A Pure Actor: How Could I Lose?

The entire Vast Heaven Sect had been bustling with excitement these past few days, almost as lively as the New Year.

From the sect master at the top to the outer sect disciples at the bottom, even the uncles and aunties who cooked in the dining hall had all received blind box gifts from Chu Xinghe.

What everyone had talked about most these past few days was who had gotten what.

"I heard the sect master got a grasshopper doll!"

"Wow! Really? I thought Senior Brother Xinghe was just saying that. I didn't expect them to really be blind boxes—even the sect master got one!"

"Listen to yourself. Others might not know Senior Brother Xinghe's character, but how could we disciples of the Vast Heaven Sect not know? Senior Brother Xinghe has never been the sort to fawn over his superiors and bully those beneath him. These gifts were a gesture of goodwill, not an attempt to flatter the higher-ups."

"In the past, when those other people came back from a trip, they always prepared all kinds of gifts for the elders and the sect master... People like us were never even worth a glance. But look at Senior Brother Xinghe... People really suffer by comparison!"

"I heard an outer sect disciple got a spiritual ornament pendant made from a high-grade spirit stone! That's incredibly valuable!"

"That's nothing... I heard our chief elder got a cloth doll... Hahaha..."

Those who got good things were happy, and those who didn't weren't upset either. After all, the sect master had only gotten a grasshopper doll, and some elders had gotten cloth dolls. Compared to those, their own gifts weren't bad at all.

Everyone throughout the Vast Heaven Sect was happy to have received a blind box.

At the same time, everything that had happened on the hundred-person group's trip to the Spirit Grotto spread after they returned.

Everything Chu Xinghe had done with the hundred-person group became known throughout the Vast Heaven Sect.

For a time, elders and ordinary disciples alike nodded inwardly at what Chu Xinghe and the hundred-person group had done.

Brave and resourceful! Happy to help others, as warm as spring to his fellow disciples and as merciless as the depths of winter to his enemies.

Chu Xinghe's actions earned the silent praise of everyone in the Vast Heaven Sect.

In particular, his recovery of all the spiritual liquid at the end had the three thousand newly admitted disciples cheering that Senior Brother Xinghe was so cool!

They had been saddened that they hadn't made it into the hundred-person group and couldn't enter the Spirit Grotto to cleanse their marrow and temper their bones. But now that spiritual liquid had been brought back, each of them could receive at least one Marrow-Cleansing Pill. Though it couldn't compare to the effects of the Spirit Grotto, it was still packed with benefits.

It would be a tremendous boost for each of them.

Senior Brother Xinghe had, in effect, brought great benefits to every one of the three thousand disciples. How could everyone not be delighted?

The whole Vast Heaven Sect was rejoicing, but there was one exception.

In the outer sect, Chu Cheng, who could finally just about get out of bed, also received a blind box from Chu Xinghe.

"Chu Xinghe, you cur! How despicable of you to buy people's loyalty like this!" Furious, Chu Cheng hurled the blind box onto the floor.

The blind box broke open, and a zongzi doll fell out!

Somehow, by a strange coincidence, the zongzi doll's coloring and the way it was wrapped looked... remarkably similar to Chu Cheng at that moment.

"Chu Xinghe, you cur! How dare you humiliate me like this!" Chu Cheng snatched up the zongzi doll and tore it to pieces.

But that did nothing to dispel the anger in his heart.

Who was he? He was Chu Cheng! The most talented person in Kaoshan Village!

That cur Chu Xinghe had ranked behind him!

As the number one person in Kaoshan Village, he was destined to become someone who would take a three-foot sword in hand and ascend straight to the ninth heaven.

Even though he had suffered all manner of unfair treatment for the time being, Chu Cheng firmly believed this was nothing more than a trial the path of heaven had set for him.

As the saying went, when heaven was about to entrust a great task to him, it must first make his heart and will suffer and wear down his muscles and bones!

He was undergoing that very trial. As long as he endured it, he would surely leap through the Dragon Gate like a fish and soar into the sky!

But what was Chu Xinghe? How dare he humiliate him like this? He was nothing but a little piece of trash who had ranked second in Kaoshan Village!

