Chapter 24

Chapter 24: I, Xie Chenzhou, Will Never Like You in This Life (True Fragrance Warning)

Three days later, Sang Nian successfully arrived at Luoxian City, at the foot of the Xiaoyao Sect.

Chu Yao and the others had to return to the sect to report, and after giving her a few instructions, they left in a hurry.

The new student selection was only a day away, and the city was bustling with people who had come to participate, making it incredibly lively.

Sang Nian and Xie Chenzhou searched for several inns, but they were all fully booked.

“There must be tens of thousands of people in the city right now,” she exclaimed as they walked through the crowded streets. “It’s too hard to get into the Xiaoyao Sect.”

She didn’t know what the scene would be like during the official selection tomorrow.

But according to the original book, just the first test, testing spiritual roots, would eliminate most of the people.

Then the second test, the third test…

In the end, at most ten people would be allowed to enter the Xiaoyao Sect.

Sang Nian felt immense pressure.

She didn’t need to worry about her spiritual root, as the original owner had one.

But the original owner had entered the Xiaoyao Sect through Sang Qiyan’s connections.

Now that she had decided to hide her identity and become a disciple, she couldn’t rely on that anymore.

She had to enter the Xiaoyao Sect on her own.

If she failed…

Sang Nian stopped in front of the bulletin board, reading the notice posted there word for word.

Xiaoyao Sect Dining Hall is Hiring Two Dish Servers

Working Hours: Three hours each for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, one day off per week, twenty days of annual leave

Monthly Salary: Thirty spirit stones, meals and accommodation included

Sang Nian’s eyes lit up.

Becoming a disciple wasn’t the only option.

She stealthily looked around, then quickly snatched the notice and tucked it into her sleeve.

Xie Chenzhou, who had witnessed the whole thing, said:

“…”

“Sang Yunling, what are you doing?”

Sang Nian pulled him to a corner and said seriously:

“Don’t call me Sang Yunling anymore.”

Xie Chenzhou frowned: “Then what should I call you?”

“Call me Sang Nian,” she said. “Or Nian Nian is fine too.”

Chu Yao’s words from that day flashed through her mind – only close people would let others call them by their nicknames.

Xie Chenzhou scrutinized Sang Nian, then scoffed:

“Sang Yunling, I advise you to give up on me.”

Sang Nian: “Huh?”

He said: “Perhaps our journey together has led you to misunderstand something, but I, Xie Chenzhou, will never like you in this life.”

Sang Nian: “Huh???”

“I’m only staying by your side for the time being,” Xie Chenzhou’s voice turned cold. “When I get… one day I will leave. If you dare to stop me then…”

“I will personally kill you.”

Sang Nian: “Huh???”

Xie Chenzhou said nothing more and strode away.

Sang Nian was full of question marks.

Wait, this guy is crazy, right?

Half a day later, as night fell, Sang Nian finally found the only inn with a vacant room.

“You two are so lucky. This is the only room left in the entire inn. You wouldn’t have been able to stay even a moment later.”

The innkeeper smiled and handed them the key:

“Every ten years, Luoxian City gets this lively. You two are clearly first-timers. Those experienced people booked their rooms months in advance.”

Sang Nian took the key: “This is our first time here. We didn’t think about that.”

The innkeeper stroked his beard, sizing them up for a moment, and said with a smile:

“I can tell you two have extraordinary bones. You will surely succeed in entering the Xiaoyao Sect this time.”

Sang Nian happily said: “Really?”

Innkeeper: “Of course. I’ve been running this business for so many years, and I’ve never been wrong. But…”

Sang Nian: “But what?”

“You’re missing one thing,” he said solemnly. “If you had that, you would be guaranteed success.”

Sang Nian became nervous: “What is it?”

The innkeeper cautiously looked around, then took two things from the shelf.

“As the saying goes, fate, luck, and feng shui are the three most important things. Many things are just a little bit of luck away from success,” he waved the talisman in his left hand. “This is a good luck charm drawn by Master Cibei Ya Ruozhi Cliff himself. As long as you wear it, it will surely bless you with good fortune.”

Xie Chenzhou: “…”

Sang Nian was awestruck: “It’s so magical?!”

“Don’t get too excited, take a look at this.” The innkeeper showed the long sword in his right hand. “This is my family heirloom, forged from a meteorite. It’s three feet three inches long, incredibly sharp, and can cut through iron like mud.”

“If you want to pass the selection, you absolutely need a weapon like this. Take it, and I guarantee you’ll conquer gods and demons.”

Xie Chenzhou: “…”

Sang Nian was excited: “It’s so powerful?!”

“Do you want to own it?!” The innkeeper asked.

Sang Nian nodded frantically: “I do!!!”

“One hundred thousand spirit stones,” he held out his hand.

Sang Nian immediately lowered her head to untie her storage bag.

