On the first day of the holiday, Lin Zhusheng picked up trash all day and earned 50 gold coins, but on the second day, he couldn’t manage to do the same. After watching others being conscripted multiple times, it was finally his turn.

The morning was a good time; the vegetables in the yard had grown, and he had made a bunch of snacks. He originally planned to take them to the Grand Elder, with whom he had a pleasant chat last time, to chat a bit more and boost his favorability, and then go pick up trash in the mountains. However, once he arrived at the Jingsi Hall, he found he couldn’t leave.

So, inexplicably, he was taken by the Grand Elder to the venue of the Grand Competition. Every sect leader and elder had a direct disciple by their side, but the Grand Elder didn’t have any direct disciples and wasn’t particularly close to the disciples taught by the peak’s instructors. In the end, he was grabbed to fill in as a number.

At an age when he should be picking up trash, he directly bypassed the disciple seating and sat in the elder’s area, claiming a spot for himself. Only the sect leader needed to stay put; the elders couldn’t just sit there for days on end, so they used a rotation system. Today, it was the Grand Elder and the second and third elders’ turn to be on duty.

Today was the first day of the Grand Competition, and the matches hadn’t started yet. The disciples in the stands were mostly seated, and the tea and snacks for the elders had already been served. Of course, the tea and snacks were for the elders.

Not having any snacks was no big deal; Lin Zhusheng, with his pockets full of food, sat down a bit behind the Grand Elder and took a bite, treating it as breakfast. Next to him was the second elder’s eldest disciple, referred to as the second eldest disciple, who had previously led him during their expedition to the secret realm, and they had become quite familiar. When the person turned to look at him, he happily pulled out another snack and asked, “Want some?”

Having tasted the snacks he shared in the secret realm and remembering the flavor, the second eldest disciple accepted and thanked him without asking why he was there, immediately starting to eat.

“Hmm? Lin Xiaoyou?”

Hearing a familiar voice, the boss, who was unfortunately the third elder’s first disciple and blocked by the second eldest disciple, leaned over and was taken aback when he saw a face that shouldn’t be there. After expressing surprise and questioning why he was there, he extended his hand and said, “Give me one too.”

Lin Zhusheng tossed one to him.

In an ordinary day, an unexpected person appeared. The Grand Competition hadn’t even started yet, and after receiving the snack, the boss said “excuse me” to the second eldest disciple and jumped over to sit beside Lin Zhusheng, quietly asking, “How did you end up here?”

Glancing at the Grand Elder, Lin Zhusheng briefly explained the situation.

The Grand Elder, thinking he didn’t know anyone and would be bored sitting there, turned his head slightly to check the situation, only to see him happily chatting with the third elder’s eldest disciple.

“…”

Clearly, this concern was unnecessary. This guy seemed to know everyone. The Grand Elder’s beard twitched as he turned back.

As the Grand Elder turned back, the boss, who was chatting with familiar faces, suddenly remembered he had a mission and began to scan the surroundings cautiously.

Great, the seats for the Qi Sect disciples were across from them, separated by an entire training ground. At a glance, he couldn’t even see their faces, just a dense crowd. The elder’s side only had the sect leaders and elders, plus the designated heirs, mostly old men and women, with no sense of danger. The only young one was the Qi Sect’s young sect leader, but he was someone who looked down on everyone, so he could be ruled out as a threat.

The boss, worried for his old friend, let out a breath and patted his shoulder before sitting back in his place.

The other sect leaders and elders began to enter. Chen Jinghao, who had disappeared halfway yesterday, was among them, now dressed in a white robe with red edges. It wasn’t as flamboyant as his all-red outfit from yesterday, but he still stood out in the crowd, his robe swaying as he walked by.

After taking a closer look, the second eldest disciple quickly realized something was off, frowning slightly and saying, “How come the Qi Sect’s young sect leader has bruises on his neck?”

The boss noticed too and exclaimed, “Oh!” with a hint of interest, asking, “Did he get into a fight with someone?”

The bruise was a straight line, looking like a sword mark, as if he had been pressed down without mercy for a while. The second eldest disciple, who had been at the venue yesterday, recalled, “He seemed a bit off when he came back yesterday.”

