu Mingshu nodded.

    ¡°But you are only twenty-two....how is it possible?¡± An Tongchen stared at her, unable to speak. He pped his hands and patted her happily. ¡°Oh my god, that¡¯s great. Your master would be ecstatic.¡±

    No matter how dense someone was, they would have realized that An Tongchen was acting weird.

    <i>~He was a man of few words and always acted coldly. He always kept his cool no matter what happened. Why is he...~</i>

    ¡°Senior Uncle An, you are injured?¡± She blurted out after squirting her eyes to take a better look.

    An Tongchen smiled bitterly.

    She looked around and felt the weird atmosphere. Lu Mingshu grabbed An Tongchen¡¯s hand in worry. ¡°What happened in the sect? What about Master? Is he okay?¡±

    ¡°Your master is fine.¡± An Tongchen sighed and continued walking. ¡°Follow me first.¡±

 Chapter 365 - Im back

    <h4>Chapter 365: I¡¯m back</h4>

    The scenery on the way to Green Jaded Valley was still the same as when she left; nothing had changed. The sense of familiarity made tears trickle down Lu Mingshu¡¯s cheek.

    Lu Mingshu nned to return within a year or two when she left. But who would expect that two years would suddenly turn into six?

    <i>~it¡¯s been so long, is Master alright? And Hui Niang and Ah Sheng, how are they now? Do they really think that I¡¯m dead?~</i>

    On their way back, An Tongchen summarised what happened these six years. Back then, both she and Xie Lianzhen disappeared in Beijing. The Queen of Zhongzhou spent an enormous amount of money to search for them and nearly flipped the entire state upside down. It caused such amotion that everyone in ancient china knew about it.

    Because the Queen even hired assimtion realm fighters to search for them the past six years, and there was no result, many believed that they were dead.

    As for the Nine Jade Pce, Zhou Miaoru didn¡¯t stop the rumors and helped spread them.

    It¡¯s been six years, yet they still hadn¡¯t returned. Soon, many believed in the rumors.

    ¡°Neigh¡ª¡± as soon as they reached the Green Jaded valley, little Daze could no longer stay still, and he shook to get Lu Mingshu off.

    Lu Mingshu let go of his leash and patted its head, nodding. ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go.¡±

    Little Daze neighed happily and trotted off.

    The Green Jaded Valley had always been a quiet, isted ce, without many visitors. So Liu Jizhen immediately knew that someone wasing as he heard footsteps. ¡°Hui Niang.¡±

    ¡°Yes? Court master?¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s here? I heard noises. Is there a visitor?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just Ah Sheng, I think.¡± Hui Niang replied. ¡°He went out to do errands today.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡± Liu Jizhen replied after some time.

    Lu Mingshu felt her tears rolling down her cheeks. <i>~ Master sounds tired and hopeless. As if he¡¯s given up on me being alive.~</i>

    ¡°Neigh¡ª¡± Little Daze dashed towards Lu Mingshu¡¯s house.

    ¡°Hui Niang!¡± Liu Jizhen called for her again. ¡°Did you hear Little Daze, or was it just my imagination?¡±

    Hui Niang raised an eyebrow and stepped out. ¡± I heard some noise too. Let¡¯s go and check it out.¡±

    As soon as she stepped out, a horse came towards her and blocked her. Hui Niang was taken aback at first but soon recognized little Daze. ¡°Is this ...little Daze? Wow, you¡¯ve be so fat that you can¡¯t evene in?¡±

    Hearing this, Liu Jizhen walked out quickly, panting as he moved. Seeing little Daze, his jaws dropped.

    He tried to look past Little Daze¡¯s huge body to search for his precious disciple.

    A young woman was standing outside his house, eyes brimming with tears.

    ¡°Am I imagining things?¡± He rubbed his eyes profusely, but the young woman was still standing there, tears trickling down her cheeks.

    <i>~How could it be Mingshu? Even if it¡¯s her, she should have grown! I must be imagining things again. Haish, the older I get, the more my mind ys tricks. Sometimes I see her practicing, sometimes I see her ying with little Daze, and sometimes I think that she¡¯s still around and returning for dinner....~</i>

    <i>~However, she¡¯s never returned.~</i>

    <i>~Did she forgot about the three of us who are still waiting for her? Or did time pass so slowly that it only seems that she¡¯s left for a long time?~</i>

    <i>~As the days pass, the less I hope. But I still can¡¯t ept the fact that she might not return, so I still wait....~</i>

    ¡°Master!¡± The young woman ran towards him, hugging him tightly.

    <i>~She¡¯s feels warm. It¡¯s not an illusion!¡±</i>

    Liu Jizhen breathed heavily as he touched her face to check if she was real. ¡°Mingshu? Are you really Mingshu?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Master. I¡¯m back.¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t a dream, right? I¡¯m awake now, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, this isn¡¯t a dream. I¡¯m breathing, right?!¡±

    Liu Jizhen looked at her in disbelief and reached out to feel her pulse. He only believed it after he felt her heartbeat. ¡°Great, thank god that you¡¯re finally back.¡±

    Lu Mingshu let go of him and ran towards Hui Niang. ¡°Hui Niang, I¡¯m back!¡±

    She had never before realized that Hui Niang was skinny and small. But now, after six years. Not only Hui Niang had not grown in size, her hair all turned white too.....but she wasn¡¯t even in her fifties! ~How hard must her life be?~

    ¡°Miss!¡± After realizing what was going on, Hui Niang burst out into tears as well.

    ¡°Sorry for making you worry.¡±

    After crying for some time, Hui Niang finally sniffed and stopped crying.

    When Ah Sheng returned, he stood rooted to the ground. ~Is that.....Mingshu?¡±

    ¡°Uncle Sheng!¡±

    Seeing her running towards him, Ah Sheng couldn¡¯t contain his tears either. He was at a loss for words. He stroked her head, ¡°Thank god, thank god.¡±

    Their family was finally reunited. All of them were so happy that they couldn¡¯t stop crying.

    After they have gathered themselves, An Tongchen walked in, full of smiles, which was a rare scene. ¡°Senior brother Liu, you can finally be at ease.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± Liu Jizhen turned to An Tongchen and thanked him profusely. ¡°Thank you for sending Mingshu back.¡±

    ¡°Ah no. I just saw her while on my duty. Senior brother Liu, haven¡¯t you realized anything?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Liu Jizhen looked at Lu Mingshu in confusion.

    ¡°Your precious disciple has already broken through into the spirit realm.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Liu Jizhen gasped. He pulled Lu Mingshu over to get a better look, and indeed, she was different from when she was in the harmonization realm.

    ¡°Master, we are still at the door. Let¡¯s go in first.¡± Lu Mingshuughed.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah. Sorry about that.¡±

    Lu Mingshu, An Tongchen, and Liu Jizhen went into Liu Jizhen¡¯s study.

    Lu Mingshu sat on the lowest chair. She nced around the room and back at Liu Jizhen. Nothing had really changed from when she left. Only Liu Jizhen looked older. He had already grown a grey-white fringe and wrinkles¡ªa sign showing that his life was not easy these past few years.

    ~Master is going to turn fifty soon. Back then, he was an excellent martial artist. Now, he¡¯s nothing, and it¡¯s already been twenty-three years since it happened.~

    Lu Mingshu felt her heartache. Her Master could have led a good life, but it was ruined thanks to somebody.

    ¡°Master, how¡¯s your health?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m good.¡± Liu Jizhe smiled. ¡°Even though I have no more cultivation, my foundation is still there, making me stronger than non-martial-artists.¡±

    Seeing her Master in this state, Lu Mingshu felt anger rushed up to her head. She bit her lips and asked. ¡°Master, can I ask something?¡±

    Seeing her look so serious, Liu Jizhen couldn¡¯t help but frown.

    ¡°Master, is Zhou Miaoru the culprit behind alk this?¡±

    Understanding what she meant, Liu Jizhen turned pale.

    Lu Mingshu choked back a sob and shook her head. ¡°Who was the person that you fought back at Beiming?¡±

    Liu Jizhen felt his blood gushing, as his lips trembled.

    ¡°Mingshu!¡± Realizing the tension, An Tongchen immediately cut her off. ¡°Why ask about such things? You¡¯ve just returned, and it¡¯s supposed to be a happy asion. ¡± An Tongchen sighed. ¡°Give your Master some time. He will tell you when he feels like it, okay?¡±

    Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t reply.

    ¡°Ah, let¡¯s not talk about this. Don¡¯t you want to know what happened in the Nine Jaded Pce during thest six years? It¡¯s not good. Grand Elder Yuan Xi¡¯s time is soon to be up.¡±

    This got Lu Mingshu¡¯s attention. ¡°What? Grand elder Yuan xi¡¯s time...¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not just it. Your martial granduncle Zhuo.... Haish....¡±

 Chapter 366 - Wheres justice?

    <h4>Chapter 366: Where¡¯s justice?</h4>

    ¡°Granduncle Zhuo?¡± Lu Mingshu¡¯s felt her heart in her throat.

    One could tell how bad it was in the Nine Jade Pce if they walked around. It could be said that the Nine Jaded Pce was only still barely a middle-graded sect thanks to the three assimtion realm elders.

    Among the three, Grand Elder Yuan Xi and another assimtion elder, Grand Elder Wan Yu, were very old. They were from Grandmaster Xiang¡¯s era. Zhuo Jianguo was the youngest of them all, as he was from ater era. This meant that if no one from the Nine Jade Pce breaks through soon, Zhuo Jiangui would be the only assimtion realm elder left in the sect.

    To Lu Mingshu, Nine Jaded Pce¡¯s future wasn¡¯t important. However, Zhou Jianguo helped her a lot back when she and her master struggled. The favors she owed him was not something she could easily repay.

    ¡°Two years ago, he made a trip to Nanze and returned seriously injured.¡± An Tongchen whispered.

    ¡°By who?¡± Lu Mingshu blurted out.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± An Tongchen shook his head and smiled bitterly. ¡°Even I¡¯m not clear about this incident.¡±

    ¡°Granduncle Zhou didn¡¯t say?¡±

    An Tongchen nodded. Nobody knows why he chose not to speak. It may be that the difference between An Tongchen¡¯s strength and the mastermind was too great. There¡¯s nothing they can do, so he might as well not say anything, so at least his disciples would not live for hopeless revenge.

    ¡°Grand elder Yuan Xi¡¯s time will soon be up, and it¡¯s the same for Grand Elder Wan Yu, and yet your granduncle got injured recently. Look how bad the situation in the Nine Jade Pce is now. Moreover, there aren¡¯t any new disciples who recently broke through into the spirit realm....:

    ¡°What about Gao Xiang?¡±

    An Tongchen¡¯s face lit up upon hearing his disciple¡¯s name. He smiled thinly and shook his head. ¡°He¡¯s too young and naive. I hope to let him train more, and I¡¯m not sure when he will return since he has just left to gain experience.¡±

    Lu Mingshu sighed in regret. It had been a long time since she saw him, yet they missed each other this time.

    In fact, Gao Xiang was still young for his age to breakthrough. He was only a few months older than Lu Mingshu, and even if he was like Kou Wei, an elite in the harmonization realm, they only reached their peak at twenty-five. Adding the time put in to polish their skills, the earliest someone usually breakthroughs is twenty-eight. As for Lu Mingshu, she was an exception. Given such an excellent environment for cultivation, who would not be able to breakthrough in a short time? <i>~Many thanks to the emperor.~</i>

    ¡°No wonder the atmosphere seemed so solemn on our way back.¡±

    ¡°The Zhou¡¯s must be happy, huh? Since there isn¡¯t anyone left to stand against them.¡±

    Lu Mingshu sneered.

    She used to be weak, someone that the Zhou¡¯s could manipte as they wanted. Now, she has grown, and that is no longer significant.

    But how did the Zhou¡¯s became so powerful? It all started when twins from the Zhou family became the nine jade pce¡¯s disciples a few decades ago. They were both extremely talented, so after they broke through to the spirit realm, they started to ept disciples and gained power.

    The elder twin entered the assimtion realm sessfully and became a grand elder in Nine Jade Pce. Soon after, a few more Zhou family disciples broke through sessfully.

    There would be at least a few Zhou family members who entered the spirit realm in the past generations, and soon, they took over the Nine Jade Pce. Even after Grand Elder Zhou passed on, their power didn¡¯t wane. They used their connections with the different Grand Elders to gather power. Grand Elder Wan Yu was their ally, and Grand Elder Yuan Xi had close rtions with the Zhou¡¯s elder. Furthermore, the Zhou family had a good rtionship with many families and disciples around the Nine Jade Pce, resulting in a strong influence.

    Everything went well until thestest generation, where they reached their limit.

    What a pity that everything in the world has an end. The Zhou¡¯s era finally came to an end when thest sect master could not find a sessor before he died. If that wasn¡¯t the case, why would Fu Shangqing, who was from a poor family, get such a chance?

    A martial family without a sessor was nothing.

    Lu Mingshu was no longer the weak Lu Mingshu back then. Now, the Zhou family was just struggling on their deathbed.

    All they have left was just their skin, which made them seem like they were still strong despite having almost nothing.

    ¡°So what if nobody dares to go against them?¡± Lu Mingshu shrugged. ¡°A nest of idiots will just breed more idiots.¡±

    An Tongchen chuckled upon hearing her. ¡°Great! I like what you said.¡±

    The willow woods line held a special position, so the Zhou¡¯s couldn¡¯t do anything to them.¡±

    However, Zhou Jianguo was now injured, and there was no one left to stop them.

    ¡°Don¡¯t fight with them.¡± Liu Jizhen tapped Lu Mingshu. ¡°They¡¯vemitted so much evil that I am sure their karma wille soon. It¡¯s not worth it to deal with such idiots. You will just dirty your hands.¡±

    ¡°Master.¡± Lu Mingshu turned to stare at him. ¡°You have yet to answer my question.¡±

    Liu Jizhen sighed, refusing to look at her.

    ¡°It¡¯s the Zhou¡¯s, right?¡± Lu Mingshu insisted.

    Liu Jizhen looked at her and shook his head. ¡°Why do you even want to know?¡±

    ¡°Because they should pay for what they did?!¡±

    ¡°Heaven will punish...¡±

    ¡°Master!¡± Lu Mingshu yelled. ¡°If heaven really has justice, that bitch Fu Shangqing should die! My grandfather and mother died because of him, yet he is still leading a happy life! Where is my justice? Am I blind?¡±

    ¡°Mingshu....¡±

    Lu Mingshu stood up and turned away. ¡°If my mother didn¡¯t bet on her life, Master and Grand Uncle Zhou weren¡¯t here to take care of us. I would be dead thanks to Zhou Minoru! Since god isn¡¯t giving justice, then I¡¯ll take it into my own hands!¡±

    ¡°Lu Mingshu!¡± Liu Jizhen called her sternly. ¡°Is reaching the spirit realm extraordinary? Do you think you are that special? When did you be this arrogant? This frivolous?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve always been like this! And how am I arrogant?¡± Lu Mingshu bit her lips, eyes filled with anger. ¡°What is master thinking? Are you not angry, or have you totally given up on life after you lost your cultivation?¡±

    ¡°Impudent!¡± Liu Jizhen shouted. ¡°Kneel!¡±

    Lu Mingshu looked down and kneeled silently.

    An Tongchen stood at the side, watching their quarrel. He wanted to interrupt at times. He felt it was getting out of hand but eventually decided not to since it was a private matter between them and, ~ That¡¯s something I¡¯ve wanted to say for a while.~

    Liu Jizhen sat on his seat, staring at his disciple nkly.

    After some time, he rubbed his face and sighed. ¡°Mingshu, everyone has their limits. Furthermore, I¡¯m still human.¡±

    ¡°But master.....¡±

    ¡°But, I don¡¯t act repulsively. I cannot afford to. What I want isn¡¯t that simple.¡± Liu Jizhen gritted his teeth. ¡°For the past twenty-three years, I¡¯ve never forgotten that day.¡±

 Chapter 367 - Unnecessary move

    <h4>Chapter 367: Unnecessary move</h4>

    Lu Mingshu wanted to say something but decided not to.

    Liu Jizhen looked down and sighed. Silence fell for a while before Liu Jizhen continued. ¡°To me, Ah Sheng and Hui Niang, you are the most precious thing in our lives. What I don¡¯t want to see is you injured or suffering, no matter how minor it is because of the Zhou¡¯s. They aren¡¯t worth you losing anything.¡±

    ¡°.....¡± Lu Mingshu hung her head and sniffed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Master.¡±

    ¡°No need to apologize.¡± Liu Jizhen waved her hand. ¡°You did nothing wrong. Get up if you feel calm enough to think properly.¡±

    After some time, Lu Mingshu stood up slowly.

    ¡°Master, please be at ease. I won¡¯t be impulsive.¡±

    Liu Jizhen smiled thinly and nodded, ¡°If revenge is what you want, go ahead. I won¡¯t mind even if you take Fu Shangqing¡¯s life. But I hope that you won¡¯t take revenge impulsively, because you¡¯ll be the one losing. Anger makes one go mad. As for now, calm down first.¡±

    ¡°Yes, master.....¡± Lu Mingshu stared at him nkly. There was something on her mind, but she wasn¡¯t sure if she wanted to voice it or not.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Master,¡± Lu Mingshu said softly. ¡°So you knew that it was the Zhou¡¯s?¡±

    ¡°I have no evidence.¡± He shook his head.

    ¡°But you knew?¡±

    ¡°I guess?¡±

    Lu Mingshu broke into a smile. ¡°Me too.¡±

    It was Zhou Ruying who gave her a small hint, and from there, she suspected the Zhou¡¯s. But as for whether it was the truth or not, she wouldn¡¯t know. Like what her Master said. There wasn¡¯t any evidence.

    Seeing this, An Tongchen coughed. He looked at him sternly and started speaking softly. ¡°I nned to bring this with me to my grave, but since you mentioned it here, I¡¯ll tell you.¡±

    Both of them turned to face him immediately. ¡°Senior uncle An, what is it?¡±

    ...

    Tianyun City Pce.

    The Queen looked up at the people standing in front of her solemnly.

    Theye from all walks of life.

    ¡°Your Highness.¡± One of them stepped forward. ¡°We are all present. It should be time for you to speak, right?¡±

    Cao Lucun rolled his eyes. <i>~Oh my god, that idiot. He¡¯s really dense, huh?~</i> Yes, they were nning to force the Queen to elect a new Alioth Star-Lord among them, but this was not the way to do it! <i>~Does he think that the Queen has a good temper?~</i>

    Back then, when he could still address the Queen as junior sister, he knew how bad her temper was. Tigress was the only word to describe her whenever anything went badly. He wouldn¡¯t mind if his senior brother Xie took the position, <i>~Just anyone but her. If she did, we would never have a good life as the big dipper seven-star lords~</i>

    But who would have thought that not only did she not take the position, but she became Queen. The seventh truth tform has seven ns but not a leader. Thus they were closely connected with Zhongzhou¡¯s royalty, and their leader was the king of Zhongzhou. Just that the king only cared about cultivating now, and there was no way they could escape the tigress. <i>~Haish~</i>

    Indeed, the Queen sneered and stared at him coldly. ¡°Oh, is junior brother Qiao trying to say I¡¯m forcefully suppressing you, huh?¡±

    Alkaid star-lord Qiao Haishu rolled his eyes. ¡°Are you not.....¡±

    ¡°Junior brother Qiao!¡± The Merak star lord, Tian Bo snapped, ring at him

    Qiao Haishu gulped and look down after receiving the re.

    <i>~Am I wrong? All of us, all six-star lords, have agreed to elect a new star lord, yet she doesn¡¯t allow it! Xie Lianzhen has already been missing for six years, and even if he isn¡¯t dead, we can¡¯t just leave the position empty! Even if Xie Lianzhen does absolutely nothing, there¡¯s still someone in the position. What¡¯s this? You can¡¯t favor your kid to this extent!~</i>

    ¡°Your highness.¡± Tian Bo smiled, stepped forward and bowed. ¡°Junior Nephew Xie has been missing for so long, and we are worried too. Your highness, you have constantly been looking for him and even rmed the martial grandfathers. We know how you feel, but six years have passed, yet he still hasn¡¯t returned. It¡¯s not very good to keep the Alioth star-lord position empty....¡±

    Tiao Bo was trying to guilt-trip the Queen. What he meant was that she was making a big fuss over a minor issue, even rming the martial grandfathers. If the Queen felt guilty, she would have given in, and the star lords would achieve their goal.

    However, he underestimated the Queen¡¯s stubbornness. ¡°Is the fifth n struggling nowadays?¡± Before Tian Bo finished, the Queen cut him off and sneered.

    Tian Bo remained silent.

    ¡°Is the fifth n rebelling? Why is there a need to do such things?¡±

    ¡°What we meant wat that, we can¡¯t leave that position empty forever, right?¡±

    ¡°So you hope to get the position?¡± The Queen sneered. ¡°Let me give you a simple solution. Put a puppet there.¡±

    This was so unpleasant that even Tian Bo, who had a mild temper looked angry.

    The Queen might not be someone nice to talk to, but she was still reasonable. She rarely meddled with the Seventh truth tform¡¯s issues, allowing them to be in charge of the seventh truth tform. But whenever they brought up anything that concerned Xie Lianzhen, she immediately transformed into a tiger mother, biting anyone who tried to bully her child regardless of any reason.

    ¡°Your highness.¡± Tian Bo took a deep breath to calm down. ¡°I really understand how you feel, and we¡¯ve been treating him well these years. But it¡¯s for the seventh truth tform. If hees back....¡±

    ¡°If Ie back, will senior uncle Tian will give the position back to me?¡±

    A familiar voice, underlined with sarcasm, cut Tian Bo off. He turned around but was unable to recognize this person.

    The Queen stood up immediately and walked to the entrance hurriedly. ¡°Xing-er, Xing-er, is that you?¡±

    Xie Lianzhen walked in slowly with a smile on his face.

    After six years, he was still the same, as handsome and flirtatious as ever.

    But what everyone noticed was his legs.

    They watched him grow up. The Xie Lianzhen in their eyes, was wheelchair-bound. He was a cheerful and outgoing kid back then, but as he grew, he became sneaky, cunning, and unkind. Making Xie Lianzhen more unlikeable.

    However, this Xie Lianzhen was different from the one they saw.

    Only now did they realize that he was quite tall....

    ¡°Senior brother Xie....¡± Cao Lucun mumbled upon seeing him.

    The other¡¯s present had the same reaction. They never even realized it, but now he looked like a clone of Xie Zhanghe.

    The first thought that crossed Cao Lucun¡¯s mind was, ~No wonder the Queen always gave in to him, how could she resist?~

    ¡°Now that I¡¯m back, no need for the hassle anymore, right?¡± Xie Lianzhen smiled at them.

 Chapter 368 - Inside information

    <h4>Chapter 368: Inside information</h4>

    Liu Jizhen stood up abruptly and grabbed An Tongchen, looking at him in utter disbelief. ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    An Tongchen nodded, looking downcast.

    Thud. Liu Jizhen fell back into his chair, face turning pale white. ¡°I saw that senior brother had given up, so I decided to bring this to my grave. What¡¯s the point of telling you? We can¡¯t take revenge and can only stifle our anger.¡±

    Liu Jizhenughed bitterly andid back in his chair.