Xie Chenzhou couldn’t take it anymore and grabbed her arm:

“Are you an idiot?”

Sang Nian hadn’t spoken yet when the innkeeper rolled his eyes and snorted:

“I’m only parting with it because you two caught my eye. Since you don’t trust me, then forget it.”

Sang Nian quickly said: “I want it, I want it. Wait, I’ll give you the spirit stones right now.”

Then, she pushed Xie Chenzhou:

“Let go, you’re blocking me from paying.”

The two of them stood there for a few seconds, before Xie Chenzhou reluctantly let go, his face dark.

Sang Nian handed the innkeeper a stack of money bills with seals on them: “Each one is worth ten thousand spirit stones.”

With the transaction completed, the innkeeper’s face brightened:

“As expected, young lady, you have good taste.”

He glanced at Xie Chenzhou:

“Unlike some people, eating soft rice but acting tough, unable to tell who’s the boss in their own home.”

Xie Chenzhou’s expression darkened, “What did you say?”

“I didn’t say anything,” the innkeeper said innocently.

Sang Nian carefully put away the talisman and the sword, then forcefully dragged Xie Chenzhou upstairs:

“Alright, alright, it’s getting late. Let’s go back to the room and rest.”

Once they were in the room, Xie Chenzhou flung her hand away, his face still dark, “He was mocking me, you didn’t hear that?”

Sang Nian pulled up a chair and sat down, admiring the talisman and sword she had just bought, casually saying:

“You must have heard wrong. I think he’s a nice person. He even gave me a gift.”

Xie Chenzhou gritted his teeth: “You…”

A good luck charm was stuffed into his waist pouch. Sang Nian patted the pouch and instructed:

“Wear it properly. If you lose it, I won’t buy you a new one.”

He froze, and after a while, he said:

“You bought it for me?”

Sang Nian: “Yep.”

Xie Chenzhou turned his head away:

“I don’t need it. Take it back.”

“It’s not bothering you anyway,” Sang Nian said. “This is a good luck charm, it can bring you good luck.”

She looked into his eyes, her voice full of excitement:

“You’ve been so unlucky. With this, things will get better, I guarantee everything will go smoothly.”

Xie Chenzhou fell silent. When he spoke again, his voice was inexplicably lower:

“You’re being presumptuous.”

He fastened the pouch, looking disgusted:

“I’ll throw it away in two days.”

【Ding~ Xie Chenzhou’s+200】

He clearly likes it.

He’s just pretending.

Sang Nian rolled her eyes, drew her brand new sword, and curiously asked:

“Is this sword as good as yours?”

Xie Chenzhou asked back: “What do you think?”

Sang Nian thought for a moment, “It should be about the same?”

Xie Chenzhou summoned his own spirit sword, “thump” and threw it in front of her, lifting his chin:

“See for yourself.”

Sang Nian couldn’t wait to draw the sword, but she couldn’t pull it out.

She looked at Xie Chenzhou in confusion.

Xie Chenzhou pulled up another chair, sat down lazily, and flicked the blade with his finger.

The blade trembled, reluctantly unsheathing itself.

In an instant, a brilliant light flashed before Sang Nian’s eyes. She squinted, and after the light faded, she looked carefully.

The blade was entirely black, without any carvings, made of an unknown material, and incredibly cold.

She tried to hold it in her hand, but it was heavy and made her wrist ache.

“This sword looks pretty ordinary,” Sang Nian said.

As soon as she finished speaking, the sword in her hand violently shook.

She quickly put it down, pretending to be serious:

“But if you look closely, you’ll find that it’s not ordinary at all. Every detail is perfect, it’s definitely the best sword in the world!”

The long sword remained quiet for a few seconds, then suddenly raised its hilt and awkwardly rubbed against her palm.

Sang Nian: “?”

Xie Chenzhou: “…”

“What’s wrong with it?” she asked.

Xie Chenzhou put away his spirit sword, expressionless:

“Nothing, it just wants to go back to the forge.”

As expected, the sword follows its master, and if the person is strange, the sword is strange too.

Sang Nian didn’t understand, but she respected it.

She got up, grabbed a blanket from the wardrobe, and said:

“Do you know how to play rock paper scissors?”

Xie Chenzhou: “Why are you asking that?”

Sang Nian chose a spot to put down the blanket:

“We’ll play rock paper scissors, one round to decide the winner. The loser sleeps on the floor tonight, fair and square, no cheating allowed.”

He scoffed: “Childish, I’m not playing.”

Sang Nian rubbed her hands together, “Rock paper… scissors!”

Xie Chenzhou and her extended their hands at the same time.

She looked at her open palm, then at his clenched fist, and suddenly burst into laughter, triumphantly saying:

“I win! I get to sleep on the bed tonight, and you can sleep on the floor.”

Xie Chenzhou stared at his still clenched fist, a little dazed.

Just now… how did he end up making a move?