Unexplained Resentment

A thought flashed through Yue Shuo's mind—the best path for a guest disciple.

Marry a daughter of the Qin Clan... truly become part of the Qin Clan!

Uh, could it be that he had caught someone's eye at the age of twelve, and they wanted to arrange a childhood betrothal?

This soft rice—no, this marriage... should he agree to it?

"Young Master, hurry and get ready, then head over early! The other disciples are almost there already!" Gu Jiu's face was full of excitement and exhilaration.

"The other disciples? Chong Ying and Tian Wan?"

Yue Shuo's wild imaginings cooled at once. Hearing that there were other disciples, he immediately thought of Zou Chongying and Tian Wan.

Gu Jiu looked puzzled.

"Uh, Young Master Zou and Young Master Tian shouldn't need to go, right? They aren't taking the spirit plant cultivation and Talisman Crafting path..."

Spirit plant cultivation and Talisman Crafting?

Yue Shuo silently gave Gu Jiu a look.

Gu Jiu felt that his young master's gaze was a little chilly. He took a step back and carefully asked:

"Young Master, what's wrong?"

"Who's coming? Where are we going? Where did you hear about this?"

Yue Shuo lowered his head and inspected his appearance.

After arriving on the island, Gu Jiu had collected all his daily necessities and clothes for him. Beneath his outerwear, he still wore the close-fitting garments from before.

On the outside, he wore the standard brownish-yellow and grayish-white clothing.

Only after reaching Qi Refining Level One could one change into disciple robes—the pure white kind with embroidered patterns.

They looked quite immortal, those outer robes.

Yue Shuo had never been particularly demanding about what he wore, just as he had been about food before. As long as it kept him alive, that was enough.

After checking that his clothes were neat and carried no strange odor,

Yue Shuo still used a Foundational Dust-Cleaning Garment-Cleansing Talisman on himself.

A Dust-Cleaning Talisman and a Garment-Cleansing Talisman referred to the same type of talisman. Both were Foundational Talismans used to clean one's surroundings and oneself.

The effect was not bad. Aside from briefly tidying his hair again,

making himself look cleaner and more refreshed,

he listened to Gu Jiu's explanation. He used the array token to conceal the Spirit Field in mist, then lifted his chin in indication.

"Let's go, then!"

Having spirit plant cultivators and talisman crafters come to take disciples was neither good nor bad news for him.

Of course, since he had encountered it,

there was no harm in striving for it.

As Yue Shuo walked, he pondered and asked Gu Jiu, "After taking a master, do I have to stay by my master's side all the time?"

Gu Jiu answered with complete certainty:

"Of course!"

He said cheerfully, "That way, Young Master, you'll have someone to rely on, and you won't have to keep looking over your shoulder..."

At that, Gu Jiu's tone sank slightly.

He seemed to have recalled his previous grievous injuries, as well as those days filled with tense atmosphere.

Yue Shuo's steps halted.

He suddenly did not want to go.

After all, his cultivation and growth speed was not as slow as everyone else's.

Even though he did not constantly keep track of other people's cultivation,

he still knew that

among this batch of Prospective Disciples, Zou Chongying, the one with the best talent, was only currently in seclusion trying to advance to Qi Refining Level One.

He had not even broken through yet.

Yue Shuo had also asked Gu Jiu about it.

"But I hold a post. Do I have to abandon the Spirit Fields here in Little Brook Valley?" Yue Shuo murmured as though talking to himself.

Gu Jiu was, after all, a First-Class Martial Artist. Naturally, he heard him.

After thinking it over, he said:

"Perhaps they'll give you a new Spirit Field..."

Yue Shuo truly did not want to go.

But seeing that they were already halfway there, and Gu Jiu was so excited, turning back now would probably draw even more attention.

Forget it. He would go take a look!

After all, according to Gu Jiu, a martial guard from the External Affairs Pavilion had specifically come to notify him.

At worst, he could perform a little worse and hide his abilities.