    Why would he not go crazy? From a talented genius to a useless cripple, that scene was something he wanted to forget but never could.

    Of course, he did suspect that it was nned. Liu Jizhen was more sure that since he had just broken through back then, only an elite would be able to cripple him. How many elites were left in ancient china? Furthermore, the perpetrator disappeared without a trace after the incident,

    When he returned, the Zhou¡¯s didn¡¯t even seem surprised about him being crippled. They just tossed him into the Green Jade Valley to perish. This made him highly suspicious of them.

    But what could he do? He lost his cultivation, and his master still hadn¡¯t returned after such a long time. His senior uncles from the line of Shengyang were having a hard time, and he couldn¡¯t possibly ask Zhou Jiangui to break the rules of the willow wood line for him. After a long time, he decided to ept his fate.

    He had always told himself that Heaven had eyes. It would punish those who deserved it.

    <i>~Why drag my loved ones down with me?~</i>

    For twenty-three years, Liu Jizhen never expected that he would know the truth one day.

    But now, An Tongchen was telling him that the culprits were likely the Zhou¡¯s.

    Back then, the Zhou¡¯s were still hostile to the line of willow woods. Grand Elder Yuan Xi and Wan Yu were both old, and Zhou Jiangui sessfully broke through to the assimtion realm, the first from their generation. So, if the two Grand Elders passed on, the Nine Jade Pce would be under Zhuo Jiangui¡¯s control unless someone else broke through.

    The Zhou family had a habit of forming connections, so they wouldn¡¯t disregard Zhuo Jiangui. But Zhuo Jiangui showed no interest in their games, so they changed their target to An Tongchen.

    Back then, the Zhou¡¯s were keen to get him and Zhou Yinru together. Thus An Tongchen got to know their internal affairs.

    After Liu Jizhen returned as nobody, An Tongchen suspected them and investigated secretly. He found out that during that period of time, the Zhou¡¯s made a huge transaction and elder miss zhou went out for errands often.

    ¡°Master?¡± Lu Mingshu walked over, worried.

    Liu Jizhen took a deep breath and opened his eyes when he felt better. He shook his head, telling Lu Mingshu that he was okay.

    ¡°Since senior brother had already expected this, what¡¯s there to be sad about?¡± An Tongchen sighed, ¡°That¡¯s how the Zhou¡¯s do things. Rtions are worth nothing to them.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Liu Jizhen whispered. ¡°It¡¯s indeed how the Zhou¡¯s do things. Back then, Sect leader Zhou identally went into an obsession. He liked me, so he sent a representative down to promise rewards and discuss conditions. He wanted me to marry Zhou Miaoru and said he would make me the sect leader if I did. But I rejected as I wasn¡¯t interested.¡±

    ¡°With senior brother not wanting to be their son-inw and Senior brother Yu Wen watching them like a hawk, they decided to end your cultivation, so they would still control everything.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Liu Jizhen bit his lips. ¡°Compared to the Zhou¡¯s, I¡¯m closer to Junior brother Yu Wen. The Zhou¡¯s couldn¡¯t suppress or control me, so they decided to destroy me so that Yu Wen wouldn¡¯t be a threat to them. On the other hand, I remembered that when Fu Shangqing first came, he was only in the inner breath realm. He broke through within seven years thanks to the Zhou family¡¯s help.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± An Tongchen nodded, ¡°Once he broke through, they immediately made him sect leader.¡±

    ¡°This is weird, though.¡± Liu Jizhen shook his head. ¡°Seven years, and he broke through. Yes, he is talented, but no matter how talented he was, he was past his prime. And why would the Zhou family be so sure that he would seed? They married Zhou Miaoru to him early. What if he didn¡¯t make it? Zhou Miaoru¡¯s future would be ruined. It wasn¡¯t like the Zhou¡¯s to take such a risk. And Zhou Miaoru was extremely valuable to them. They even only took Zhou Yinru out for you. The marriage was made hastily too.¡±

    ¡°Actually, I suspected something too. After seven years, yeah, he was a talent. But back then, he was only a normal kid. Who would expect him to be so sessful? Our generation may be bad, but it wasn¡¯t hard to find anyone like him. Furthermore, it would be better for the Zhou¡¯s, since choosing someone from the Nine Jade Pce would allow them to have better control.¡± An Tongchen snickered.

    The two of them then turned to Lu Mingshu.

    Being caught up in the conversation, Lu Mingshu took some time before replying. ¡°My grandfather never mentioned that he was special.¡±

    The both of them shrugged it off. When Fu Shangqing left, Lu Mingshu was still not born, so there wasn¡¯t much she would know.

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about this another time.¡± Liu Jizhen waved his hand. ¡°Mingshu, remember what I said. I don¡¯t mind if you take revenge, but don¡¯t do it impulsively. The Zhou family is not easy to deal with, as they¡¯ve controlled the Nine Jade Pce for years. Just make sure you stay safe.¡±

    ¡°Yes, master....¡± Lu Mingshu had already calmed down. <i>~ I have held back for a decade. How hard is it to endure a bit longer?~</i>

    But An Tongchen was now smiling. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s the deity¡¯s festival next year. You have already broken through, so you are allowed to participate. If you can rank highly, it will be a blow to the Zhou¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°The deity¡¯s festival?¡± Lu Mingshu looked at him in confusion.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you know about it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never told her about it.¡± Liu Jizhenughed. ¡°I never expected her to break through this quickly.¡±

    An Tongchen nodded. He didn¡¯t expect it either.

    ¡°Now...¡± As Liu Jizhen was about to exin about the festival, they heard someone enter the house.

    ¡°Is Junior Niece Lu around?¡± A high pitched voice rang through the house. ¡°I heard she has returned, so the sect leader sent me to visit her.¡±

 Chapter 369 - Unreasonable

    <h4>Chapter 369: Unreasonable</h4>

    ¡°Oh my god, Xing-er! You¡¯re finally back. Where have you been these six years?¡±

    Xie Lianzhen walked towards his mother to greet her, but she grabbed his shoulder and started looking over him. ¡°Are you okay? Did you have a hard time? Oh my god, you are so skinny now.....¡±

    Xie Lianzhen couldn¡¯t help butugh as he grabbed the queen¡¯s hand. ¡°Mother, I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m still in one piece!¡±

    <i>~A tough time? He looks like he had a blissful time outside! Look how healthy he is! Those apple cheeks have reced his pale white face, and he even gained weight!~</i> Cao Lucun rolled his eyes.

    However, that was obviously not what the queen thought. How happy was she to see her son return after six years? She put down her tough facade upon seeing Xie Lianzhen. After hearing Xie Lianzhen call her mother in front of so many people, she was on cloud nine.

    <i>~This child¡¯s heart is finally better?~</i>

    ¡°Are you sure? If that¡¯s so, why didn¡¯t you return?¡± She caressed his head.

    ¡°I¡¯m really okay.¡± He smiled sweetly at the queen. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about what happenedter, okay?¡±

    The smile was so sweet that it made the queen melt. ¡°Okay, okay, then don¡¯t leave after this.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, mother.¡±

    The other star lords watched this scene with surprise. Xie Lianzhen had disappeared for such a long time that everyone thought that he died. They were not cursing him, just that for someone like Xie Lianzhen, who was emotionally unstable and seriously injured would find it difficult to survive on his own.

    Look at him now, healthy and happy. He looked even better than he used to. <i>~Is it possible that this guy had been suffering for the past six years? He looks like he had the time of his life.~</i>

    After greeting the queen, Xie Lianzhen turned back to the other star lords. ¡°Thank you for worrying, Senior uncles.¡±

    Among the star lords, Tian Bo was the oldest and most mature. He coughed and smiled, representing all the star lords. ¡°No need for formalities, Junior Nephew Xie. We are all thrilled that you are back safe and sound.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Xie Lianzhen chuckled and smiled sweetly. ¡°I thought my senior uncles were more worried about the Alioth star-lord position more than me!¡±

    ¡°Junior Nephew Xie!¡± Being the most straightforward and bad-tempered among them all, Qiao Haishu couldn¡¯t stand his sarcasm and red at him. ¡°Yes, we were nning to find a new person to fill the seat, but it was for the good of the seventh truth tform. But you¡¯re our junior; we would definitely hope that you are safe!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha.¡± Xie Lianzhen winked. He pouted and walked closer. ¡°So, me upying that position is not best for the seventh truth tform?¡±

    Qiao Haishu did mean what he said. The seventh truth tform may bepetitive, but not to the extent that rtionships meant nothing. The reason why they wanted to take over the fifth n was obviously for benefits. But no matter what, he was their junior, and no matter how much they disliked him, they wouldn¡¯t want him dead.

    ¡°Junior nephew Xie.¡± Tian Bo looked at him sternly. ¡°No matter what, you are our junior. Is that how you talk to your seniors?¡±

    Xie Lianzhen shrugged and smiled. ¡°Is junior nephew wrong? Oops. I guess I am. Junior nephew has been gone for so many years, living on the road, and yet I kept my senior uncles in my heart. But as soon as I returned, all I saw was my senior uncles ganging up against my mother ...Haish...I hope you can understand how I feel as a son.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    If not for their situation, Cao Lucun would beughing and rolling on the floor. <i>~Where did this annoying kid get his character from? After six years, he has be even cunning! He was a well mannered and pleasant boy back then, but as he grew older, he became more sarcastic, and now he is quite unlikeable, no matter how you put it. I would have pped him if he wasn¡¯t my junior.~</i>

    <i>~What do you mean by ¡°But as soon as I got back, all I saw was my senior uncles ganging up against mother?¡± Do you mean that we were taking this chance to bully your mother since you weren¡¯t around? Hey, even with the six of usbined, it would still be the other way around! She¡¯s the tigress here, you know?~</i>

    Even though he felt likeughing, he still needed to step up when the situation called for it. Cao Lucun coughed and stepped forward, trying to keep a straight face. ¡°Junior nephew Xie, please don¡¯t misunderstand. We were just too anxious! You¡¯ve been missing for so long, and how can we leave the position empty? Remember the previous example? If a star lord disappears for too long, we re-appoint someone to ensure the sect functions well. This isn¡¯t the first time.¡±

    Xie Lianzhen looked over and faked a smile, ¡°Yes, I know. But junior nephew remembers it was only when one disappears for ten years, wasn¡¯t it?¡± He looks over at Wen Wenzhe, the Megrez star lord. ¡°Senior uncle Wen, am I wrong?¡±

    The fourth n was in charge of the books and records, so the Megrez star-lord should know.

    Wen Wenzhen had always been a quiet guy who rarely spoke. Upon hearing his name, he looked up in surprise and stammered. ¡°Erm....indeed....but....¡±

    Before he could finish, Xie Lianzhen already cut him off. ¡°Since senior Uncle Wen said so, then that¡¯s the case. Junior Nephew is sure that I¡¯ve only disappeared for six years, so why is it that you¡¯re already thinking about recing me? Are senior uncles not happy with me being the Alioth star-lord?¡±

    Cao Lucun fought the urge to roll his eyes. <i>~Is this new information to you? Nobody wanted you to be the Alioth star-lord to begin with. But the queen forced us into agreeing, and we just gave her face. Some things are better left unsaid, isn¡¯t it?~</i>

    ¡°Of course, that¡¯s not the case...¡± Tian Bo gritted his teeth.

    ¡°Since that isn¡¯t the case, then why is senior uncle so anxious? Junior nephew understands. I¡¯ve always been sick and unable to help. Our n is really unlucky. My dad passed early, and my martial grandfather...haish. I always thought that I got this position because my dear senior uncles pitied me, but who knew that it was unrequited. My father is gone, and my mother is rarely around. My martial grandfather too.... I¡¯m so hurt to know that the uncles I liked a lot actually disliked me ...¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Tian Bo clenched his fists so hard that his nails dug into his skin. <i>~What the fuck? I¡¯ve never seen such a dramatic person before. But we can¡¯t just leave. Our reputation is more important.~</i>

    He took a deep breath and looked up. ¡°Junior nephew Xie...¡±

 Chapter 370 - Fate

    <h4>Chapter 370: Fate</h4>

    Tian Bo felt like he was about to explode.

    He wasn¡¯t new to how Xie Lianzhen acted. However, Xie Lianzhen never cared about the sect and rarely turned up for meetings. So the star lords were all fine with him and were hostile towards him. But now, he was acting like a tiger that had just been released, biting anybody he sees.

    <i>~What on earth does he mean by ¡°But as soon as I returned, all I see are my senior uncles ganging up against my mother?¡± And ¡°I always thought that I got this position because my dear senior uncles pitied me, but who knew it was unrequited love.¡± He still said that he likes us? Oh my fucking god, I must be hearing things. Since when did he treat us well after senior uncle Yan died?~</i>

    <i>~Xie Lianzhen can bullshit, but we can¡¯t!~</i> With that, Tian Bo decided to calm down and hear his nonsensical exnations.

    <i>~Wait, how can this nonsense make sense?!~</i>

    Seeing this mess unfold, Tian Bo clenched his fist to stop himself from pping Xie Lianzhen.

    <i>~Calm down, calm down. The Queen is right there.~</i>

    ¡°Enough!¡± The Dubhe star lord, Fu Jingtao, who had been standing at the side, suddenly spoke. ¡°What¡¯s there to quarrel? It should be a happy asion for us as Junior nephew Xie has finally returned.¡±

    ¡°Senior brother Fu....¡± Hearing him, Tian Bo turned immediately. <i>~Is he going to let this matter rest?</i>~

    Before he could say anything, Fu Jingtao stood up and nodded. ¡°The reason why we had to elect a new Alioth star-lord was because junior nephew Xie hadn¡¯t returned after a long time. But since he has finally returned, then we can leave the matter as is.¡±

    ¡°Senior brother Fu!¡± Qiao Haishu protested.

    ¡°Junior nephew Xie has finally returned.¡± Fu Jingtao shook his head. ¡°He must have a lot to catch up with the Queen with. Let¡¯s talk about this another time.¡±

    Hearing this, the Queen revealed a smile and nodded. ¡°Thank you for your understanding, senior brother Fu.¡±

    ¡°We still have our duties toplete; we will leave your highness and junior nephew Xie now.¡± He then turned towards Xie Lianzhen. ¡°Junior nephew Xie, please return to the sect after you have finish catching up with her highness. The fifth n¡¯s duties have been done by someone else for the past six years. But you shouldn¡¯t neglect her highness. It must have been tough for her to work so hard for you and the n.¡±

    Xie Lianzhen¡¯s eyes widened as he heard this. He never expected Fu Jingtao to give him a way out. He even sounded sincere, as if trying to help him be a better Alioth star lord.

    Since the other party gave him face, he couldn¡¯t continue to embarrass the other star-lords anymore. Xie Lianzhen bowed towards them and nodded. ¡°Thank you, Senior Uncle Fu, for your advice. Junior nephew will take it to heart.¡±

    Fu Jingtao smiled thinly and got ready to leave. ¡°Then the meeting shall end here. Your highness, do you have anything else for us?¡±

    ¡°No. Thank You, senior brothers. Please take care.¡± The Queen stood up to send them off.

    Since things turned out this way, what could they do other than leaving the matter? The star lords all bowed to the Queen simultaneously before leaving. Some were unhappy, and others confused about where Xie Lianzhen had been the past six years.

    As soon as the doors closed, Qiao Haishu could no longer contain his anger. ¡°Senior brother Fu, what do you mean? Are you really going to acknowledge him as the Alioth star-lord? So history is going to repeat itself? We are going to have a useless doll as a star lord again?¡± Qiao Haishu was not an idiot. He knew what Fu Jingtao meant. For Xie Lianzhen to start his duties and be an actual Alioth star lord, it meant his position was no longer an empty title.

    Tian Bo nodded in agreement. ¡°Senior brother Fu, I understand that you are going to retire and want to pass the position to junior nephew brother. But as the n leader of the first n, you should be our representative! That kid hasn¡¯t done anything, and it doesn¡¯t look good!¡±

    ¡°I know!¡± Wen Wenzhen added. ¡°He is going more and more overboard.¡±

    But Fu Jingtao turned to them emotionlessly and sighed. ¡°Can¡¯t you see how stubborn the queen was?¡±

    As soon as he said this, all of them kept quiet.

    ¡°There are only two disciples under senior uncle Yan, and that¡¯s junior brother Xie and the Queen. Since the only one left is Junior nephew Xie. Would the Queen agree to give this spot to anyone else?¡±

    ¡°Senior brother Fu, I don¡¯t think so.¡± Qiao Haishu retorted. ¡°I remember senior brother had a few more disciples...¡±

    ¡°Junior brother Qiao.¡± Fu Jingtao cut him off. ¡°Do you really they are as talented as junior nephew Xie?¡±

    ¡°....¡± Qiao Haishu sighed and said nothing else.

    ¡°If he didn¡¯t return, we¡¯d stand a chance to convince the Queen, saying it¡¯s for the good of the sect. But now he¡¯s back. The Queen will no longer give the position away. Remember how she forced us into agreeing to this?¡±

    ¡°Is there no other choice?¡± Qiao Haishu looked down in dismay.

    Fu Jingtao shook his head. ¡°Just forget it and take it as fate. The Alioth star-lord position will be his.¡±

    The seven truth tform was a Taoist sect, so they believed in god. The few star lords pondered for a moment and sighed.

    ¡°Anyways,¡± Fu Jingtao looked back at them. ¡°Didn¡¯t you realize something?¡±

    ¡°Uhhh?¡± Qiao Haishu raised an eyebrow

    Fu Jingtao looked at him sternly. ¡°Junior nephew Xie has already broken into the spirit realm.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± All other star lords looked over at him in shock.

    <i>~Spirit realm? That kid¡¯s in the spirit realm?~</i> they did feel that something was out of ce just now, but now Fu Jingtao mentioned it, it finally clicked. Previously, they were too caught up with that kid¡¯s nonsense, so they didn¡¯t notice it.

    ¡°How is this possible?! His cultivation was once empty, and his leg would take years to heal!¡±

    ¡°How should I know?¡± Fu Jingtao sighed.¡±Whether thanks to his ability or luck, it¡¯s a fact now. Since he has already broken through, we have no reason to refuse him as the Alioth star lord.¡±

    The crowd said nothing more. Back then, they disagreed with Xie Lianzhen being the Alioth star-lord because he hadn¡¯t met the spirit realm requirement.

    He was the legal sessor to the position and had broken through to the spirit realm. Who else was a better choice?

    The six other star-lord left the pce together. Some were pleased that Xie Lianzhen had finally recovered and broken through <i>~If the Alioth star-lord can finally live up to his title, it isn¡¯t a bad thing either.~</i> On the other hand, some are worried about the future. <i>~With that Kid¡¯s character and the Queen being biased towards him, our n may have to suffer more losses when ites to distributing resources...~</i>

    The group of them then left the pce silently.

    In the pce, the Queen was holding onto Xie Lianzhen tightly.

    She wiped her tears away and got called for Shi Yu before pulling Xie Lianzhen to sit down. ¡°Xing-er, where have you been these few years? Did you really suffer?¡±

    ¡°That was just to trick those old men. I¡¯m fine.¡± Xie Lianzhenughed. ~<i>But I still almost died, but I won¡¯t say that, of course.~</i>

    He looked fine, and even like he led a good life. Furthermore, he was back in the spirit realm, so the Queen didn¡¯t suspect much after some checks. She heaved a sigh of relief, and something came to her mind. ¡°Where¡¯s Miss Lu? You disappeared with her. Where is she?¡±

 Chapter 371 - Probe

    <h4>Chapter 371: Probe</h4>

    Back at the Green Jade Valley, Liu Jizhen and An Tongchen exchanged nces.

    ¡°That¡¯s fast, huh?¡± An Tongchen sneered. ¡°She¡¯s indeed worried about Mingshu!¡±

    It was Yin Hong who came.

    ¡°Junior sister Yin? Come in.¡± Liu Jizhen called out.

    Hearing his voice, Yin Hong couldn¡¯t help but feel intimidated, with it soon being reced by a pang of unhappiness.

    They were from the same generation, and Yin Hong had personally witnessed how powerful Liu Jizhen was back then. So naturally, she both feared and respected him. However, things had changed and Liu Jizhen was no longer the talented martial artist he once was. <i>~He is still acting as if he¡¯s my superior? Not evening out to wee me?~</i>

    But she had her task toplete, it was not time for her to throw her temper even if she wanted to. Yin Hong took a deep breath to calm herself down and followed Hui Niang into the study.

    ¡°Senior brother Liu, senior brother An.¡± Yin Hong greeted them with a smile.

    Lu Mingshu stood up and bowed, but didn¡¯t say anything.

    Yin Hong was clear of how anti-social and coldLu Mingshu was, so she didn¡¯t really pay attention to Lu Mingshu but even went forward and grabbed her tightly. ¡°I¡¯m so d that junior niece Lu is alright.¡± She said, smiling widely. ¡°The sect leader was extremely worried about her so he sent me to check on her once he learned of her return.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for your concern.¡± Liu Jizhen said coldly. ¡°Mingshu has just returned from her trip so she¡¯s very tired. I will ask her to visit the sect leader when she¡¯s more rested.¡±

    ¡°Senior brother Liu, no need for the courtesy.¡± Yin Hong smiled. ¡°We are a family, why the courtesy? Junior nephew Lu has been missing for so long, the sect leader and madame are very worried. They are d that you finally returned.¡±

    <i>~Worried?~</i> An Tongchen thought. <i>~What do you mean worried? The queen nearly flipped the whole of China over upside down to try and find Xie Lianzhen but all that couple did was cry crocodile tears and ignore the matter.~</i>

    Realizing that nobody was responding to her, Yin Hong let out an embarrassed cough and smiled at Lu Mingshu widely. ¡°Where have you been all these years, Junior nephew Lu? You still ... look the... same¡± <i>~like the day you left, nothing has changed.~</i>

    ¡°Not Really.¡± Lu Mingshu nodded coldly.

    Yin Hong pretended not to notice that none of them were willing to respond, so she continued to ramble as if she didn¡¯t notice.

    When she has nothing left to say, Yin Hong could only nod. ¡°I¡¯m d that junior nephew Lu is okay. By the way, junior nephew Lu has yet to collect the document of her being a sessor, please remember to do so. And you have missed the previous two heavenly doorpetition. If you miss the next one, you will lose the title of sessor.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for the reminder.¡± Liu Jizhen said softly. ¡°But I am afraid that she will not be able to participate in this heavenly doorpetition.¡±

    ¡°Oh, why is that?¡± Yin Hong tried to hide her smile. <i>~Was she injured? The nextpetition is still far away!¡±</i>

    ¡°She isn¡¯t eligible anymore. Only harmonization realm disciples can participate, right? It¡¯s time for her to let go of the title of sessor too. Mingshu, we should get your identity card changed soon.¡±

    ¡°Yes, master.¡± Lu Mingshu nodded.