He had arrived looking like a proud young master, but after returning yesterday afternoon, his clothes weren’t as neat, and he had inexplicably picked up some leaves, as if he had just come out of the deep mountains and forests.

Moreover, it was said that he hadn’t gone to the inner sect yesterday; the inner sect disciples he knew all claimed they hadn’t seen him. He hadn’t gone to the inner sect to find those pretty disciples, nor had he stayed put at the venue, and it was unclear where he had gone to get into a fight.

“Maybe it wasn’t someone else who hit him; he might have just tripped and bumped into something.”

The boss rubbed his chin and said, “But no one would dare to hit the Qi Sect’s young sect leader.”

Even if someone did, leaving such obvious bruises would be something a normal person wouldn’t do.

“…”

Lin Zhusheng retracted his perked-up ears and silently stuffed another snack into his mouth.

He stuffed a bit too much in, and it was dry, causing him to cough. The Grand Elder turned around, his old eyes wide as he handed him a teacup that he hadn’t drunk from, his beard twitching as he said, “Are you afraid someone will snatch your food?”

Perfect! The meaning of having disciples sit here was to make it easier for the elders, and his sitting here made it convenient for the Grand Elder to serve him tea and snacks.

After taking a big gulp of tea, Lin Zhusheng felt relieved and thanked him as he handed the cup back.

He hadn’t expected the Grand Elder to actively offer him water, and the second eldest disciple beside him widened his eyes in disbelief.

It wasn’t time for the matches yet; it was still a time for chatting. Even the sect leader sitting in the main seat turned his head, bringing up other topics, “In two months, it will be the test for outer sect disciples to advance to the inner sect. Do you have any thoughts, young friend?”

The only non-inner sect disciple present was him. Lin Zhusheng scratched his head and honestly replied, “I haven’t thought about it yet.”

So fast. He had been busy picking up trash and taking care of his yard, completely forgetting about this matter.

He knew that the sect had shortened the intervals for tests to discover good seedlings faster, but he hadn’t expected it to be this quick.

Speaking of which, the 兰筠 flowers in his yard had just started to sprout, and replanting them would be a big project.

While he was pondering about his flowers, he completely missed the direction he wanted to take the conversation, so the sect leader could only smile and say, “What I said before still stands.”

What he said before? He rarely spoke with the sect leader; the last time seemed to be when they were discussing some odd matters at the library’s caretaker’s place. His brain raced, and Lin Zhusheng finally remembered that the sect leader had mentioned something about going to the sect leader’s peak.

Not wanting to respond immediately, he simply smiled and said, “Alright.”

Before the Grand Competition officially began, the venue was already packed with people, and there wasn’t a single extra seat.

His fellow disciples had also arrived, but since they came too late, there were no seats left, so they squatted in the aisle. While squatting, they looked over at the elder’s seats and locked eyes with him, glancing back and forth as if they finally realized that the person sitting there was him.

“?”

They were all people, yet while they were squatting in the aisle, he had inexplicably mixed into the elder’s seats. The faces of those in the aisle were filled with visible confusion.

It was hard to explain, so Lin Zhusheng simply cleared his throat and withdrew his gaze.

Time was up, and the Grand Competition began. The sect leader sitting in the main seat stepped down and drew his sword, cutting through the blue silk surrounding the competition arena.

The silk, like water, fell silently without stirring a breeze or sound, splitting into two segments and fluttering away with the wind blowing from the sky.

In the game, Lin Zhusheng had jumped through the Grand Competition, and in reality, he was no less eager. While chatting and dozing off, he took out his “Self-Cultivation of Sword Practitioners” and quietly handed a snack to the Grand Elder.

He had been reading this book since entering the outer sect and had finished it by now, but it seemed there was a problem somewhere, as he still hadn’t received the task completion notification.

His level was stuck at LV9 and hadn’t progressed further. Although he had no idea why, he instinctively felt that these two issues were likely stuck in the same place.

He wasn’t in a hurry for the level; he simply wanted the iron sword that was the task reward. He had used the little wooden sword for so long that it was almost worn out, and there were still some plant juices on it that he had never cleaned off. Continuing to use it felt a bit disrespectful.