Once he had made up his mind,

Yue Shuo's steps became calm and unhurried.

After reaching Qi Refining Level One, his physique had improved further with cultivation. Naturally, his traveling speed was not slow.

Without using a Swift-Step Talisman, he arrived at the External Affairs Pavilion after walking for a little over ten minutes.

There was an open space outside the pavilion.

Several disciples with martial servants were already waiting there.

There were quite a few of them.

After estimating their number, Yue Shuo realized that among the newcomers of his batch, everyone seemed to be present except Zou Chongying and Tian Wan.

There were also several youths who did not seem to belong to their batch.

Including him, there were a full fifteen people.

Gu Jiu was also surprised to see so many people. Yet soon after, he stood calmly behind his young master.

His bearing was not the slightest bit inferior to that of the other three First-Class Martial Artists present.

Drawing all three of their gazes toward him.

Yue Shuo realized that because of Gu Jiu, he had become the most eye-catching cub in the crowd. Speechless though he was, he was not afraid.

He returned the gazes and smiles directed his way with his own steady look.

His calm composure made the other youths, none older than their teens, withdraw their gazes with slight embarrassment.

Two months

had brought earth-shaking changes to the Prospective Disciples who had arrived on the island in the same batch as Yue Shuo.

None of them still carried the frightened, uneasy eyes they had worn when first arriving on the island.

Their brows and eyes had all become much more composed.

This was brought about by drawing in spiritual energy, entering meditation, and cultivating with a tranquil heart. Cultivating morning and evening, meditating into stillness, had an immense effect on one's temperament.

Yet among the dozen or so people present,

one person still drew Yue Shuo's attention more than anyone else.

He looked oddly at the sturdy youth dressed in coarse, shabby clothes. This youth was the only one without a martial servant behind him.

Though he had no martial servant, no one mistook him for a servant.

Because his face was full of... stubborn arrogance?

Yue Shuo searched through possible descriptions and found this word, perhaps one that barely fit.

He could even see

dislike for that person in some of the people around them.

Everyone else kept some distance from him. Perhaps because of that, he instead stood out all the more.

Yue Shuo's scrutinizing gaze seemed to have alerted the other party.

The youth looked toward Yue Shuo.

His eyes carried an air of resentment. Yue Shuo frowned when he saw it, displeasure rising in his heart.

What was wrong with this person?

Did he have a grudge against him?

At that moment, Gu Jiu stepped forward and blocked Yue Shuo from view, cutting off that gaze.

Yue Shuo, meanwhile, fell into thought.

Who was that person?

He did not seem to be a disciple from their batch, yet he looked a little familiar, as if Yue Shuo had seen him somewhere before.

Yue Shuo followed his memories back for a while.

He immediately recalled where he had seen him.

After all, Yue Shuo had only gone out twice since arriving on the island, and he clearly remembered everyone he had encountered on those two occasions.

He had seen this person on the road when he went to find Tian Wan and Chong Ying.

At the time, this youth had rushed past him with a group of people chasing after him.

There seemed to have been some conflict.

But when it came to people unrelated to him, Yue Shuo neither paid attention nor liked to join the excitement, so he had simply hurried past.

Yue Shuo was utterly speechless.

So, because Yue Shuo had ignored him while he was being chased,

this person had come to hate him?

But the atmosphere during that chase had not seemed like they were out to fight to the death.

Besides,

even if they had been fighting to the death, was he supposed to meddle in their business?

What the hell did it have to do with him?!

"Young Master, don't be afraid!"

Gu Jiu's voice entered his ears. Yue Shuo's face darkened. When had he ever been afraid!?

Before Yue Shuo could retort,

the doors of the External Affairs Pavilion opened.

A martial guard called out names at the entrance, and those called entered one after another.

Yue Shuo's name seemed to be farther down the list.

But he noticed that the youth in coarse clothes was called before him and went inside.

That person's name was... Cheng Fan!