    Yin Hong stared at Lu Mingshu nkly, not sure if she understood Liu Jizhen correctly, <i>~Hopefully I understood wrong.~</i>

    An Tongchen smiled at her in glee and pped his hands. ¡°Junior sister Yin, our junior nephew Lu has broken through! The first of the sixteenth generation! That¡¯s such great news! Remember to inform the sect leader about this wonderful piece of news!¡±

    ¡°Wha¨Cat?!¡± Yin Hong yelped. ¡°Broken through?¡±

    ¡°Yes, to the spirit realm!¡± An Tongchen covered up hisugh at Yin Hong¡¯s reaction ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Isn¡¯t it a blessing?¡±

    ¡°Of course it is!¡± Yin Hong forced a smile on her face and made a high pitchedugh. ¡°But didn¡¯t junior nephew Lu only cultivate in the harmonization realm for seven years?¡±

    ¡°Uh huh.¡± Lu Mingshu nodded slowly. ¡°I guess it¡¯s thanks to my father¡¯s talent. It makes sense, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Yeah...yup.¡± Yin Hong nodded, but her mind was already elsewhere. <i>~There¡¯s no reason for her to lie about this, and I can see that she did indeed break through to the spirit realm.~</i>

    Hearing this, Yin Hong did not have the patience to stay anymore. Sheughed and bid her goodbye. ¡°Erm, I¡¯ll get going to report this to madame and the sect leader. Goodbye.¡±

    She then left in a hurry.

    Seeing her leave, An Tongchen rolled his eyes andughed. ¡°Is she an idiot? Even exposing her master¡¯s thoughts! Oh my god, how did Zhou Miaoru choose her as herckey?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why she chose her.¡± Lu Mingshuughed. ¡°Because Yin Hong is stupid. Zhou Miaoru is not smart enough to control a genius.¡±

    ¡°True.¡± An Tongchen chuckled, before sighing. ¡°We, the line of willow, never used to oppose them. But since that bitch wants to move against us when my master is injured, then don¡¯t me us for opposing them! If not for that bitch, why else would I be injured?¡± He gritted his teeth in anger.

    ¡°Senior uncle An, Zhou Miaoru was the cause behind your injury as well? What¡¯s going on?¡± Lu Mingshu looked at him in utter shock.

    ...

    Yin Hong hurried to the Jasper jade pce and soon after she arrived, Zhou Miaoru came out to meet her.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Zhou Miaoru was already in her forties, yet she only looked like she was in her twenties because of her cultivation and the fact that she knew how to preserve her beauty.

    ¡°Madame, bad news!¡± Yin Hong almost shouted. ¡°That bastard broke through!¡±

    ¡°What did you say?¡± Zhou Miaoru furrowed her eyebrows, trying to figure out what Yin Hong was rambling about.

    ¡°Lu Mingshu has broken through to the spirit realm!¡± Yin Hong repeated herself.

    Zhou Miaoru stared at her with wide eyes. She ced her cup down and smiled thinly. ¡°Elder Yin, do you understand what you are saying?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°Are you nuts? How old is that bastard? Do you think it¡¯s possible to break through that quickly?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m very sure!¡± Yin Hong replied firmly. ¡°I felt her aura, how can I make such a simple mistake?¡±

    Zhou Miaoru¡¯s face fell immediately. Sheced her fingers before looking back at Yin Hong. ¡°How is this possible? Only seven years. Did she do some magic or something? Is her cultivation stable?¡±

    ¡°Er....¡± How would Yin Hong know? She rushed to deliver the news immediately after she heard it. She looked down and mumbled. ¡°She¡¯s unstable, but madame, our sect leader broke through within seven years as well and she¡¯s his flesh and blood too so it makes some sense....¡±

    ¡°Bullshit!¡± Zhou Miaoru snapped. ¡°That¡¯s insane, how is that possible!¡±

    Yin Hong apologized and shut up.

    Zhou Miaoru sighed and paced up and down the room, looking extremely worried.

    <i>~How is it possible? Seven years? It was already hard to find someone as talented as Liu Jizhen yet she¡¯s even more talented? Even if she stayed in the peak, it wouldn¡¯t be so fast!~</i>

    From the start to end of the conversation, she didn¡¯t take Yin Hong¡¯s words ¡°our sect leader broke through within seven years as well and she¡¯s his flesh and blood too so it makes some sense....¡± into consideration.

 Chapter 372 - Market

    <h4>Chapter 372: Market</h4>

    In the dead of night, Lu Mingshu entered the heavenly wheel.

    The green colored number shed on the wooden wheel, and on it was written, one thousand, one hundred and sixty-eight.

    Lu Mingshu narrowed her eyes to check if she saw wrongly. ¡°Xiao Sang, I gain a thousand umted points at one go?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Xiao Sang was still there as usual.

    ¡°Howe?¡±

    ¡°You got into thest round in the sea of cloud debate held in the other world, and that was three hundred umted points. Since it affected the world you are in, two hundred more points were earned. Increase in ability will gain you five hundred points and one thousand points in total. Since you have a thousand points, you will be upgraded to level two and be gifted a free chance to draw the lottery.¡±

    Indeed, the small number underneath the green numbers had turned into the number two.

    ¡°Level one is hundred, level two is one thousand. So level three is ten thousand?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s for you to find out.¡± Xiao Sang answered.

    ¡°Okay.¡± Lu Mingshu had gotten used to Xiao Sang¡¯s vague answers. ¡°Since my level has upgraded, the facilities have too, am I right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. You will gain storage space in the heavenly wheel when you reach level two and you can also use the functions you exchange here on others. Lastly, the market is open.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by using the functions exchanged here on others?¡±

    ¡°For example, healing. But using these abilities on others will cost 50% more umted points than normal.¡±

    <i>~I can heal someone else with the heavenly wheel?~</i> this fact gave Lu Mingshu more hope. ¡°Can I exchange for my master¡¯s meridians to be restored?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Xiao Sang replied immediately.

    ¡°How much do I need?¡± Lu Mingshu clenched her fist to calm herself, not letting her excitement show.

    ¡°A hundred thousand if used on you, but a hundred fifty on others.¡±

    As if someone had poured a bucket of cold water on her, Lu Mingshu stood rooted at the answer.

    <i>~A hundred and fifty thousand? I worked so hard yet I only earned one thousand. How am I supposed to get so many umted points?~</i>

    ¡°Restoring meridians through the heavenly wheel is extremely costly, but it guarantees efficacy. But you can also exchange for ingredients in the heavenly wheel and refine them. It requires less points, but ites with the risks of failure.¡±

    ¡°How much would I need for such ingredients?¡± a spark of hope lit up again.

    ¡°Ten to twenty thousand for the more expensive ones, and a few thousand for the cheaper ones. It isn¡¯t easy to find them and will take up a lot of time if you try to collect them all from the heavenly wheel. I suggest you visit the market to do some exchanges.¡±

    ¡°Market?¡± ~<i>Oh, right. The new function.~</i> ¡°What¡¯s the market about?¡±

    ¡°I think it will be better for you to experience it yourself.¡± Xiao Sang replied and the wooden wheel started rotating. Soon, a square wooden button protruded with the word ¡°Market¡± on it.

    Lu Mingshu reached out to press the button.

    Suddenly, the six-coloured streamers surrounded and wrapped around her.

    Soon after, she disappeared into the heavenly wheel.

    The six-coloured streamers then dispersed, and she was now at an unfamiliar ce.

    It was a vast ce, with many pavilions and kiosks everywhere. There were people wearing different types of clothing everywhere. Some were in a hurry while some were strolling.

    She didn¡¯t notice anything special about this ce originally. But when she looked down, it dawned on her that she was stepping on clouds, and not normal ground.

    There was no sun or moon in the sky, but the ce was brightly lit.

    ¡°Xiao Sang?¡± Lu Mingshu called, but there was no response.

    Xiao Sang did not contact her outside the heavenly wheel, and Lu Mingshu wasn¡¯t surprised. She took a deep breath and ventured around.

    Not long after, she discovered an odd scene.

    A huge tree, almost a thousand feet tall was right smack in the middle of the market. It reached high into the sky, and it was so huge that even a hundred people surrounding it might not be able to go around it.

    There were many people leaning against the tree, and holding on the branches. All of them had their eyes shut.

    She wasn¡¯t sure what they were doing, but the scene felt oddly familiar. <i>~I connect with the rest like this in the heavenly wheel too!~</i>

    <i>~So, this is a forum?~</i>

    She slowly walked over and grabbed a branch. Indeed, numerous messages started flowing towards her.

    The only difference was the messages changed faster, and the forum was arger scale one.

    Lu Mingshu saw someone requesting for a huge spell formation that covered a thousand-mile diameter. A spell formation that onlyrge sects or powerful people like kings could possess and make use of. The formation would require the blood, sweat and tears of a few generations to build, and the world she was in had no sect or person that is so powerful that they could create such a formation.

    She let go of the branch and walked away.

    There were people of all kinds around and their style of dressing was very diverse, many wore things Lu Mingshu had never seen before. She spotted a teenager wearing skin tight leather clothing walking past. His hair was dyed colorfully and cut extremely shortly, almost as if he had just survived an explosion.

    Not only so, but a slender woman has also just walked passed her. She had long wavy hair and a.....tail?

    <i>~Is this a Yokai?~</i>

    <i>~We do have demonic beast in our world, but not one has sessfully took the shape of a human being.~</i>

    Suddenly, she felt someone tugging on her shirt. She looked down to see a little child which was half as tall as her tugging her. He was small, with puppy eyes and baby-like skin. Yet his head was bigger than hers and he was in weird green clothing.

    ¡°Little boy, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Miss, this is your first time here at the market, right?¡± The boy blinked. He had a cute voice. ¡°I¡¯m not a child anymore though. I am Qing Mu, and I turn three hundred this year.¡±

    ¡°.....¡±~Wait, that¡¯s even older than my grandfather¡¯s grandfather!~

    ¡°Do you need a tour guide? I can guide you around. It will only cost you two umted points!¡±

    He lifted his hand, showing his fingers that were longer than a normal person¡¯s.

    ¡°So.....¡±Lu Mingshu tried to figure out the situation she is in. ¡°Do you have a heavenly wheel? And your earn umted points as a tour guide?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Qing Mu nodded. ¡°Everyone here has a heavenly wheel. One three seven seven two is my code.¡±

    <i>~Mine is one five one two seven, so he is a few thousand people before me. Well, he is three hundred years old!~</i>

    ¡°Miss, I have been here for two hundred years. I know this ce like the back of my hand and I can spend the whole day guiding you. It¡¯s cheap!¡±

    Two umted points was indeed not much for Lu Mingshu. With her cultivation, she could earn them bypleting a forum request. Furthermore, being a tour guide was not an easy job.

    ¡°Qing Mu, this is a tough job, and you don¡¯t earn much. Why don¡¯t you earn umted points other ways?¡±

 Chapter 373 - Cure

    <h4>Chapter 373: Cure</h4>

    ¡°Because there isn¡¯t much else I can do!¡± Qing Mu replied. ¡°I¡¯m a tree spirit. So I¡¯m not as smart as humans. The only thing I¡¯m good at is having a great memory and a long life span. Even though I don¡¯t earn much, I¡¯ve been doing this for two hundred years, and I¡¯ve served many people around here.¡±

    <i>~Rounding up, the difference between us is two thousand. So if there are one thousand people who can ess the market, it will be two thousand umted points....~</i>

    <i>~Two thousand points over two hundred years? That¡¯s so little!~</i>

    As if able to read her mind, Qing Mu continued. ¡°I don¡¯t only work as a tour guide, I make connections too. I know everything that has happened here for the past two hundred years, so peoplee to me when they need to look for certain items.¡±

    <i>~An upgraded version of brother six? That¡¯s cool ...~</i>

    Lu Mingshi thought about it for a while and nodded. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll hire you for today.¡±

    Hearing her, Qing Mu shed her a gummy smile, and his eyes lit up. <i>~Indeed like a child.~</i> ¡°Okay, I¡¯m all yours today. Feel free to ask anything. I can bring you anywhere too.¡±

    Lu Mingshu had never met anyone like him ever, so she was curious about him. ¡°Qing Mu, are you always here? Don¡¯t you need to rest or cultivate?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Qing Mu smiled. ¡°I¡¯m a tree spirit, and I haven¡¯t cultivated to where I can take human form. All trees can do is stand where they grow. It won¡¯t affect my cultivation either.¡±

    ¡°.....¡± <i>~Indeed a perfect job for him! Two hundred years in the heavenly wheel is two thousand years outside! Only living things like him, who has a long life span and cannot move, would have such patience.~</i>

    ¡°Miss, let me show you the market.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Qing Mu showed her around and introduced the surroundings to her. ¡°The market is where we conduct transactions. Like the forum, but you can check the goods before you agree. The chance of being tricked isn¡¯t as high as the forum.¡±

    Lu Mingshu couldn¡¯t help but nod in agreement. Transactions via the forum require the parties to open up a passage, and they usually wouldn¡¯t unless they needed it. When she was still a newbie, she was tricked into buying an abandoned alchemy furnace.

    As she experienced more and became stronger, she didn¡¯t have any other bad experiences. People with higher cultivation relied more on the heavenly wheel, and their reputation was necessary for business. So such cases were rare.

    However, the item sent over may not precisely fit its description. It wasn¡¯t anyone¡¯s fault, as there may be misunderstandings. So a face-to-face transaction was always preferred.

    ¡°Miss, expensive and precious items will always be done via face-to-face transactions. That¡¯s why you can¡¯t find many good items in the forum.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded. Indeed, many in the forum didn¡¯t have high cultivation. Furthermore, many would treat precious and expensive items with caution and only carry out transactions with a trustworthy party, one that you knew personally.

    ¡°Anyway, if you have nothing to do, you can set up a stall too.¡± Qing Mu pointed over to the za. ¡°Look there.¡±

    Many stalls were set up in the za, and there were a plethora of items being sold.

    ¡°As for the houses, there are security restrictions put up. If you wish to have a private chat, you can enter the houses, and no one else will be able to eavesdrop.¡± Qing Mu pointed at the buildings, where people entered and left in pairs.

    ¡°Miss, do you want to visit the stalls? I know the vendors well, and I can give rmendations!¡± Qing Mu patted his chest and smiled proudly.

    ¡°Sure.¡± Lu Mingshuughed, seeing him.

    There was a huge number of stalls. Qing Mu showed her around one by one, and Lu Mingshu¡¯s eyes were opened.

    When Qing Mu said he knew the vendors well, he really did. Where they were from, what was good, and how frequently they would enter the whee. He could answer anything without fail.

    Not only so, having stayed at the market for a long time, but Qing Mu had also met a vast diversity of people and knew the other worlds well. The way he spoke was so lively that Lu Mingshu could imagine herself in those worlds.

    <i>~These two umted points were more than worth it!~</i>

    Unconsciously, a day has passed, and it was time for Qing Mu to leave. Before he left, Lu Mingshu called him. ¡°Qing Mu, I want to ask something.¡±

    ¡°Please. ¡°Qing Mu smiled. ¡°You hired me for the day, so feel free to ask anything.¡±

    Lu Mingshu shed him a smile and bowed. ¡°Thank you so much. Do you know if there are people who sell medicine to heal damaged meridians?¡±

    ¡°Damaged meridians?¡± Qing Mu frowned. ¡°Oh, yeah. I know two people.¡±

    ¡°Who are they?¡±

    ¡°I helped a transaction when I first came. But I haven¡¯t seen either of them for a very long time, and I¡¯m not sure if they are still alive. There¡¯s a Daoist priest who sells it too, and hees often.¡±

    ¡°Really? When will he be here? How much does it cost?¡± Lu Mingshu asked hopefully.

    ¡°Well, it depends. He doesn¡¯t have a constant schedule. Maybe he¡¯ll be here tomorrow, or maybe he won¡¯te for a month. As for the price, it¡¯s ten thousand umted points.¡±

    Because it was a face-to-face transaction, more cultivators with higher cultivations were here, with rarer and more precious items appearing.

    ¡°Ten thousand?¡± Lu Mingshu sighed in disappointment. <i>~Where can I find such arge amount? Huge events like the Qilin festival and Sea of cloud debate rarely urs. It¡¯s considered lucky if I get to participate in one per year! I might need to exchange for items in emergencies too, it will take me at least twenty years to get this amount! Will master be able to break through into the assimtion realm if I take so long?~</i>

    ¡°Are there any other things that I can give in exchange? I don¡¯t have so many umted points.¡±

    Qing Mu nodded. ¡°The priest is obsessed with medicine. If you have any rare and precious medicines or herbs, then maybe you can try.¡±

    ¡°Rare and precious.....Yeah! The winter-summer stone¡¯s liquid, is it possible?¡±

    Qing Mu did some calctions mentally and shook his head. ¡°Precious but not enough. Unless it¡¯s the winter-summer stone itself.¡±

    <i>~ That¡¯s with Xie Lianzhen!~</i> It¡¯s not feasible for her to take it from Xie Lianzhen. Even though she had exchanged two books for him back at the emperor¡¯s secret garden, the pills he made were mostly for Lu Mingshu. That¡¯s why she handed him the stone when they left. <i>~Because he deserved to keep it~</i>

    ¡°Miss,¡± Qing Mu called her. ¡°If you really need it, I can help you make an appointment with the priest. You can negotiate with him directly and see how things go.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    ¡°Thank you so much, Qing Mu. This is your reward for helping, please make an appointment with him.¡± Lu Mingshu handed him a Yuan crystal.

    It was as big as a fist and crystal clear¡ªa rare Yuan crystal.

    This made Qing Mu giggle and nod happily. ¡°I¡¯ll contact you once it¡¯s done.¡±

 Chapter 374 - Confidential

    <h4>Chapter 374: Confidential</h4>

    After exiting the heavenly wheel, Lu Mingshu was in high spirits.

    She hoped that the winter-summer stone could heal her master¡¯s meridians, and she had been looking for methods all over the heavenly wheel. Since it was rare, it is difficult for her to even get a prescription.

    Now she finally found the prescription, and it was good even if she had to look for the ingredients herself.

    Lu Mingshu opened the door to the study to see Liu Jizhen speaking to little boo.

    Liu Jizhen asked slowly, and little boo answered all he asked clearly with his robotic voice. And now, they were chatting happily. Lu Mingshu could not help but smile fondly at the scene.

    Before she could tell her master about what happened during the six years, Liu Jizhen urged her to rest. So Lu Mingshu decided to let little boo exin everything to her master. She told him what to say and what to keep a secret.

    As for her traveling to another world, it was impossible to keep it a total secret, but little boo can hint at him and skip the part on the heavenly wheel.

    ¡°Master.¡±

    Seeing here over, Liu Jizhen smiled and pointed at little boo. ¡°Your bronze man is interesting. It¡¯s not a living thing, but it acts like a human!¡±

    Lu Mingshu smiled, revealing her dimples. ¡°A void realm elder created it, of course, it¡¯s good.¡± She bent down and petted little boo. ¡°Okay, you can go and have fun now.¡±

    The light acting as little boo¡¯s eyes shed, and little boo started to walk out. ¡°Okay, master.¡±

    It then waddled out quickly, and when it reached the doorstep that was too high for it, it jumped over.

    Lu Mingshu and her master chatted for a while. Liu Jizhen then looked at her sternly. ¡°Mingshu, I need to talk to you about something.¡±

    ¡°Deity¡¯s festive?¡± Lu Mingshu guessed.

    ¡°Smart.¡± Liu Jizhen chuckled.

    ¡°From what I heard from you and senior uncle An, it must be an important event, so the master would want to tell me more since you didn¡¯t have the chance yesterday.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, an important event.¡± Liu Jizhen paused before continuing. ¡°Do you know how the nine jade pces were established?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Lu Mingshu nodded. ¡°Martial grandfather Song found remnants of a deity and managed toprehend the Goddess Cloud-treading Swordsmanship and formed the nine jaded pces.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but there are some secrets behind this.¡±

    ¡°Secrets?¡± Lu Mingshu furrowed her eyebrows. ¡°Is the story of the deitying to mortality fake?¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡± Liu Jizhen shook his head, ¡°Martial grandfather Song did indeed find traces of a diety, but it was not as how others perceived it. The nine jade pces use the <Goddess Cloud-treading Swordsmanship> as our foundation, but do you realize that we have many different lines?¡±

    Lu Mingshu shook her head. The nine jade pces had fewer than a thousand disciples, yet they were branched out into more than twenty lines. About sixty to seventy disciples would belong to one line, and only seven or eight for the smaller ones. They all practiced the Goddess Cloud-treading Swordsmanship, but there was actually a difference in what each line was learning. It was a rare scene for a sect to have so many subdivisions in ancient china.

    ¡°Is this rted to the deity¡¯s remnants?¡±

    Liu Jizhen did not answer her question, but he continued instead. ¡°And the so-called remnants still exist today. It¡¯s the Nine Jade Pce¡¯s top secret. Only sessor disciples or anyone more important than a sessor disciple knows about this. As for what the remnants are exactly, one would have to break through first before they are allowed to know.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s quite strict.¡±

    ¡°This is a rule in the Nine Jade Pce.¡± Liu Jizhen looked at her sternly. ¡°A secret that we will bring to our graves, no matter what.¡±

    ¡°So what is it actually?¡± This makes Lu Mingshu even curious.

    ¡°A special boundary.¡± Liu Jizhen whispered.

    ¡°Boundary? ¡°<i>~A spell formation, or a special space?~</i>

    ¡°Remember the legend of JiuLu province?¡±

    ¡°Uh.¡± Lu Mingshu nodded. ¡°Xichuan was run being ravaged by a ferocious beast, and thanks to the deity which turned into the Nine Jade mountain, Xichuan then gained peace and harmony.¡±

    Liu Jizhen smiled thinly and nodded. ¡°Not bad. The legend says that nothing remains from the beast¡¯s attack, but it was just a small part of the truth. The mountain was created by the deity indeed, but not because she saw that the mortals are in distress.¡±

    ¡°Then?¡±

    Liu Jizhen stared at the smoke rising in spirals from the censer. He smiled bitterly and shook his head. ¡°The deity was being plotted against and was in a serious situation.¡±

    Lu Mingshu took a few minutes to take in the information before looking up at her master in shock. ¡°The Nine Jade Mountain was formed because of a battle between mankind and the deity? How strong were they?¡±

    The majestic Nine Jade mountain could be seen from the mountain range in the distance. It was not an easy job to make such a majestic mountain. An assimtion realm fighter could form a mountain, and as for a void realm....Lu Mingshu had never seen a void realm elder fight, but she knew they couldn¡¯t do such things from the books.

    ¡°I have the same doubts as you as well.¡± Liu Jizhen chuckled. ¡°But unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t find an answer to this, and nobody else could. It seems like there wasn¡¯t any martial artist in our world, even during mankind¡¯s era.¡±

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s breathing turned rapid. From books and historical records, the era where deities descended to the mortal world was before mankind. This meant that before mankind, there existed things that had extremely high cultivation? Where did they disappear to?

    ¡°After that fight, some traces remain, and inside the boundary, it will rey the battle again after some time.¡±

    ¡°Oh my.....¡± Lu Mingshu muttered. She used to think that they found the deity¡¯s book about her swordsmanship. ¡°So the Nine Jade pce is divided into different lines because disciples deciphered the swordsmanship differently?¡±

    Liu Jizhen looked at her in shock. He didn¡¯t expect her to absorb the information so quickly. It sounded strange to most people, but not to Lu Mingshu, who had heard about simr cases in other worlds from the heavenly wheel. Just that Liu Jizhen wasn¡¯t aware of that.

