Contempt from the Various Sects

The sect was weak as hell, so Jun Changxiao had set himself one guiding principle—develop quietly and avoid trouble.

After arriving in Qingyang City, he had not gone looking for trouble, yet trouble had come knocking on his door.

Especially after hearing disciples from two Eighth-rate Sects speak so insolently, Jun Changxiao could no longer endure it and launched a verbal barrage.

"Damn it!"

The Tiger Roar Sect disciple was immediately displeased. "You dare tell the Tiger Roar Sect to scram? Are you tired of living?"

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

Several resting Tiger Roar Sect disciples rushed out from their storefront.

The people from the Long Saber Sect came out as well.

Not only did these sect disciples possess Fourth- or Fifth-Stage Pulse Opening strength, they were also all powerfully built.

Sect Leader Jun was rather lean. Surrounded by their glaring faces and raised brows, he looked quite frail, as though a single blow could knock him down.

"What's going on?"

"Are the Tiger Roar Sect and Long Saber Sect about to fight?"

Martial artists from the nearby sects gathered around.

Only when they saw Jun Changxiao did they realize this was not a clash between sects, but that they were targeting the same person.

"Huh?"

Someone said in surprise, "Isn't he the guy at the city gate who claimed to be the second Sect Leader of the Iron Bone Sect?"

The Long Saber Sect and Tiger Roar Sect disciples froze. "This guy is the Iron Bone Sect's Sect Leader?"

Seeing their expressions, Jun Changxiao nearly roared—I'm the damn Sect Leader! Is there a damn problem with that?!

There was.

His strength was too weak, and he looked too young.

Someone like him was, at most, a new junior disciple.

The Long Saber Sect's deacon clasped his hands and said teasingly, "So Your Excellency is the Iron Bone Sect's second Sect Leader. My apologies, my apologies."

A Tiger Roar Sect disciple grinned. "Accidentally offending a Sect Leader—how terrifying, how terrifying."

The tense, sword-drawn-and-bow-bent atmosphere eased considerably beneath their teasing and mockery.

In truth, even if they had ten times the courage, they would not dare fight in Qingyang City. The City Lord had explicitly forbidden private brawls.

Jun Changxiao said calmly, "You are all gathered in front of my sect's storefront. Are you going to let us recruit disciples or not?"

"Hahaha!"

The Tiger Roar Sect disciple laughed. "A sect that has lost Sect Leader Wang still wants to recruit disciples? What a colossal joke!"

"You can't put it that way."

Suppressing a laugh, the Long Saber Sect deacon said, "Perhaps some blind youngster might join the Iron Bone Unyielding Sect."

The Tiger Roar Sect disciple glanced at the crowd, the mockery at the corner of his mouth deepening. "These days, lame youngsters are easy to find, but blind ones are hard to come by!"

The two played off each other, making the onlookers laugh.

After Sect Leader Wang's mishap, the Iron Bone Sect's reputation had plummeted a thousand miles. Anyone who joined such a sect had to be blind.

Jun Changxiao sighed.

Surrounded by a group of muscular men, he returned to his own storefront.

Lu Qianqian said softly, "Sect Leader, should I chop open a crack in the ground for you to crawl into?"

Jun Changxiao had been fine at first, but upon hearing that, his eyelids rolled upward.

Since they were in Qingyang City, the two Eighth-rate Sects did not dare teach the Iron Bone Sect's Sect Leader a lesson. After mocking and ridiculing him for a while, they simply left his storefront squeezed between theirs.

The crowd also dispersed, but once they returned to their own storefronts, they all discussed the Iron Bone Sect, their words brimming with contempt and disdain.

Jun Changxiao acted as though he had heard nothing and reclined sideways in his chair for a nap.

"Sect Leader."

Lu Qianqian said, "You truly are broad-minded."

Jun Changxiao said, "One should be broad-minded in life. The more you think about and care about, the more exhausting life becomes."

Lu Qianqian thought that made sense, but... she asked, "When the Hundred Sects Recruitment begins, how confident are you that we can recruit disciples?"

Jun Changxiao smiled confidently. "One hundred percent."

"Tch."

Because their storefronts were close together, the Long Saber Sect and Tiger Roar Sect people heard him and each sneered in disdain.

This Iron Bone Sect Leader was not very strong, not very old, yet he sure knew how to spout nonsense.

"Deacon Sun."

A Tiger Roar Sect disciple walked out and shouted, "Since we have nothing better to do, how about making a bet?"

"Oh?"

