Chapter 864 Winning the Championship
"Lu Jinghong?"
"It is I."
After handing over the wooden plaque, Lu Jinghong solemnly clasped his hands in a fist salute.
The cold-faced Yue woman took a pen and made a note on the paper, then nodded slightly:
"One hundred and thirteen breaths, and your swordsmanship talent is also top-notch... Go wait aside."
Despite being praised, Lu Jinghong showed no joy on his face. He walked to the peach tree and passed by Ouyang Rong with slight unease.
He asked as if it were a casual question:
"Brother Liu, what rank is he?"
"second."
Lu Jinghong seemed to breathe a slight sigh of relief, and then asked:
"Oh, those monkeys didn't bite you, did they? I had a bad day, running into that beastly monkey that bit and scratched me, which took up a little of my time..."
He waved his hand dismissively, while gesturing to the bite marks on the back of his hand.
Immediately, Lu Jinghong turned his gaze to the dark-skinned boy beside him and began to examine him closely.
The dark-skinned boy was somewhat introverted. When Lu Jinghong looked at him, he lowered his head slightly. After a moment, he turned around and clasped his hands in a fist salute to Ouyang Rong and Lu Jinghong.
"Hiro."
After uttering a single nasal sound, the dark-skinned youth asked in broken Mandarin, "How should I address you...?"
Lu Jinghong realized that "Hong" must be the boy's name. He was also a child from a rural family and didn't even have a surname.
"My name is Lu Jinghong, and I come from the Lu family of Fanyang..."
Lu Jinghong paused halfway through her sentence, noticing that the dark-skinned boy's eyes were fixed on Ouyang Rong, as if he wanted to know his name more.
Ouyang Rong clasped his hands in a fist salute and said in a muffled voice:
"Liu Aliang".
"You can call me Ahong."
"Um."
Actually, when Ouyang Rong was lingering and slacking off at the exit of Peach Valley, he noticed this young man passing by and mistakenly thought that the young man was Lu Jinghong...
Lu Jinghong's expression was not good.
Meanwhile, at the exit of Peach Valley, one after another, young men emerged, their notes flowing continuously from the cold-faced Yue woman.
Soon, Ouyang Rong saw Sha Ergou also struggling to run out of the exit, his head covered in bumps, not at the very bottom, but in the middle.
“Sha… Er Gou. Tenth place, 148 breaths, with relatively good swordsmanship aptitude.”
When the cold-faced Yue woman read out Sha Ergou's name, she glanced at the short-haired young man, who was covered in sweat, a couple more times. Perhaps it was just her imagination, but her tone softened slightly.
"Not bad, go and rest."
Sha Ergou rubbed his head full of bumps.
He hadn't slept well today and was initially listless, but after being chased and beaten by monkeys in the peach grove, he's not so sleepy anymore... and is full of energy.
Under the peach tree, the boys who had already completed the game gathered together, and the atmosphere gradually became lively.
Sha Ergou looked around and spotted Ouyang Rong. He ran over excitedly.
"Brother Liu, how long have you been out? How come you're out so fast? I took 148 breaths, how long did you take?"
He couldn't wait to inquire.
Ouyang Rong shook his head:
"I was lucky; there were fewer monkeys chasing me, and I ran a little faster than you guys."
The surrounding teenagers were drawn to the scene, and Sha Ergou asked on their behalf out of curiosity:
"How much faster? What's the ranking?"
Ouyang Rong thought for a moment:
"It's also around a hundred breaths, I think it's the second one."
The atmosphere under the tree quieted down for a moment.
Except for Lu Jinghong, who remained expressionless, the other teenagers all looked surprised. Sha Ergou, having recovered, shouted in a loud voice:
"Second place? Wow! Brother Liu is amazing! I can't even remember a few moves, I only know how to parry with my sword, and I got beaten up all over. I remember Brother Liu only read that book once before giving it to me, and he still got second place. Brother Liu is really smart..."
Sha Ergou was uncultured and spoke bluntly, and his compliments sounded strange, but that didn't stop the group of young teenagers around him from casting envious and admiring glances at him.
Lu Jinghong grew increasingly impatient. She licked her lips, smoothed her hair, and said with a smile:
"Me too, I only managed to get into the top three after about a hundred breaths. It's a pity I didn't make it into the top one hundred. It's all because of that beastly monkey that dared to bite people, which delayed me by about ten breaths... By the way, Brother Liu, Brother Sha, neither of you should have encountered this bad luck, right?"
He shook his right hand and asked the crowd with some concern.
Everyone around shook their heads, some of the simple-minded young men even showing expressions of sympathy, only Sha Ergou, with his loud voice and strange expression:
"Huh? It bites? That's strange, why does this monkey only bite you?"
Lu Jinghong's smiling face immediately turned serious, clearly showing her displeasure.
Sha Ergou remained oblivious, failing to notice the awkward and strange atmosphere.
Fortunately, at that moment, the cold-faced Yue woman not far away put down her pen, put away her book, and turned to walk over.