    ¡°Yes, it was a cruel battle, and the image left behind is quite damaged, so it isn¡¯t clear. The creator of each line is an elite of each generation, and each of themprehended the swordsmanship differently, so they divided into a different line.¡±

    ¡°So the deity¡¯s festival is about sending candidates in to watch the image?¡± Lu Mingshu immediately understood.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Senior uncle An said that I will need to fight for the spot. How many spots are there?¡±

    ¡°Five. Assimtion realm elders need not fight.¡±

    ¡°So there are only two spots.¡± Lu Mingshu pouted.

    ¡°No.¡± Liu Jizhen shook his head. ¡°Grand elder Yuan Xi¡¯s time ising up, so she will not be joining this time around. Your martial granduncle Zhou is injured too, so he won¡¯t be joining either.¡±

 Chapter 375 - Father and daughter

    <h4>Chapter 375: Father and daughter</h4>

    There was only one assimtion realm elder who would participate in the festive.

    ¡°And out of the four ces left, the sect leader would have a spot too, so there are three ces left this time around.¡±

    ¡°How can I get a spot?¡± Lu Mingshu asked without the slightest hesitation.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that hard.¡± Liu Jizhen replied. ¡°There are different stages to the goddess¡¯s remenants. The first stage isn¡¯t dangerous. Whoever reaches first gets the position.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded. ¡°Your disciple understands. When does the festival start?¡±

    ¡°Chinese new year.¡± Liu Jizhen said. ¡°Your senior uncle said that the weather inside the historical remnant has turned bad recently. It might be a chance to some too.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Seeing that Lu Mingshu looked at ease, Liu Jizhen sighed. ¡°Mingshu, I have no way to know where you stand now, but honestly, how do you think you rank?¡±

    ¡°Master, I haven¡¯t fought anyone since I¡¯ve broken through, but amongst our Nine Jade Pce elders, I think I can beat most of them easily.¡±

    ¡°Mingshu, I know you are talented, but being too proud isn¡¯t good.¡±

    ¡°If Master doesn¡¯t believe me, we can test it out.¡±

    Her sword embryo had already formed, and it would soon evolve into a sword heart. Adding on to the abundant resources she got from the emperor¡¯s secret garden and the teaching from a void realm elder, Lu Mingshu thought that she would fare better than most.

    Liu Jizhen stared into her eyes for a while. Seeing that she meant her words, Liu Jizhen nodded and waved his hands. ¡°Ask senior uncle An over tomorrow, then.¡±

    ¡°Court leader, Miss, lunch is ready.¡± They heard Hui Niang calling for them.

    Lu Mingshu got up first to help Liu Jizhen up. ¡°Master, let¡¯s go eat first.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± He smiled and pushed her away. ¡°Your master is still young; there¡¯s no need to do this.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded and smiled. ¡°Of course, Master will forever be young.¡± <i>~When I get the medication for your meridians, everything will be better.~</i>

    Unaware of her intentions, Liu Jizhen thought that she was teasing him. He chuckled and shook his head. ¡°Make a trip down to the truth courtyard after lunch. .Even though you aren¡¯t an elder yet, you¡¯ve already broken through, so go collect your new documents and rewards. Oh, anyways, make sure to visit your father to see how happy he will be.¡±

    Liu Jizhen sneered at hisst sentence.

    ...

    ¡°Mother!¡± Fu Mingxi hurried in, and before Zhou Miaoru could say anything, Fu Mingxi was already screaming. ¡°That bitch really broke through for real!¡±

    Zhou Miaoru looked up and stared at her daughter.

    Her daughter was extremely good looking and could pass as her clone. <i>~Some resemnce to Fu Shangqing, and.... Lu Mingshu?~</i>

    <i>~They are both her daughter, but why is my daughter....~</i>

    Back then, Zhou Yinru ruined her life while Lu Mingshu amazed the world with her brilliance during the Qilin Festival. It dawned on her that even though Fu Mingxi was her and Fu Shangqing¡¯s flesh and blood, she behaved more like Zhou Yinru than any of them.

    Zhou Miaoru gave her heart to managing the Zhou family at the start, and since Fu Mingtang was outstanding, she didn¡¯t pay much attention to Fu Mingxi. She thought that since Fu Mingxi was still young, she could groom her when she grew older. Unfortunately, when Zhou Miaoru had time to spare, Fu Mingxi had already taken after her aunt¡¯s characteristics.

    Zhou Miaoru tried to correct Fu Mingxi but to no avail. Her words went in one ear and out the other. Nothing seemed to enter Fu Mingxi¡¯s brain, so Zhou Miaoru gave up after a few tried. Still, she started being stricter in case she got worst.

    <i>~Even though that bastard isn¡¯t likable, it would be good if our daughter was somehow like her....~</i>

    ¡°Mingxi, watch your words.¡± Zhou Miaoru red at her.

    Recently, Fu Mingxi¡¯s parents had been treating her differently. She was starting to receive punishments that she hadn¡¯t before in her whole life. Hence, she toned down immediately after she saw her mother¡¯s re.

    ¡°Well....She has broken through.¡± Fu Mingxi then stomped and whined. ¡°Mother, I really don¡¯t want to address her as an elder sister! Why should I?¡±

    Zhou Miaoru rubbed her temple and sighed in defeat. She waved her hand and signaled Fu Mingxi over. ¡°So what is this about.¡±

    Seeing her mother¡¯s expression loosen, Fu Mingxi heaved a sigh of relief and walked over. ¡°Mother, I went over to the Truth courtyard previously, and she was behind me. I heard the courtyard leader confirm that she had already broken through and was saying that he was bringing her here to visit father.¡±

    ¡°You bumped into her?¡±

    ¡°No, I was in the room next to her.¡± Fu Mingxi shook her head. Back then, she would have gone up to look for trouble with Lu Mingshu, but hearing the courtyard leader confirm that Lu Mingshu had broken through, she immediately rushed back to bring this piece of news to her mother.

    ¡°Ah, I get it. You may leave now.¡± Zhou Miaoru looked down to focus on her embroidery again.

    ¡°Mother!¡± Fu Mingxi never thought that her mother would react so calmly to this piece of news, so she stomped her foot urgently. ¡°She¡¯s be an elder ording to our sect¡¯s rule. Aren¡¯t you afraid that...¡±

    ¡°Your father is the sect leader.¡± Zhou Minoru didn¡¯t even bother looking up from her embroidery. ¡°Remember this, she is your sister. You should feel happy for her now that she has broken through, got it?¡±

    ¡°Mother!¡±

    ¡°Out!¡±

    Fu Mingxi bit her lips to suppress her tears from rolling down her cheeks and ran out.

    <i>~Why? Mother used to dote on me, but now! All because of that bitch! If not for her, mother and father would still dote on me....If she didn¡¯t get first ce in the Qilin festival, they wouldn¡¯t treat me this way...~</i>

    <i>~Fucker!~</i>

    The mother-daughter were on bad terms, while the father and daughter had a rtionship that wasn¡¯t much better.

    Hearing the courtyard leader of the Truth courtyard¡¯s report, Fu Shangqing stared at her nkly for her moment before putting down his teacup and looking up at Lu Mingshu with a smile. ¡°Your mother and I were so worried about you for the past six years, but fortunately, something good came out of this setback! Great. You¡¯re indeed my daughter.¡±

    ¡°Sect leader, my mother has passed on.¡± Lu Mingshu said in a monotone.

    But this didn¡¯t anger Fu Shangqing. Instead, heughed and called for the servants. ¡°It¡¯s a blessing; we should celebrate. Tell madame about this, and we will hold a feast.¡±

    ¡°No need.¡± Lu Mingshu replied monotonously. ¡°I have already celebrated with my master.¡±

    Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t even bother giving him face. However, to her surprise, Fu Shangqing was still all smiles, instead of being angry that she had embarrassed him. ¡°It¡¯s okay. We won¡¯t have it if you don¡¯t want to.¡±

    As if he was a father who tried his best to give his daughter everything, but she never recognized his painstaking effort.

 Chapter 376 - How?

    <h4>Chapter 376: How?</h4>

    It was a short reunion for the father and daughter.

    Having one party be unresponsive and the other performing a one-man show, their conversation quickly came to an end.

    Before Lu Mingshu left, Fu Shangqing held her back for a while, saying that, ¡°I¡¯ll help you get the resources and paperwork done since you¡¯ve already broken through. Let me do my duties as a father.¡±

    <i>~He can get an award for acting, huh?~</i> Lu Mingshu shrugged, not even bothering to y along.

    Seeing that she didn¡¯t reject him, Fu Shangqing beamed and called the truth courtyard¡¯s leader over. ¡°Junior brother Qi, bring the name list here. I¡¯ll stamp.¡±

    When a disciple¡¯s status increased, the sect leader needs to stamp personally to confirm it.

    Courtyard leader Qi handed the name list to Fu Shangqing. ¡°Here, sect leader.¡±

    Fu Shangqing scanned the document and stamped it quickly.

    ¡°Okay, go and update your status.¡± Fu Shangqing waved his hand. ¡°The Nine Jade Pce does not have any vacancies right now, so you can take a title first. When any elder retires, you canpete for the position if you are interested.¡±

    ¡°Uh.¡± Lu Mingshu answered half-heartedly.

    Fu Shangqing handed the name list back to the courtyard leader and sent them off.

    The truth courtyard was an essential ce in the Nine Jade Pce, so the courtyard leader was close to the Zhou¡¯s. Taking the name list back, Courtyard leader Qi silently observed Fu Shangqing¡¯s and left with a smile.

    Lu Mingshu followed right behind him, and he looked back at her, smiling warmly. ¡°Junior nephew Lu, shall we finish the formalities now?¡±

    ¡°Thank you, senior uncle.¡± Lu Mingshu bowed and followed him silently.

    <i>~When she was younger, she was so quiet while the other two were way more outstanding, talented, and looked mature.~</i>

    <i>~Now, a decade has passed, and things have changed. The one that seems to have no achievement is now a real talent, while the other two are either stuck at a bottleneck or good for nothing. I actually wonder if the sect leader regrets his choices now. But as for madame.....~</i>

    ...

    ¡°Madame.¡± A middle-aged woman strolled into the jasper jade pce and greeted Zhou Miaoru.

    Zhou Miaoru continued to work on her embroidery silently. She didn¡¯t respond until she finished the part she was sewing. ¡°So?¡±

    That was Zhou Miaoru¡¯s most trusted aide, Stewardess Tao. Seeing Zhou Miaoru¡¯s expression, stewardess Tao immediately went to pour her a cup of tea while replying. ¡°Sect leader has already stamped the name list, and she has now gone to the truth courtyard with courtyard leader Qi.¡±

    Zhou Miaoru took a sip from the cup and stared at it silently.

    After some time passed, she suddenly looked up. ¡°Ah Tao, what do you think we should do?¡±

    ¡°I.....¡± Being called upon suddenly, stewardess Tao was taken aback and didn¡¯t know what to do.

    She was here since Zhou Miaoru was a child. Back then, elder miss Zhou was already a stubborn girl who demanded everything go her way. Not even the previous sect leader dared to say anything against her will. As she grew older and married the sect leader, she grew way prettier and gentle-looking. But that was just what people saw. As time passed, she became more and more stubborn and self-centered. She never cared about others¡¯ opinions and was incredibly selfish.

    ¡°Any suggestion will do.¡± Zhou Miaoru waved her hands. ¡°I won¡¯t me you if it¡¯s not the right answer.¡±

    Different from her sister, Zhou Miaoru was a woman of her words. Stewardess Tao heaved a sighed of relief and thought for a moment before replying. ¡°I feel that madame and that child ispletely ipatible and unable to get along. If you leave her as is, it will invite more trouble.¡±

    ¡°So?¡± Zhou Miaoru wanted a suggestion, not a summary of her situation.

    Stewardess Tao eyed her cautiously. ¡°Since it¡¯s going to bring more trouble, then we should get rid of it while we can.¡± She mumbled.

    ¡°Get rid of it? I wish it was that easy! Nothing went my way during the Qilin festival, so I sent Ruying over. Who knows why Ruying went missing instead, but the girl came back all fine!¡±

    Zhou Ruying was a great assassin. She wasn¡¯t too well-known and worked hard. Back then, both Lu Mingshu and Zhou Ruying disappeared, so Zhou Miaoru guessed that they lost their lives together. However, man proposes, but God disposes, and now the girl was back alive and even stronger than before.

    And now, things had gotten out of hand. It wasn¡¯t easy to kill a spirit realm fighter, and the girl was known to bear grudges. After many failed attempts to get rid of her, there was no way Lu Mingshu would let things end easily. Furthermore, Lu Mingshu was on good terms with the line of willow wood, which might be an obstacle to the Zhou¡¯s rule.

    Stewardess Tao may not know the whole story. Still, she had worked for Zhou Miaoru for many years, and scheming was part of her everyday life. Madame, there¡¯s still a chance!¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°The Deity¡¯s festive!¡±

    Zhou Miaoru stared at stewardess Tao.

    ¡°The deity¡¯s festival ising up soon, right? Look, she participates in everypetition, and she will surely participate in this. By then, just arrange a few men to ambush and surround her, and everything will be settled. She has just entered the spirit realm; how strong can she be? If madame arranges some strong opponents, this will be settled easily.¡±

    ¡°Haish, I wish it was this easy.¡± Zhou Miaoru furrowed her eyebrows. She was the daughter of the previous sect master and the current sect leader¡¯s wife. She knew clearly what the deity¡¯s festival was like, unlike stewardess Tao. Stewardess Tao only knew that it was a secretpetition.

    Every festival, there would be an assimtion realm fighter presiding. And the goddess remenants was filled with traps; it wouldn¡¯t be easy to arrange a trap there.

    Seeing Zhou Miaoru looking displeased, Stewardess Tao immediately acknowledged her mistake. ¡°Sorry for my ignorance.¡±

    Zhou Miaoru shook her head and waved her hand, signaling for her to leave. But something suddenly came to mind, and Zhou Miaoru called her back. ¡°Go ask the sect leader for his opinion.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I will do so right now.¡±

    When stewardess Tao left, Zhou Miaoru leaned back onto her seat.

    <i>~Actually, it may not be a bad idea. Grandelder Wan Yu doesn¡¯t have much time left, and if the conditions are right, he might ept this request. And isn¡¯t this what our family has been doing for decades. If not for the elder¡¯s silent concern, how would we dare to do such things?¡±</i>

    <i>~As for the goddess remnant, we can alter..... ~</i>

    After some time, Zhou Miaoru put down her cup and stood up. ¡°Come in!¡±

    A servant girl came in immediately. ¡°Madame.¡±

    ¡°Prepare my clothes and transport for me to go out.¡±

 Chapter 377 - Tempting

    <h4>Chapter 377: Tempting</h4>

    After Lu Mingshu has changed her status, the whole sect knew of her breaking through.

    ¡°What did you say? Lu Mingshu has already broken through? Are you sure?¡± Yu Wen Shi was sitting in a garden, meditating when he heard the news.

    These years, the different lines had slowly been won over by the Zhou family. If the line of willow woods fell, he might lose his chance to turn things around.

    Power was a weird thing. In a nutshell, the longer Fu Shangqing acted as the sect leader, the more he fits the position. Unless he was a total muddlehead, it would now be hard to overthrow him.

    However, even though Fu Shangqing was shameless, he was still quite capable. Fu Shangqing had been improving these few years and could handle most things well enough. This convinced the centrist lines that he was qualified as a sect leader. As a result, they slowly stopped wanting to remove him from the sect leader¡¯s position. Adding to how active the Zhou¡¯s had been, they started to control the situation.

    As for the jade terrace line, due to not having improved for a long time, they were starting to lose their allies.

    Yu Wen Shi sighed in defeat. All he could do was watch his authority get eroded slowly. When the line of willow woods lost their control, Yu Wen Shi knew he stood no chance to be sect leader.

    However, the Zhou¡¯s made a mistake by offending the willow woods line. Zhou Jiangui was injured by ident, and for An Tongchen, it was obvious that the Zhou¡¯s moved against him. During the autumn hunt, An Tongchen was besieged by demonic beasts and returned with many injuries. An Tongchen may seem to be calm, but he was in fact, way more aggressive than Zhou Jiangui. By doing this, the Zhou¡¯s had forced him to oppose them directly, and they would no longer have things so easy.

    However, Yu Wen Shi knew that the results would take time. And when it finally concluded, he would be too old to receive the benefits.

    So he stopped finding ways to remove Fu Shanqing but focused on training his disciples. After the Qilin festival, Shao Zhengyang seemed to improve a lot and matured greatly, making it easier for Yu Wen Shi to coach him. Yu Wen Shi was pleased with his improvement and decided to let him train for a few more years before breaking through as he didn¡¯t have the best aptitude.

    As long as this happened, even if Yu Wen Shi didn¡¯t be the sect leader, the jade terrace line would be able to survive.

    <i>~That bitch thinks she is so smart, huh? Staying in the house for too long makes you an idiot. She thought she is smart, joining forces here and there and getting rid of others so the Nine Jade Pce will belong to the Zhou¡¯s? Bitch, the more you try to suppress others, the worse it gets. After ten years, let¡¯s see how happy you will be.~</i>

    But Yu Wen Shi never expected the surprise toe that soon.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Shao Zhengyang answered. ¡°Disciple went to visit junior sister Lu personally earlier.¡±

    Now, Shao Zhengyan was already twenty-eight, and he had matured a lot, picking up many of Yu Wen Shi¡¯s traits.

    ¡°How old is she now? Twenty-something?¡±

    ¡°Twenty-two.¡±

    ¡°Twenty-two.¡± Yu Wen Shi hummed, ¡°Back then, senior brother Liu broke through at twenty-four too. Senior brother Liu trained and broke through only when he could, unlike someone who rushed their cultivation and broke through without the ability.¡±

    Sarcasm. And who was it directed to? Obviously him.

    ¡°Junior sister Lu seems to be in a good state.¡± Shao Zhengyang paused for a moment before continuing. ¡°Disciple feels that she¡¯s already stable, though. But maybe it¡¯s just because my cultivation is too low.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Yu Wen Shi raised an eyebrow. Shao Zhengyang was already reaching the peak; how could he be wrong?

    Yu Wen Shi looked down and pondered for a moment before nodding his head. ¡°Help me prepare; I¡¯ll personally go pay a visit.¡±

    ¡°Master?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s not on good terms with the Zhou¡¯s, so they will soon have conflict.¡± He then turned to his disciple and smiled at him. ¡°You are reaching the peak too. Since Lu Mingshu could breakthrough in such a short time, it might be because of certain secrets. Master wants to consult her and maybe let you break through earlier.¡±

    Hearing that Yu Wen Shi was willing to let go of his ego to consult Lu Mingshu for him, Shao Zhengyang couldn¡¯t help but feel touched. ¡°Master, with my body¡¯s constitution, I may take up to one or two years to reach the peak, and taking the time I need to prepare to break through, I may need up to four or five years....¡±

    ¡°Disciple, if such secrets really exist, it¡¯s a good thing that needs to be passed down generations. If Master can get it by putting away my ego, it will be more than worth it.¡±

    Not only does Yu Wenshi have the means, but other lines that were not on good terms with the Zhou¡¯s also had simr means. One of them was Zheng Chong, from the line of Tai.

    ¡°Twenty-two. Seven years. Is it because Fu Shangqing has special genes?¡± Zheng Chong furrowed his eyebrows.

    Fu Shangqing broke through in seven years too, but it was thanks to Zhou¡¯s putting in the effort to cultivate him. As for Lu Mingshu, she broke through after returning from a trip.

    ¡°Go try to find out.¡± Zheng Chong said to his trusted aide, his disciple Kuai Xin. ¡°Go find out how she broke through.¡±

    ¡°But Master, the line of Shengyang is grandmaster Xiang¡¯s line. What if it¡¯s his secret methods? It might not be a great idea to do so...¡±

    ¡°His line is more than just Liu Jizhen¡¯s line. In fact, Liu Jizhen¡¯s line is not directly rted. If it¡¯s really his secret, why not pass it to his own disciple and Liu Jizhen?¡± Zheng Chong waved his hand and sighed. ¡°Do as I say. If you still don¡¯t breakthrough soon, our line will be very vulnerable.¡±

    ¡°Uh.¡± Kuai Xin nodded and walked out slowly.

    Kuai Xin sighed and walked out. The tall and sturdy, energetic young man from seven years ago was nowhere to be seen anywhere. Now, Kuai Xin had be more mature, looking like he had been through many things. . He once thought that he would be able to breakthrough in three years, but who would have expected him to fail. After that, Kuai Xin dared not try again.

    Back then, when he lost to Lu Mingshu, Kuai Xin didn¡¯t feel ashamed or angry. All he felt was that it was a good fight. And moreover, it¡¯s not like he wanted to steal others¡¯ secrets.

    At the same time, there was a simr conversation going on in the Fluffy cloud line between Jie Wenhan, Yin Hong, and Zou Xiaolin. They were in charge of the line.

    But on the other hand, Jie Wenhan wasn¡¯t as moody as Kuai Xin. After the talk, she walked out of the house and sneered. ¡°Idiots!¡±

    So what if she was scolding her elders? <i>~Yin Hong is Zhou Miaoru¡¯s dog, which exins her attitude and idea to force Lu Mingshu to hand over the secret method of breaking through.~</i>

    <i>~Using evil methods to force someone of your own is definitely a method for evil, nasty bitches. What do you mean by ¡°for my own good?¡± I can cultivate slowly and breakthrough at my own pace, thank you very much. Moreover, you never seemed to care about me at all, so what do you mean by ¡°It¡¯s for Wenhan¡¯s good?¡±</i>

    Jie Wenhan rolled her eyes and tidied herself up before putting on a fake smile as she walked back in.

    <i>~Idiotic bitches. But I¡¯m still not powerful enough to throw them out. ~</i> Jie Wenhan sighed and entered the house.

 Chapter 378 - Other choices

    <h4>Chapter 378: Other choices</h4>

    After Lu Mingshu got her identity changed and pay as an elder, the days in Green Jade Valley was more peaceful.

    Lu Mingshu now led a great life. All she had to do was bring out little daze for walks, chit-chat with her Master, and y with little boo.

    Recently, An Tongchen came to test her ability. Due to him being injured, An Tongchen didn¡¯t fight with her but instead watched her perform some skills. He was fascinated by how skilled Lu Mingshu had be, especially when she could control her sword energy with her limbs instead of a sword.

    Lu Mingshu dared not exin the reason for her ability to do so, as she was afraid that An Tongchen would think she was mad. When one was in the harmonization and inner breath realm, their focus would be on cultivation instead of swordsmanship. However, the spirit realm was very differentpared to the solid pellet realm. The solid pellet realm would allow one to perform many magical tricks, instead of just swordsmanship, while a spirit realm focused too much on the physical ability that it turned into a cultivator¡¯s hindrance to improve further.

    If she was topare, the spirit realm is more like a false elixir, better than the foundation realm, yet not as powerful as a golden elixir. On the other hand, the assimtion realm was not restricted to any physical limitations, making it more powerful than a solid pellet but iparable to a Yuan Ying.

    In Lu Mingshu¡¯s world, they focused more on martial arts. Thus it became a type of cultivation filled with loopholes due to the focus being all on skills. However, Lu Mingshu has formed a sword embryo, and she broke with the method that people in Jiang Wan¡¯s society did to reach the freezing spirit realm. This made her way better than her spirit realm counterparts.

