Chapter 39 Competition
On the first day of the holiday, Lin Zhusheng picked up trash all day and earned 50 gold. However, he failed to pick up trash on the second day.
He had watched others being drafted into the army many times, and this time it was finally his turn.
The morning was a good time, as the vegetables in the yard had grown. He had just made a bunch of snacks and had originally intended to take them to the Great Elder, with whom he had had a very pleasant chat last time, to improve his favorability by chatting with him for a while, and then go to the mountains to pick up trash. But he ended up going to Jingsi Hall and couldn't leave.
So, inexplicably, he was taken by the Great Elder to the competition venue.
The sect leader elders all have a direct disciple, but the great elder has no direct disciple, and he doesn't have a close relationship with the disciples teaching on the peak. In the end, they caught him because he was so talkative.
At an age when he should have been picking up trash, he skipped the disciples' seats and sat in the elders' seats, earning himself a place on the side.
Only the sect leader needs to be in charge all the time. The elders cannot sit here for a full day, so a rotation system is adopted. Today it is the turn of the first elder and the second and third elders to be on duty.
Today is the first day of the competition. The competition has not yet begun, but the stands are basically full of disciples, and the tea and snacks at the elders' seats have been served.
Of course, the tea break snacks are for the elders.
It didn't matter if there was no tea break. Lin, who had a full stomach, brought some snacks with him. He sat down a little further back from the great elder and took a bite, treating it as breakfast.
Sitting next to him was the second elder's eldest disciple, referred to as the second eldest disciple. He was also his leading disciple when he went to the secret realm before, and they were already quite familiar with each other. The person turned to look at him, so he took out another snack and asked, very willing to share: "Do you want some?"
I have eaten the snacks he shared with me in the secret realm and I still remember the taste. When the second eldest disciple wanted to eat some, he took it and thanked him. He didn't even ask why he was here and just started eating.
"Hmm? Little friend Lin?"
Hearing a familiar voice, the boss, who was unfortunately the first disciple of the third elder and was blocked by the second eldest disciple, poked his head out. He was stunned when he saw a face that shouldn't be here. Between expressing surprise and asking why the person was here, he chose to stretch out his hand and said, "Give me one too."
Lin Zhusheng threw one to him.
On an ordinary day, an unexpected person showed up. The competition hadn't started yet. After the boss took the snacks, he asked the second disciple to come over, then he came over to sit down next to the person and asked quietly, "Why are you here?"
After looking at the great elder, Zhuang Dinglin briefly stated the whole process.
The great elder in front thought that he didn't know anyone and was bored sitting there, so he turned his head slightly to check the situation. When he turned around, he saw that he was already chatting happily with the third elder's eldest disciple next to him.
“…”
Obviously this worry is unnecessary.
This man seemed to have acquaintances everywhere. The elder shook his beard and turned back.
The great elder turned his head and saw a boss who was talking to a man who knew many people suddenly remembered that he had a mission to accomplish. As he spoke, he looked around vigilantly.
Very good, the seats for the disciples of the Weapon Sect are on the opposite side, across an entire training ground. At first glance, you can’t even make out the faces of the people, just a dense crowd.
The elders' seats only had the sect leaders and designated successors, most of whom were old men and women, and there was no danger at all. The only young one was the Young Master of the Weapon Sect, but the Young Master was very arrogant and could exclude them at a glance, so there was no danger.
The boss, who had been worried about his old friend, let out a sigh, patted his shoulder and sat back in his seat.
The leaders and elders of other sects began to enter.
Chen Jinghao, who disappeared halfway through the walk yesterday, was also among them. He had changed his clothes, wearing a long robe with a white background and red edges. It was not as bright as the red robe he wore yesterday, but he was still conspicuous in the crowd, and the hem of his clothes fluttered when he passed by.
After taking a closer look, the second disciple quickly realized that something was wrong. He frowned and asked, "Why is there a bruise on the neck of the young master of the Qi Sect?"
The boss also saw it and said, "Oh!" He became slightly interested and asked, "Who did you fight with?"
The bruise was a straight horizontal line that looked like a sword mark, probably because it was pressed mercilessly for a while.