The group of teenagers immediately focused their attention, keeping their eyes straight ahead.
Just then, a dark figure suddenly darted out from the exit of Peach Valley not far away.
First, she jumped onto the peach tree, picked something, and ran to the foot of the tree, arriving in front of everyone even faster than the cold-faced Yue woman.
It was a long-armed ape covered in black fur, with a tuft of yellow hair on its forehead, and it was twice the size of the apes that the boys were fighting in the forest.
Without saying a word, it rushed towards Ouyang Rong's location.
Sha Ergou, Ahong, and the other boys retreated in fear.
Lu Jinghong, who was closest to Ouyang Rong, jumped back a step like a startled bird, frantically reaching for a sword that wasn't actually at his waist.
Ouyang Rong did not move.
He recognized it as the punk monkey he had been "fighting" with all the way, which was holding a large peach in its hand.
“Eee-yah…”
The punk monkey stopped three steps in front of Ouyang Rong, standing upright and extending one hand to offer him a peach. Despite having his face bruised and swollen from being hit by someone, he looked around as if nothing had happened, as if observing the surrounding scenery.
The group of teenagers were stunned when they saw the monkey offering them peaches.
Lu Jinghong also looked at the man and the monkey with suspicion and uncertainty.
Ouyang Rong, the person involved, was also somewhat speechless. He tilted his head slightly and looked at the other hand of the "Shamate Monkey" behind its back, as if worried that it might be hiding a stick.
"This is a monkey king. He gave you the peach as a sign of his approval. From now on, when you come to the peach grove on this island, you will no longer be attacked by monkeys."
The cold-faced Yue woman's voice came through.
Her expression also showed some curiosity. She examined the peach for a moment, then slowly nodded.
"Liu Aliang, right? Not bad. It's not easy to gain the Monkey King's approval. Just beating him into submission isn't enough; you also need a bit of fate... I've only met him twice in all this time in Jianze, and you're the third time..."
"In addition, this peach is also special; it is called Qingyan Late Peach."
"A hundred years ago, when our clan's queen was traveling deep into Yunmeng, she accidentally entered a strange valley. Outside the valley, corpses littered the ground, but inside, it was spring all year round, with birds singing and flowers blooming. Under a green rock, she discovered a strange peach tree that grew on the rock, emitting a unique fragrance. It bore fruit once every twenty springs, and on the day it bore fruit, it attracted all living beings within a hundred miles to covet and fight for it..."
"That lady did not pick the spirit peach, but she cut off a section of the rootstock from this peach tree, took it back to Jianze, and planted it here, which is how this peach tree at the exit of Peach Valley came to be..."
"So although the Qingyan Late Peach doesn't have the same miraculous powers as the Valley's rare peach, it can still refresh the mind and keep the eater energetic for three days without sleep. In addition, it also has the miraculous effect of relieving damp heat and cold poison..."
"You just entered Peach Valley. The valley was shrouded in mist, the terrain was very low, and the humidity was extremely high. These monkeys are able to live here safely thanks to these peaches."
"Actually, the reason why that queen grafted peach trees here back then was also because the terrain of Peach Valley was similar to that strange valley. Presumably, the valley was more humid and hot with more poisonous gas."
A cold-faced Yue woman approached, holding a book in her hand, and began to speak slowly. Judging from her casual manner, it was unclear which faction she came from. She seemed to be from the female ruler's faction, well-versed in all matters of the Sword Sect, and perhaps held a certain clerical position within the Sword Swamp.
She pointed at the peach with the scroll in her hand, indicating that:
"You must be a lucky person. Please accept this as a token of good fortune."
The aloof Yue maiden recounted the origin of this peach, and the surrounding youths listened intently, filled with longing. At that moment, they looked at someone with envy.
Ouyang Rong hesitated for a moment, then accepted the peach under the watchful eyes of everyone.
As expected, the punk monkey hadn't hidden any sticks. It happily circled around Ouyang Rong once before running back up the tree.
The cold-faced Yue woman stepped forward and addressed the assembled crowd:
"Not bad, even better than I expected. The final score was 105 breaths, followed by 109... Although there were no top-grade talents within 100 breaths, there were four superior talents within 120 breaths. I underestimated you."
"On the other hand, there are far more girls participating in the Yue women selection than you, and there are only eighteen of them who are of superior talent or above."
Having finished summarizing, the cold-faced Yue woman waved her hand:
"Alright, go back and rest first. The second test, the examination of Qi Refining Root Bone, is very simple, but the location of the third test is a bit far away. The two tests will be combined and held tomorrow. You will still be in line after the new batch of Yue women selected, as usual."
"So go back and get some rest tonight. The second hurdle is easy, but the third hurdle, which tests your willpower and resilience, is very tough."
"Also, let me give you a heads-up: the First Queen and several other Queens will be coming tomorrow. You Bamboo Hall candidates, having just arrived in Jianze, are incredibly lucky to be able to witness the Queens' presence alongside the new Yue women. Be content."