After the first match ended, the sect leaders and elders had no objections to the results, and the relevant personnel recorded the scores and arranged the subsequent schedule. A brief break was given, and feeling like he hadn’t heard the voices of the people behind him or the disciples beside him for a while, the Grand Elder turned around and saw the boss, who was usually quiet, engrossed in a book on his lap, staring blankly at a corner of the void.

Taking the opportunity to eat the snack that had been handed to him earlier but not yet eaten, the Grand Elder’s white beard concealed the slight movement of his face as he asked, “What are you thinking about?”

The fresh milky flavor burst in his mouth, mixed with a slightly bitter herbal freshness, the proportions just right.

【Grand Elder Favorability +5 (80/100)】

The message that popped up alongside the sound pulled Lin Zhusheng’s attention back. He had nothing to hide, so he briefly summarized what he was thinking.

The Grand Elder pondered for a moment, swallowed the snack in his mouth, and reached out, saying, “Let me see your sword.”

Lin Zhusheng then handed over his little broken wooden sword.

The Grand Elder looked down at the sword, and the second elder and the second eldest disciple, curious, leaned in to take a look. They formed a circle around him, and even the boss was curious, leaning over to take a peek.

As his fingers brushed over the sword, the Grand Elder’s eyelids twitched slightly, and he looked up, saying, “…You’ve had quite a bit of practical experience.”

“Quite a bit” was a euphemism. From the marks on the sword, it was clear that he had used it far more than an ordinary disciple, and his experience even surpassed that of inner sect disciples.

Lin Zhusheng scratched his head, “I guess so.”

After all, he had dealt with the demon beasts of several mountains and had done quite a bit during the secret realm expedition.

“You have no distractions, and your strikes are quick and clean; that’s a good thing.”

The Grand Elder thought for a moment and then said, “But a sword is not just about striking; there’s also control and retraction.”

He asked, “Have you ever had trouble controlling it?”

When dealing with demon beasts, a few strikes were enough, or the faster, the better. Task-crazy Lin Zhusheng had never tried to control his strength, so it seemed he had never had trouble with it.

“Think again,” the Grand Elder returned the wooden sword, saying, “If this were a real sword, would you have anyone you might accidentally injure?”

Anyone he might accidentally injure.

Taking back the little broken wooden sword, Lin Zhusheng’s mind raced, and he caught sight of a red figure standing up from a seat. He quickly realized, “Oh, there is.”

If he had been holding a real sword yesterday, Chen Jinghao wouldn’t have just dropped it, but he definitely couldn’t be bouncing around like he was today to come watch the Grand Competition.

“Your sword can break through a thousand layers of waves, and it should pass through the morning dew without harming its form.”

The Grand Elder took a sip of tea, simply diluting the sweetness of the snack in his mouth, and said, “If you can’t figure it out after going back, I’ll teach you after the Grand Competition ends in a few days.”

Easily promising to teach him, it seemed he was willing to ensure he learned. It was the first time in all these years of working together that the Grand Elder had been so proactive. The second elder glanced over, looking a bit more closely.

Finally remembering that the people sitting in front of him were all experts in swordsmanship, Lin Zhusheng didn’t hesitate at all and quickly nodded.

The red figure he had seen out of the corner of his eye was getting closer. After passing by him, heading down was the position of the Tian Sect disciples, and today, the sect had sent out some notably good-looking disciples. Thinking the person was heading that way, he kindly shifted his position slightly to make it easier for them to pass.

Chen Jinghao, who was walking toward him, didn’t go to find the pretty disciples but stopped right in front of him, lowering his gaze.

His first reaction was that the person had come to find him to settle the score over the 50 gold coins he had given him yesterday, so he quickly started thinking of countermeasures.

But Chen Jinghao wasn’t there to settle scores. He bent down, resting his hand holding the folding fan on the side of the chair, and whispered a couple of sentences in his ear.

Listening for a moment with his head down, Lin Zhusheng slightly raised his eyes to look at the bruise still on his neck and asked, “Are you serious?”

Chen Jinghao nodded.

The two of them were whispering, and the people nearby couldn’t hear. The boss perked up his ears, especially curious about how the two of them suddenly knew each other, and he stopped crossing his legs, almost leaning over to eavesdrop openly.