    Surprisingly, An Tongchen didn¡¯t probe or ask where did Lu Mingshu learn the skills from. It was Lu Mingshu, who was grateful for his care when he was younger, who told him about the skills. With that, An Tongchen went home on cloud nine, having learned more about the skills.

    <i>~Senior uncle An¡¯s meridians may be injured too, and the winter-summer stone¡¯s liquid might help. However, Master is my top priority still. Haish, if I could get Xie Lianzhen here for a day, it would be great. He is way better than any doctors in this world, especially after the years he used to train.~</i>

    As for the book she got from Grandmaster Qiu Yu, she tidied up the notes back at the emperor¡¯s secret garden to benefit her friends and family. She wanted to give it to Gao Xiang, but unfortunately, he wasn¡¯t around, so An Tongchen got this benefit instead.

    She had been pondering whether she should open up her swordsmanship to the nine jade pce disciple, as it would benefit the sect tremendously if she did.

    It¡¯s nice to be kind; that¡¯s what her grandfather used to tell her. There might be many bad guys in this world, but there was no need to marginalize the innocent because of them.

    However, Lu Mingshu was a very petty person too. <i>~Why should I let them benefit for nothing?~</i>

    After walking little daze, Lu Mingshu went into the heavenly wheel.

    After she broke through, it had be easier to gain umted points. Back then, if she didn¡¯t do anything, she would gain two to three points per month. But now, without doing anything, she got a point daily.

    As for her lottery chance, she had used it. Lu Mingshu only got a pill for recuperation, so she gave it to Liu Jizhen.

    As soon as she entered the heavenly wheel, she received a message for her to go to the market as soon as possible.

    Not after long, Qing Mu came over to her in smiles. ¡°Miss Lu, you are finally here. Daoist priest Hao is going to leave soon.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your hard work. Where is Daoist priest Hao now?¡±

    ¡°Follow me.¡±

    She followed Qing Mu to a street and entered a building. They stopped at level two, and Qing Mu knocked on a door. ¡°Daoist priest Hao, miss Lu is here.¡±

    ¡°Come in.¡± A hoarse voice could be heard.

    Qing Mu went in and greeted him.

    Lu Mingshu nced at the man who seemed to be in his thirties sitting at the table, drinking alcohol. He¡¯s wearing a loose grey colored gown, allowing one to see his well-defined muscles. The only thing that kept the gown in ce and preventing it from falling was the belt on his waist. He had messy hair and stubble, making him look messy and unhygienic. Even so, he still looked energetic and even...handsome.

    He nced at Lu Mingshu and pointed to the chair in front of him. ¡°No need for formalities; please have a seat.¡±

    Lu Mingshu bowed and sat down.

    There was a sword on the table, a habit that all swordsmen have. Even though he didn¡¯t unsheath it, the sword gave off an aura that made Lu Mingshu stand on her toes.

    <i>~ He¡¯s really something else, and his cultivation should be at least the assimtion realm or its equivalent.~</i>

    ¡°I heard that you are interested in my medicine?¡± Daoist priest Hao took a nce at her before downing his alcohol.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Lu Mingshu nodded. ¡°I wonder how much does it cost? I don¡¯t have much-umted points, but any other things that the priest wants, I will try my best to get it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not for you, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Who is so important to you?¡±

    Lu Mingshu remained silent for a moment before answering. ¡°My master.¡±

    Daoist priest Hao looked up at her, surprised. He blinked and startedughing. ¡°Interesting, I thought that such a young girl like you would be doing all this for your lover.¡±

    Lu Mingshu said nothing. She didn¡¯t know how to converse with a stranger, and moreover, this Daoist priest Hao did not seem to need her response.

    Dowing another cup of alcohol, the priest looked up and sighed. ¡°To be honest, I exchange the prescription with umted points as I need them to save lives too. I don¡¯t give out things for free.¡±

    ¡°Then why is the priest willing to meet me?¡±

    Daoist priest Hao raised and eyebrows andughed. ¡°Smart. I heard that you have the winter-summer stone.¡±

    ¡°Is there anything else I can exchange it with? The stone isn¡¯t with me, but it¡¯s currently with a friend, and it¡¯s not very nice to just take it.¡±

    If Lu Mingshu asked, Xie Lianzhen would sure give her the stone. But it was such a precious ingredient, which pharmacist wouldn¡¯t want it? She doesn¡¯t want to be too heartless either.

    ¡°A loyal friend, huh?¡± The priestughed. ¡°Wanting to take care of both sides but do you think you are capable enough?¡±

    ¡°I can only try.¡± Lu Mingshu bit her lips. ¡°I hope priest can tell me, so I can do my best.¡±

    He drank another cup of alcohol and sighed. ¡°I want to save someone¡¯s life too. And the winter-summer stone is my hope. That¡¯s why I need the stone and not its liquid.¡± He ced the cup down silently and looked at her, smiling thinly. ¡°If you¡¯re unwilling to give up the stone, it¡¯s fine too. Help me look for an extremely rare nt called the bone blossom. If you can find it, I¡¯ll give it to you. But you need to use the liquid of winter-summer stone as a deposit first.¡±

 Chapter 379 - Do you mean it?

    <h4>Chapter 379: Do you mean it?</h4>

    Bone blossom was a flower that grew out of a special type of bone called the peculiar bone.

    It was a type of bone left behind by beasts or cultivators with high cultivation. It requires the remains to be left in a humid ce that has ess to sunlight and rain for many years. And even if all the conditions are fulfilled, it might not grow.

    After the meeting, Lu Mingshu went to look for Qing Mu. ¡°Thest time a bone blossom appeared in the heavenly wheel was about three hundred years ago. Daoist priest Hao has been looking for it for years, yet there hasn¡¯t been any clue. ¡±

    <i>~Right, why would I be able to find it when Daoist priest Hao, who has higher cultivation than me and more connections, is unable to do so?~</i> ¡°There are still other ways.¡± Qing Mu continued. ¡°Either you see it when you are in the heavenly wheel or meet someone who possesses one.¡±

    <i>~.... None of the conditions are feasible! Why would anyone sell such a precious treasure? And even if they did, it would probably cost at least ten thousand umted points. If that¡¯s the case, I might as well just use points to buy the prescription from priest Hao. Oh, or I am extremely lucky. But this will not happen!~</i>

    Lu Mingshu sighed. <i>~If there¡¯s really no other choice, I¡¯ll have to ask Xie Lianzhen. Even though we didn¡¯t state who the stone belonged to before we left. He had always shared the benefits with me and protected me from danger. I will not have a clear conscience if I take the stone this time around.</i>

    <i>~However, master¡¯s health is more important. I¡¯ll try to look for the bone blossom first to see if it exists in my world. If not, I¡¯ll get Xie Lianzhen to take a trip down and ask him to help senior uncle An with his body too.~</i>

    Lu Mingshu got out of the heavenly wheel after making up her mind.

    After exiting, she went to ask Liu Jizhen about the bone blossom which, unfortunately, Liu Jizhen has not heard about either. She hesitated for sometime before writing a letter and asking Ah Sheng to send it to the seventh truth tform.

    After a while, Yu-Wen Shi arrived. He went over to chat with Liu Jizhen, and Liu Jizhen soon called Lu Mingshu over before Yu Wen Shi asked, as he knew Yu-Wen Shi well.

    ¡°Senior uncle Yu Wen.¡± Lu Mingshu greeted him as soon as she arrived.

    Yu Wen Shi¡¯s eyes shone as soon as he saw her. He nodded and looked over at Liu Jizhen. ¡°Senior brother Liu, I envy you so much! Your disciple broke through at such a young age. How d would I be if my Zhengyang was that talented.¡± After that, he then turned to Lu Mingshu. ¡°You have note back for years; how have you been? If you have any problems, feel free toe to senior uncle, I will help if I can.¡±

    ¡°Sure, junior niece here has a request, though.¡± Lu Mingshu smiled sweetly.

    ¡°Oh? Sure, just voice it out.¡±

    ¡°My master has been in the green jade valley for years, holding an empty title of courtyard leader, left without any resources and his health. He doesn¡¯t have many friends in the sect, and even though junior nephew has been given the title of elder, I don¡¯t have many connections either. I hope senior uncle can help junior niece out, to find someone to take care of my master¡¯s health.¡±

    ¡°Mingshu?¡± Liu Jizhen looked at her in shock. He knew what Lu Mingshu was nning. Since she had the heart to go against the Zhou, of course, she would form an alliance with Yu Wen shi. But taking care of her master doesn¡¯t seem to be an excuse.....

    On the other hand, Yu-Wen Shi looks shocked too. But he recovered quickly and smiled at her widely. ¡°Senior uncle knows a few good doctors. I¡¯ll talk to them when I return.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, senior uncle.¡±

    Yu Wen Shi smiled before pointing at Shao Zhengyang. ¡°Anyway, if you don¡¯t mind, I hope you can help me guide this useless disciple of mine sometimes.¡±

    Since Lu Mingshu has asked for his favor, Yu-Wen Shi can finally voice his thoughts.

    ¡°My skills aren¡¯t good enough for it to be called guidance. It¡¯s just a simple exchange of skills.¡± She then reached out her hand, ¡°Senior brother Shao, let¡¯s go out to have a talk?¡±

    ¡°Thanks, junior sister Lu.¡±

    Both of them bid their masters goodbye before walking out of the room.

    Lu Mingshu brought Shao Zhengyang to the meadow in the green jade valley to take a stroll.

    The sun shone brightly onto both of them, bringing warmth.

    After some time, Shao Zhengyang couldn¡¯t help but start a conversation. ¡°Junior sister Lu....¡±

    He looked down. Of course, he knew why his master was here, to find out how Lu Mingshu broke through. <i>~What if she¡¯s unhappy that we came to probe? But she seems okay now, though~</i>

    Now, they were quite far from the courtyard. Lu Mingshu stopped and turned towards him. ¡°Senior brother Shao.¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°We are all martial artists. Why not just be straightforward?¡±

    ¡°Ah?¡± Shao Zhengyang blinked his eyes. <i>~What does she mean?~</i>

    ¡°What are you guys here for?¡± Before Shao Zhengyang replied, she shook her head and looked at Shao Zhengyang. ¡°Cut the chase, we are all busy people, why waste all our time here?¡±

    Shao Zhengyang sighed. ¡°I hope junior sister doesn¡¯t get angry.¡±

    ¡°Depends on what you are going to say.¡± Lu Mingshu shrugged.

    ¡°....¡± Shao Zhengyang felt like leaving. Back then, during the spring hunt, he knew that his junior sister was not someone who was good to associate with. She doesn¡¯t care about others and doesn¡¯t even bother with courtesy.

    <i>~But it¡¯s better though that at least she¡¯s trustworthy.~</i>

    ¡± Junior sister has broken through, so....I really want to consult junior sister on how you did it.¡± But before Lu Mingnshu could reply, he waved his hands. ¡°It¡¯s okay if it is confidential.¡±

    Lu Mingshu surprisingly smiled. ¡°I thought it was something grave. But this is still okay, sure.¡±

    Shao Zhengyang looked at her in shock. ¡°Are you sure?¡± <i>~Nobody would share their secrets so easily.~</i>

    ¡°Yes.¡± Lu Mingshu nodded. ¡°But I want something in exchange, though.¡±

    Shao Zhengyang heaved a sigh of relief. <i>~Great, this shows that she is serious.~</i>

    Lu Mingshu looked up at little daze who was flying in the sky. She looked over to Shao Zhengyang and smiled. ¡°You guys are no longer on good terms with the Zhou¡¯s, am I right?¡±

 Chapter 380 - Not impossible

    <h4>Chapter 380: Not impossible</h4>

    In the dead of night, Shao Zhengyang tossed around in his bed.

    He sat up and went out of the house. The moon and stars shone above the passing inky dark clouds, painting a beautiful picture, which contrasted with how Shao Zhengyang felt conflicted inside.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You¡¯ve been absent-minded the entire day!¡± Yu Wen Shi came out of the house, walking towards his disciple.

    Shao Zhengyang immediately stood and gave up his seat. ¡°Master.¡±

    Yu Wen Shi waved his hand, signaling him to sit down as he himself sat on a rock nearby. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡±

    <i>~How can I sleep? It¡¯s a grave matter!~</i> Shao Zhengyang sighed.

    Earlier today, Lu Mingshu came up with the condition that the jade terrace line would have to stand by her side if she ever conflicted with the Zhou¡¯s.

    It wasn¡¯t a harsh request, as the jade terrace¡¯s line was never on good terms with the Zhou family, especially when they tried to suppress them these few years. Even if Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t raise this condition, they would be on her side. However, if he agreed to this, no matter what happened in the future, they would have no other choice but to be on her side regardless of the price.

    Cutting off all his escape route in exchange for her methods was what worried Shao Zhengyang.

    However, Yu Wenshi seems to be in a great mood. ¡°Haish, why are you getting timider as you grow older? Be brave like your junior sister. You are the older one here.¡±

    ¡°Master, I am iparable to her.¡± Shao Zhengyang admitted. ¡°Even though the Zhou¡¯s seems to be crumbling, they still hold the most authority in the nine jade pce. Fu Shangqing is still young, and Grand elder Wan Yu is still on their side. After a few more years, Fu Mingtang might rise, and......disciple isn¡¯t confident that I¡¯ll be able to beat them.¡±

    ¡°How do you know that you aren¡¯t capable?¡± Yu Wen Shi side-eyed him. ¡°If anything goes wrong, we can just leave and nevere back. With our strength, there is surely somewhere else with a living for us.¡±

    Shao Zhengyang gulped.

    ¡°You only see one consequence and not the other.¡± Yu Wen Shi sighed. ¡°These years, the Nine Jade Pce has suffered much under the Zhou¡¯s control. Even if we are separated into different lines, we are all tired. Now, the Nine Jade Pce is like a bomb. All itcks is a fuse. Due to the consequences, one has to pay as the leader, no one dares to step up.¡±

    After a short pause, Yu-Wen Shi continued. ¡°Why do you think Grand elder Wan Yu didn¡¯t say anything about the Zhou family¡¯s deeds?¡±

    ¡°For the younger generation?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Yu Wen Shi nodded. ¡°He¡¯s unlucky. The elites are mostly dead, and only those good for nothings are left. He might not know the trouble that the Zhou¡¯s would bring. But for the younger generation, it¡¯s not up to him. That¡¯s the selfish motive of a person whose life is about toe to an end.¡±

    Speaking of this, Yu-Wen Shiughed. ¡°Actually, why doesn¡¯t Grand elder Yuan Xi give it a shot? Because no matter how high your cultivation is, would you be able to leave everything behind? Look at Lu Mingshu. She came back for her master.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Zhou Miaoru isn¡¯t stupid.¡± Since they reached this topic, Yu-Wen Shi decided to coach his disciple. ¡°She definitely knows what the consequences will be. But she doesn¡¯t have a choice. If she doesn¡¯t get rid of the people opposing her, the Zhou¡¯s will lose their power one day. It won¡¯t be simple to get it back if that ever happens. However, she¡¯s too arrogant to think that the Willow wood line is something she can offend easily.¡±

    ¡°Is the power that important?¡± Shao Zhengyang mumbled under his breath after a few moments.

    ¡°Have you given up?¡± Yu Wen Shi red at him.

    Shao Zhengyang wasn¡¯t usually like this. Many saw him as someone with courage and many aplishments.

    ¡°It¡¯s only been a few years, yet you have already lost all hope?¡± Yu Wen Shi yelled.

    ¡°Sorry.¡± Shao Zhengyang looked down.

    ¡°If you still don¡¯t understand, look at the difference between the Zhou¡¯s and us.¡± Yu Wen Shi said coldly.

    Of course, Shao Zhengyang understood. He didn¡¯t give up. He was tired of such a lifestyle too.

    Earlier, Lu Mingshu told him that she¡¯d bring the Zhou¡¯s down no matter the cost, no matter how powerful they were.

    <i>~Yeah, that sounds good.~</i>

    But he was afraid of the repercussions if they failed. All he wanted was to live a better life.

    ¡°I got it, master.¡±

    Shao Zhengyang stood up suddenly, shocking Yu Wen Shi. ~What the fuck? Got what?~

    But Shao Zhengyang didn¡¯t seem to care about what his master thought. He pped and start rambling. ¡°Junior sister Lu had always wanted to go against the Zhou¡¯s so she will be reliable. I should start training more and breakthrough soon so that Master will have a better life and I will have a better chance of taking the Zhou¡¯s down.¡±

    ¡°Uhh.....?¡±

    ¡°Master, I¡¯ll go practice now.¡± He bowed and rushed back into the house.

    ¡°...¡±

    Yu Wen Shi watched him runoff in a daze and blinked his eyes. ¡°What is he talking about?¡±

    At the Green Jade Valley, a master and disciple were having a talk too.

    ¡°Mingshu.¡± Seeing Lu Mingshu walk over, Liu Jizhen ced his sword down and beckoned her over.

    Lu Mingshu walked over with a cup of tea. ¡°Master is indeed talented. Even without mystic force, you are still able to fight so well.¡±

    ¡°Fight well? I am just practicing skills.¡± Heughed, taking her words as a joke. ¡°But what did you tell your senior brother Shao? When he left earlier, he looked quite unsettled.¡±

    ¡°Two things.¡±

    ¡°Uh?¡±

    ¡°The secret of me breaking through.¡±

    ¡°Great. He isn¡¯t a bad guy. Just sly sometimes.¡± Liu Jizhen took a sip of the tea.

    ¡°I also asked him to work with me to bring down the Zhou¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°What did you say?¡± Liu Jizhen spat out his tea.

    ¡°I ask him to join forces with me to bring down the Zhou¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°You.....¡± Liu Jizhen furrowed his brows. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to do so? You aren¡¯t that capable yet.¡±

    ¡°Master, I¡¯m not going to work alone.¡± Lu Mingshu said seriously. ¡°I will find allies.¡±

    ¡°The Jade Terrace and willow woods lines may not be enough....¡±

    ¡°Not just them. Taifu and golden door too. I am close to senior aunt Tan....¡± Lu Mingshu recited her possible allies. ¡°I guess they mighte on their own ord after meeting senior brother Shao today.¡±

 Chapter 381 - A must

    <h4>Chapter 381: A must</h4>

    ¡°Mingshu!¡± Liu Jizhen sighed. ¡°You aren¡¯t aware of what¡¯s happened recently. Why are you so anxious? Furthermore, do you think you are really that strong?¡±

    Lu Mingshu stared into his eyes. After a few moments, she sighed. ¡°Master, do you remember how you were like when I first met you?¡±

    Liu Jizhen raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°Back then, Master looked cold and indifferent. You didn¡¯t talk to anyone and lived in your own world. Dispirited and in dire straits.¡±

    Liu Jizhen stared at her and sighed. ¡°I was in despair back then. I didn¡¯t even have the will to live.¡±

    ¡°But I miss the Master back then.¡±

    Liu Jizhen stared at her nkly.

    ¡°You were despair because you felt hopeless, and you had no will to live because you angry, but you had nowhere to let it out.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°But what about the Master today? Lacks ambition, a coward, andme. Like those elders who rather their younger generations end up with nothing and not take risks, so they stay safe. Am I wrong? I gave Master hope, so you decided to give up all your ambitions and stay in Green Jade Valley like this until the day you die?¡±

    This time around, Liu Jizhen didn¡¯t ask her to kneel. He knew that she meant it, and she knew what she was talking about.

    ¡°I know that you hope I stay safe, but is staying safe worth it? How can I rest in peace if I never take revenge? Where¡¯s your ambition, Master? Did it vanish with your cultivation?¡±

    ¡°I am not stopping you from taking revenge. But I want you to do it when you are confident...¡±

    ¡°The zhou¡¯s are having a hard time now. The strength that they are showing is just a facade. I can¡¯t wait anymore, or Fu Mingtang will rise to power soon.¡± Lu Mingshu cut him off. ¡°And if they are old, revenge will have no meaning then. There is no differencepared to them dying of old age. Master, I know you don¡¯t want me to act impulsively, but I¡¯m not emotional. I absolutely sure of my actions.¡±

    ¡°But you said you will wait until you have the strength to do so.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I joined forces with the Jade Terrace.¡±

    ¡°Mingshu...¡±

    Liu Jizhen let out augh and fell back against his chair. <i>~I didn¡¯t know I¡¯m so useless that I can¡¯t even control my own disciple.~</i>

    Lu Mingshu bit her lips and sniffed. ¡°When mother died, I swore that I would take revenge when I can. So even if Master doesn¡¯t support me, I¡¯ll still do it!¡±

    ...

    Xie Zhanghui pped himself several times to make sure that he was awake.

    In no time, the disciples practicing in the za saw their fierce guardian Xie who constantly looked like he wanted to kill, sprint across the arena. He looked like he just saw his lover, whom he hadn¡¯t seen for a long, screaming ¡°Young master!¡±

    All of them looked towards the direction he was running. <i>~ Who¡¯s that? He looks familiar.~</i>

    ¡°Stop!¡± Xie Lianzhen screamed, putting his hands up to stop Xie Zhanghui froming closer.

    Xie Zhanghui, who was about to pounce on him stopped in his tracks and slowed down while looking at Xie Lianzhen with his puppy eyes.

    However, in the next second, he forgot about it. He grabbed Xie Lianzhen¡¯s hand tightly while shouting in his face. ¡°Young Master! You¡¯re finally back! I knew that you¡¯re alive! Where have you been! Did you not want toe back? Who did you meet? Any interesting stories? Are you fine? Do you remember me?¡±

    ¡°Hey, hey. Which question do you want me to answer? One at a time.¡± Xie Lianzhen patted his back and signaled for him to go on. ¡°Let¡¯s go back first.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± After a second, Xie Zhanghui started shouting into his ears again. ¡°Young Master, how are your legs? Can you walk now? Doesn¡¯t it hurt?....¡±

    Before he could continue, Xie Lianzhen knocked his head and sighed. ¡°What do you mean by can I walk? Do I look paralyzed?¡±

    <i>~You were paralyzed back then!~</i> Xie Zhanghui rolled his eyes.

    After walking for some time, Xie Lianzhen stopped to look at the disciples practicing.

    Seeing this, Xie Zhanghui stepped out immediately andmanded them to continue their practice. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re looking at? Continue practicing!¡±

    As if they had a wake-up call, the disciples scrambled to get back to their practice.

    After watching the practice for a while, Xie Lianzhen smiled happily and nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Not bad, you did a good job.¡±

    Xie Zhanghui was on cloud nine upon hearing hispliment. ¡°Nah, young Master is too polite. Guardian Xie is just doing his job.¡±

    ¡°Great, then I¡¯ll spare the reward.¡±

    ¡°Master....¡±Xie Zhanghui look at him, bbergasted.

    Xie Lianzhen wriggled his brows and burst intoughter as he walked into the backyard.

