Singing, Dancing, Rap

"Oh, oh." The young man issuing the missions froze for a moment, then hurriedly took out a pile of wooden plaques and placed them on the table for Xu Zimo to choose from.

Xu Zimo watched Xiao Guizi throw his weight around beside him like a fox borrowing a tiger's might, but did not stop him. Smiling, he said, "Bring me some unrated missions for me to look over."

When outsiders posted missions at the True Martial Sacred Sect, there were some whose level of danger even the people issuing them did not understand.

Such missions were therefore classified as unrated.

If disciples accepted this kind of mission, they would receive rewards afterward according to the mission's difficulty.

The young man issuing missions nodded and took out another pile of wooden plaques. He reminded him, "Senior Brother Xu, the danger level of these missions is unknown. Be careful when choosing."

Xu Zimo smiled and nodded. He looked through them, then selected one wooden plaque and held it in his hand.

The mission on the plaque said that Steward Hu's household in Ten Mile Town had recently been haunted. He wanted to invite some capable martial artists to capture the evil ghost.

Xu Zimo left the Mission Hall with the plaque in hand. Along the way, Lin Ruhu asked curiously, "Brother Zimo, are there really ghosts in this world?"

"That depends on how you understand ghosts," Xu Zimo explained with a smile. "There are none born of heaven and raised by earth, but there are those created by people."

At this moment, Vice Sect Master Xu Qingshan and the seven great elders were all gathered in the main hall of the True Martial Sacred Sect.

"Vice Sect Master, I believe we should devote a great deal of resources to her," Sixth Elder Xiao Yuexuan said. "Xiao'er has inherited the Empress's legacy and obtained the Flying Immortal Body.

"She is absolutely qualified to contend for the Heavenly Mandate. Perhaps in this generation, our True Martial Sacred Sect may produce another Empress."

"Sixth Elder is being too emotional," the First Elder said from the side. "How could the Heavenly Mandate be so easily contested? Besides, how long has Baili Xiao been in the True Martial Sacred Sect? She has no sense of belonging at all."

"Oh? Then what does First Elder suggest?" Xiao Yuexuan asked blandly.

"Yu'er is the most talented of this generation in the Sacred Sect. Everyone has seen his emperor-grade talent with their own eyes," the First Elder said slowly. "Moreover, he was raised right under our noses. We can cultivate him without concern."

"I think my eldest disciple, Xiao Xinghe, is also quite good," the Second Elder interjected from the side.

"Xiao Xinghe will not do. I heard he often peeps at the female disciples bathing. His conduct is improper," the First Elder said with a frown.

The Second Elder fell silent for a moment, wanting to seek justice for his eldest disciple.

At that moment, he dearly wanted to stand up and roar at everyone, "The one who peeps at female disciples bathing is me. It has nothing to do with my disciple."

But the Second Elder feared he would not preserve his reputation in his old age. After some thought, he recalled the saying: a teacher for a day, a father for life.

And besides, a father's debts were repaid by his son. Thinking of it that way, the Second Elder felt much better.

He no longer felt the slightest guilt over throwing his disciple into the pit.

"What does Seventh Elder think?" After pondering for a while, Xu Qingshan looked at the man who had remained silent in the corner and asked.

The Seventh Elder of the True Martial Sacred Sect gave off an especially refined air. He looked like a scholarly student, dressed in a gray robe with his hair tied into a topknot.

There was no heaven-piercing aura about him. He looked utterly ordinary, like a common schoolteacher.

The Seventh Elder smiled and replied, "I also think Baili Xiao's talent is quite good. If she proves to have no issues after being examined, she is worth cultivating with all our strength.

"I heard that the Divine Sun Sacred Sect has already chosen candidates for its Holy Son and Holy Maiden, preparing to nurture them heavily for the contest over the Heavenly Mandate. We should not fall behind others either."

Upon hearing the Seventh Elder's words, Xiao Yuexuan smiled. "The Five Sons of Ten Thousand Formations, Seventh Elder's disciples, are all extraordinarily gifted as well. They are not much inferior to Xiao'er."

"They will not do," the Seventh Elder said, shaking his head without further explanation.

"The selection of the Holy Son and Holy Maiden cannot be handled carelessly," Xu Qingshan said after pondering for a moment. "Since none of us can make up our minds, why not hold a competition?"

"I disagree," Xiao Yuexuan objected. "How long has Xiao'er been practicing martial arts? Such a competition would be unfair to her."

"Sixth Elder, there was never any such thing as fairness in this world. Besides, Baili Xiao inherited the Empress's legacy, so she may not lag far behind," Xu Qingshan said. "I am not saying we should compete right now. In half a year, our True Martial Sacred Sect will hold the Seven Sects Grand Competition. At that time, we can select candidates for Holy Son and Holy Maiden according to their results in the competition.

"After all, we must decide from many aspects. We cannot judge based solely on talent."

Hearing that it would only be held half a year later, Xiao Yuexuan thought it over. Feeling that there was ample time, she agreed.

"I have no objections." The other elders nodded in succession as well.

After the meeting ended, Xu Qingshan summoned Xu Zimo alone to Qingshan Peak.

"What do you think of that girl named Baili Xiao from today?" Xu Qingshan asked probing him.

"She's so-so." Xu Zimo knew what his father meant.

"I discussed it with Sixth Elder, and we have decided to betroth her to you," Xu Qingshan said after a moment of silence.

"As expected." Xu Zimo smiled. It was the same script as in his Previous Life!

In his Previous Life, the first time he met Baili Xiao was at the moment she inherited the Empress's legacy.

He had been deeply captivated by her beauty, temperament, and talent.

When his father had planned to betroth Baili Xiao to him, he had been beside himself with joy.

Baili Xiao had readily agreed as well, raising no objections. Everything had seemed so natural and inevitable.

But later, Xu Zimo learned that he had merely been a chess piece for her to toy with.

Back then, Xu Zimo had been like a lapdog, constantly circling around the young girl.

Yet she had been exceedingly cold toward him. Whenever Xu Zimo grew disappointed and was about to give up, Baili Xiao would offer him a little sweetness, reigniting his hope.

He had been toyed with in someone else's palm.

Baili Xiao's Aunt was the Sixth Elder of the True Martial Sacred Sect. Combined with her status as Xu Zimo's fiancée and the backing of Xu Qingshan's influence,

she could run rampant throughout the entire True Martial Sacred Sect. Using its resources, she steadily grew stronger bit by bit.

Then, once she had truly matured, she destroyed her engagement with Xu Zimo in a single sentence and turned around to throw herself into the arms of her Brother Chu Yang.

The True Martial Sacred Sect had merely been a stepping stone in her life. Probably no one had expected that a girl from an ordinary mountain village would possess such ambition.

Recalling the bleak first half of his Previous Life, Xu Zimo could not help but smile mockingly at himself.

"She isn't my type." Returning from his thoughts to the present, Xu Zimo smiled and refused.

"What do you like?" Xu Qingshan asked in return.

"I like..." Xu Zimo was silent for a moment, then answered confidently, "singing, dancing, rap, and basketball."