After finishing their water, Lin Zhusheng and Song Ming went to spar with a few friends.

These friends were quite resilient, so there was no need to worry about hurting their fragile hearts. He was careful with the other disciples but went all out with his friends, not holding back at all.

Well, it turned out that the little buddies were sent flying by his little broken wooden sword, and it finally dawned on him that there were actually two people in their small team who fought fiercely. He realized he should be the one worried.

Just a few days ago, he had been sitting properly on the playground waiting for others to spar, but then he got busy. Lin Zhusheng learned to sneak away, disappearing silently into the woods at the edge of the training ground after every sword practice.

At first, he wanted to find the old man, the Grand Elder, to play, but then he remembered that the man was in charge of the Jing Si Hall, and sneaking off to find the headmaster felt like skipping class. So he changed his plan and went to find Wu Qi instead, planning to head to the Jing Si Hall after the sparring time was over.

The Jing Si Hall was never short of people; every day, disciples made mistakes, and each time it was different. When he arrived, a few disciples were just getting punished and scolded.

The atmosphere was quite heavy, so he chose to sneak around to the back, quietly handing a cup of tea to the Grand Elder, who was scolding someone until his throat was dry.

Seeing someone sneak in and move to the back as if it were his own home, the Grand Elder was still scolding without turning around. By the time there was any noise, a cup of tea had already appeared quietly and swiftly in front of him.

“……”

The Grand Elder took the cup, and after drinking a mouthful, he found it hard to continue what he was saying. Finally, he waved his hand, letting the few disciples go to receive their punishment.

The disciples quickly left, and the hall fell silent. After a few sips of tea, the Grand Elder set the cup down, and Lin Zhusheng followed him to his private quarters in the Jing Si Hall.

The Grand Elder’s living space seemed quite lacking in life’s pleasures; it was just as serious and tidy as the Jing Si Hall, with not many personal items.

The most eye-catching thing was the old long sword hanging on the wall, its blade mottled, clearly having seen quite a bit of time.

Another noticeable item was the two lanterns placed side by side on a low table in front of the sword. One was still quite new, its pink paper surface intact, and it could even spin when touched; it was the one he had given before. The other looked similar, both being fancy shapes, but its color had faded quite a bit. It was originally supposed to be red or something else, but now it had faded to a pale yellow, with some parts turning white. Near the bottom, there was a bit of black stain, probably some splattered liquid.

Both lanterns were dust-free, clearly well-maintained. When he had collected them before, he had been hesitant, but after actually taking them, he had been quite diligent in caring for them.

“Have you thought clearly about what we discussed before?”

The Grand Elder went to brew another pot of hot tea, pouring it into a cup to cool slightly before turning to look at Lin Zhusheng. “If you’re still unclear, you can go to the peak in the next few days. I’ll have someone tidy up the sword training ground, and you can practice there.”

Then he pondered, “It hasn’t been visited in a long time; the ground probably needs sweeping. There’s a pavilion on the side of the sword training ground; it might need some repairs too…”

The more he arranged, the more detailed he became, and seeing his unexpectedly high spirits, Lin Zhusheng quickly thanked him before he could think of more. “It’s already been resolved.”

“Resolved?”

The Grand Elder paused, his hand that was passing the tea cup stopping momentarily. After a brief pause, he stroked his beard, halting his words, and finally just said, “…That’s good. You have good comprehension.”

Lin Zhusheng took the tea with a smile, his gaze shifting to the other lantern, asking, “What’s this?”

The Grand Elder lifted his eyelids to look over, his gaze lingering for a moment before he spoke, “Aman… I had a daughter. This is the lantern she brought back during the Lantern Festival.”

He stood up and walked over, glancing at the lantern a couple more times. “This was a long time ago.”

After so long, no matter how well it was maintained, some things just couldn’t stay the same.

Although he didn’t know what had happened, he could tell from the few words that this probably wasn’t a very beautiful story. Lin Zhusheng, being emotionally intelligent, didn’t press further.

Instead, it was the Grand Elder who was drawn into memories, his hand resting on the lantern’s bamboo frame as he muttered to himself, “They went to bed early that night, waiting for me to return for a reunion the next day.”

And then time forever stopped in that dream.

Hundreds of years had passed, the world had changed, and his obsession had turned into memories. Yet, when he thought of it, he couldn’t help but sigh.

