That old fox had seen everything, after all!
While he was still racking his brains for something to say, the smile on Ren Wencai's face suddenly vanished.
"Hua Daiyi!"
Ren Wencai abruptly took a step forward, his beard and hair bristling. A terrifying pressure erupted like a collapsing mountain and a raging sea, locking onto Hua Daiyi in an instant.
"What kind of place do you think Wenjian Sect is? You think you can come and go as you please? And you dare try to poach one of my sect's disciples right in front of me?!"
"Do you really think Wenjian Sect has no one to stand up for it?!"
Before the words had even faded, countless streams of Sword Qi appeared from thin air, like a galaxy hanging upside down across the sky. In an instant, they sealed off every escape route Hua Daiyi had.
Yet at this critical moment, Hua Daiyi had already been prepared.
He had moved just before Ren Wencai's expression changed.
"Heh heh, Old Ghost Ren, don't get so worked up! I'm leaving right now, right now!"
He slapped the Wine Gourd at his waist, and a great mouthful of strong liquor gushed out, turning into mist that filled the sky.
Then his whole body shrank, and he actually melted into the wine mist, becoming a streak of Flowing Light. At an inconceivable speed, he forcibly tore through the still-incomplete Sword Qi barrier.
His voice still echoed in place, but he had already escaped several li away. He slipped off as smoothly as flowing water, clearly a seasoned offender.
Watching Hua Daiyi's Escape Light disappear over the horizon, Ren Wencai snorted, but didn't give chase.
After all, they were both men of standing. Chasing him down and getting into a fight would make too much of a scene, and that wouldn't look good.
"Good thing I kept my wits about me and came to take a look."
Ren Wencai turned his gaze from the horizon to the quiet little courtyard not far away, his heart still pounding with lingering fear.
"Otherwise, that old devil really would've gotten his way."
Remembering Gu Chengming's righteous refusal just moments earlier, the admiration in Ren Wencai's eyes grew even stronger.
"A promising young talent. To face such temptation and still hold fast to his principles—no wonder he could endure three years of desolation to cultivate the Ancient Bitter Sword. Such strength of character is truly rare."
Before coming here, he had gone out of his way to investigate Gu Chengming's background.
That investigation had turned up something so disgraceful that even he, the Great Elder, could hardly save face.
Gu Chengming had been in the sect for three years, and someone had fraudulently claimed the resources meant for him during the first two!
If this happened to any disciple, they would probably grow resentful toward the sect, or even want to leave it.
Just now, he had been on tenterhooks, afraid Gu Chengming would accept the offer.
If that happened, then even with power enough to reach the heavens, he couldn't stop Gu Chengming from choosing another patron.
After all, Wenjian Sect had wronged him first.
Sword Cultivators believed in keeping their thoughts clear and unburdened: if you had a grudge, repay it; if you had a grievance, settle it.
He had been treated unjustly, and now someone had come with a pile of benefits to poach him. If he agreed on the spot, that would be perfectly reasonable.
Thankfully, thankfully, Xiao Gu had such an excellent temperament.
But then Ren Wencai frowned, a sense of crisis rising in his heart.
He had refused this time, but what about next time? And the time after that?
Since Old Ghost Hua had set his sights on Gu Chengming, he certainly wouldn't give up easily.
If he kept at it and tried to tempt him with benefits, he might really manage to poach this promising talent.
At the thought, Ren Wencai could no longer sit still.
The "compensation" for Xiao Gu would have to be delivered sooner rather than later.
In the courtyard,
Gu Chengming sat cross-legged, eyes half-closed, pondering the Hidden Immortal Wine Sword Art he had just obtained.
There was nothing wrong with this Cultivation Method, except for one thing...
He couldn't cultivate it.
Looking at the system's messages—"Strength attribute does not meet the requirements," "Constitution attribute does not meet the requirements," and "Spirit attribute does not meet the requirements"—Gu Chengming thought, as expected.
Cultivating this kind of advanced Sword Art—or any advanced Cultivation Method, for that matter—came with strict attribute requirements.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have chosen Hundred Bones Cry, a Body Refining Technique with such a low threshold, back then.
"Looks like I still need to build a solid foundation first."
As he considered how he might improve his attributes, the atmosphere around him suddenly changed again.
That familiar sensation of being watched came creeping back. This time, the presence was even deeper and heavier than Hua Daiyi's.
Gu Chengming's heart jolted.
Again?
He hurried to his feet, bowed toward the direction the presence was coming from, and instinctively said,
"Senior Hua, what brings you back—"
Before he could finish, he looked up and saw that the person standing before him wasn't the disheveled old man with the Wine Gourd. It was an elder with a full head of white hair and beard, dressed in brocade robes and exuding an immortal bearing.
Not Hua Daiyi?
Gu Chengming's heart tightened, and he hurriedly shut his mouth.
Hearing the words "Senior Hua," Ren Wencai's expression stiffened almost imperceptibly.
But as an old fox who had lived for several centuries, Ren Wencai had impeccable control over his expression.
As if he hadn't heard a thing, he kept the same warm, spring-breeze smile on his face and spoke gently,
"Are you Gu Chengming?"
Gu Chengming quickly confirmed that he was, though his heart was pounding.
This elder had an extraordinary bearing. He was clearly an important figure in the sect. Why had he suddenly come looking for him?