The Long Saber Sect deacon smiled. "What shall we bet on?"

The Tiger Roar Sect disciple deliberately glanced toward the Iron Bone Sect storefront. "Let's bet on how many people will come inquire about that trash sect once the Hundred Sects Recruitment begins."

The trash sect naturally referred to the Iron Bone Unyielding Sect.

"That's rather interesting."

The Long Saber Sect deacon smiled. "Let's have a wager, then."

The Tiger Roar Sect disciple declared loudly, "I bet that on the day recruitment begins, not a single person will come ask about it. The stake is one tael!"

The Long Saber Sect deacon smiled. "After all, it is one of the Hundred Sects. No matter how trashy it is, there should be some blind youngster who comes to inquire. I bet one person will ask on recruitment day. The stake is one tael!"

One tael was not much of a wager.

Neither of them truly cared about betting. Their main purpose was to mock the Iron Bone Sect.

It could not be helped.

Who told Jun Changxiao to set up his storefront between two Eighth-rate Sects? Borrowing their light was possible, but he would certainly have to pay a price.

Perhaps they were simply too idle. Hearing the wager between the Long Saber Sect and Tiger Roar Sect, martial artists from every sect began discussing it.

"Given the Iron Bone Sect's current state, no one will ask about it when recruitment begins."

"Besides, word has spread wildly throughout the city. Why would ambitious young men and women join such a trash sect?"

"Come to think of it, why has that pretty girl been standing inside the Iron Bone Sect's storefront? Could she be a disciple?"

"No way. Could such a rotten sect recruit a female disciple as beautiful as a flower?"

As the martial artists chatted, their gazes settled on Lu Qianqian.

It had to be said.

No matter where a beauty went, she was a dazzling sight.

"Qianqian."

Jun Changxiao said, "Come, massage my shoulders."

Lu Qianqian's willow-leaf brows furrowed slightly.

Jun Changxiao lowered his voice. "With so many people watching, give your Sect Leader some face."

"..."

Lu Qianqian walked over, lightly raised her hand, and began pounding with a steady thump, thump, thump.

The force she used was no different from pounding a sandbag. Though Sect Leader Jun was in agony and on the verge of collapse, before everyone's eyes, he put on an expression of pure enjoyment.

"Damn!"

"She really is an Iron Bone Sect disciple!"

"Where is justice in this world?!"

Seeing Lu Qianqian massage Jun Changxiao's shoulders, the martial artists from the various sects were not only astonished, but filled with deep envy.

Three days later.

The Hundred Sects Recruitment began.

Jun Changxiao sat in his chair with slumped shoulders, quietly waiting for young men and women to flood into the Training Ground.

Lu Qianqian said, "Sect Leader, do you need a shoulder massage?"

"No, no, no!"

Jun Changxiao hurriedly said, "I still want to live another couple of years!"

With recruitment beginning, every sect was busy making preparations, and no one bothered to ridicule the Iron Bone Sect anymore.

During these days of waiting, Jun Changxiao had learned quite a bit from the various sects. For example, some village or township had a talented youngster coming to participate in recruitment.

Although young men and women could freely choose which sect to join, the sects likewise needed to test their aptitudes to determine whether they qualified.

For example, higher-tier Eighth-rate Sects had certain aptitude requirements for recruiting disciples. Ninth-rate Sects were comparatively casual; as long as someone had even a trace of aptitude, they could enter the sect.

"At this Hundred Sects Recruitment, the popular target every sect is scrambling to win over is Li Qingyang, the direct descendant of Qingyang City's Li family."

"I heard that when he was fifteen, he was tested to possess a High-grade Spirit Root. If such a genius can be brought into a sect, there will definitely be benefits and no drawbacks."

While Jun Changxiao muttered to himself, he suddenly noticed the surroundings had fallen silent. He instinctively looked up and saw disciples from the two Eighth-rate Sects staring at him in astonishment.

"Hahaha!"

"Li Qingyang is Qingyang City's once-in-a-century genius. So many major sects are fighting over him, yet this guy actually wants to recruit him? There must be something wrong with his brain!"

"It's good to be young—he dares to dream of anything!"

Everyone burst into laughter.

Jun Changxiao was speechless. So even an offhand remark would be magnified by them? Had all his attribute points been added to hatred after he transmigrated?

"Sect Leader."

Lu Qianqian said softly, "Stop daydreaming."

Her words were like a knife stabbed straight into Jun Changxiao's heart. He slumped in his chair and wailed inwardly, Can I even keep being Sect Leader like this?!