    ~ It¡¯s been six years, yet nothing has changed.~ Xie Zhanghui walked onwards, meeting a few seventh truth tform disciples on their way. One of them was even love-struck by his looks. ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡± He nearly drooled on seeing Xie Lianzhen and only realized what he was doing when someone reminded him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    Another gasped in surprise at seeing Xie Lianzhen walk past him. ¡°Eh? That¡¯s the Alioth star lord of the fifth n! He¡¯s back?¡±

    ¡°He can walk now?¡±

    ¡°Alioth star-lord? The one that disappeared for six years?¡±

    ¡°Duh. Who else could he be?¡±

    ¡°Oh wow, he¡¯s so good-looking....¡±

    Piak! Someone smacked a disciple¡¯s head. ¡°That¡¯s the n leader of the fifth n, watch your words.¡±

    Xie Lianzhen ignored all thements around him. He was in a good mood. Bathing in the sunlight, he admired the scenery around him. <i>~It¡¯s different to see this in a wheelchair instead of walking.~</i>

    When he got back to his room, Xie Lianzhen signaled Xie Zhanghui toe over. ¡°What has happened in the n in the past few years? Has anyone broken through? What about the other ns? Tell me everything. ¡±

    ¡°Young master?¡± Xie Zhanghui stared at him nkly.

    ¡°Why? Is my order confusing?¡± Xie Lianzhen side-eye him.

    ¡°Of course not, young master.¡± Xie Zhanghui shed a smile and reported everything that happened within the past six years. Anytime that he wasn¡¯t clear, Xie Lianzhen stopped him and made him repeat until he understood.

    Xie Zhanghui was unsure of what he was thinking of, so he stared at Xie Lianzhen weirdly after finishing. ¡°Young master, what are you thinking about?¡±

    ¡°How to y with those who bullied us!¡± Xie Lianzhen shrugged.

    ¡°Young master, is that you?¡± Xie Zhanghui couldn¡¯t close his mouth.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Xie Lianzhen red at him. ¡°Didn¡¯t you use toin that I did nothing? Now that I¡¯m doing something, you¡¯re unhappy too?¡±

    ¡°Ah, of course not, young master.....¡± Xie Zhanghui scratched his head and mumbled. ¡°Are you back to destroy the sect?¡±

    ¡°Hahahahaha.¡± Xie Lianzhenughed and sipped his tea. ¡°That depends on their luck!¡±

 Chapter 382 - Not in a hurry

    <h4>Chapter 382: Not in a hurry</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Exodus Tales <strong>Editor: </strong>Exodus Tales

    Liu Jizhen stared nkly into space.

    That night, he and his disciple fought again.

    He has never expected her to be so fierce and impulsive. ¡°This has always been me, just that I¡¯ve never shown you,¡± she said.

    During the heavenly doorpetition, Grandelder Yuan Xi gave her advice. ¡°Failure and humiliation are inevitable. Just do your best, and act appropriately.¡± Liu Jizhen never took note of thest three words, as he thought all she meant was for her to stay strong after everything she had been through. But who knew, the most insignificant words meant the most.

    She had never wanted to obey but even swore to take revenge when she was younger.

    Liu Jizhen wanted to advise her to wait for a bit longer until she was more stable. She had just broken through; how strong can she be? Furthermore, what does she have topete with them? Did she think she was superior to the line of willow woods, or did she think that everything was as simple as she thought? If it was, Yu-Wen Shi and An Tongchen would have already done something.

    But her voice rang in his head again.

    ¡°Where are your ambitions, master? Did it vanish with your cultivation?¡±

    ¡°Stay in the Green Jade Valley like this until you die?¡±

    ¡°Lacking ambition, ame coward.¡±

    Liu Jizhen shut his eyes. He could feel his emotions raging inside him. Still, he was unaware whether it was because he felt ashamed that he was reprimanded by his disciple or guilt due to failing to teach his disciple well.

    <i>~Yeah, my ambitions may have disappeared with my cultivation. But who would be clearer than me of the pain that I face? Does she understand it? Or how worried I am, fearing that she might go through the same hell.¡± ~</i>

    <i>~ ¡°Master, I¡¯ll make sure to show you that I can make all of them go to hell!¡± That¡¯s what she said before she left.~ </i>

    <i>~Am I too traditional, or is she too arrogant?~</i> There was so much Liu Jizhen wanted to make her understand. His worries and fears mighte true. But she seemed to not take note of any of that.

    He could hear someone knocking at the door. Somebody hade to visit, but Hui Niang didn¡¯t inform him.

    ¡°Hui Niang.¡± Liu Jizhen called.

    ¡°Yes, courtyard leader?¡± Hui Niang came to him, as polite as ever.

    ¡°Who came?¡±

    ¡°Ah, someone from Taifu cliff came to visit.¡± Hui Niang smiled.

    ¡°Taifu cliff...¡± <i>~Line of Taifu.~</i>

    Liu Jizhen hummed and signaled for her to leave. ¡°Got it, you may leave now.¡±

    Kuai Xin couldn¡¯t believe his luck.

    Staring at the white-colored book in his hand, he looked at Lu Mingshu in shock, trembling. ¡°Are you sure that....this is for me?¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded.

    When Yu Wen Shi came by, she guessed that she had the treasure everyone was looking for. <i>~So I might as well make use of it. Even if I give it out, I¡¯m sure that I¡¯ll still be better than them.~ </i>

    ¡°Senior uncle Kuai, are you not going to look at it?¡±

    Kuai Xin looked up at her nervously. He hesitated before flipping the book over. ~<i> This doesn¡¯t even have a name!~ </i>

    He breathed in and out slowly to calm himself down before reading it.

    However, once he started, he was unable to stop.

    It was only about fifty or sixty-pages, but the content was like a bombshell.

    <i>~ There was such a secret in the world? With this method of cultivation, we will surely be able to reach greater heights in no time!~</i>

    Kuai Xin was obsessed with swordsmanship, so he couldn¡¯t wait to get home to test things out. However, he still hadn¡¯t done what he promised.

    He calmed himself down before shing Lu Mingshu a smile. ¡°So, you are sure that you will give this to me?¡±

    ¡°Senior uncle Kuai, isn¡¯t it toote to ask that now?¡±

    Kuai Xin chuckled and nodded. ¡°Then voice your request.¡±

    He was a straightforward person who didn¡¯t like to beat around the bush.

    Lu Mingshu smiled. Comparing to how careful Shao Zhenyang was, she preferred Kuai Xin¡¯s character. Clear-cut and decisive.

    ¡°Senior uncle Kuai, the line of Taifu is not on good terms with the Zhou¡¯s, right?¡±

    Kuai Xin nodded. <i>~Who in the nine jade pce doesn¡¯t know about this?~</i>

    ¡°Great. I hope that in the future, when the Zhou¡¯s move against me, you will stand with me.¡±

    ¡°Huh...?¡± Kuai Xin stared at her dumbfoundedly.

    ¡°Everyone around knows how much the Zhou¡¯s dislike me, and yet I came back alive! I am afraid that they are unhappy, so ...yeah. I don¡¯t think I need to borate further, right?¡±

    Kuai Xin processed what Lu Mingshu said and looked up, nodding. ¡°Ah, I get it. But I think it will be better if junior niece Lu discusses this matter with my senior uncles. I have yet to break through, so I have very little say over this.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. Senior uncle¡¯s help is enough.¡±

    ¡°Do you want me to pass a message ...?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. In fact, I hope you can keep this deal a secret. Just try to help me subtly in the future if anything bad happens. Senior uncle is one of the best disciples in Taifu. They will surely take your words into consideration.¡±

    Kuai Xin didn¡¯t like to y mind games, but he wasn¡¯t stupid. It was obvious that Lu Mingshu couldn¡¯t trust the others.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m okay with it. But Junior niece Lu might be making a loss if you choose to give me the secret method now.¡±

    ¡°No, I trust that senior uncle will be able to breakthrough soon with the help of this skill. If senior uncle can breakthrough before Chinese new year, it will be even better!¡±

    ...

    Before Kuai Xin left, he went to visit Liu Jizhen first.

    As soon as he was gone, Hui Niang walked over to Lu Mingshu. ¡°Miss....¡± She whispered.

    Regarding her ns, Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t keep them a secret from her ¡°family¡± members. Hui Niang went in to serve Kuai Xin, so she knew about Lu Mingshu¡¯s ns.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Lu Mingshu¡¯s eyes were fixed onto the path leading out of the green jade valley.

    It was currently winter, and the green jade valley was decorated with white snow.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you being too anxious....¡±

    Hui Niang was extremely shocked at Lu Mingshu¡¯s actions. Hui Niang hated the Zhou¡¯s more than anyone else, but she still feared them after everything they had done.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Lu Mingshu shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s been fifteen years. It¡¯s been long enough.¡±

    ¡°But....¡±

    Before Hui Niang could say anything else, Lu Mingshu turned to her and smiled sweetly while tugging on her shirt. ¡°Aunt Hui, have you prepared for Chinese new year? I miss celebrating it, and it¡¯s right around the corner!¡±

    Distracted by Lu Mingshu¡¯s smile, Hui Niang forgot what she was about to say and nodded happily. ¡°Yeah, just a few more days and Miss¡¯s costume will be ready.¡±

 Chapter 383 - Upbringing

    <h4>Chapter 383: Upbringing</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Exodus Tales <strong>Editor: </strong>Exodus Tales

    Fu Mingxi hurried to the Ling water cliff.

    A muscr figure could be seen practicing his sword.

    His precise and fast movement, paired with his youthful teenage looks, made it a picturesque scene.

    ¡°Mingtang!¡±

    Hearing someone call for him, Fu Mingtang stopped his actions and put down his sword. ¡°Sister...¡±

    He walked over to greet her but ended up having Fu Mingxi yelling in his ears. ¡°What the fuck are you doing right now? Did you know that bastard hase back fine and had broken through?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Fu Mingtiang stared at her nkly.

    He broke through to the harmonization realm right after Lu Mingshu left. He was sixteen, and he sessfully got the title of sessor disciple in the heavenly doorpetition. Fu Shangqing and Zhou Miaoru had high expectations for him, and to allow him to train better, they built an enclosed space far away from distractions for him.

    After Fu Mingtang broke through, Zhou Miaoru designed an isted space for him. The Ling waters cliff was such a suitable environment for cultivation that even spirit realm elders were jealous of him. Fu Mingtang spent all his time here as if he was in seclusion. So he didn¡¯t know what was happening in the sect.

    It¡¯s been ten days since Lu Mingshu came back, but he knew absolutely nothing about it.

    ¡°Sister, who are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Who else? Of course, bastard Lu!¡± After being reprimanded almost daily since Lu Mingshu¡¯s return, Fu Mingxi felt extremely wronged. On seeing Fu Mingtang, she couldn¡¯t help but rant. ¡°I don¡¯t know what luck she has, but that bitch broke through, and now everyone bootlicking her, calling her a genius, talent, and so on. Who does she think she is?¡±

    But Fu Mingtang did not respond. He didn¡¯t even know what Fu Mingxi said. A lot of thoughts shed past his mind, and Fu Mingxi¡¯s ¡°Did you know that bastard hase back after breaking through?¡± Repeated nonstop in his head.

    <i>~She broke through, broke through to the spirit realm....~ </i>

    ¡°How could it be.....¡± Fu Mingtang mumbled to himself.

    <i>~Step sister is only a year and a half older than us, which means she is only twenty-two now, so how is it possible? She wasn¡¯t even at the peak of the harmonization realm when she left. Even if she was, this is impossible too. What¡¯s going on?~ </i>

    ¡°Sister, are you sure?¡± Fu Mingtang grabbed her hands tightly. ¡°How do you know?¡±

    ¡°She changed her identity. What do you think?¡± Fu Mingxi stomped. ¡°Mother even told me to never call her bastard again! What shall I call her then? Elder sister?¡±

    Fu Mingtang blinked his eyes and nodded. ¡°Mother is right. You should not call her bastard again. We are rted by blood; that¡¯s a fact.¡±

    ¡°Mingtang!¡± Fu Mingxi whined and stomped. ¡°She didn¡¯te to the Ling waters cliff to get reprimanded.

    Being a mild-tempered person, Fu Mingtang did not get angry even though Fu Mingxi was shouting beside his ear. ¡°Elder sister.¡± he sighed. ¡°That¡¯s a fact everyone knows. Just don¡¯t interact with her if you don¡¯t like her. How will others think of our family teachings if they heard you?¡±

    ¡°Father won¡¯t care!¡± Fu Mingxi pouted. These years, mother stopped doting on her, and father didn¡¯t pay much attention to her. Compared to her mother, she saw her father more. And losing her father¡¯s love was making her uneasy.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t care about what?¡± A cold voice could be heard.

    The siblings turned back to see Fu Shangqing walking towards them, and Fu Mingxi¡¯s face turned extremely pale.

    ¡°Father....¡±

    Thankfully Fu Mingtang reacted fast. He pulled his elder sister back and stood in front of her. ¡°Father, you¡¯re here. Sister was just driven by emotions; she didn¡¯t mean what she said.¡±

    Fu Shangqing walked towards the both of them and examined Fu Mingtang. He smiled with satisfaction. ¡°Mingtang, you have improved. Good job.¡±

    ¡°I practice daily as instructed.¡± Fu Mingshu smiled shyly.

    ¡°Good, keep up to good work. You will soar one day.¡± He praised his son and gave him a few mystic crystals as a gift before asking him to get back to practice.

    Seeing that Fu Shangqing was in a good mood, Fu Mingxi lowered her guard and went over, showing a sweet smile. ¡°Daddy, why are you....¡±

    ¡°Piak!¡± A heavy pnded on Fu Mingxi¡¯s face.

    She felt her cheeks burning as she looked up to her father, whom she had always admired. He stared at her coldly, different from how he looked at Mingtang.

    Even though Zhou Miaoru had been bing stricter to her these days, but all she usually got as punishment was just two strokes. Being the miss she was, no servant dared to use strength. For the first time in Fu Mingxi¡¯s life, she was pped. Her pride hurt more than the sensation on her cheeks.

    ¡°Father!¡± Fu Mingtang, who just left, turned back on hearing themotion. His jaws fell open as he pulled Fu Mingxi behind him in no time. ¡°What are you doing! Sister was wrong for being rude, but why must you hit her?¡±

    ¡°Why? Am I not in the position to teach your elder sister a lesson?¡± Fu Shangqing sounded calm, but his words were ice cold.

    ¡°Of course not.....¡± Fu Mingtang bit his lips and looked down.

    Fu Shangqing then turned to Fu Mingxi and red at her. ¡°Bastard? She¡¯s my flesh and blood. What am I if she is a bastard? And what are you?¡±

    Fu Mingxi was pulled back to reality by his words. Tears started flowing down her eyes as she held onto her cheeks.

    Zhou Miaoru had once warned her to not let Fu Shangqing hear all this. However, Fu Shangqing had always been a kind and mild-tempered father to her, so Fu Mingxi took her mother¡¯s words lightly.....

    ¡°No matter what, you both share the same father. Calling her a bastard is equivalent to calling yourself one. She¡¯s your sister and your elder. That¡¯s a fact that will never change. I expect you to at least have basic respect.¡±

    Fu Mingxi stared at Fu Shangqing angrily as she spoke, her voice muffled in tears. ¡°You and mummy hate me, right? Just because she is now in the spirit realm and more useful to you guys! For a spirit realm, you discard your pride?¡±

    ¡°You...¡± Fu Shangwing raised his hands once again to p her. Luckily, Fu Mingtang pounced up to him in time and stopped him.

    ¡°Father! Calm down! You know sister doesn¡¯t mean what she says. She might have a foul mouth, but that is not what she really thinks....¡±

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m an idiot?¡± Fu Shangqing got out of Fu Mingtang¡¯s grasp and red at him coldly.

    Fu Mingtang¡¯s heart dropped. <i>~She has always been like this, saying what she wants....~</i>

    ¡°But sister....¡±

    ¡°This is thest time.¡± Fu Shangqing stared at Fu Mingxi. ¡°If I ever hear you calling her a bastard again, you will be expelled.¡±

    ¡°Father!¡± Fu Mingtang shouted at him in disbelief, but Fu Shangqing didn¡¯t seem to care.

    Seeing that his father showed no sign of turning back, Fu Mingtang went over to his sister, trying tofort her. ¡°Sister....¡±

    Bur Fu Mingxi ignored him and ran down the cliff to a secluded ce.

    She wiped her tears away and clenched her fist. ¡°Lu Mingshu, it¡¯s because of your existence that I have to live like this. You just wait and see!¡±

 Chapter 384 - That bitch

    <h4>Chapter 384: That bitch</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Exodus Tales <strong>Editor: </strong>Exodus Tales

    After Kuai Xin left, Lu Mingshu soon weed her third visitor, Tan Yubing.

    She had just returned from a trip and only arrived at the nine jade pce yesterday night.

    Upon knowing that Lu Mingshu had broken through, Tan Yubing sighed enviously. ¡°Junior niece Lu is undoubtedly gifted. I¡¯m so envious! Look at me, it¡¯s been many years, yet I¡¯m still at the same rank without any improvement.¡±

    Tan Yubing was about Kuai Xin¡¯s age, and both were unable to break through to the spirit realm yet.

    ¡°Don¡¯t give up.¡± Lu Mingshu smiled. ¡°Senior aunt Tan can still seed if you persevere.¡±

    Tan Yubing bitterly smiled and shook her head. ¡°I was doing finest time. But suddenly, I started tog behind everyone else, getting stuck where I am now. Senior brother Kuai already at his peak, but I¡¯m nowhere near mine, even though ages have passed.¡±

    Tan Yubing closed her eyes in disappointment. When she opened them again, she saw Lu Mingshu holding a book in front of her. ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Take this.¡± Lu Mingshu ced the book in her hand. ¡°It might help senior aunt Tan get past your bottleneck, so please don¡¯t lose hope.¡±

    ¡°Ah? What do you mean?¡±

    After half a day passed, Tan Yubing skipped out of the Green Jaded Valley in a good mood.

    Lu Mingshu looked out of her room to see little boo talking animatedly to little daze.

    ¡°Ka! You can fly? Can you bring little boo up?¡±

    ¡°Neigh!¡± Little daze pped its beautiful wings.

    ¡°I can make you nice food.¡± Little boo continued. ¡°Like this chicken thigh.¡±

    Little boo took out a chicken thigh from it¡¯s bronze bucket.

    Little daze immediately downed the chicken thigh within no time.

    ¡°I have an aqua Lingzhi as well!¡± Little boo took out more food.

    In no time, little daze had finished it.

    ¡°Can you bring me up now?¡± Little boo¡¯s eyes shed with anticipation. ¡°If you do, I can feed you every day.¡±

    ¡°Eek!¡± Little daze kneeled down.

    ¡°Ka! You agreed!¡± Even though it sounded robotic, Lu Mingshu could tell how excited little boo was with it jumping onto little daze¡¯s back immediately.

    Little daze then flew into the sky with little boo on his back.

    Soon, Lu Mingshu could hear a robotic voice screaming. ¡°Ka! So high up! This is fun!¡±

    ¡°Neigh!¡± Followed by little daze¡¯s proud neigh.

    ¡°Faster, faster.....¡±

    Within no time, the precious beast ferrying a bronze man could no longer be seen.

    <i>~Such a peaceful and happy life, but who would have guessed what¡¯s going on underneath?~</i>

    Lu Mingshu had already nted the seed. Now, all she had to do was watch and wait.

    ...

    Bing an elder wasn¡¯t just about changing her identity.

    Unlike Liu Jizhen, who was now crippled, she received all the benefits that spirit realm elders did.

    For example, she could choose to move anywhere else in the sect or read any confidential documents in the knowledge courtyard and receive better resources monthly.....

    Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t n to move. She had gotten used to the tranquil Green Jaded Valley, and she enjoyed the beautiful view most of all.

    However, the green jade valley wasn¡¯t a good choice for cultivation. Thankfully, she had the heavenly wheel to help her with that.

    Afterward, she went to the truth tform.

    Courtyard leader Qi personally came to attend to her. ¡°Junior niece Lu wishes to improve green jade valley¡¯s geographical position? This isn¡¯t simple. But ley line spiritual roots may work. However, ley line spiritual roots are rare, and those in the sect are all taken.¡± ~Even if they aren¡¯t, you¡¯re not the only one trying to get it either.~

    ¡°Are there any other methods?¡± Lu Mingshu asked. ¡°There should be other supplements given to disciples who had just broken through a realm, am I right?¡±

    It wasn¡¯t difficult for her to improve the geographical position of the Green jade valley. She could source help from the heavenly wheel, and her problems would be solved. <i>~But since free resources are being given, why not just use them?~ </i>

    ¡°Ah.¡± Courtyard leader Qi understood what she meant and smiled. ¡°Yes. A type of spirit is simr to the ley line spiritual roots and grows on ley lines. It¡¯s called the earth spirit. It doesn¡¯t work as well as the ley line spiritual roots do. However, it can still improve your geographical position by bringing the ley line¡¯s spirits together. Every sect has some, and it¡¯s the same for us. It¡¯s in the west jade forest, and since Junior niece Lu has broken through, you are free to choose the one you like.¡±

    ¡°Where? And how do I get it?¡±

    Courtyard leader Qi fumbled around the cab and pulled two items out. A map and a badge. He ced the map on the table and pointed to Lu Mingshu. ¡°This is where the earth spirits are. Please take note that this map is confidential.¡±

    Lu Mingshu took a good look at the map and nodded.

    ¡°This is a highly secure ce in the sect. Other than our guards, we have a precious beast there, keeping a lookout. Hand it this badge, and it will let you in. But don¡¯t take more than one spirit, or it will hold you down.¡±

    ¡°Thank You, courtyard leader Qi.¡± Lu Mingshu kept the badge safely.

    ¡°My pleasure.¡±

    Seeing her exit the courtyard, Fu Mingxi¡¯s who was here to get medication went over to courtyard leader Qi. ¡°Senior uncle Qi, why was she here?¡±

    ...

    On the other hand, the seventh truth tform was now in a mess. A group of people crowded around Fu Jingtao, rambling on and on.

    ¡°Senior brother Fu, you will soon lose your Alkaid star-lord position if there was nothing to be done about Xie Lianzhen! I¡¯m going insane soon!¡± Qiao Haishu, the Alkaid star-lord, walked over to him, looking beat up.

    ¡°Senior brother Fu, he....he came over to the consultation hall and messed it up, driving my disciples crazy!¡± The Megrez star-lord, who wasn¡¯t good at expressing himself, stuttered in panic.

    ¡°Senior brother Fu, Xie Lianzhen came over to beat up Yi Cheng! What on earth is going on!¡± The Mizar star-lord yelled over the other voices, trying his best to be heard.¡±

    ¡°Senior brother Fu, he also came over and snatched away all of our offerings!¡± The Phecda star-lord added.

    Lastly, the Merak star-lord Tian Bo stood up and summarised the situation. ¡°Senior Brother Fu, none of us will be here tounch aint if he did his duties and didn¡¯t find trouble with us. We are going to retire soon, and there is no reason for us all to go against him. But look at all the trouble he had caused! How can we tolerate this?¡±

    However, Fu Jingtao continued to sip his tea as if nothing was going on around him. He slowly ced his cup down and looked up. ¡°Sure. But has he broken any rules?¡±

    All five of them said nothing.

    Fu Jingtao pointed at Qiao Haishu sternly. ¡°How old are you? Five? Coming over to make a fuss just because your disciple whom you instigated to find trouble with lost?¡±

    Qiao Haishu looked at him, upset.