The tea cup turned in his hand, and Lin Zhusheng squatted down beside him, slightly raising his head, suddenly saying, “Waiting is as happy as meeting.”

He propped his face on his hand and said sideways, “Leaving at the happiest moment means there won’t be any sadness in the rest of your life.”

The Grand Elder’s beard twitched, and he turned his head, “Hmm?”

Lin Zhusheng smiled, his long eyelashes hiding the emotions in his eyes, saying, “I just think if it were my parents, they would probably say something like that.”

Those who leave are happy when they go, and they probably hope that those who remain won’t be sad because of it.

“……”

In the room, only the shadows of the trees outside kept swaying. The Grand Elder fell silent for a moment before finally raising his hand to pat Lin Zhusheng’s head, saying, “You little rascal.”

The height of squatting was just right, making it a perfect armrest for the Grand Elder. After being patted on the head, Lin Zhusheng rubbed his head and returned the nickname, saying, “I’m just trying to comfort you, you old man.”

“?”

The quiet atmosphere disappeared, and a certain disciple surnamed Lin, due to his disrespect towards the Elder, spoke out of turn and was chased around the courtyard by the Grand Elder.

Having practiced swordsmanship for many years, the Grand Elder, who relied on flying swords to get around, couldn’t keep up with the disciple who lived like a wild man in the mountains. After chasing for a long time, he was out of breath and hadn’t caught him even once.

In the end, Lin Zhusheng took the opportunity to sip some tea during the break and then climbed over the courtyard wall to escape.

He was quite skilled at climbing walls, which made the Grand Elder so angry he was hopping mad.

——

Mastering a few tricks for skipping class, the following sword practice time could be quite enjoyable.

Until a few days before the competition, Lin Zhusheng finally behaved a bit and didn’t skip class, practicing with a few friends for several days.

The mood before the competition was as heavy as a guillotine, probably to reflect the disciples’ sorrow. On the first day of the competition, it started to rain, the sky gray and heavy, just like everyone’s mood.

Talismans were as useful as high-tech gadgets; when posted on the training ground, the rainwater automatically avoided them, which was very convenient.

On the first day of the competition, all disciples drew lots. Lin Zhusheng, who had slept more soundly than usual due to the rain, arrived just in time for the drawing, learning about his five matches, needing to win three.

None of the five opponents were familiar to him, and his position was quite central. He watched from the edge of the training ground as others fought back and forth, quietly entered the arena, narrowly won, and ultimately quietly secured three wins today. With two matches tomorrow, he had already locked in his qualification for the inner door competition without needing to compete.

Stronger opponents attracted more spectators. His friend Song Ming had quite a crowd around him. Also achieving three wins, each match ended quickly, with the opponents falling to the ground as the blade light flashed.

The disciples who drew him but were scheduled to compete tomorrow had already accepted that they would lose one match, changing from five wins to four wins, which increased the pressure significantly.

The two matches the next day were won without much suspense. Lin Zhusheng, who narrowly won again, mixed in with those who qualified for the inner door competition. Even if he achieved five wins, it didn’t attract any attention.

Disciples who didn’t qualify continued to practice swordsmanship as usual, waiting for next year’s competition. Those who qualified returned to prepare, heading to the inner door disciples’ training ground the next day. The remaining disciples who didn’t qualify could also go to watch this time, which was best for gaining insights.

During the inner door competition, all the inner door elders and the sect master would be present. How one performed on the spot would affect whether they had a chance to become a direct disciple later, so it was crucial to pay attention.

It was particularly important, as Lin Zhusheng returned to the mountain that day and acted like a wild man for half the day, only falling asleep late at night. The next day, he almost followed the tradition of being late, getting a light hit on the head from his friend Zhang Jing.

“Why does everyone love to pat my head?” He was still adjusting his disheveled clothes, the late king Lin sporting a bird’s nest hairstyle, busy reaching up to touch his head, and scolded, “If I don’t come in first next time, it’s definitely your fault.”

This person loved to pat his head; the Grand Elder had also gotten used to it since the first time, and so had Wu Qi. When he stood next to people, it was like a moving armrest, bearing an undue weight on his head.

The scolding was ineffective, and his friends remained indifferent, saying, “If you got up normally, I wouldn’t have to do anything.”

Fine. After hastily fixing his clothes, Lin Zhusheng ended the topic and stuffed some breakfast into his mouth.

