Zhuge Cai settled confidently onto the cushion in front of the folding screen, flicking his fan twice before calmly recounting the secret deal between himself and Lin Ci…
“In short, as long as Miss Bu Liugu is willing to forgo the Great Competition rewards and face Chief Disciple Lin in battle, she can defeat him and secure her ranking!”
“Oh? Sounds like a fair trade.”
Bu Liuguyue’s indistinct silhouette continued writing something, her tone calm.
“Of course, once Brother Lin is eliminated, the two of us can take a significant step forward!”
“That’s not wrong.”
“So, Miss, does that mean you agree?”
Zhuge Cai asked cheerfully, clearly seeing this as his smoothest visit yet. Speaking with clever people was always more efficient.
But before he could celebrate for long—
“But how can you be sure that Lin Ci will keep his word?”
Bu Liuguyue asked, turning the question around. “Is it possible, Dao Friend, that you’ve been deceived?”
“Ah~ Miss, please rest assured.”
Zhuge Cai paused briefly, then shook his head slightly.
“Elder Linghe is out traveling and indifferent to the Sect’s affairs. Wenxuan Peak is currently the most resource-starved peak for cultivation in the Sect. The rewards from this Great Competition are crucial—Brother Lin won’t lose sight of that.”
Upon hearing this, Bu Liuguyue pressed her pen against her chin, deep in thought:
“I don’t quite agree… Consider this: if he truly values immediate benefits over ambition, why is he hailed as the Sword Dao’s number one genius?”
“Genius or not, it’s just an empty title…”
Zhuge Cai shrugged. Everyone at the Chief Disciple level was considered a genius anyway.
“Is that what you believe…”
Behind the folding screen, Bu Liuguyue gently shook her head, a hint of disappointment in her expression.
Zhuge Cai wasn’t here to debate philosophy, so he cupped his hands: “Miss, you haven’t given me your answer on the deal yet!”
“That’s just it. Rather than exchanging for a ranking, I’d prefer to earn it by my own strength,” Bu Liuguyue said flatly. “If there’s nothing else, Dao Friend, you may take your leave.”
At this point, there was no room for further negotiation.
“I see, sorry to have troubled you.”
Zhuge Cai didn’t linger and rose to leave.
Though convincing Bu Liuguyue had failed, fortunately, her cultivation wasn’t very high. She’d only placed seventh in the last Great Competition, ranking last among the Chief Disciples.
Whether she took part in the deal or not wouldn’t greatly affect the rankings—just one less bargaining chip for rewards.
Just as Zhuge Cai was about to exit the pavilion, a voice called from behind:
“Also, I advise Dao Friend not to be too complacent. If my prediction is right, the champion of this year’s Great Sect Tournament will still be Lin Ci.”
“We’ll see about that,” Zhuge Cai said dismissively.
After he left, the pavilion fell silent.
Bu Liuguyue’s brush continued moving across the rice paper, completing the final strokes at the desk…
She wasn’t writing characters, but painting.
The figure in the painting was a handsome man carved as if from jade, his eyes fixed ahead with a proud, disdainful sharpness that looked down on the world.
Bu Liuguyue gently tucked stray hair behind her ear, propping her jade hand against her cheek. After a moment, she murmured softly:
“What I said earlier—that you’ll be the champion this year… Hehe, that was a lie!”
She smiled slyly, lifting the painting and shaking off the dust.
“Because I’ll personally eliminate you in the finals… Little husband.”
Two days later,
At the back mountain of Wenxuan Peak.
“When did Senior Brother get a fiancée?!”
Xia Xiaochan thrust her sword forward, but Lin Ci sidestepped with ease.
“I already said, it’s an arranged marriage between noble families. Why keep asking?”
Lin Ci calmly stepped back two paces, hands still behind his back, moving with practiced grace.
“No, no, this is an arranged marriage—you don’t like her, right?”
Xia Xiaochan crouched low, weaving a sword flourish, slashing down toward Lin Ci’s left arm.
“I’ve met her a few times but we don’t really associate. Like or dislike doesn’t come into it.”