He was supposed to remain forever beneath Chu Cheng's feet.

After shouting for a while, Chu Cheng finally felt much better.

But just as Chu Cheng was about to lie back down and continue enjoying the trials before heaven entrusted him with a great task, someone kicked the door open.

A group led by Fathead Fish Liu Bo walked in, all looking thoroughly annoyed.

"Fuck... What's this cur hollering about? I was taking a shit just now, and his yelling nearly scared me into pinching it off!"

"Hey... That's the blind box Senior Brother Xinghe gave you! You cur, you actually smashed Senior Brother Xinghe's thoughtful gift? Senior Brother Xinghe is from the same village as you and has helped you again and again, yet you're this heartless... What... You even tore up the gift!"

"Fuck! I can't stand it anymore... Senior Brother Xinghe is such a good person, and you cur actually did this. Brothers, get him!"

No one knew how long the group beating lasted, but one thing was certain: before heaven entrusted Chu Cheng with a great task, it would surely make his muscles and bones suffer for another half a year...

The little incident in the outer sect never reached Chu Xinghe's ears, because he had been busy refining Marrow-Cleansing Pills for the past two days.

Marrow-Cleansing Pills were fourth-grade pills. As a fourth-grade alchemist, Chu Xinghe naturally had no trouble refining them, and because of the Medicine Saint Inheritance, Chu Xinghe truly cried.

The grand elder had said that Marrow-Cleansing Pills refined by others were all of ordinary quality. What a waste...

Those refined by Chu Xinghe, however, were top-grade, and would be an enormous help to the junior brothers and sisters!

And so... every last Marrow-Cleansing Pill was handed over to Chu Xinghe to refine.

Chu Xinghe was utterly dumbfounded on the spot.

He had calculated everything a thousand times over, but he hadn't accounted for this?

Didn't this count as punishment? Wasn't the Misfortune Compass going to do anything?

Was there any law left? Any justice under heaven?

Chu Xinghe refined pills in the Medicine King Palace every day with a mournful face, while the many senior brothers and sisters there were anything but idle.

For every top-grade Marrow-Cleansing Pill they handed out, they told its recipient:

"Do you know... Junior Brother Xinghe refined this for you with his own hands. In the entire Spirit Crane Palace, Junior Brother Xinghe is the only one who can guarantee a top-grade Marrow-Cleansing Pill. The difference between a top-grade one and an ordinary one is enormous. For your sake, Senior Brother Xinghe hasn't left the Medicine King Palace in half a month. It pains us just to see him like this!"

With the wholehearted help of the senior brothers and sisters, every junior brother who took a Marrow-Cleansing Pill was moved to tears of gratitude.

Look... this was their Senior Brother Xinghe. So that his junior brothers and sisters could grow more quickly, he had bent himself to the task and given it his all.

The elders of the various palaces also thanked the Spirit Crane Palace and Chu Xinghe for going to such lengths.

But it would have been better if they hadn't... Once they did... the grand elder was even happier... He personally kept watch over Chu Xinghe, leaving him no chance to slack off even if he wanted to.

Under such grueling training, however, Chu Xinghe did gain something: his alchemy had at least reached the fifth grade.

It took Chu Xinghe a full two months to finish refining all the Marrow-Cleansing Pills. The moment he stepped out of the Medicine King Palace, he understood what it meant to be released after serving a sentence.

Fifth-grade alchemist, my ass... It's all bullshit... I hate refining pills more than anything! Fuck!

Back in his room, Chu Xinghe decided to be a salted fish. I'm not courting death anymore. I'll just slack off, all right?

After the raw stone incident, Chu Xinghe knew that even playing with his cards face up didn't mean he couldn't lose... He needed a more reliable method. Otherwise, he absolutely couldn't make a move lightly, or who knew what consequences it might bring?

"Junior Brother Xinghe has finally come out of seclusion." When Feng Fei returned and saw Chu Xinghe lying there like a dead dog, he burst out laughing.

"Senior Brother Feng, just stab me to death... I feel like there's nothing left to live for."

"That won't do. I just heard that the people from Martial Emperor City and the Heavenly Medicine Palace will be here soon. They're not coming with good intentions this time. The elders of the various palaces are all gathered in Haotian Palace right now, discussing how to deal with them."