The second disciple was also at the meeting yesterday. He remembered something and said, "When he came back yesterday, he seemed to be in a bad state."
When he came, he looked like a proud and noble young man. When he came back yesterday afternoon, his clothes were not so neat, and there were some leaves on his body for unknown reasons, as if he had just come out of the deep mountains and forests.
It is also said that the other party did not go to the inner gate yesterday, and the inner gate disciples he knew said that they had never seen this person appear. He didn't go to the inner sect to look for those beautiful disciples, nor did he stay at the venue quietly. In the end, he ended up going somewhere and getting into a fight with others.
"Maybe he wasn't beaten by someone else. Maybe he fell and hit the stairs or something."
The boss rubbed his chin and said, "No one should dare to hit the young master of the Qi Sect."
It's okay to hit someone, but it also leaves such obvious scars. A normal person wouldn't do that.
“…”
Lin Zhusheng retracted his ears and silently stuffed another piece of dessert into his mouth.
This mouthful was a bit too much and it was dry, choking him and causing him to cough. The elder in front turned around, opened his eyes, handed him the cup of tea he hadn't drunk from, and said with a trembling beard, "Are you afraid that others will snatch your food?"
That’s good. The purpose of the disciple sitting here is to make it more convenient for the elders. When he sits here, the elders can serve him tea and water.
After taking the tea and taking a big gulp, Lin Zhusheng felt relieved. He handed the cup back and thanked him.
Unexpectedly, when the great elder offered water on his own initiative, the two disciples sitting next to him opened their eyes in disbelief and were startled.
It was not time for the competition yet, it was time for a small talk, even the Sect Master who was sitting in the main seat turned around and mentioned something else, saying: "In two months, it will be the test for the outer sect to be promoted to the inner sect, what do you think, young friend?"
He was the only non-inner disciple present. Lin Zhusheng scratched his head and said truthfully, "I haven't thought about it yet."
So fast. He had been so busy picking up trash and taking care of his yard that he had completely forgotten about it.
He knew that in order to discover good talents more quickly, the sect had shortened the intervals between various tests for promotion to outer and inner sects, but he didn't expect it to be so soon.
The orchid flowers in his yard have just sprouted, and transplanting them will be a big project.
He was thinking about his flowers and didn't move on to what he wanted to say. So the leader could only smile and said, "What I said before still counts."
What did you say before?
I seldom talk to the sect leader. The last time I spoke to him was when we were discussing Wuqi's affairs at the library manager's residence. His brain was working rapidly, and Lin Zhusheng finally remembered that someone seemed to have mentioned that they could go to the Sect Master Peak or something like that.
He didn't agree immediately, and didn't say much, just smiled and said okay.
Before the competition officially began, the stands at the venue were already packed with people, with not a single seat left unfilled.
His fellow disciples also came, but because they arrived too late, there were no seats left, so they squatted in the aisle together. As they squatted in the aisle, they looked towards the elders' seats and happened to meet his eyes. After that, they looked at each other again and again, as if they finally realized that the person sitting there was him.
"?"
They were all human beings, squatting in the aisle, but he somehow got to the elders' seat. There was visible confusion on the faces of several people in the aisle.
It was hard to explain, so Lin Zhusheng just coughed and looked away.
The time is up and the competition has begun. The clan leader who was sitting in the main seat stepped down and cut the pure blue silk surrounding the arena with one sword.
The light was as brilliant as water, without causing any wind or sound. The silk was split into two pieces in silence and flew away with the wind blowing from the sky.
Lin Zhusheng frantically skipped the competition in the game, but he was just as good at the competition in reality. Between sleeping and chatting, he chose to take out his "Self-cultivation of a Swordsman" and quietly handed a snack to the elder.
He has been reading this book since he entered the outer gate, and has finished it now, but he probably went wrong somewhere, and there is still no notification that the task is completed.
The level was also stuck at LV9 and did not move forward. Although there was no reason for it, he intuitively felt that the two should be stuck at the same place.
He was not in a hurry to level up; he simply wanted the iron sword as a reward for the mission. The little broken wooden sword had been used for so long that it was almost frayed. There was also some plant juice on it that had never been wiped clean, and it would be somewhat impolite to use it again.
