Chapter 79

“Look, look!!”

“Look at what? Don’t push me…”

“Look at the sky, that’s a Spiritual Beast, and there’s someone on it!”

The crowd suddenly buzzed with excitement, as everyone turned their gazes skyward. In the sky, a roc glided past and finally disappeared into the clouds that wreathed the mountains.

“There’s someone flying with a sword over there!”

“What’s that? A Flying Spirit Artifact?”

From time to time, figures crossed the sky, each carrying people. These were members from Sects who had gone to various towns to recruit disciples, now returning.

The unified assessment would begin in three days, but those already selected didn’t need to participate in the preliminary exam.

[Main Quest: Lady, please enter Ziyun Sect within five days.]

Overthrow the Sect Master?

[…]The King’s Account almost choked, [Please remember, my lady, we are the Spendthrift System, not a violent demolition team! Be an elegant lady!]

[With money, you really can do whatever you want, why should you dirty your hands! Fighting is also so tiring, isn’t it?]

Chuzheng touched her wrist and walked off in the opposite direction of the mountain gate.

“Hey.” Li Tang called out to her: “Where are you going?”

Chuzheng didn’t respond, and Li Tang, wary of attracting any trouble, could only follow her departure.

–

Three days later.

The preliminary exam began. Disciples at the foot of the mountain had to climb the endless staircase to participate in the next test.

Not an ounce of originality, utterly boring.

That was Chuzheng’s evaluation of it.

“The two of you are the only ones left.” A disciple at the mountain gate reminded Chuzheng and Li Tang, with no one else behind them.

One by one, people on the staircase toiled forward, but their climbing speed was slow as if they shouldered a thousand-catty heavy stone.

“I want to see the Sect Master.” Chuzheng had no intention of climbing. The mere sight made her tired, and she wasn’t insane.

The Sect disciple sneered slightly: “Lady, please hurry.”

Many in the Sect had never seen the Sect Master; did this person think the Sect Master was a cabbage, someone you could see just because you wished?

“I’m not here for your recruitment exam.”

“Then what are you here for?” The Sect disciple was getting impatient: “If you’re not participating, please leave quickly.”

Chuzheng handed the disciple several Spirit Stones: “Please ask your Steward to come down, I have business to discuss.”

Upon seeing the Spirit Stones, the disciple’s pupils instantly shone.

Spirit Stones were useful for cultivation; usually, they could only obtain one lower-grade Spirit Stone per month.

But what Chuzheng gave him was a top-grade Spirit Stone, which would normally only be distributed to the direct descendants of the Sect…

The Sect disciple swallowed hard: “What business do you have?”

“Can you make the decision?”

Sect Disciple: “…”

He scratched his head, pocketed the Spirit Stones, and became many times more cordial: “Then please wait a moment.”

The Sect disciple sent a message to someone above, and however he had spoken, a middle-aged man shortly came down.

Li Tang watched, utterly baffled, as Chuzheng spoke briefly with the middle-aged man before both were respectfully ushered up the mountain.

It was only after he entered North Spirit Peak that Li Tang confirmed that he had indeed entered Ziyun Sect.

And it was with the VIP treatment of the Sect, exclusively occupying a mountain peak.

After the disciple who had arranged their accommodations left, Li Tang hurriedly asked, “What did you trade with him?”

“I sponsored them Spirit Stones.”

Li Tang felt skeptical: “Would a big Sect like Ziyun Sect lack Spirit Stones?”

“Lacking.” Chuzheng stated categorically.

Ziyun Sect had declined with each passing year, and amongst the newest generation of Sect disciples, aside from Lin Chen and Song Fenglan, there was hardly anyone noteworthy.

Still, they needed to recruit new members each year to inject fresh blood into the Sect.

They also had to maintain appearances, not let other Sects look down on them, and to secure their status, which meant massive consumption of Spirit Stones.

If it weren’t for the many years of foundation supporting Ziyun Sect, they might have already declared bankruptcy.

They were more than just lacking Spirit Stones; they were in dire straits!

Chuzheng negotiated to live in Ziyun Sect in exchange for providing them with Spirit Stones.

Even if the Sect Master suspected she had ulterior motives, faced with the real and substantial Spirit Stones, he still agreed.

North Spirit Peak was not close to the main peaks, lying on the border between the Outer Sect and Inner Sect. It had been the mountain where Ziyun Sect traditionally housed guests, so placing her there was normal.

Li Tang stood on the mountain peak and could see the Outer Sect mountains not far away, where an examination was currently taking place.

The Soul-Extinguishing Nail inside him was gone, and now he could cultivate…

He couldn’t cultivate spiritual energy, only demonic energy.

But… he didn’t know how to cultivate.

He must become stronger!

He would no longer be someone who could be easily manipulated and powerless to resist.

Li Tang found Chuzheng lying on a chair, “Can you, teach me to cultivate?”

“You want to take me as your mentor?” If she became his mentor, would it be easier to get the Good Person Card? Isn’t there a saying that goes, ‘once a teacher, forever a father’?

Sure, sure.

Take her as his mentor? Li Tang felt an inexplicable resistance in his heart—he didn’t want to take her as his mentor.

“Except for that condition.”

“You don’t want to take me as your mentor?”

“Yes, I don’t want to.”

He didn’t want to.

Not at all.

Although he didn’t know why, since he didn’t feel like it, he wouldn’t go against his own wishes.

Chuzheng waived her hand, not planning to bother with him. If he wasn’t going to acknowledge her as his teacher, why should she teach him?

Li Tang refused to leave and spoke earnestly, “Except for that condition, you set the other terms.”

Chuzheng turned over, speaking seriously, “You say, I am a good person.”

Li Tang felt somewhat baffled, even thinking she was a bit crazy, but he repeated aloud, “You are a good person.”

The King’s Account gave no reaction.

As expected, this weakling is cursing her in his heart!

Where is the sincerity between demons!

Fraud!

Chuzheng turned over angrily, hugging herself, poor little thing—she’s so pitiful!

Li Tang: “???”

So what does that mean?

“You… agreed?”

“You’re so annoying.”

“Will you teach me?”

“Shut up.”

Li Tang moved his lips but ultimately made no sound, standing aside.

As time ticked by, Li Tang cautiously glanced at Chuzheng.

The woman lying on her side with closed eyes had a face like porcelain, a distant coldness that radiated a refusal to be approached, hiding mysteries that were inscrutable.

This person who had suddenly appeared in his world seemed always to attract his attention…

Li Tang sighed, went into the room to find a thin blanket, and gently covered Chuzheng with it.

He squatted down, his gaze fixed on the person in front of him. Her features were delicate, combined together they were especially striking. But that face, always so cold, as if she were a snow lotus blooming on ice and snow.

Regal and elegant.

So close, yet unreachable.

Li Tang’s finger stopped at the tip of her nose, almost touching her… His fingertips slowly curled up, then gently unfolded.

In the depths of his dark eyes, there was a hint of bewilderment.

What was he thinking about?

Li Tang wasn’t sure, only feeling his mind was a mess.

He abruptly withdrew his hand, pulled the blanket, stood up, and stepped aside, then suddenly froze.

He thought blankly.

This was the second time.

Why did he worry about whether she would get cold?

*

Li Tang: “I want to be your partner, but you treat me like a son.”