The competition was held at the inner door training ground. After being in the game for a while, he finally entered the inner door for the first time.

In terms of numbers, outer door disciples far outnumbered inner door disciples, so the training ground was larger. However, in terms of facilities, the inner door training ground was much better, with dedicated areas for practicing swordplay and sparring, and the scenery was also better due to its higher elevation.

It was still a rainy day, with raindrops pattering down, soaking the mountains, and the air filled with the scent of rain.

When they arrived, the other watching disciples were also there, and the elders had arrived. From a distance, the Bai Yu Elder sat on a high platform, and at a glance, they were all familiar faces.

As they sat down, Lin Zhusheng could feel the surrounding disciples becoming noticeably tense.

After all, it was a moment that would determine their future and fate. He understood and quickly lowered his head to chew on his cheeks.

Compared to future fate, what was more important now was what was in his mouth.

He had taken the wrong snack, grabbing the sticky dumpling he had planned to let the Grand Elder taste today. After rolling it around in his mouth for so long, he still couldn’t swallow it, something that should have been finished on the way had been nibbled on until now.

Fortunately, the sect master was giving a brief speech, so everyone’s attention was on that, and none of his fellow disciples noticed him.

Good news: no fellow disciples noticed.

Bad news: all the elders on the high platform noticed.

A face in a sea of people didn’t stand out, but the uniquely styled clothing was very eye-catching. When the elders glanced over, they immediately noticed.

This unique way of dressing had been seen somewhere before; they looked a bit longer and ended up seeing the head that was lowered in embarrassment and the cheeks that seemed to be bulging.

Now they knew who it was. Their gazes all turned to the Grand Elder, and someone couldn’t help but ask, “…What is that young friend eating?”

It looked quite fragrant.

“……”

The Grand Elder’s hand stroking his beard unconsciously tightened, pulling out a white hair, and he finally said, “I don’t know.”

No one could guess what this person was thinking or what he would do next or what he was eating.

“…Haha.”

The outer door elders sitting nearby, especially the second elder who was directly in charge, raised their hands repeatedly, unable to help but wipe their faces.

After the sect master finished speaking, the outer door elders continued to host the relevant matters. After sitting down, one of them leaned over to ask what the Grand Elder’s disciple was eating.

The Grand Elder closed his eyes, “I don’t know.”

The outer door second elder wiped his face again.

The competition was three matches, two wins, and after the eliminations, the remaining people were not many. It was no longer like before, where several people competed at the same time, but rather they went up to the stage individually, competing under the watchful eyes of their fellow disciples and elders, increasing the pressure significantly.

Still performing steadily, Lin Zhusheng drew a position that was neither too high nor too low, so he and a few friends went to the stands to wait and watch.

After a round of eliminations, the remaining people had some skills. With the inner door elders sitting above, they fought with all their might, creating a dazzling display of blades and swords, which was quite enjoyable to watch.

There were many talented disciples, among whom Song Ming stood out the most. His face and figure were already very eye-catching, and when he wielded his sword, it was even more prominent. After sending his opponent’s sword flying, he sheathed his sword smoothly, the motion fluid like water.

The elders on the stage watched more intently. When it ended, the applause from the disciples in the stands was noticeably louder than before.

This little buddy usually didn’t cultivate relationships with his fellow disciples, but his popularity remained exceptionally high. As others applauded, Lin Zhusheng also clapped along.

After stepping down, some people came to congratulate him. Song Ming nodded slightly, brushing them off, and walked straight over.

Lin Zhusheng clapped lightly, giving a thumbs up and saying, “Awesome.”

Even though he had seen it during sparring, he was still shocked every time he saw someone in action. Sitting next to him, Gao Yu praised, “Amazing, Brother Song.”

Song Ming sat down beside him, saying, “It’s okay.”

“…Tsk.”

Amidst the applause and voices, a barely noticeable light tsk sound came through. Lin Zhusheng, whose senses had sharpened after the upgrade, heard it and slightly turned his eyes, meeting a gaze that was just about to retract.

It was a disciple with fox-like eyes sitting not far away, who probably hadn’t expected him to look over. When their gazes met, he froze for a moment before casually turning his head away.

Lin Zhusheng raised his eyebrows slightly, just glancing, before retracting his gaze.

People came and went on the stage, and when it was finally his turn, he picked up his little broken wooden sword and went up.