    ¡°And you.¡± He pointed to the Megrez star lord. ¡°The fourth n, known for producing academic elites, was unable to beat him in a debate, yet you still have the face to let everyone know about it?¡±

    The Megrez star-lord looked down embarrassed, while Fu Jingtao turned to the Mizar star lord. ¡°I hope you had fun mocking him while he was wheelchair-bound because now you realize your disciples, who are well known as martial art elites, can¡¯t beat him.¡± He raised eyebrows. ¡°And he said that he went there to learn! Do you all not understand what learning means? Pleasee up with a better reason next time and stop embarrassing yourself; so many disciples witnessed everything!¡±

    Fu Jingtao sighed and turn to the Phecda star lord. ¡°And you!¡± He raised his voice. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that the seventh truth tform was so poor that our third n had to get offerings from others! Oh, did you record the amount too?¡±

    Lastly, he turned to Tian Bo. Fu Jingtao scanned him and waved his hand, leaving him some face.

    ¡°Whatever, it¡¯s just a childish matter between the younger generations. Why report it to the queen?¡±

    ¡°Senior brother Fu....¡± Qiao Haishu shouted. ¡°Who cares about his childish antics? But what if we don¡¯t do anything about this and he thinks we are pushovers! The queen dotes on him; what will we do if ...¡±

    ¡°Do you think that the queen is an idiot?!¡± Fu Jingtao held his head which was throbbing in pain. <i>~Oh god, even our disciples aren¡¯t as childish as they are! Do they think they are still babies?~ </i>

    Qiao Haishu wanted to say something, but he was interrupted by a disciple who dashed in, smiling widely. ¡°Master! Senior uncles! Good news! That mad guy is leaving!¡±

 Chapter 385 - Genius

    <h4>Chapter 385: Genius</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Exodus Tales <strong>Editor: </strong>Exodus Tales

    ¡°Hmmm...¡± Xie Lianzhen packed his baggage happily while humming his favorite song.

    Who would have expected that he would get to see her so soon? After they parted, he thought it would be years before he ever saw her again, but he was wrong. He received a letter from her recently, telling him to drop by the Nine Jade Pce for a visit. <i>~Did she get so used to me so she can¡¯t live without me anymore? Haha.~</i>

    ¡°Young master.¡± Xie Zhanghui called before entering. ¡°Your stuff.¡±

    ¡°Just put it there.¡±

    Seeing how happy Xie Lianzhen was, Xie Zhanghui couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes. ¡°Young Master, have you informed the queen about you leaving for a trip to the Nine Jade Pce?¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t told her?¡± Xie Lianzhen turned around as his jaws dropped.

    ¡°Erm, no?¡± Xie Zhanghui blinked in confusion. ¡°Didn¡¯t young master say that I¡¯m only supposed to obey you....¡±

    This made Xie Zhanghui smile in gratification and pat his shoulder. ¡°Indeed the best guardian. Inform the queenter, I won¡¯t me you for informing herte.¡±

    ¡°When are you leaving, though?¡±

    ¡°Right now.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Xie Zhanghui forced down his urge to facepalm. ¡°Is there any difference in letting the queen find out when you leave?¡±

    ¡°Timing isn¡¯t that important. She¡¯ll agree anyway, so why bother.¡±

    <i>~Oh, of course!~</i>Xie Zhanghui grit his teeth. <i>~Because you aren¡¯t the one left to face the queen alone after the culprit gets away! Oh lord, please have mercy on me, let the queen be in a good mood!~</i>

    ¡°What about our n if you leave now?¡±

    ¡°What about it?¡± Xie Lianzhen didn¡¯t even look up, totally unconcerned about whatever Xie Zhanghui brought up.

    Xie Zhanghui took a deep breath to calm himself down. He stered a smile on his face and tried to hide his irritation. ¡°My dear young master, you are the one who said that you wanted to teach the seventh n a lesson because they looked down on us. You are also the one who wanted to have some fun with the bookworms from the fourth n. And seven days ago, you said that you would teach the brainless bitches from the sixth n a lesson. Five days ago, you said that seeing the money faces from the third n disgusted you, so you were going to steal their offerings for fun. Yesterday, you said you wanted to give the arrogant kids from the second n a lesson because they were too arrogant. You haven¡¯t ¡°punished¡± the second n, yet you are leaving already.¡±

    ¡°Hey, this is way more important than the idiots from the second n.¡± Xie Lianzhen shurgged. ¡°Close an eye here and there, and your life will be easier.¡±

    ¡°What on earth....¡± Xie Zhanghui stared at him in disbelief. ¡°Then what about our disciples? You have offended four of the six ns, did you realize?¡±

    <i>~Oh god. If not for your ¡°best¡± influence, why would our disciples follow you, going around to find trouble with the other ns? But now, at the crucial point, you decide to just leave because the Nine Jade Pce sent you a letter! Just one letter!~</i>

    Xie Zhanghui gritted his teeth. <i>~Surely the best young master, love over anything else! He is mad! And extremely biased!~</i>

    But Xie Lianzhen paid no heed as he continued to pack his bag. After he finished, he looked up to see Xie Zhanghui staring nkly, face full of worry. Xie Lianzhen sighed and patted his back. ¡°Rx. They will be so happy celebrating my leaving that they won¡¯t remember to seek revenge.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Xie Zhanghui side-eyed him.

    ¡°Duh.¡± Xie Lianzhen wiggled his eyebrows. ¡°Everything we did was minor, so it would be taken as a childish game between the younger generations. If the other star lords were to find trouble just for that, it wouldn¡¯t look good on them either.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    ¡°Secondly, I am sure that senior uncle Fu is on our side.¡± Xie Lianzhen smiled.

    Xie Zhanghui raised an eyebrow.

    The seventh truth tform didn¡¯t have any sect leader. But as the n leader of the first n, he certainly held a superior positionpared to the other six-star lords. Anything that wasn¡¯t serious enough to be brought up to the queen would be dealt with by him.

    ¡°Why is that so?¡±

    ¡°How old is senior uncle Fu now?¡±

    ¡°Around seventy.....I guess?¡±

    ¡°Senior Uncle Fu is older than the other star lords. Seventy and above. It will soon be his time to retire and go into seclusion to break through to the assimtion realm. Senior brother Wei is now around thirty-five too. He is the strongest in our generation, having fulfilled all the requirements. His cultivation, ability, experience, and more are all-sufficient; it will likely soon be his turn to take over soon.¡±

    ¡°So what does this have to do with him being on our side?¡±

    ¡°Oh my god....¡± Xie Lianzhen stared at him as if he was an idiot, making Xie Zhanghui break into a cold sweat as he tried to understand Xie Lianzhen¡¯s point.

    Luckily, Xie Lianzhen didn¡¯t tease him. Xie Lianzhen pped his hands and continued his story. ¡°Senior uncle Fu will be preparing an easy path for senior brother Wei so he can take over smoothly. If he moved against me, think about what the queen would do.....it¡¯s a suicidal move, no?¡±

    Xie Zhanghui gulped on hearing what his young master said so confidently. He knew he was cunning, but he never expected Xie Lianzhen to be so cunning.

    ¡°And I am not going overboard either! Why not just close an eye so that senior brother Wei can take over happily?¡±

    <i>~What the fuck. I¡¯m speechless.~</i>

    ¡°So be at ease. Your young master isn¡¯t that bad to leave you with absolutely nothing. How am I an Alioth star-lord if I did so?¡±

    ¡°Young master is indeed smart.¡± Xie Zhanghui gritted his teeth.

    ¡°Of course. I¡¯m your young master.¡± With that being said, Xie Lianzhen took out a stack of books and ced them in front of Xie Zhanghui. ¡°Here.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Xie Zhanghui took out a book and flipped through it.

    ¡°ns for our n for the next five years.¡±

    ¡°What on earth.....When did you do this!¡± Xie Zhanghui looked at him in utter shock.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal.¡± Xie Lianzhen waved his hands. ¡°You are trustworthy and reliable, but youck nning skills. I¡¯m afraid you will die of work within the next six years if I n to stay longer, so this is for you. Do whatever it says and keep a diary. I will check on it when I return.¡±

    ¡°Wow, okay....¡± Xie Zhanghui heaved a sigh of relief.

    Xie Lianzhen then threw another book at him.

    ¡°Huh? What¡¯s this?¡± <i>~Oh lord, I¡¯m not a robot! How am I going to handle so much work!~</i>

    ¡°A reward for you for being the best guardian these past few years.¡±

    ¡°Reward?¡± Xie Zhanghui raised an eyebrow andughed. <i>~Since when were you so nice?~</i>

    He then flipped open the book and started reading it.

    When he finished, he looked up at Xie Lianzhen, almost unable to speak properly. ¡°Is this ...really for me?¡±

    Xie Zhanghui couldn¡¯t keep his mouth shut.

    ¡°Oh my god, look at you.¡± Xie Lianzhen smacked his head. ¡°Why would I give you things not up to my standard?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll practice this well, thank you, Young Master.¡± Xie Zhanghui hugged the book tightly and thanked Xie Lianzhen profusely.

    But this still wasn¡¯t all. Xie Lianzhen took out two bottles of pills and threw them at him. ¡°Here. There¡¯s a hundred inside. Take one every three days and make sure to breakthrough before you finish, or I¡¯ll skin you alive.¡±

    One every three days, which was equivalent to ten per month, and one hundred for ten months. <i>~Break through in ten months? You¡¯re kidding!¡± </i>

    It wasn¡¯t that Xie Zhanghui wasn¡¯t capable. But the thought of breaking through in such a short time made his legs shake and breaking through signifies that he¡¯d be Xie Lianzhen and Wei Chunqiu¡¯spetition. <i>~Yikes.~</i>

    Xie Lianzhen picked up his bags and kept his mustard pouch carefully. He went to the mirror to check himself out again before leaving.

    ¡°Remember my words. See you soon.¡±

    He waved his sleeves and followed the path made of starlight. Soon, he was nowhere to be seen.

 Chapter 386 - Soon

    <h4>Chapter 386: Soon</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Exodus Tales <strong>Editor: </strong>Exodus Tales

    When Lu Mingshu reached the green jade valley, the doctor that Yu Wen Shi got for her had arrived at the same time.

    She led the doctor inside to help her master do a checkup. After he finished, Lu Mingshu let Hui Niang bring him to her.

    ¡°Doctor Hui.¡± She stood up and bowed.

    Doctor Hui was in his seventies, but he looked healthy and strong due to him being in the harmonization realm; it was as if he was only fifty.

    Even though he was a well-known doctor, doctor Hui was still humble, and he returned the bow to Lu Mingshu.

    They then sat down at the table, and Lu Mingshu got Hui Niang to get him a cup of tea. ¡°Doctor Hui, how is my Master¡¯s condition?¡±

    ¡°You can be at ease, miss. Your master is very healthy.¡± Doctor Hui smiled.

    ¡°What about his meridians?¡±

    Doctor Hui observed her reaction before answering. ¡°Miss, your master¡¯s meridians was paralyzed long ago. Due to ack of proper care being taken back then, it¡¯s impossible to reconnect them now.¡±

    <i>~Don¡¯t tell me she wants to make me reconnect them.~</i>

    However, as if Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t sense that his apprehension, she continued. ¡°I hope doctor Hui can help me maintain his meridians in a good state. Feel free to ask me for any cost.¡±

    ¡°Could Miss be more specific on the task assigned to me?¡± Doctor Hui couldn¡¯t understand.

    ¡°Maintain the meridians in a good state which is convenient to reconnect them in.¡±

    ¡°Miss, it¡¯s impossible! His meridians are already crippled!¡± Doctor Hui stared at her in disbelief.

    ¡°I¡¯m just trying to see if there¡¯s any solution.¡± Lu Mingshu refrained from speaking too much. ¡°Doctor Hui just has to help me maintain them in a good state.¡±

    But doctor Hui didn¡¯t seem to be convinced. ¡°I can maintain them in a good state. However, reconnecting meridians is almost impossible. Miss shouldn¡¯t keep your hopes up...¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡± Lu Mingshu nodded. ¡°I hope doctor Hui will keep this to yourself. Because I¡¯m not likely to seed, I am only trying my best. I don¡¯t want my master to have false hope.¡±

    Doctor Hui smiled and nodded. <i>~Good thing that she¡¯s aware.~ </i>

    ¡°Be at ease, miss. I¡¯m trustworthy.¡±

    ¡°Great.¡± Lu Mingshu smiled thinly and ced a few items in front of doctor Hui.

    ¡°Miss, this is.....¡±

    There were three items on the table. A mystic crystal of a size pigeon egg, a book named <Cao Tang¡¯s diary> and a pouch containing many things.

    ¡°Thank you, doctor Hui for your effort. This is a gift from me.¡±

    Doctor Hui noticed the pouch first. As a Pharmacologist, he liked items rted to medicine the most. He then noticed the book, which he assumed would be pharmacology rted, <i>~Why else would she give that to me?~</i> Andstly, the small mystic crystal. <i>~Even though I am only in the harmonization realm, I¡¯m still a famous doctor. Isn¡¯t it a bit rude to only give such a small mystic crystal?~ </i>

    <i>~But of course, I should still be polite.~</i> Doctor Hui kept the gifts and bowed. ¡°Thank you so much. I¡¯ll leave first since I have to run an errand, and I will live up to my promise.¡±

    ¡°If my Master gets better, I¡¯ll gift a heavier reward.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re too polite.¡± Doctor Hui shook his hand.

    After that, Doctor Hui went back to the guest room.

    He didn¡¯t take notice of any of the items as they all looked normal at the start. But when he flipped through the book Lu Mingshu gave, he realized that it recorded all sorts of dangerous experiments between many different medications and the results. <i>~This is just what I need to improve!~ </i>

    The herbs inside the pouch weren¡¯t rare, but they were all costly.

    What awed him the most was the mystic crystal. It wasn¡¯t obvious, but if one took a closer look, he would realize that it shone differentlypared to a normal mystic crystal. It was ten times more precious than ordinary mystic crystals due to its purity. ~If I were to sell it, I¡¯d earn heaps of mystic crystal!~

    Doctor Hui never thought that Lu Mingshu would gift him such good items. <i>~ I¡¯ll thank her the next time I see her.~</i> Doctor Hui kept the items and make a note in his mind to do his best in treating Liu Jizhen.

    Lu Mingshu intended to spend a few more days at the Green Jade Valley to see if doctor Hui was as good as Yu Wen Shi said. In the meantime, she started to craft the spell formation for the green jade valley.

    In fact, the Green Jade Valley wasn¡¯t a bad ce for cultivation. It was located right next to the Blue jade peak. Because the ley lines of blue jade peak brushed right past the green jade valley, it wasn¡¯t considered the best geographical position. Still, it wasn¡¯t difficult to alter it into the desired area. All she needed was to try and connect the ley lines and put a spell formation in the green jade valley, and she could then solve the problem.

    Lu Mingshu started to n for the spell formation while collecting resources.

    After watching Doctor Hui putting his heart into treating her master for a few days and doing a good job like what Yu Wenshi said, Lu Mingshu heaved a sigh of relief.

    She packed her stuff and got ready to look for earth spirits.

    ording to her world, good ley lines needed spiritual items to maintain their quality. And the ley line spiritual roots was no doubt the best option. However, it was extremely rare. Once taken away from the original ley line, it would severely affect the original ley line¡¯s geographical qualities. On the other hand, an earth spirit might not be as powerful as a ley line root, but it could forever maintain the power of the ley line. Thus it still wasn¡¯t something that one could easily get either, even in the heavenly wheel.

    The environment in her world was good, with an abundance of resources. But mankind never made use of them efficiently.

    For example, if she put the earth spirit into her formation, it would add a perfect touch to the spell formation and upgrade the green jade valley in no time.

    Early in the morning, she went to inform Hui Niang before bidding goodbye to her master.

    It¡¯s been days since she talked to her master. Seeing Lu Mingshu walk in, Liu Jizhen felt proud yet upset. Proud that she had grown so well but also upset that she¡¯s getting further from him.

    Hearing that she was going to look for earth spirits, Liu Jizhe nodded and double-checked some things with her. ¡°Have you gotten the essentials from courtyard leader Qi?¡±

    ¡°He gave me this, saying that if I show this badge to the beast guarding the area, I will be able to get past.¡±

    ¡°Only that?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°The earth spirits might be a nt, but it can take human form and move around freely. How can you find them without a tool? And even if you do, they are all baby nts that have yet to grow.¡±

    The news took Lu Mingshu by surprise. That wasn¡¯t something she expected.

    ¡°He¡¯s taking advantage of the fact that you¡¯re uninformed. Go find him again!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, master.¡± Lu Mingshu shook her head calmly. ¡°When I went over to the truth courtyard, he was polite and said nothing about the baby earth spirits. What¡¯s the point of going back to quarrel with him when he obviously had the heart to trick me?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going to let this go?¡± ~Who was the one that has a temper? Even I wouldn¡¯t let it go.~

    ¡°Yea, it won¡¯t be worth it if I throw a fit again. Leave him be; I¡¯ll make him pay double the price soon!¡±

 Chapter 387 - Earth spirit

    <h4>Chapter 387: Earth spirit</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Exodus Tales <strong>Editor: </strong>Exodus Tales

    With a call, Little daze soared into the sky.

    The Nine Jade Pce disciples crowded around the za, looking at little daze with envy.

    ¡°Such a gorgeous mount!¡±

    ¡°I know right, I want one too.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a Snow Winged Cloud-Treading Horse.¡± Somebody said. ¡°A very rare precious beast. Even a spirit realm elder might not have one.¡±

    ¡°Wow, senior sister Lu is really strong. I heard she got that snow winged cloud-treading horse during her first spring hunt.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s extremely lucky! Who would have expected the baby beast she picked up to be a Snow Winged Cloud-Treading Horse.¡±

    Amidst themotion, little daze started to gets further from everyone¡¯s sight before disappearing.

    The secret ce isn¡¯t near either. Even little daze who could fly took two days to reach.

    ¡°Here?¡± Lu Mingshu explored the area before stopping on top of a mountain range that couldn¡¯t be seen clearly from the sky due to its fog.

    It was already December, and Jade West has been snowing non-stop. Every mountain peak is covered with snow. Lu Mingshu had a great memory, and even if it couldn¡¯t be considered as photographic, it rarely failed her. She was sure that this was the correct ce, but there seemed to be nothing right here.

    She pondered for a moment before ordering little daze to fly down. ¡°Let¡¯s go down and take a look.¡±

    Little daze neighed and dashed towards the mountain range.

    As soon as he got the hang of flying, that was probably little daze¡¯s favorite thing to do.

    Lu Mingshu got down from Little daze¡¯s back andbed her hair before patting her. ¡°You can follow me if you want or fly at your own pace. But keep close to me so that I can save you in time before an assimtion realm beast eats you.¡±

    Little daze enjoyed eating but not being eaten. It blinked before following Lu Mingshu quietly.

    After half a day had passed, Lu Mingshu realized that something was out of ce. What she saw was just an illusion.

    She rolled her eye and let out a coldugh. Courtyard leader Qi seemed to be a pleasant person who would have expected that he would be so cunning. He didn¡¯t give her the tool to find the earth spirits, neither did he tell her about the illusion. <i>~If I know nothing about spells, I would be stuck! If I don¡¯t get an earth spirit sessfully, who would believe my strength? Everyone would think I¡¯m just a flower vase, even though I broke through at a young age.~ </i>

    It would bring her more trouble if she went to look for trouble with courtyard leader Qi. He could pass it off as him being forgetful. Whether he meant to hide it from her or not, it would make Lu Mingshu look like someone who enjoyed stirring trouble.

    But if she conceded defeat and asked courtyard leader Qi for help, she would never be able to lift her head up in front of him.

    <i>~He really thinks I¡¯m nothing, huh?~ </i>

    Lu Mingshu let little boo out.

    ¡°Ka!¡± Little boo jumped out. ¡°Master, what do you need?¡±

    ¡°Little boo, can you break the illusion?¡±

    Little boo¡¯s eyes blinked as it scanned the illusion. ¡°Master, do you want to destroy it or just go through?¡±

    ¡°.....Just go through.¡± Even though Lu Mingshu was unhappy with courtyard leader Qi, it wasn¡¯t right to destroy the whole illusion ced here by the sect.

    ¡°Ok.¡±

    A glimpse of light could be seen as little boo fished out numerous bronze parts. Within no time, the illusion faded away, and a path could be seen.

    ¡°Ka, it¡¯s done.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°No need. Your word is mymand.¡± Little boo¡¯s eyes blinked.

    Lu Mingshu called little daze over before and ce little boo on her, ¡°let¡¯s go.¡±

    Little boo held onto little daze andbed its mane. ¡°Brother daze, I haven¡¯t seen you for half a day yet you¡¯re still so handsome!¡± Little boo tried to sound fancy.

    ¡°Neigh!¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you fly? This is too slow.¡±

    ¡°Neigh!¡±

    Lu Mingshu listened to their conversation with her jaw open.....<i>~Brother daze....? Whatever, as long as they¡¯re happy.~ </i>

    Along with little boo¡¯s chatter, they reached the entrance to the mountain.

    But as soon as she stepped forward, a strong force sent her flying backward. Lu Mingshu looked up to see a giant Green four-hoofed beast standing at the entrance, staring at them with blood-red eyes. Seeing it, Little daze moved a few steps back, while little boo kept quiet immediately.

    Even though there weren¡¯t any Yokai around in Lu Mingshu¡¯s world, beasts with high cultivation had intelligence too. Lu Mingshu dared not offend it. She slowly took out the badge and threw it at the beast. ¡°I¡¯m a nine jade pce disciple who is here for an earth spirit.¡±

    The beast grabbed the badge with its mouth and threw it back at her after checking it.

    With that, the boundary blocking the path was gone, and the beast now stood aside, making space for them to enter.

    Lu Mingshu entered first, followed by little boo and little daze trailing silently behind her. It wasn¡¯t known if it was because they were frightened, but both were surprisingly quiet.

    When the beast was gone, little daze looks extremely relieved.

    Little boo looked around, eyes blinking. ¡°Wow, that beast was scary!¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Lu Mingshu hummed, scanning her surroundings.

    This area seemedpletely with wild grass growing everywhere, but the geographical position was undoubtedly extremely good.

    She tried to search for it, only to realize what her master said was true. It was impossible to find it without any help. She was much more sensitive than most, but she still couldn¡¯t sense anything.

    <i>~Whatever, I¡¯ll just get some help.~ </i>

    ¡°Little boo!¡±

    ¡°Ka!¡±

    ¡°There are spirits here called the earth spirit. They are found underground and take human form. Can you help me search for them?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°How many do you need, master?¡±

    ¡°As many as possible.¡±

    ¡°Ok.¡±

    Little boo started looking around his bronze bucket, and he took out two gems. He opened his face to reveal the structure beneath. Little boo changed the gems that represented its eyes to the other two and closed his face back before starting the search.

    After no time, Little boo shouted. ¡°Ka! I found one.¡±

    Its limbs grew extremely long as it stuck its arms into the ground. When he took his arm out, a small man with a long beard was in his hand.

    Lu Mingshu took out a sack. ¡°Put it in here.¡±

    This was a binding spirit pouch, which she exchanged from the heavenly wheel. No spirits would be able to escape the pouch.

    Little boo ced the earth spirit trying to escape into the sack before he continued looking around again.

