Chapter 4

Although Su Jiu desperately wished they would not go, they still set out as scheduled.

The Su Family Head stroked Su Jiu's head. "Be good, Jiu. Daddy will be back soon."

Su Jiu pouted. Only after seeing that the Su Family Head was indeed wearing the soft armor properly did she let go.

Watching the Su Family Head and the Su Household Disciples recede into the distance, Su Jiu sighed. "Mother, I keep feeling something bad will happen this time."

Madam Su crouched down with a smile and pinched Su Jiu's little cheek. "You're such a tiny little thing, and already you're worrying about all this. If you want to be able to help in the future, hurry off and practice your sword."

Su Jiu did not know that as Madam Su watched her walk away, sorrow crept between her brows as well.

Time passed little by little. Finally, one day, the people from the Bai Lineage returned. Just as in her previous life, only one or two in ten came back, and every one of them was wounded.

One after another, the people from the Li Lineage and the Chen Lineage returned as well.

Even Madam Su, normally so composed, began to look anxious.

The other disciples of the lineage grew increasingly silent. Only on the very last day of June did the people from the Su Household finally return.

Thankfully, ninety percent of the Su Household's people had returned, though all of them were injured.

The once rather quiet Su Household soon bustled again, with some tending wounds and others reuniting with their loved ones.

Yet when asked what had happened this time, no one answered.

Given her position, Madam Su soon pieced together some of the truth. "Did those above issue an order to keep silent?"

The Su Family Head nodded, then took some pills and Magic Treasures out of his Storage Bag.

"This is compensation."

Madam Su did not even look at the compensation. She merely gave a somewhat mocking smile. "Can these buy back the lives of our Su Household Disciples?"

They looked at each other in silence, but both understood one thing: they depended on the Azure Tide Sect for their survival. What could they do except accept it? Protection had to be repaid.

Whether to join this sort of "hunt" had never been their choice. They simply had not expected it to be so perilous this time.

"We owe a great deal to little Jiu this time."

Madam Su nodded. The little girl had never been one to make unreasonable demands, yet this time she had been unusually stubborn. Perhaps she, too, had encountered some extraordinary fortune.

Meanwhile, the ice basin in Su Jiu's room had just been replaced when Su Mianmian followed right behind, carrying a heap of fruit in her arms.

She was still in the doorway when she called, "Come give me a hand."

With a helpless air, Su Jiu took half the fruit and led her back into the bedroom.

"I don't know if I'm imagining it, but even though it's already July, I actually feel like the temperature has dropped again." Su Mianmian fanned herself while munching on a piece of fruit, half-sprawled in a chair and looking quite content.

You probably aren't imagining it. This temperature probably has something to do with Great March Mountain, Su Jiu thought.

"The Azure Tide Sect's people will be here in two days. How are your preparations coming?" By this time next year, she would be able to draw qi into her body and would no longer have to rely on an ice basin to get through every summer. With that thought, Su Jiu edged a little closer to the ice basin.

"The two of them started packing for us two days ago."

The mention of packing suddenly reminded Su Jiu that in this lifetime, she still had no Storage Ring. Never mind a Storage Ring-she probably could not even afford a Storage Bag right now.

Su Jiu smiled bitterly. She really was starting over from scratch in every possible way, poverty included.

The weather was clear, with not a cloud for ten thousand miles.

In the blink of an eye, an enormous Flying Boat descended from the sky above Peace City. There were already a number of children aboard, most between six and sixteen years old, along with a few adults and people dressed in white.

Not everyone aboard the Flying Boat disembarked. Only a few white-robed people came down. Two had black waves embroidered along their cuffs, while the other two had blue waves embroidered along theirs.

The young man in a white robe with blue embroidery gently waved his sleeve, and an enormous White Jade Disc appeared before the crowd. To its right was a long, transparent tube, while its center was carved with the pattern of the Eight Trigrams. Images of divine beasts were carved around its edges as well, making it look exquisitely crafted.

The Four Great Households had gathered there, and all turned their eyes toward the White Jade Disc in the middle.

The young woman in a white robe with black patterns stepped forward and announced loudly, "The White Household Spirit-Root Test begins."

