Chapter 20: Not a single one who can fight.
As he entered the servants' courtyard, Sheng Zhiyi stretched out his arm and gestured with his sword in the air.
In the secret realm, she had already exchanged points for several sword manuals, which improved her mental state. Today, she swung her sword a thousand times, and she never expected it to have such a miraculous effect.
The leaf had just landed on the heads of several outer disciples. They reached out and picked it off, only to be stunned.
Xu Wei, the girl in yellow with the pointed chin, asked repeatedly, "How do you possess such swordsmanship!"
Sheng Zhiyi sheathed her sword, deliberately choosing a sideways stance, tilting her head slightly to reveal her defined jawline, and said calmly:
"It's just a matter of practice makes perfect."
That's the feeling of someone as gentle and unassuming as a chrysanthemum!
After saying that, Sheng Zhiyi's back pain and limbs stopped hurting. She straightened her back and walked forward, leaving behind a carefree figure.
Looking back now, there's a bit of regret.
You still lack experience in putting on an act; that statement isn't quite accurate enough!
They should be told that this is nothing but a trivial trick, and that she is determined to get a spot in the inner sect selection this time.
Sheng Zhiyi deeply reflected on her actions, determined to make up for her shortcomings next time, and vowed to make a bigger one next time!
She walked smugly past the pile of wood in the yard toward the servants' quarters.
Suddenly, he stopped walking.
A lamp was lit in the room, its bright yellow light illuminating the entire space.
In front of the doorway, which was filled with light, stood two dark figures, staring intently at her.
Manager Li, with a stern face, saw Sheng Zhiyi finally return and shouted:
"Where have you been these past few days? Look at the mountains of wood piled up in the yard, what a mess!"
Zhao Qi, who had a pointed mouth and monkey-like face, spoke up beside him:
"Manager Li, she must have been slacking off and going out to play again. I told you last time that we usually do all the work for her. You saw it this time, right? I'm telling the truth, there's not a single lie in it."
Manager Li was already dissatisfied, and upon hearing this, he frowned and said in a gruff voice:
“Sheng Zhiyi, last time Zhao Qi said he would do the work for you, you argued that it wasn’t true. I’ve been keeping a close eye on you these past few days, but who knew you would disappear without a trace, not even returning to the servants’ quarters! Where on earth have you gone?”
More than Sheng Zhiyi slacking off, Manager Li was worried that her unpredictable whereabouts these past few days might have caused her some trouble.
After all, the servants were under his management, and he would also have to take responsibility if any trouble arose.
Sheng Zhiyi was stunned for a moment, then realized that before and after participating in the initiation trial, she had been leaving early and returning late, no wonder they thought she had vanished into thin air.
Sheng Zhiyi wasn't particularly averse to this Steward Li, after all, he was just doing his job impartially, and explained:
"Manager Li, please forgive my oversight in failing to report this. My disappearance these past few days was actually due to my participation in the introductory trial."
"An introductory trial?" Manager Li asked in surprise.
"How could you possibly participate in the introductory trial?" Zhao Qi was stunned and asked incredulously.
Manager Li may not know, but he knows it perfectly well.
Sheng Zhiyi was lazy by nature and had no ambition. He only joined the group to make a living. He rarely argued with others. To put it nicely, he was content with his lot; to put it bluntly, he was cowardly and taciturn.
Among the servants, Zhao Qi had the highest cultivation level and was the most likely to be promoted to an outer disciple, but even he failed the selection this time.
How could Sheng Zhiyi possibly participate in the introductory trial?
"Manager Li, she's definitely lying through her teeth, she just makes things up!" Zhao Qi shouted.
Manager Li's square face darkened. "Sheng Zhiyi, is this really true?"
Sheng Zhiyi chuckled: "Is there any room for making up lies about this?"
If they don't believe it, they can ask Ji Fuguang, who is in charge of the team, or at the very least, they can ask any of the new disciples who are participating in the trial, and they will immediately know whether it is true or not.
Why would she make up a lie that can be exposed immediately?
Manager Li also considered this possibility; his brows immediately relaxed, and a look of joy appeared on his face.
"This is great news! Our servants' quarters has produced someone this year who is qualified to participate in the introductory trial!"
The sect encourages its disciples to strive for excellence, but in recent years no disciple in the miscellaneous service hall has met the trial standards, and he has been reprimanded by the sect leader several times for this.
This is why he has been keeping Zhao Qi by his side lately, hoping that Zhao Qi can be selected next year.
Unexpectedly, Sheng Zhiyi, who usually keeps a low profile, quietly participated in the introductory trial!
Manager Li's previously somewhat stern face softened noticeably as he looked Sheng Zhiyi up and down, his tone filled with admiration and approval:
"I never expected that you, who are usually so low-key, are actually quite profound and unassuming."
He paused, his tone carrying an expectation: "The sect values disciples' diligence the most. Whether you are a servant in the miscellaneous quarters, an outer disciple, or an inner disciple, you must always be diligent. Your unassuming yet ambitious nature is indeed the attitude a cultivator should have!"
Zhao Qi, standing to the side, turned pale and then flushed, staring intently at Sheng Zhiyi with a gloomy gaze.
Suddenly, Zhao Qi spoke up:
"Manager Li, the disciples who participated in the entrance trial returned yesterday, but Sheng Zhiyi is still not working in the servants' quarters today. The selection of outer disciples is a year from now. We can't just push our work onto others for a whole year just because she participated in the entrance trial!"