 Chapter 388 - Who?

    <h4>Chapter 388: Who?</h4>

    ¡°Ka!¡± Another earth spirit was caught. It twisted and turned, trying its best to get out of little¡¯s Boo¡¯s grip while screaming. However, its screams were ignored as it was tossed into the sack.

    Seeing two unknown things wiggling around, Little daze scooted over to get a better look. It stuck out its tongue almost as if to eat them.

    This scared the spirits as they made extremely high-pitched screams that hurt one¡¯s ear.

    ¡°Little Daze!¡± Lu Mingshu stopped it in time. ¡°This isn¡¯t food; you won¡¯t be able to digest it.¡±

    Due to taking in too much energy from the ground daily, one couldn¡¯t digest the spirits, so if anyone ate them identally, it would have grave consequences.

    ¡°Neigh!¡± Little daze trotted away after letting out a sad neigh.

    To little daze, anything that couldn¡¯t be eaten was useless.

    Little daze sat at the side, chewing on grass silently. At a ce with such ley lines, there should be spiritual nts around. But thanks to the earth spirits who absorbed all the energy, there weren¡¯t many spiritual nts around.

    Not muchter, little Boo caught another earth spirit. It threw it into the sack and continued to search for more.

    After some time, the sack was filled with earth spirits screaming and tossing around, trying to escape. Sadly, they couldn¡¯t because of the invisible barrier blocking them.

    While the three of them were focused on earth spirit hunting, they didn¡¯t realize that someone was watching them secretly.

    It was a guy and a girl. The guy looked like he was in his thirties, and he seemed very mature. The girl next to him...was Fu Mingxi?

    And in fact, the both of them had already been here for many days.

    A few days ago, Fu Mingxi bumped into Lu Mingshu at the truth courtyard and found out that she nned to travel here to get earth spirits. So, Fu Mingxi had an idea to teach her a lesson.

    Thank god thatdy luck was with her. If Lu Mingshu came right after she got the badge, Fu Mingxi would¡¯ve never been able to catch up to her.

    But Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t leave immediately, thus making some time for her. Even if Fu Mingxi wasn¡¯t smart, she was at least aware that her n shouldn¡¯t be known. She didn¡¯t even tell Fu Mingtang about this and secretly found help herself, which was the guy next to her.

    The guy was Zhou Jingfang, one of the orphans the Zhou¡¯s adopted. He wasn¡¯t talented and had always beengging behind his peers in cultivation. However, his strong determination helped him break through to the spirit realm sessfully when he was forty. Now, he worked as a helper in the Zhou family.

    Upon hearing Fu Mingxi¡¯s request, Zhou Jingfang dared not say no. The next day, he went to get a badge from courtyard leader Qi, and along with his miss, they both came secretly a few days before Lu Mingshu.

    After setting up the trap, the both of them waited for a few days, but Lu Mingshu was nowhere to be seen.

    But to her surprise, Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t look for the earth spirits like how others did, but she instead brought along a......bronze man? The bronze man started to catch the earth spirits rapidly without needing to search.

    ¡°What on earth is this?¡± Fu Mingxi was speechless as she watched. ¡°How does it know where the spirits are?¡±

    Next to her, Zhou Jingfang was in shock too. He hadn¡¯t heard or seen anything like this in his entire life.

    As the number of earth spirits in the sack increased, Fu Mingxi started to get more agitated.

    She had been jealous of Lu Mingshu¡¯s mount ever since she saw little daze. <i>~Why is this bitch always so lucky?~</i> She managed to get a snow wing treading horse as a mount just because she found its foe during the spring hunt. And yet, it looked absolutely nothing like one back then! If someone knew earlier, they would¡¯ve surely taken it away from her! But who dared to snatch an elder¡¯s mount now? <i>~Even the sect leader doesn¡¯t dare~</i>

    The thought of the sect leader made Fu Mingxi fume in anger. <i>~Only over my dead body will daddy take her mount just for me! He even pped me because this bitch broke through and can now make him look good! I¡¯ll destroy her today; let¡¯s see if she still dares to be arrogant!~</i>

    <i>~I¡¯ll take away everything she owns as revenge for her ruining my life! I heard mother telling stewardess Tao that it¡¯s almost impossible for her to break through at such a young age unless she has some special items as help! Along with the snow wing treading horse, I¡¯ll take them as soon as my n seeds! Oh yeah, and the bronze thing that can find earth spirits in no time! Earth spirits aren¡¯t easy to find, and if this thing can find them easily, it¡¯s a good item to take as well.~</i>

    <i>~This bitch, why is she always so lucky?~</i> the more Fu Mingxi thought about it, the angrier she was. She clenched her fist so hard that her nails dug into her palm, leaving a mark. <i>~ I¡¯m going to ruin her!~</i>

    ¡°Is it all prepared well? Are you sure it will seed?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± Zhou Jingfang nodded. ¡°I did as what miss requested.¡±

    ¡°Okay, then get ready to take action.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Unaware of the approaching danger, little Boo continued to look for more earth spirits, only stopping when it couldn¡¯t sense anymore.

    ¡°Ka! That¡¯s all I found, master.¡±

    The sack was filled to the brim, and due to the earth spirits wriggling vigorously, it looked like a man was in the bag.

    ¡°Okay, take a break.¡±

    ¡°Yes, master.¡±

    Lu Mingshu bent down to check on the earth spirits. She took out the baby earth spirit and threw them on the ground.

    The baby spirits that were thrown out scrambled away, and in no time, they were nowhere to be seen.

    After the baby spirits, Lu Mingshu started to pick out the weaker ones and the unhealthy ones and freed them.

    In no time, there were only four earth spirits left in the sack.

    Among the four, there was one 5 times the size of a regr spirit, and the other three were about twice the size of an ordinary spirit.

    Little Boo¡¯s eyes blinked as it saw therge earth spirit. ¡°Congrattions, master. This earth spirit is about three hundred years old.¡±

    Lu Mingshu¡¯s eyes widened in shock as she turned to look at it. ¡°You can tell their age?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± Little Boo replied proudly. ¡°My previous master made me to assist him in herb collection, so this is an essential feature!¡±

    ¡°Than what about these three? How old are they?¡±

    ¡°About two hundred years.¡±

    Lu Mingshu nodded. ¡°Help me keep a lookout.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    Lu Mingshu picked up the three earth spirits in the sack and sat down. After leveling up, she earned a storage space in the heavenly wheel. She ced them inside the heavenly wheel and exited the space.

    ¡°Okay.¡± Lu Mingshu ced thest one in her pocket and stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    <i>~No matter how powerful the beast is, it shouldn¡¯t be able to sense what I have inside the heavenly wheel.~</i>

    ¡°Yo! ¡°little Boo jumped on little daze. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    As the trio was about to exit, Lu Mingshu heard rapid footsteps from behind her. She turned around abruptly to check what it was.

    To her surprise, it was a miniature spiked pig dashing towards her.

    The miniature spiked pig was only about the size of a rabbit and had agile movements. Other than its extreme speed and the spikes on its body, there was nothing special about the miniature spiked pig. It couldn¡¯t threaten danger anything.

    Seeing the miniature spiked pig about to rim into her, Lu Mingshuunched an attack, sending it flying backward.

    The miniature spiked pignded on the floor with a loud thud due to the attack. Blood sshed everywhere and the small spiked pigid on the floor, motionless.

    Little daze trotted over to have a taste. However, its spikes kept poking little daze who looked at it in disgust and left.

    Lu Mingshu scrunched her nose in disgust at the smell of blood which was all over her. She turned around, getting ready to leave, but she suddenly saw an assimtion realm beasting towards her.

 Chapter 389 - Interesting

    <h4>Chapter 389: Interesting</h4>

    <i>~Oh No!~</i>

    Lu Mingshu gulped, face turning pale.

    It was an assimtion realm beast. And to make it worse, it looked extremely aggressive.

    ¡°Little daze, up!¡± Lu Mingshumanded.

    Little daze let out a sharp cry as it spread its wings, flying into the sky with little boo.

    However, the beast didn¡¯t even spare little daze a look. It¡¯s eyes were locked on Lu Mingshu as it continued to charge towards her, causing the ground to rumble and trees around her to shake.

    She fished out her badge in panic and jumped up,nding on a nearby tree. She cleared her throat and shouted. ¡°I¡¯m a Nine Jade Pce¡¯s disciple, and this badge is the proof. May I know why Sir ising after me?¡± Lu Mingshu spoke to the beast with respect, as if it was a human being.

    Beast with high enough cultivation have intelligence. In normal circumstances, they won¡¯t attack without reason, generally treating living things with mutual respect. To her surprise, the beast didn¡¯t bother to even listen to her.

    As an assimtion realm beast, not much was needed to defeat a mere spirit realm fighter. With its strength, a normal spirit realm fighter wouldn¡¯t be able to survive at all.

    Luckily, Lu Mingshu trained differently from others. Realizing that her method didn¡¯t work, Lu Mingshu grabbed her sword tightly and shed across the sky with all her might, forming a ray of light. In a split second, the light divided itself into more rays and exploded like fireworks.

    Lu Mingshu got this skill from Jiang Wan¡¯s world, and shebined it with the sword embryo so that she would be able to attack faster. Ordinary cultivators wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up with her speed, not to mention cultivators from her world.

    Fu Mingxi and Zhou Jingfang, who were hiding, watched in shock. <i>~A spirit realm fighter is that strong?~</i> Fu Mingxi had seen many spirit realm fighters, but she had never seen any like Lu Mingshu <i>~Even daddy doesn¡¯t seem to be this good!~</i> she turned to Zhou Jingfang and tugged his sleeve hard. ¡°Someone in the spirit realm can be this powerful?¡±

    Zhou Jingfang, whose eyes were focused on the fight, ignored Fu Mingxi¡¯s question. As someone in the spirit realm, he understood the fight better than Fu Mingxi, and he was sure that the skills taught in Nine Jade Pce weren¡¯t what Lu Mingshu was using, and it was way better. <i>~So the rumors about her getting great benefits outside are true?~</i> Zhou Jingfang bit his lips, feeling empowered by the thought of Lu Mingshu gaining so much just by traveling out of the Nine Jade Pce.

    This precious beast had trained in the Nine Jade Pce for many years, and it was extremely powerful. It was the best candidate to guard a secret ce. However, what many were unaware of was that the beast was already very old. It was sent here to spend its remaining days in peace while guarding the area.

    Aging reduces a man¡¯s stamina and strength. This applied to all living things, including this type of beast. Going against a spirit realm that trained with such unique cultivation wasn¡¯t going to be easy.

    Realizing the situation, Fu Mingxi felt restless. <i>~She should die to the beast! Since her master was useless too, nobody could help her.~</i> But who would have expected that Lu Mingshu would be able to resist the beast?

    ¡°Oh my god. Hurry up!¡± Fu Mingxi pushed Zhou Jingfang forward. ¡°Go do something. We have to seed! If you don¡¯t do something, she might escape!¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡± Zhou Jingfang sighed as he stepped forward hesitantly.

    Zhou Jingfang didn¡¯t want to attack Lu Mingshu because he believed that Lu Mingshu couldn¡¯t escape the raging assimtion realm beast. ~ <i>Why do more than required?~</i>

    Zhou Jingfang took a deep breath andunched an attack.

    As soon as he came out from his hiding spot, Lu Mingshu spotted him.

    Before, Lu Mingshu knew nothing about him and Fu Mingxi. However, Zhou Jingfang¡¯s attack revealed them.

    Zhou Jingfang¡¯s sword light caught Lu Mingshu¡¯s attention. She squinted her eyes to get a better look at what was going on as sheunched another attack, sending it both towards the beast and where zhou Jingfang was.

    Seeing the sword energying towards him, Zhou Jingfang stood up to defend and move forward, but he was blocked by the sword light.

    Unfortunately, Lu Mingshu caught him andughed coldly in her mind.

    <i>~Ah, no wonder the beast went nuts all of a sudden. Someone is behind all this.~</i>

    <i>~So they think I¡¯m an easy target, huh?~</i>

    Having been brought into the battle, Zhou Jingfang immediately felt how strong a control she had over the battle. Zhou Jingfang was very agile, and he always managed tounch an attack before Lu Mingshu. However, it seemed like she could guess his next move no matter how fast he was or changed his tactic. This made it hard for him to defeat her, even with the assimtion beast restricting much of her movements.

    Zhou Jingfang sighed in dismay. <i>~She really won the Qilin festival with her ability. No matter how much effort I put in, I won¡¯t beat someone talented from birth!~</i>

    While Zhou Jingfang was busy being disappointed with himself, Fu Mingxi was very restless. By right, Zhou Jingfang¡¯s intervention should have been able to end Lu Mingshu, but it seemed like he barely affected Lu Mingshu! Neither of them knew that due to the numerous experiments she had with the drug lord and the special techniques she used, Zhou Jingfang¡¯s intervention was almost nothing to her.

    <i>~But wait, what drove the beast crazy? What did they do to it?~</i>

    Lu Mingshu looked around to find clues, and she solved the question when her eyesnded on the miniature spiked pig. <i>~Ah, it¡¯s blood!~</i>

    In a split second, Lu Mingshu took off her robe and fused it with her sword light before throwing it towards Zhou Jingfang.

    This rmed Zhou Jingfang as he tried to escape. Unfortunately, he had underestimated Lu Mingshu¡¯s control over her sword light. Before he could dodge, the robe already wrapped itself around him so tightly that Zhou Jingfang felt like he was suffocating.

    Lu Mingshu smirked and retrieve her sword light. In no time, the beast turned towards Zhou Jingfang and rushed towards it.

    <i>~Ah, so that¡¯s it!~</i>

    ¡°You think that you can use such a trick to beat me, huh?¡± Lu Mingshu snicked. <i>~Who do you think I am? A useless piece of trash like you?~</i>

    However, if she wasn¡¯t as lucky as she was, she would¡¯ve probably been in heaven now, and her dead body would never be found.

    It may have been a simple trap, but it portrayed how evil the mastermind was.

    Leaving Zhou Jingfang, who was now being chased by the beast, she went to the hiding spot.

    Busy chiding Zhou Jingfang in her mind, Fu Mingshu didn¡¯t notice Lu Mingshu walking over. She heard a cough and looked up, almost jumping out of her skin on seeing Lu Mingshu.

    ¡°Lu Mingshu, you ...!¡±

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s you. Who else would it be?¡± Lu Mingshu shrugged.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± Fu Mingshu moved back slowly, trembling.

    ¡°What do you think an incredibly petty person like me would want?¡± Lu Mingshuughed coldly. ¡°An eye for an eye, of course!¡±

    Apanied by Fu Mingxi¡¯s scream, Lu Mingshu lifted her up with a hand and threw her into battle effortlessly.

    Lu Mingshu kept her sword and sat down to watch the show.

    Zhou Jingfang was scrambling around, while Fu Mingxi was thrown around by the other two.

    After some time, Zhou Jingfang finally managed to get the robe off him. Lu Mingshu could see blood pooling on the ground as Zhou Jingfang fell into it, losing consciousness. Next to him, Fu Mingxi was sitting on the floor wailing. She was covered with bluish-purple bruises, paired with blood from her injuries. She also had a swollen eye from being thrown around in the battle.

    The beast took the robe covered in blood and tore it into pieces before swallowing it. The beast then trotted to the exit andy down, exhausted from the battle.

    Lu Mingshu let out a coldugh and walked towards the both of them, smiling sweetly. ¡°Miss, thank you so much for the most interesting show I¡¯ve seen in my life!¡±

 Chapter 390 - Ugly

    <h4>Chapter 390: Ugly</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>Exodus Tales <strong>Editor: </strong>Exodus Tales

    Fu Mingxi¡¯s lips quivered. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she let out a wail. For the first time in her life, she had been put in such a situation. In contrast to her image, Fu Mingxi was a talented girl in terms of martial arts, so her training wasn¡¯t as tough as that of other disciples, due to her ability to pick up skills quickly. Luckily for her, she had a twin brother, Fu Mingtang, who was more talented than her, and a boy, who took the burden of having to live up to the family¡¯s expectations. Thus lifting the burden off of Fu Mingxi, allowing her to have a happy and princess-like childhood.

    Martial arts. An exhausting activity that required one to put in all their effort. Fu Mingxi had never put in much effort to cultivate due to how she was doted on. The worst injury she has ever received since she was born was the p she got a few days ago from Fu Shangqing. Throughout her martial arts journey, the worst she got was a cut on her finger.

    That was before today, but what about now? Fu Mingxi was just thrown into the battle between Zhou Jingfang, a spirit realm fighter, and an assimtion realm precious beast with energy waves and sword light around her. The cuts might not be deep, but with the rate of them cutting her, it caused a painful stinging sensation. It was the most painful thing Fu Mingxi had ever experienced. She couldn¡¯t help but start crying in pain.

    She raised her hand to wipe the tears off her cheeks. To her horror, it wasn¡¯t tears that she saw on her palm, but blood. Fu Mingxi immediately touched her cheeks to check to realize that there were two cuts on her face. ¡°Ahhhhh!¡± Fu Mingxi let out a blood-curling scream.<i> ~Am I ugly now? Oh my god!~</i>

    Lu Mingshu sat at the hiding spot and watched emotionlessly.

    She had never taken Fu Mingxi seriously, as Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t believe in fighting those weaker than her. <i>~ What¡¯s there to be proud of even if I won? It will just make me look like a lousy bully.~</i> However, Fu Mingxi was the one that kept constantly harassing her. If Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t act, she was afraid that Fu Mingxi will cause greater trouble in the future.

    Seeing Lu Mingshu stood right in front of her, Fu Mingxi couldn¡¯t contain her anger anymore. She burst into tears and started throwing whatever she could on at Lu Mingshu with all her might. ¡°How dare you plot against me, how dare you!¡±

    ¡°Hey, are you mad?¡± Lu Mingshu rolled her eyes and let out a coldugh. ¡°Who is the one that plotted against me? Why is it the other way round now?¡±

    But why would Fu Mingxi, who spent most of her time with Zhou Yinru, have any reason? As unreasonable as Zhou Yinru, Fu Mingxi gritted her teeth andshed out at Lu Mingshu. ¡°Why did youe to the sect? You should have died with your mum back at Dongyue! If not for you, Mingtang wouldn¡¯t be looked down on, my mum wouldn¡¯t be gossiped about, and my dad wouldn¡¯t be called a douchebag! It¡¯s all your fault, bitch!¡±

    Ten years ago, Lu Mingshu would already have pped her for saying such things. <i>~But now, I do not talk to idiots.~</i>

    ¡°Why can¡¯t Ie?¡± Lu Mingshu hummed. ¡°Your father took almost all of our family¡¯s assets and caused the death of my grandfather. That¡¯s what he owes me; he should return it.¡±

    ¡°Who do you think you are? You are just a piece of trash and nothing more! Daddy was right to leave you. He doesn¡¯t deserve to be with trash like you and your mum. She¡¯s no better than a slut!¡±

    Piak!

    What Fu Mingxi got in response wasn¡¯t a single word but a tight p.

    The p was so hard that Fu Mingxi broke a tooth.

    ¡°Did you just......p me?¡± Fu Ming Xi spluttered, looking at Lu Mingshu with wide eyes.

    Lu Mingshu pouted and took out a handkerchief, wiping her hand profusely as if she had touched something dirty. ¡°Ew, such a pity I had to dirty my hands.¡± She sounded so calm that it brought shivers down Fu Mingxi¡¯s spine. Lu Mingshu fished out her sword and used it to hold up Fu Mingxi¡¯s chin, forcing her to make eye contact. ¡°Who are you? A spirit realm fighter? Or a nine jade pce elder like me? I¡¯m born talented, and that¡¯s well known, so what makes you, a piece of trash, think that you are better than me?¡±

    Fu Mingxi stared at her in anger, but it was all true. There was nothing she could retort. Fu Mingxi tried her best to not stutter as she tried to look fierce. ¡°You...¡±

    ¡°To bitches like you, a weakling should never retort and obey the ones in power, no matter how much suffering they have to go through. So to you, my mum and grandfather deserved to die just because they weren¡¯t as powerful as your family. But I¡¯m stronger now, so doesn¡¯t that mean....¡± Lu Mingshu smirked and look into Fu Mingxi¡¯s eyes, full of fear. ¡°The Zhou¡¯s deserve to die now?¡±

    ¡°This bitch.....¡± Fu Mingxi trembled in fear as she retreated. ¡°Wait until Mingtang and daddy breakthrough! You....You will never be their match!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha!¡± Lu Mingshuughed and kept her sword. ¡°Indeed, a copy of Zhou Yin. Too boring. I hope your mother and brother will be more interesting to deal with.¡±

    ¡°What do you want?¡± Fu Mingxi shrieked, her voice so sharp that Lu Mingshu felt that her ears would bleed.

    But Lu Mingshu didn¡¯t want to entertain her anymore.

    She then walked over to Zhou Jingfang, who was at death¡¯s door. Even if he managed to survive, his cultivation would drop without a doubt. Zhou Jingfang had never been a talented disciple to begin with, and he had just entered the spirit realm. If he didn¡¯t receive treatment on time, he would surely die here.

    However, to Lu Mingshu¡¯s surprise, he was still awake. He opened his mouth to say something, but there was nothing other than blooding out of his mouth.

    Seeing him in this state, Lu Mingshu shook her head and sighed. ¡°Such a pity.¡±

    With that, Zhou Jingfang saw her gathering mystic lights on her palm.

    Zhou Jingfang¡¯s eyes widened in shock as he winced in pain, trying to say something. ¡°Please...... don¡¯t....¡±

    The palmnded on his forehead.

    ¡°Ahhh!¡± Fu Mingxi shrieked, covering her eyes.

    When she opened her eyes, instead of the dead Zhou Jingfang that she expected, Zhou Jingfang¡¯s mouth was foaming, but he was still alive, eyes closing.

    After some time, Lu Mingshu retrieved her hand.

    Zhou Jingfang no longer looked as pale, and he stared nkly into space. But to Fu Mingxi, he looked dead.

    Lu Mingshu wiped away the sweat on her forehead. No matter how weak a spirit realm he was, erasing his memory was still tough work.

    She then walked back towards Fu Mingxi.

    Fu Mingxi thought that Zhou Jingfang had been killed by Lu Mingshu, so she hid and shut her eyes in fear. ¡°Please don¡¯t kill me, please don¡¯t.¡± She muttered.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to.¡± Lu Mingshu raised a brow. <i>~We share the same father, but she¡¯s an idiot. No matter how much I hate Fu Shangqing, he is still a powerful cultivator. Why hasn¡¯t she inherited any good traits?~ </i>

    ¡°Come here.¡± Lu Mingshu sighed and said. The fierce and brutal Lu Mingshu was long gone. ¡°Look up.¡±

    But why would Fu Mingxi listen to her? She moved back, trying her best to escape from Lu Mingshu.

    So what if she was unwilling? Lu Mingshu stepped forward and grabbed her chin, forcing her to look into her eyes.

    ¡°No, no....¡± Fu Mingxi mumbled. But when their eyes met, Fu Mingxi lost consciousness, and her ck eyes turned into a whirlpool, sucking in all her consciousness.

    With that, Fu Mingxi sat still silently like a puppet, staring into space.

    ¡°Now tell me, what did you do?¡±

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