After the first competition, the leaders and elders of all parties had no objection to the results. The relevant managers recorded the results and arranged the subsequent competitions. After a short break, it seemed like he hadn't heard the voices of the people behind him and the disciples next to him chatting for quite some time. The Great Elder turned his head and saw a man with a book spread on his lap, who was rarely speaking, his eyes fixed on a corner of the void and seemed to be distracted.
Taking the opportunity to eat the snack that was stuffed into his hand but he didn't have time to eat, his white beard covered his face which was slightly moving due to chewing, and he asked, "What are you thinking about?"
The fresh milk flavor blooms in the mouth, with a fresh scent of slightly bitter herbs, the mixed proportion is just right.
[Great Elder Favorability +5 (80/100)]
The message that popped up at the same time as the voice drew Lin Zhusheng's attention back. He came back to his senses. He had nothing to hide, so he briefly told him what he was thinking.
The elder pondered for a moment, swallowed the snack in his mouth, and stretched out his hand and said, "Look at your sword."
Lin Zhusheng then handed over his small broken wooden sword.
The Great Elder lowered his head to look at the sword. The Second Elder and the second disciple beside him were curious. The master and his disciples also looked over to watch. They formed a circle and even the boss became curious and leaned over to take a look.
Two fingers brushed across the sword, the Great Elder's eyelids fluttered slightly, lowered his head and raised his eyes and said: "...You have had a lot of actual combat."
"Quite a few" is a euphemism. Judging from the marks on the sword, he has used the sword for far longer than ordinary disciples, and has even gained more experience than inner disciples.
Lin Zhusheng scratched his head, "It should be considered as such."
After all, he had plundered all the monsters in several mountains more than once, and he had also done a lot of things secretly when he went to the secret realm before.
"You have no distractions, and your sword moves quickly and cleanly. This is a good thing."
The Great Elder lowered his head and thought for a moment, then said, "But the sword is not only swung out, but also controlled and retracted."
He asked, "Have you ever lost control?"
To deal with monsters, just a few sword strikes are enough, or the faster the better. The task-crazy Master Lin has never tried to control his strength, so it seems that there is no time when he can't control it.
"Think about it again," the elder handed the wooden sword back and said, "If this is a real sword, are you afraid of accidentally hurting anyone?"
Will accidentally hurt people.
Master Lin took the broken wooden sword and his mind worked quickly. He saw a red figure standing up from his seat and reacted quickly, saying, "Oh, yes."
If he had a real sword in his hand yesterday, Chen Jinghao would not have dropped it, but he would definitely not be able to come to watch the competition as lively as he is today.
"Your sword can break a thousand waves, but it should also pass through the morning dew without damaging its shape."
The Great Elder took a sip of tea to dilute the sweetness of the snacks in his mouth, and said, "If you can't figure it out after you go back, I will teach you after the competition is over in a few days."
He easily promised to teach, and it seemed that he was going to teach the whole thing. It was the first time he was so proactive after working together for so many years. The second elder looked over and gave him a few more glances.
Finally remembering that the people sitting in front of him were all experts in swordsmanship, Lin Zhusheng nodded quickly without any hesitation as he offered one-on-one guidance from the experts.
The red spot I saw at the end of the eye before came closer and closer. After passing this side and walking down is where the Tianzong disciples are. Today, a famous good-looking disciple in the sect is also among them. Thinking that people want to go over there, he kindly moved his seat slightly to make it easier for people to pass.
Chen Jinghao, who was walking towards this side, did not look for the beautiful disciple. He stopped in front of him and lowered his eyes to look.
His first reaction was that the person went back to review the game yesterday and found that the 50 gold was not worth it, so he came to settle the score with him. He thought about it and started to think of countermeasures quickly.
Chen Jinghao was not here to settle accounts with him. He bent down, placed his hand holding the folding fan on the side of the seat, and whispered a few words in his ear.
After listening for a while, Lin Zhusheng raised his eyes slightly, looked at the bruises on the man's neck, and said, "Tell me the truth?"
Chen Jinghao nodded.
The two of them were whispering, and the people next to them couldn't hear them, so they pricked up their ears, especially the boss, who didn't understand how the two of them suddenly knew each other. He stopped crossing his legs and almost turned his head over to eavesdrop openly.