"This..." Manager Li hesitated for a moment, then looked at Sheng Zhiyi again, this time with a hint of encouragement.
“Sheng Zhiyi, you do work hard in your cultivation, but now that the entrance trial is over, the selection of outer disciples will take another year. During this year, you should make sure to complete your tasks well.”
He added, "How about this, I'll reduce your current workload to 30%!"
In this way, Sheng Zhiyi can finish in half a day, which should not interfere with her solo cultivation.
"Manager Li!" Zhao Qi said urgently.
His workload has only been reduced to 50%, so why should Sheng Zhiyi get such a large reduction?
She wasn't selected through the servants' quarters for the introductory trial, so there might be some shady dealings involved.
He couldn't believe that Sheng Zhiyi, who had been quiet all along, would suddenly become a master; there must be something wrong here!
“Manager Li, I would like to request that all the work at hand be waived,” Sheng Zhiyi finally spoke, raising her eyes with a burning gaze.
"What?" Zhao Qi shouted.
He stretched out his hand and pointed at Sheng Zhiyi, "Manager Li, look, she only participated in the introductory trial once, she's not even an outer disciple yet, and she's already become arrogant and complacent!"
Manager Li frowned, his expression not very good, but he still waved his hand, signaling Zhao Qi to stop talking.
“Sheng Zhiyi, the sect does not support idlers. Everyone has their own responsibilities. The cultivation of servants is low, and except for a very few tasks, they are not capable of performing sect tasks. Therefore, they need to do these tasks within their capabilities every day. If you have special circumstances, it is fine for a short time, but it is really unreasonable to do nothing for a whole year.”
He patiently tried to persuade her, hoping to make Sheng Zhiyi understand that her request was simply a pipe dream and impossible to achieve within the Tianyan Sect.
Sheng Zhiyi nodded sincerely, as if she had taken his words to heart.
Before Steward Li could relax, she suddenly spoke:
"It's just for a short time, Steward Li. I want to participate in the inner sect selection specially set up by the sect leader in half a month."
Zhao Qi was stunned by her words, and Manager Li had no idea that Sheng Zhiyi would have such a thought.
For a moment, neither of them knew how to react.
Moonlight streamed into the courtyard, and the piles of wood emitted a delicate fragrance.
In the silence, Sheng Zhiyi's voice was exceptionally clear and resolute:
"I'm determined to get a spot in this inner sect selection."
After holding it in all night, I finally said it!
Sheng Zhiyi's current mood can only be described with one word: awesome!
Manager Li and Zhao Qi had forgotten how they left Sheng Zhiyi's residence.
In all the years since the Tianyan Sect was established, only one person has ever risen from a menial servant to become an inner disciple.
Ji Fuguang.
And now, Sheng Zhiyi says she also wants to become an inner disciple?
Manager Li didn't know if she had gone mad or if she really had some hidden skill.
Zhao Qi shook his head inwardly. Impossible, impossible. He knew Sheng Zhiyi's skill level perfectly well. She couldn't even last ten moves against him. How could she possibly become an inner disciple?!
What a joke!
She must have gotten incredibly lucky and managed to pass the introductory trial by sheer luck, which made her arrogant and overconfident!
After seeing off Steward Li and Zhao Qi, Sheng Zhiyi finally lay back down on the bed.
She kept replaying her words in her mind, and was so excited that she rolled around on the bed several times.
So this is the world Ji Fuguang experiences every day? How awesome!
She had already begun to fantasize about what it would be like to come out on top in the inner sect trials.
Standing tall and proud, facing everyone in the sect, he curled the corners of his lips and said calmly:
"That's all there is to it; there's not a single one who can fight."
It's that feeling of putting on an act without any limits!
After a long period of excitement, Sheng Zhiyi suddenly realized a problem.
With her current abilities, she can manage to beat up novice outer disciples, but she might not be able to defeat senior outer disciples.
She's currently saving all her points to exchange for a spiritual root, so she can't rely on that for the time being.
The only shortcut is—
Cling tightly to Ji Fuguang's thigh!
Not only did she have to fight against Yin Chou every day, she also had to find a way to get Ji Fuguang to teach her some insights and cultivation techniques.
After all, she has only made progress in sword techniques, and still lacks in the accumulation of spiritual power.
But Ji Fuguang seemed to be busy with important matters and was in a hurry. He only said a few words today before leaving on his own.
Moreover, her mission requires her to get close to Ji Fuguang in order to complete it.
A thousand words can be summed up in one sentence—
Try to curry favor with Ji Fuguang!
But... what exactly do we need to do?
Sheng Zhiyi sat cross-legged in thought, when she suddenly remembered that while practicing swordsmanship at Shuanghua Peak that afternoon, she seemed to hear the voice of a quest guide echoing in her mind. She quickly went to check:
[Good afternoon, player Sheng Zhiyi!]
[A new strategy guide has been released. Please check your inbox.]
[Strategy Mission: Have dinner with Ji Fuguang to gain his favor.]
[Task Reward: 100 points]
[Punishment for failure: Extinction of existence]
[Task completion countdown: 24:00:00]
[Please complete the current strategy mission as soon as possible!]
Sheng Zhiyi's eyes lit up, and she immediately had an idea.
She wanted to cook a meal for Ji Fuguang herself!
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