Holy Crap, Dialogue Options?!

After all the twists and turns, the time had finally come to put the book on sale.

Honestly, this book had already done quite well, with around ten thousand people following it. I was very grateful that so many of you liked it.

When I first came up with this premise, I had a lot of ideas in mind. But before it got recommended, the numbers were so bad that I started to lose confidence. So I focused on writing exciting moments as much as I could. Looking back now, some of it does feel a little clichéd. Thankfully, the numbers picked up after the recommendations, and I gained a bit more confidence.

I'm actually very easily influenced by readers. That includes my first book, Offering Loyalty. Starting around the middle, readers began saying it wasn't good, and then the less confident I became, the worse I wrote. In the end, I could only wrap it up in a hurry. By the later chapters, I was too scared to even look at the comments in the discussion threads. I could only numb myself by picking up old foreshadowing and arranging things I'd already written, afraid that if I stepped out of line, even more people would curse me.

I learned my lesson with this book. I planned out nearly a million words of plot in one go, thinking that should be enough to avoid trouble. But I still got criticized over a cliffhanger.

Waaah, cliffhangers have become a habit. I really can't help it.

My original idea was that a "sound cultivator technique abandoned by its sect" would hate all Sword Cultivators. I gave it a "musical note" at the end of each sentence to highlight the technique's nature and lay down foreshadowing.

I don't play that game, and I'm not a fan of that character. At its core, the Flowing Cloud Following Moon Sword's personality and entire setup were meant to serve the Huiyuan Sword Art's "Bond Event." The initial reference was just there to give readers who caught it a knowing smile. It's like Hundred Bones Ming's personality: even if you've never read traditional fantasy novels, it won't affect your enjoyment at all.

Of course, all of this is my fault. If I'd published the whole thing at once, everyone could have read the entire storyline and wouldn't have said I was copying someone else's character concept to make money. I also hope everyone can discuss things rationally and not attack one another. I believe that even readers with complaints only want what's best for this book.

Of course, I'll do my best to avoid controversial character concepts like this in the future. I also hope you'll give me a little more trust.

The more I explain, the more mistakes I make. If I keep going, I'll ruin the pacing, so I'll just get straight to the update schedule.

The book goes on sale tomorrow, with at least five chapters. After that, I'll post at least four chapters a day.

Also, just like before, here's a launch-day bonus event.

One extra chapter per thousand daily recommendations (maximum one extra chapter per day).

One extra chapter per two hundred monthly votes (no maximum).

One extra chapter per two hundred reward blades.

If you've been following along and enjoying the story, please consider buying the first chapter.

It really means a lot to me. Please, waah.

Chapter 47: Chapter Forty-Four: Holy crap, dialogue options?!

The first rays of dawn filtered through the lattice window and fell across the bed.

The first thing Gu Chengming felt as his consciousness returned was pain.

It wasn't just pain in his flesh. Even the slightest movement pulled at his organs, and the pain was so bad he couldn't help groaning aloud.

"You're awake?"

A voice came from nearby, sounding rather exasperated.

Gu Chengming struggled to turn his head and saw Ren Wencai sitting in a chair beside him, a cup of tea in his hand as he watched with a complicated expression.

"Elder Ren..."

Gu Chengming parted his lips, his throat dry.

He instinctively tried to sit up and pay his respects, but the moment he exerted himself, a sharp pain shot through his chest and abdomen. He sucked in a breath.

"Ugh—"

"All right, all right. Don't move around."

Seeing this, Ren Wencai hurriedly set down his teacup. His face remained stern, but there was a trace of helplessness in his voice.

"Good thing I was right there watching and managed to protect your heart meridian in time. Otherwise, do you think you'd still be alive now? The backlash from the Sword Seeking Stone would've shattered you!"

Gu Chengming gave a wry smile and obediently lay still, weakly saying, "Thank you for saving my life, Elder... This disciple was reckless."

"You know you were reckless?"