"Is a war about to break out?" Chu Xinghe was startled.

"It's not a war. Our Vast Heaven Sect ranks first under heaven, while Martial Emperor City is second only to us. For years, Martial Emperor City has wanted to surpass the Vast Heaven Sect and become number one under heaven!"

Then let them surpass us! Chu Xinghe could barely resist interrupting Feng Fei.

Feng Fei continued, "But whether in foundation or strength, Martial Emperor City falls considerably short of our Vast Heaven Sect. Wanting to surpass us is nothing but a fool's dream, yet Martial Emperor City refuses to let the matter rest. Fifteen years ago, they proposed a martial competition between disciples. The idea was that the best of each generation of their newly admitted disciples would come to the Vast Heaven Sect, supposedly to seek guidance... But you know what it's really about."

"As for the Heavenly Medicine Palace, it's the only alchemy powerhouse that can contend with our Spirit Crane Palace to any extent. They're coming in person with Martial Emperor City this time, supposedly to seek guidance too, but they're really birds of a feather."

When Feng Fei finished, Chu Xinghe's eyes lit up.

"I'd guess that among this generation of newly admitted disciples, you're certain to take the stage, Junior Brother Xinghe. And not just against Martial Emperor City. They'll certainly have you step up against the Heavenly Medicine Palace too."

After Feng Fei finished, Chu Xinghe asked cautiously, "What happens if I lose?"

"Lose? You're joking, Junior Brother Xinghe. In fifteen years, our Vast Heaven Sect has only lost to Martial Emperor City once. And that time, it really was because our disciples weren't very skilled and were also extremely arrogant. But that defeat damaged our Vast Heaven Sect's reputation, and we paid an enormous price before we finally stabilized the situation. So don't even think about losing, Junior Brother. If you lose, not only will the sect suffer, you'll surely be punished severely too."

"After all, this is a match against Martial Emperor City. Losing would mean making the sect lose face! When that happens, even if everyone pleads for you, it won't do any good!"

Tears streamed down Chu Xinghe's face!

Senior Brother Feng, what a peerless senior brother you are!

Martial Emperor City! Just for being so righteous, you're bound to become number one under heaven sooner or later. If you can't manage it yourselves, I, Chu Xinghe, will push you up there!

In fifteen years, they had only lost once, and after losing, the sect's reputation had been damaged and it had lost face... They had paid an enormous price to stabilize the situation.

The Vast Heaven Sect was the number one sect under heaven. How humiliating would it be to lose to Martial Emperor City, number two under heaven!

But when it came to humiliation, Chu Xinghe declared that he wasn't afraid of losing face. Making a fool of himself was his lifelong goal!

Martial Emperor City is coming to challenge us, right? I, Chu Xinghe, can't shirk this duty! Just watch. You've only lost once in fifteen years, right? I'll give you a second and a third, because I'm damn well losing to the Heavenly Medicine Palace too! No one can stop me!

Seeing how excited Chu Xinghe was, Feng Fei thought he was excited about facing the challenge.

"Junior Brother Xinghe, you'll definitely be fighting. And word going around is that you'll probably represent this generation as its chief disciple against their chief. But I've also heard that the fellow on their side called Zheng Yu obtained Martial Emperor City's supreme inheritance, the Seven-Colored Glazed Body. He won't be so easy to deal with."

Not so easy to deal with? Chu Xinghe grew excited again. Good, that's exactly how it should be!

If they were really just stinking fish and rotten shrimp, it would be hard for me to put on an act. With the opponent so strong, I can lose a little more naturally!

"Rest assured, Senior Brother Feng! If I can represent the sect in battle, I will not fail the trust it has placed in me!"

Seeing the fighting spirit on Chu Xinghe's face, Feng Fei looked satisfied.

Chu Xinghe, meanwhile, seemed to see a bright future beckoning to him!

Today... ptoo, ptoo, ptoo... I'm definitely not singing that song this time!

As a film-emperor-level actor, in a real martial contest with no one interfering, with me in pure actor mode, I ask you: how could I lose this time!