The group of teenagers looked at each other, and some of them who knew a little more showed a look of pride and admiration on their faces.
Upon hearing the words "female ruler," Ouyang Rong lowered his head slightly, concealing his gaze.
At this moment, Lu Jinghong couldn't help but ask:
"Goddess, please wait! May I ask if the women of Xinyue possess any exceptional talents within the last hundred breaths?"
The aloof Yue woman, preparing to leave, didn't pause; she simply raised her hand and waved.
"Two, so-so."
...
"Two? Which two? Do you know them?"
At dusk, in a small courtyard inside a bamboo grove.
The setting sun cast its rays on the stone table in the courtyard, where Ouyang Rong and Song Zhian brought out several steaming dishes. Yu Xiaoniangzi followed them happily from the kitchen, her eyes fixed on the hot dishes.
Seeing Song Zhian and Yu Xiaoniangzi approaching, Lu Jinghong, sitting by the stone table, couldn't wait to ask.
Ouyang Rong and Sha Ergou returned in the afternoon and were invited to dinner by Song Zhian, who had already returned to the island.
Lu Jinghong seemed to know that Ouyang Rong, Sha Ergou, Song Zhian, and Yu Xiaoniangzi came from the same inn and had a good relationship. Even though she disliked Sha Ergou for not being able to speak, she silently followed along and came to freeload a meal.
Song Zhian's cooking skills seemed quite good, but Ouyang Rong wasn't one to eat for nothing, so he volunteered to lend a hand and cooked a few side dishes.
At that moment, the steaming hot food was served. Compared to Lu Jinghong, who was eagerly waiting at the table, Sha Ergou was fast asleep on the table, clearly exhausted from the day.
He was already snoring loudly while waiting for a meal.
Ouyang Rong took off his apron, lowered his rolled-up sleeves, and shook Sha Ergou:
"Don't sleep, just bear with it for a while. If you sleep too much now, you won't be able to sleep tonight."
Sha Ergou looked up, groggily glancing around, and muttered:
"Oh... Brother Liu, you can cook? I only know how to start a fire and grill fish and meat."
Song Zhian didn't immediately answer Lu Jinghong's question. She glanced at the dishes Ouyang Rong had served and chuckled softly:
"Brother Liu's cooking skills are excellent. I never realized it before. I wonder where he learned it from."
Ouyang Rong, wearing a felt hat, buried his head in serving them rice, remaining silent and "dull-witted."
He couldn't possibly answer truthfully that he had lived with that Yue maiden lady at Xingzi Lake for a long time, helping her with washing dishes every day and guiding her step by step until he learned it just by watching.
Lu Jinghong couldn't help but ask again:
"Miss Song, were those two girls who were within a hundred breaths of you in the same batch? Wait, Miss Song, how many breaths did you take to leave Peach Valley? You wouldn't..."
"Thank you, Brother Liu, I can do it myself."
Song Zhian didn't let Ouyang Rong serve the rice; she got up and started serving herself. After a polite greeting, she gently shook her head as she served the rice.
"It wasn't me. Of those two exceptional young women who could enter the hundred-breath stage, I only saw one. She was also from the same island as us. She came from Peach Blossom Town and was the eldest daughter of the prominent Chen family. I heard that she only slowly read half of the book 'Introduction to Sword Dao' before leaving Peach Valley in just ninety-eight breaths."
"The other exceptionally beautiful girl is from the next island. Her origins are unknown. She was among the first to enter Peach Valley, even earlier than us. By the time we arrived, she had already left."
Song Zhian stared at the rice in front of her, her eyes filled with a hint of something unspeakable:
"This girl is even more extraordinary. She walked out of Peach Valley in just eighty-eight breaths. I calculated it when I entered the valley. It would normally take eighty breaths to walk out... In a sense, she walked out without any obstacles. It was as if the monkeys made way for her."
Except for Yu Xiaoniangzi, who was staring at the food and starting to eat, everyone else gasped.
Lu Jinghong, who had been holding his sword with an air of nonchalance and hadn't touched the bowl, suddenly had his pupils dilate in shock.
Sha Ergou was no longer so sleepy from the shock, and scratched his head in surprise:
"Goodness gracious! I heard from the goddess that being able to reach 100 breaths is already incredibly rare. The one before me who reached 98 breaths is one thing, but this little girl actually managed to reach 88 breaths, which is 10 breaths faster than the one before her. How can there be such a big difference between two people who are both within 100 breaths?"
Yu Xiaoniangzi, who was secretly competing with Brother Liu in cooking speed, nodded like a chicken pecking at rice.
"Amazing, amazing."
Song Zhian's face showed admiration, and remembering something, she spoke:
"By the way, although I've never seen her before, and no one else knows her background, I heard from a young woman on the next island that she's very young, thin and frail, and probably comes from a poor family, because she has a tattoo on her forehead, like someone from a lowly background..."
She recalled for a moment and added:
"That tattoo looks like a word."
(End of this chapter)
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