"May I ask who you are, Senior?"
Ren Wencai smiled faintly, his calm voice carrying an unquestionable authority.
"I am Ren Wencai, the Great Elder of Huiyuan Gate."
Gu Chengming was startled. The Great Elder?
Had he been found out because he had just spoken with that old man from Hunyuan Sect? Was the Great Elder here to call him to account?
Gu Chengming felt uneasy as he wondered how he ought to explain himself.
But Ren Wencai waved a hand, signaling that he didn't need to be nervous. He even stepped closer, looking quite approachable.
"Xiao Gu, there's no need to stand on ceremony."
Ren Wencai regarded him with a kindly smile, his tone warm and familiar.
"I came today because of an old matter."
"An old matter?" Gu Chengming was taken aback.
"Precisely."
Ren Wencai nodded, his expression growing somewhat more serious.
"A few days ago, while the Department of Merit was reviewing the sect's past accounts, they unexpectedly uncovered a disgraceful affair."
"You've been in the sect for three years, and someone has been fraudulently claiming your monthly resources for the first two. The sect failed to properly supervise things, and you've suffered for it."
Gu Chengming was puzzled. Would the Great Elder of Huiyuan Gate really come to see him over something so minor?
"As for the resources that were fraudulently claimed, I've personally prepared a compensation package for you."
As he spoke, Ren Wencai pulled a heavy brocade pouch from his sleeve and held it out to Gu Chengming.
Gu Chengming accepted the pouch without thinking. It felt quite heavy in his hand.
When he opened it, he saw several exquisite Jade Bottles arranged neatly inside. Even with the stoppers on, their scent was refreshing and fragrant.
"There's a Glazed Pure Consciousness Pill in here, along with several Spirit Awakening Clear Consciousness pills."
Pointing to the Jade Bottles, Ren Wencai explained earnestly,
"I heard you've been diligently cultivating Sword Intent. That's good. But the path of a Sword Cultivator isn't just about tempering the body; refining the mind is even more important."
"The Glazed Pure Consciousness Pill is a sacred treasure for cleansing the Divine Soul and purifying the Sword Heart. Once you take it, it can sweep away distracting thoughts and make your Sword Heart clearer. Your understanding of Sword Intent will also reach a higher level."
"The others are also pills that assist with cultivating Spiritual Sense. They're exactly what you need most right now."
He had carefully selected them after much thought and consideration.
In his view, since Gu Chengming cultivated the Ancient Bitter Sword tradition, resources for tempering the body would only weigh him down. They might even disrupt the cultivation ideal of "the more the body suffers, the firmer the will becomes."
But pills for the Divine Soul were different.
Bitter Sword Cultivators believed that while the body should suffer, the Divine Soul should be as clear and powerful as possible.
Only with a powerful Divine Soul could one better wield the innate Sword Intent honed through hardship.
That was why he had specifically chosen these priceless pills, which wouldn't disrupt the atmosphere of "bitter cultivation."
If converted into ordinary Spirit Stone resources, their value would be dozens of times greater than the two years' worth of resources that had been fraudulently claimed from Gu Chengming!
Gu Chengming didn't know the exact value of these pills, but just hearing their names and smelling their fragrance told him they were no ordinary treasures.
"This..."
Gu Chengming hurriedly cupped his hands and thanked him.
"Thank you for your generosity, Great Elder! This disciple... I really..."
"Ah, no need to say more."
Ren Wencai waved his hand, cutting him off with a chuckle.
"This is what you deserve. The sect made a mistake, so naturally it must make amends. If you cultivate well, that will be the best repayment you can give the sect."
The two exchanged a few more pleasantries.
The interaction went smoothly, and the atmosphere was quite cordial.
Seeing that Gu Chengming had accepted the pills and felt nothing but gratitude toward the sect, rather than resentment, Ren Wencai finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Very well, I won't disturb your cultivation any longer."
Ren Wencai patted Gu Chengming on the shoulder and offered one last earnest reminder.
"Practice your sword well. If you run into any difficulties, or... if any other strange people come looking for you, come straight to me."
After speaking, he shot a meaningful glance toward a certain spot beyond the courtyard, then blurred into a breeze and drifted away.
Over the next few days, Gu Chengming lived quite lavishly.
The Glazed Pure Consciousness Pill truly deserved its reputation as one of the finest Second Realm Pills. Its effects were immediate.
Whenever its Medicinal Power dissolved, Gu Chengming felt as if a clear spring flowed through his mind, washing away all his tangled thoughts.
That feeling of keen awareness and crystal-clear clarity felt even more satisfying than running the Clear Heart Art at full power for dozens of cycles.
Most important of all was the indescribable sensation of sudden insight.
When he encountered something obscure while practicing his sword in the past, he now only had to ponder it a little before understanding dawned on him as if enlightened from above.
But problems soon followed.
His understanding of the Huiyuan Sword Art was already profound, and the limits of this Basic Sword Art were plain to see.
It was like asking a university professor to solve elementary-school math problems. Even if he ate all the brain-boosting walnuts in the world, he might solve them a little faster, but his mathematical ability would hardly improve at all.
Even while practicing his sword on pills that cost a fortune, he still gained very little from his thoughts and discoveries.
The biggest problem was—
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