Lin Ci reversed his grip on his longsword, blocking Xiaochan’s blade, then pushed her back.
“So, you’ve never considered breaking off the engagement?”
Xiaochan staggered but quickly launched the most dangerous move from the Sealed Lotus Sword Technique, attacking again.
“No need. It’s a mortal world contract—it can’t bind a cultivator… Xiaochan, your energy is off!”
Lin Ci dodged three wild strikes in succession. This was his own sword manual, so each attack was anticipated.
Indeed, the two were sparring, neither using Spiritual Power.
But for Xiaochan, this moment that should have been joyful was clouded with distractions.
Her once-fluent sword techniques had become a mess.
Soon, Lin Ci seized an opening, stepped in close, tapped her head lightly with his sword scabbard, then spun and casually flicked her Qingyu Sword from her hand.
Clang—!
The Qingyu Sword spun twice in the air before embedding itself in the ground, humming softly.
“Waaah…”
Xiaochan crouched, clutching her head. “Senior Brother, you’re bullying me…”
“Poor skill—whose fault is that?”
Lin Ci replied indifferently, sheathing the flying sword and walking toward the shade of a nearby tree where a stone table held freshly brewed tea.
He sat down, sipping tea while pulling out two books to study.
But barely noticeable—
His fingers trembling slightly as he held the teacup.
That was close. Almost lost to Xiaochan…
Had she learned the sword techniques too quickly?
Was this the advantage of being a native in the cultivation world?
Could it be that native cultivators had some kind of heavenly support? No, it couldn’t just be because Xiaochan was a Sword Dao genius, right?
Wait, there was another issue…
Lin Ci’s thoughts shifted again.
What about the Great Competition?
He and Zhuge Cai had agreed to sell him points to advance to the peak matches.
But now, he almost couldn’t even beat Xiaochan. How would he make it to the peak rounds and face those other Chief Disciples?
If he got eliminated in the first round, that would be the end…
Ultimately, he needed to improve his strength a bit—at least ensure he could advance to the top ten.
Then there was a good chance of meeting the Chief Disciples, where he could afford to hold back.
Lin Ci’s gaze returned to the two books in his hands.
One was the Heavenly Book, which helped decipher cultivator texts.
The other was an artifact crafting guide he’d pocketed from a bookstall owner, called the Hundred Treasures Script. It contained a treasure that intrigued him greatly.
A treasure named the Sword Spirit.
This treasure could bond with a flying sword, granting it intelligence to attack enemies autonomously, with power rivaling a cultivator’s full-strength strike.
More than that, the Sword Spirit had a fully automated sword control function.
If he could obtain this treasure, it would solve two long-standing problems for Lin Ci.
But crafting a treasure wasn’t simple.
First, he didn’t know how to refine artifacts. Asking the Sect’s artifact masters would require a lot of spirit stones.
Second, making the Sword Spirit required a material called the Three Tribulations Mind-Jade, which the Spiritual Treasures Pavilion didn’t have, and no one even knew where to find it.
Although this treasure was perfect for him, it had to be put on hold for now…
Lin Ci sighed and finished his tea.
“Excuse me, are you—”
A voice came from nearby.
Lin Ci looked up to see a richly dressed noblewoman in the usually deserted back mountain. Xiaochan had just been speaking to her.
The woman appeared to be in her fifties but maintained an undiminished figure, exuding a mature charm. Her splendid brocade robes marked her wealth, but her furrowed brows suggested some unresolved shadow in her heart.
“You are Chief Disciple Lin Ci?”
Her gaze bypassed Xiaochan, fixing on Lin Ci.
He noticed faint crow’s feet at the corner of her eyes.
“Yes, that’s me,” he nodded.
“Hm… Good. Come to Zhangmen Peak tomorrow and guide my unruly daughter’s cultivation.”
The noblewoman’s tone left no room for refusal.
“May I ask who you are, Senior?”
Lin Ci frowned and asked.
“I am Meng Yunlan, the Sect Leader’s lawful wife. My unruly daughter… is Li Xingyao.”