The first to step forward was a child from the Bai Lineage's direct bloodline. Four rays of light swiftly shot from the White Jade Disc: red, blue, green, and yellow. The yellow progress bar rose the highest.

The other young man in a white robe with black patterns quickly recorded the result. "Bai Chang, four-element spirit roots. Fifty percent metal, forty percent fire, thirty percent water, thirty percent wood. Lower-middle aptitude."

The boy named Bai Chang went pale. Then his eyes reddened, and he nearly burst into tears.

Another boy from the Bai Lineage stepped forward next. This time, the White Jade Disc lit up in two colors: red and black.

The young man recording the results gave a surprised murmur. Looking at the boy on the White Jade Disc, he nodded and announced, "Bai Rong, seventy percent earth, twenty percent fire. Generating spirit roots. Upper-middle aptitude."

Joy immediately spread across Bai Rong's face.

"Get down if you're done. What are you grinning about?" The boy who spoke was somewhat chubby, his eyes harsh. "No matter how excellent your spirit roots are, you're still just a servant's son."

He then yanked the boy off the platform and stepped onto it himself.

His actions made all four Azure Tide Sect disciples frown, but he remained completely oblivious.

He stood there for a while, yet the stone platform showed no reaction. Growing anxious, he snapped, "You stupid thing, test me already!" He stamped his foot as he spoke.

The young man recording the results looked colder. "Bai Sha, no spirit roots."

As soon as his words fell, laughter rose from below.

Simply having no spirit roots would not have made anyone laugh, but having none and still acting so arrogantly was rather obnoxious.

"Do you fucking know who I am?" Bai Sha pointed at the young man recording the results, nearly jabbing his finger into his face.

The young woman from the Azure Tide Sect's Outer Gate flicked her sleeve, flinging Bai Sha straight off the white jade platform. Her expression was stern. "Is this how the Bai Lineage of Peace City teaches its children?"

When Bai Sha began causing trouble, a Bai Lineage disciple had already gone to inform the Head of the White Household. Learning that his son had stirred up trouble, the household head rushed over in a blazing hurry, only to arrive a step too late.

At the sight of the four people standing on the raised platform, his knees involuntarily weakened. "Fellow Daoists, my apologies, my apologies. I've spoiled my youngest son until he's become rather lawless. Please forgive him." The somewhat overweight household head was already drenched in sweat from hurrying over. Seeing the cold expressions of the four Azure Tide Sect disciples on the platform, he broke out in an even heavier cold sweat.

"Heh. A bone age of sixteen, and you still call him young? That's the funniest joke I've ever heard. If the Bai Lineage no longer wishes to receive the Azure Tide Sect's protection, you can say so outright. Sending some wet-behind-the-ears brat to provoke us-what tremendous nerve."

The household head panicked at those words. Without the Azure Tide Sect's protection, the other three great aristocratic clans would carve them up until nothing remained. "You disgraceful son, get on your knees!"

"Father, why are you afraid of them? Didn't the Heavenly Dawn Sect send people to our household just a couple of days ago?"

Furious, the household head slapped Bai Sha. How had he fathered such an idiot? The Heavenly Dawn Sect devoured people without even spitting out the bones-how could such a sect possibly offer benefits for nothing? He had refused them outright at the time, never imagining that his son had seen their people entering the house.

"Oh? People from Tianli approached you?" This time, the speaker was the man with blue waves embroidered on his cuffs. He looked slightly older than the other three and had not spoken until now.

The household head trembled with fear. "They came once, but we already refused them."

Silence fell over the gathering. Afraid that the Azure Tide Sect disciples before him would not believe him, the household head gritted his teeth and declared loudly, "I dare swear a heart-demon oath that we will never betray the Azure Tide Sect. Otherwise, may the Bai Lineage never again produce a single disciple with spirit roots."

Su Jiu was startled. That was an exceedingly vicious oath.

The Azure Tide Sect Inner Gate Disciple was silent for a moment, then nodded to the two Outer Gate disciples. "Continue."

Seeing the Spirit-Root Testing Ceremony resume, with no further trouble directed at him, the household head let out a breath of relief. Then he glanced at his good-for-nothing son and felt as though he had aged ten years.