Ren Wencai glared at him. His eyes held both anger and deep astonishment, along with a hint of relief.

He'd only meant to take the boy to broaden his horizons and temper his character a little.

Who could have guessed that the kid was a lunatic, daring to try to leave a mark on the Sword Seeking Stone at First Realm Level Five? Even ordinary Second Realm Cultivators wouldn't dare attempt it lightly.

"Your injuries are stable for now, but your meridians are badly damaged. You're going to lie still for the next few days. Don't even think about practicing your sword."

As he spoke, Ren Wencai pulled several bottles of pills from his sleeve and set them on the table. He continued to prattle on.

"What were you thinking? With your current cultivation, making it to the eightieth step—or even the eighty-fifth—would already be enough to prove your Dao Heart is unbreakable. That level of tempering would have been more than enough for you. There was no need to risk everything for that one slim chance..."

At that point, Ren Wencai's voice suddenly cut off.

He looked at Gu Chengming lying on the bed. His face was pale and his whole body was covered in wounds, yet his eyes held a clear, lucid light. Ren Wencai swallowed the lecture he'd been about to give.

There was no need to risk everything for that one chance to leave a mark? No need to stake your life on an empty reputation?

Reason told him that was right. As an elder, as a Sect Elder, he ought to teach his disciples to advance steadily and avoid reaching beyond their grasp.

But...

Ren Wencai remembered yesterday's dazzling sword strike.

There had been no flourishes, no clever tricks. It had been pure to the extreme, and resolute to the extreme.

That spirit of drawing one's sword without regret, of advancing even against a thousand foes—wasn't it what he'd pursued in his youth, only to gradually lose under the grind of time?

Wasn't this very spirit what Sword Cultivators cultivated? If reason could grind away even this edge, then what was the point of cultivating the sword?

"Alas..."

Ren Wencai let out a long sigh. His expression softened, and a hint of melancholy and envy slipped through.

"Forget it. What you did... was very good."

"Too much rigidity leads to breaking—that's certainly true. But if you can't even stand firm, how can you talk about breaking or not breaking? We Sword Cultivators are meant to be like this."

He stood and walked to the window with his hands clasped behind his back. Watching the morning sun outside, he spoke with some feeling.

"The world to come will ultimately belong to young people like you, with your unrestrained edge. Old fellows like us are just here to pave the way."

Gu Chengming was moved as he listened. He could sense the sincerity behind the words from this Great Elder, who usually seemed to have a mischievous streak.

"You flatter me, Elder," Gu Chengming said softly. "If you hadn't protected me, I'd already be dead. What future could I possibly have?"

"Hmph. Enough flattery."

Ren Wencai turned around, once more wearing his usual inscrutable expression, and pointed to the pills on the table.

"These are Rejuvenation Pills and Bone-Mending Paste. Take them three times a day without fail. Come see me again once you've recovered."

He didn't wait for Gu Chengming to reply. With a sweep of his sleeve, he turned and left the room.

Only after the wooden door creaked shut did Gu Chengming finally relax and let out a long breath.

He tried circulating his Spiritual Power. His Dantian was empty, and his meridians were like dried-up riverbeds. The slightest touch brought a dull ache.

Well, that settled it. He was officially an invalid.

His gaze fell on the bottles of pills.

Rejuvenation Pills and Bone-Mending Paste—these were all healing medicines meant for Second Realm Cultivators. For an Outer Sect Disciple, each bottle was worth a fortune.

Still, this also proved just how much he mattered to Ren Wencai.

Looks like he'd really have to stand out during the Disciple Assessment. Otherwise, he'd be letting Elder Ren down.

Of course, before that, he had to heal this half-crippled body of his.

Once he left the small courtyard, the stern look on Ren Wencai's face vanished at once. He walked briskly, even humming some nameless tune. He didn't look like a dignified elder at all.

"Heh heh..."

As he walked, he was practically bursting with delight.

Sure, he'd scolded Xiao Gu for taking such a reckless and foolish risk, but who could witness that feat without sighing, This kid is terrifying beyond belief?