It is impossible to eavesdrop, as only the two parties involved in the conversation know the content. After Chen Jinghao nodded, Lin Zhusheng turned to look at the elder and asked, "Can I leave for a while?"
The elder's eyes swept across Chen Jinghao's pair of frivolous and romantic peach blossom eyes, his beard moved imperceptibly, and finally said: "Come back within... half an hour."
Lin Zhusheng then stood up and left, picking up his broken wooden sword. Before leaving, he left a snack of a new flavor for the elder.
The two people left, and the boss reached out to stop them, but finally withdrew his hand and sat back in his original seat. The two disciples next to him looked at him and asked, "What are you doing?"
The boss crossed his legs again and said, "It's okay."
In every aspect, Lin Xiaoyou is not up to the young sect master's standards. There is no possibility for the two of them to be together, so he doesn't need to worry so much.
Lin Xiaoyou and Young Sect Leader Chen left the venue and eventually went to a seldom visited peach forest behind the training ground. There are different kinds of peach trees in the peach forest, some have already withered and are full of green leaves, while others are still in full bloom.
There were no other figures in sight, so Lin Zhusheng finally stopped and asked again just in case: "Are you sure you want to compete again?"
This young master crossed half of the elders' seats to come to him, not for the worthless 50 gold, but to fight him again.
He did review the situation when he went back yesterday, but he was not thinking about the 50 gold. He felt it was shameful that a young sect leader lost to an outer disciple. He rarely went out to flirt with other girls and practiced in the house all night. When he saw him today, he came to find him.
Although he didn't say it explicitly, I guess he spoke so quietly just now because it was shameful to lose the fight and he didn't want others to know.
After all, fifty gold coins plus after-sales service are no problem, and it is obvious that he will not be at a disadvantage in the sparring. He can accept it, but this person just climbed a mountain yesterday and still has injuries. He is not sure if he can do it.
Chen Jinghao said: "Sure."
He had confirmed everything, and Lin Zhusheng had no objection.
The kitten sleeping on his body was placed under a tree far away. The small broken wooden sword was turned in his hand. The wooden blade could bring up a gust of wind, and the leaves rustled.
The sound of the wind was accompanied by the sound of a folding fan breaking through the air. The red flames that spread out from the edge of the fan illuminated the pink and white petals and suddenly attacked the green figure.
The wooden sword passed over his head and collided with the folding fan, making a dull sound, and then knocked it away and across the peach wood. Lin Zhusheng turned around and swung the sword with his backhand. The sword energy quickly repelled the oncoming flames, and the green hem of his clothes mixed with black hair flew.
At the moment before it sank into the peach wood, the folding fan turned around and returned to Chen Jinghao's hand after circling half a circle. With the folding fan in hand, he quickly took a half step back, and when he closed the fan, he was able to block the long sword that was coming from the side. The force was so great that his entire arm trembled.
After the strike, the sword did not linger for too long, but moved away in an instant. Taking advantage of the short time when the sword blade was turning, he did not retreat, but chased forward. After several exchanges, he found an opportunity, grabbed the wrist of the man holding the sword in the chaos, and pressed it against the trunk of the peach tree with his backhand.
Sword cultivators are very powerful, but once the hand holding the sword is controlled, their strength will be greatly reduced.
With a turnaround in sight, he lowered his eyes to look at the person who was close to him, but behind his raised black hair he met a pair of smiling eyes.
It was as if she saw through his actions and she didn't feel the slightest bit of panic as one might imagine.
He soon realized that something was wrong. Before he could react, he felt a familiar burning pain in his waist and abdomen. As he shifted his sight, the situation reversed and the hand holding the person's wrist was forced to loosen, causing the folding fan to slip out as well.
The folding fan did not fall to the ground, but fell into Leng Bai's hands, whose skin color was similar to the white jade on the fan, and was loosely held by his slender fingers.
The long sword turned from the right hand to the left hand, and Lin Zhusheng held the broken jade fan against the man's throat. He curved his eyebrows, and a faint light fell from his eyes. He smiled and said, "Young Sect Master, you lost again."
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