Eavesdropping wouldn’t yield any results; only the two parties involved knew the content of the conversation. After Chen Jinghao nodded, Lin Zhusheng turned to the Grand Elder and asked, “Can I step out for a moment?”

The Grand Elder’s gaze swept over Chen Jinghao’s pair of flirtatious peach blossom eyes, his beard moving slightly, and finally said, “Just… be back within half an hour.”

Lin Zhusheng then stood up, taking his little broken wooden sword with him, and before leaving, he left a new flavor of snack for the Grand Elder.

As the two of them left, the boss reached out as if to stop them but ultimately withdrew his hand and sat back down. The second eldest disciple beside him asked, “What are you doing?”

The boss crossed his legs again and said, “Nothing.”

From all angles, Lin Xiaoyou was not on the same level as the young sect leader; the two of them were unlikely to be anything, so he didn’t need to worry so much.

Lin Xiaoyou and the young sect leader, Chen Jinghao, left the venue and eventually went to a peach grove behind the training ground, where few people ventured. The peach trees in the grove varied in species; some had already finished blooming and were full of green leaves, while others were still in full bloom.

With no other figures in sight, Lin Zhusheng finally stopped and asked again just in case, “Are you sure you want to compete again?”

This young master had crossed half the elder’s seats to find him, not for the worthless 50 gold coins, but to challenge him again.

He had indeed reviewed the match after returning yesterday, but it wasn’t about the 50 gold coins; it was because it was embarrassing for a young sect leader to lose to an outer sect disciple. Rarely did he not flirt around, and he had spent the night cultivating in his room, coming to find Lin Zhusheng after seeing him today.

Although he hadn’t said it outright, the quiet conversation earlier was likely because losing was shameful, and he didn’t want others to know.

After all, fifty gold coins were fine, and clearly, he wasn’t the one at a disadvantage in the sparring. He could accept it, but this person had just climbed a mountain yesterday and still had injuries; he wasn’t sure if he could manage.

Chen Jinghao said, “I’m sure.”

Since he was sure, Lin Zhusheng had no objections.

The little cat that had been sleeping on him was placed under a tree in the distance. He twirled the little broken wooden sword in his hand; the wooden blade could also create a gust of wind, rustling the leaves.

Amidst the sound of the wind, there was an additional sound of a folding fan spinning through the air, with red flames scattering from the edge of the fan, illuminating the pink and white petals as they suddenly rushed toward the blue figure.

The wooden sword crossed over his head, colliding with the folding fan, producing a dull sound, and then sent it flying toward the peach tree. Lin Zhusheng turned and swung his sword backhandedly, the sword energy swiftly pushing back the incoming flames, his blue robe and black hair swirling together.

Just before getting caught in the peach tree, the folding fan spun back, returning to Chen Jinghao’s hand after a half turn. Once he had the fan, he quickly stepped back half a step, closing the fan just in time to block the long sword that struck from the side. The force was so great that it made his entire arm tremble.

After the strike, the long sword didn’t linger, instantly retreating. Taking advantage of the brief moment when the sword blade was turning, he didn’t step back but instead pressed forward. After several exchanges, he found an opportunity amidst the chaos, gripping the wrist of the hand holding the sword and forcing it against the trunk of the peach tree.

Sword cultivators had high strength, but once the hand holding the sword was controlled, their power would be greatly diminished.

With victory in sight, he lowered his gaze to the person so close to him, only to meet a pair of smiling eyes behind the raised black hair.

It was as if he could see through his actions, without a hint of the panic he had imagined.

Quickly realizing something was off, before he could react to what had happened, a familiar burning pain shot through his waist and abdomen. As he shifted his gaze, the situation reversed, and the hand gripping the person’s wrist was forced to loosen, causing the folding fan to slip away.

The folding fan didn’t fall to the ground; it landed in a cold white hand that was similar in color to the fan’s white jade, held loosely by slender fingers.

After spinning around, the long sword moved from his right hand to his left. Lin Zhusheng held the jade-boned folding fan lightly against the person’s throat, his brows and eyes curving as a faint glimmer sparkled in his eyes. He smiled and said, “Young Sect Leader, you lost again.”