If word got out, forget the Wenjian Sect—even the great Sword Cultivator sects wouldn't be able to make sense of it.

Those old fellows who usually looked down on everyone would be left with their jaws on the ground.

"Good thing I was clever and kept this under wraps."

Ren Wencai stroked his beard.

Naturally, he hadn't publicized the matter. He was the only one who knew that Gu Chengming had left a mark on the Sword Seeking Stone.

One Wine Old Man was already enough to make him guard against people like a thief. If he spread the word, it would be even harder to stop others from poaching Gu Chengming. The Huiyuan Gate had finally produced a promising young talent like this. He couldn't let someone else snatch him away.

"Oh, if it isn't Senior Brother Ren! What's got you so happy?"

Just as Ren Wencai was scheming to himself, a slightly effeminate voice suddenly came from ahead.

Ren Wencai stopped in his tracks. His smile vanished at once, and he silently cursed his bad luck.

He quickly put on a calm, even somewhat troubled expression and looked up. A middle-aged man in a blue Daoist robe stood on the path ahead.

He had a pale, handsome face, but his eyes gleamed with sharpness. He was Zhao Wuji, an elder of the Qingfeng Sect.

Zhao Wuji loved digging up bits of gossip and was a well-known busybody.

"So it's Junior Brother Zhao."

Ren Wencai cupped his hands and sighed.

"What is there to be happy about? I'm just making the best of a bad situation."

Zhao Wuji clearly didn't believe him. He looked Ren Wencai up and down, then stepped closer and said, "Senior Brother, there's no need to be so formal with me. I heard that early this morning, you personally took a disciple to the forbidden grounds in the Back Mountain. You even used your authority to open the Sword Seeking Stone's seal."

He then asked as if it were an afterthought, "For a disciple to earn Senior Brother Ren's attention—to the point that you'd use your privileges to take him to the Sword Seeking Stone for tempering—he must be an astonishing genius, right?"

Ren Wencai's heart tightened.

As expected, there were no walls without ears.

But he'd come prepared. He gave a wry smile and waved his hand.

"Junior Brother Zhao, you exaggerate. Genius or no genius, he's just the child of an old friend. His talent is... nothing special. I owed that old friend a favor, so I had no choice but to make an exception and take him to see the world. Perhaps then he'd know his limits and back down."

"The child of an old friend?"

Zhao Wuji sneered inwardly.

Like I'd believe that! What sort of person is Ren Wencai? If the kid had ordinary talent, would you personally take him to the Sword Seeking Stone? At most, you'd hand him some Spirit Stones and pills to send him on his way.

If you're paying this much attention to him, there has to be something going on!

He turned it over in his mind, then asked tentatively, "Senior Brother, don't try to fool me. I heard from the Steward guarding the forbidden grounds that something happened over by the Sword Seeking Stone after that disciple went in. And..."

Zhao Wuji stared hard into Ren Wencai's eyes and enunciated every word.

"I heard a new mark appeared on the Sword Seeking Stone."

At that, Ren Wencai sighed inwardly.

It seemed there was no hiding this after all.

The Steward guarding the Sword Seeking Stone wouldn't dare spread the news, but anyone determined to investigate could always find some clues.

Since he couldn't keep it secret, he'd just have to mix a little truth with a little deception.

Ren Wencai took a deep breath and, as though his secret had been exposed, wore an awkward, helpless expression.

"Alas, I knew nothing could escape those keen eyes of yours, Junior Brother Zhao."

He nodded and admitted, "That's right. The boy... did leave a mark on the Sword Seeking Stone."

Zhao Wuji was taken aback.

He'd really left a mark? Leaving a mark on the Sword Seeking Stone was undeniable proof of a peerless prodigy's talent.

No wonder that old fox had been keeping it under wraps!

Just as he was about to ask about the disciple's circumstances, Ren Wencai continued.

"But it's not as exaggerated as you imagine."