This time, he didn’t know if his luck was good or bad; he drew two matches that were very close together. After finishing the first match, he sat for a while before going up for the second match.

The first match was back and forth, narrowly winning. The second match had a slightly stronger opponent, but he still managed to win narrowly.

Others watched with bated breath, but only the group of friends who had been pressed to the ground during previous sparring knew how well he was performing.

Even the Grand Elder and the sect master noticed that he had some acting talent.

Long before Wu Qi recognized his master, Lin Zhusheng’s level had already been comparable to some of the disciples now. After recognizing his master, his realm had definitely improved significantly, so it shouldn’t be this back and forth.

Other elders were puzzled as to how he could hold his own against disciples of any level, yet they felt that his fighting style was too slow, fluid yet dragging, which was quite different from what they had previously thought, leaving them slightly disappointed.

The Grand Elder and the others tacitly remained silent, stroking their beards or sipping tea.

From early morning to noon, the competition was halfway through, with a half-hour break left for the participating disciples to adjust their mindset and state.

With two wins already secured out of three matches, Lin Zhusheng had no state or mindset to adjust. He just rested and started eating, biting into the newly developed buns. Suddenly recalling something, he reached out to poke his friend Song Ming, who had also won two out of three matches, and scanned the elder’s seats, whispering, “I want to ask you something.”

Song Ming never rejected him. Realizing from his deliberately lowered voice that it wasn’t something to discuss here, he stood up from his seat.

Within the coverage of the talismans, there were people everywhere. To find a less crowded place, they could only go outside the coverage area. They held umbrellas and walked out of the training ground, heading to the nearest pavilion.

The sound of rain pattered, and the leaves had turned dark from the rainwater and gloomy sky. The pavilion was hidden behind a bamboo forest path. Stepping onto the bluestone steps, they stood under the pavilion’s eaves and put away their umbrellas. Song Ming turned to look at Lin Zhusheng beside him, asking, “What do you want to ask?”

“I want to ask about the Grand Elder.”

Lin Zhusheng shook off the rainwater from his umbrella, swallowed the last bite of the bun, and said, “I thought you’d know something since your family is quite impressive.”

He slightly raised his eyes, saying, “Like what happened to him in the past.”

He had been curious since leaving the Jing Si Hall last time, but it wasn’t easy to ask the person directly. Today, he remembered that this well-off friend might know something.

“The Grand Elder,” Song Ming thought for a moment before answering, “I know a bit. He should be considered a legendary figure.”

Lin Zhusheng leaned in closer, “Tell me more.”

Song Ming explained that unlike them, who had been discovered for their talents early on and embarked on the path early, the Grand Elder was one of the few who only began cultivating in middle age and gradually reached his current position.

This was the legendary story of the Grand Elder that most people knew, but only a few knew the reason he embarked on this path, which he had heard from his father.

Before cultivating, the Grand Elder was just an ordinary person, born in chaotic times, with a wife and daughter, and had no intention of cultivating. His only goal in life was to support his family.

By middle age, he had achieved some success in his career, had a harmonious marriage, and a healthy daughter, which was considered a decent little family.

However, in chaotic times, there was no absolute stability. While he was away from home, bandits broke into his house, killing the Grand Elder’s wife and daughter while they were asleep.

When the man returned home, he trembled for the first time as he picked up a rough iron sword.

He avenged his family, and through the cycle of cause and effect, his worldly ties were severed. This was how the now serious and stern Grand Elder came to be.

Starting to wield a sword in middle age, Song Ming had heard the Medicine Sect’s master say that if this Elder had practiced swordsmanship in his youth, he would have likely been a legendary genius.

“Geniuses are suited for genius teachers,” he leaned against the pavilion pillar, his gaze falling on the person standing in front of him holding the umbrella, “You and the Grand Elder seem to have a connection; perhaps you could become his disciple.”

“Genius?”

Still digesting the previous words, Lin Zhusheng slowly processed the last sentence. His eyes, which had been lowered in thought, widened in disbelief as he pointed at himself, laughing, “Me?”

He leaned against the pillar, grinning, and patted his good buddy beside him, saying, “If I really were, that would be great.”

The scent of rain mixed with a faint woody fragrance filled his nostrils. Song Ming glanced at the hand resting on his shoulder, ultimately remaining silent and shifting his gaze away.