It Turns Out The Master's Wife Is Actually Me [GL] - Chapter 24

Chapter 24

 

Outside the testing realm, the instructors watching the live broadcast in real-time began to converse in low voices.

 

Du Minglan, seated in the center, had eyes curved with a spring-breeze smile. This Captain Cheng is quite an adept hand at commanding.

 

However, a somewhat aged middle-aged man showed a look of dissatisfaction. It’s nothing more than taking a risky, unorthodox path. Such commanding is perilous in the extreme. If it weren’t for the formidable skills of that wine-cultivator, this Qian-1 Team would have been eliminated from the realm immediately due to her impulsive leadership!

 

Du Minglan turned her head slightly, glancing at the Law-cultivator instructor working alongside her, and remained smiling. They are a team to begin with. Understanding a teammate’s skills and utilizing them expertly is precisely the healthiest team model. How can you call that ‘relying’ on someone?

 

As the Commander, Cheng Fu acts as the one overseeing the overall situation, utilizing the [Balanced Position] wine-cultivator, Gu Da, for both Pinning and Main Attack roles. How does that become ‘reckless commanding’ in your mouth, Instructor Hu?

 

Hu Feng snorted coldly and flicked his sleeves. Du Minglan, you are sharp-tongued; I will not argue with you. Since you like such opportunistic people, I, Hu Feng, have nothing more to say!

 

The lecture hall for observing the students’ performance in the testing realm was an isolated area with a specialized verification barrier. Only the invigilators inside and the grading instructors outside could enter; no unauthorized personnel were allowed to peek.

 

This barrier was originally airtight, a paradise of its own. But suddenly, a gust of piercing cold wind blew in, freezing the expressions on the instructors’ faces into masks of solemnity.

 

In the next moment, a white-clad sword cultivator with snow-white hair broke through the air and appeared.

 

Her features were frost-cold and stern; though she was clearly a peerless beauty, she inexplicably made people want to keep a respectful distance.

 

Sword Sovereign Yan? Aren’t you invigilating inside the realm? Why do you suddenly have the leisure to come here and watch the students’ live status?

 

Hu Feng, whose brow had been furrowed and whose old face had been sour just a moment ago, now looked like a changed man. He stood up eagerly, pushing his seat forward, his face covered in a greasy smile.

 

Yan Li didn’t even look at him, her face devoid of expression. She was clearly in a bad mood and didn’t care to offer much explanation.

 

For a time, the entire verification barrier fell into an awkward silence.

 

A wall of white crystal screens, stacked like a small mountain, was placed before the instructors to broadcast the testing realm’s situation in real-time.

 

The curved white crystal screens on the wall were densely packed. At this moment, most students were in the stage of battling their initial inner-demon boss.

 

The initial inner-demon boss was an opponent like the Old Father usually possessing extremely strong combat capabilities, but with very obvious fatal flaws. As long as the commander and the team members cooperated properly, they were not too difficult to defeat.

 

However, many students were entering this kind of trial mode for the first time. Although they had plenty of practical martial arts experience, it was very easy for their spirits to tremble when faced with an absolute power gap, leading to internal chaos.

 

On the mountain-like wall of white crystal screens, dozens had already gone dark.

 

A darkened screen meant a student’s heart-veins had ruptured in the testing realm, and they would be automatically sent out to the academy’s infirmary to rest.

 

A ruptured heart-vein in the testing realm wouldn’t cause a cultivator’s actual death; it would only leave their body weak upon exiting. With a month of good rest, they would be no different from a healthy cultivator.

 

Yan Li’s cold gaze swept over the instructors, finally locking onto the face of Hu Feng, whose skin was slightly sagging.

 

Instructor Hu Feng was already three thousand years old. The main reason he was hired as an instructor at the Zhiwang Mansion was his vast experience he was a rare survivor from the ancient era.

 

His strength was actually average among the instructors, but because of his experience and seniority, everyone treated him with the respect due to a senior. In daily life, people were polite and took good care of him, even refraining from assigning him too many classes for fear of tiring this living fossil.

 

Consequently, Hu Feng lived quite a leisurely life and grew increasingly fond of criticizing and evaluating the younger generation.

 

Cheng Fu had made quite a splash when she entered the mansion, and Hu Feng had noticed this high-profile disciple of the Sword Sovereign early on. But since he heard her cultivation was stuck at the early stage of Golden Core, he had stopped asking about her.

 

Yan Li’s cold gaze swept over the spiritual bead pens in the instructors’ hands, which were used to score the initial inner demons. Her voice was faint. All of you, go grade the Qian-1 Team. This Sovereign wishes to see how this team performs.

 

Cold sweat immediately broke out on the instructors.

 

They had clearly heard Hu Feng’s contemptuous discussion of the Sword Sovereign’s disciple just now; it was easy to imagine he wouldn’t give Cheng Fu a good evaluation.

 

Now that the Sword Sovereign was demanding they grade the Qian-1 Team in front of everyone, it was obvious she was dissatisfied with Hu Feng’s words.

 

Hu Feng’s hand tightened around the pen, veins bulging. His originally upturned mouth dropped, and then he unwillingly bowed his head to fill out the team’s scoring form.

 

Since this Yan Li insisted on protecting her own disciple, then don’t blame him for being unkind.

 

He, Hu Feng, had greeted her with a smiling face, yet this Yan Li didn’t appreciate it at all. Where was the sense in that?

 

Hu Feng believed himself to be a man of great seniority. Although Yan Li was a peak combat power in the Five Regions, she was only three or four hundred years old a junior, after all. He was an ancient-era cultivator; surely Yan Li wouldn’t dare to actually do anything to him.

 

So, he lowered his aged head and, huffing and puffing, forcefully circled a large D grade for Cheng Fu among the four rankings of A, B, C, and D.

 

Before his pen tip could leave the paper, he felt a gust of freezing snowy wind rushing straight toward the back of his neck.

 

Hu Feng turned his head in a bit of a panic, only to see Yan Li staring at him with a cold face.

 

Hu Feng’s sparse eyebrows shot up, and his eyes widened as he glared back. Sword Sovereign Yan, do not think that just because your cultivation is profound, you can ignore your ancient seniors.

 

His voice cut off as he saw Yan Li avert her gaze. Her slender fingers picked up a cleaning silk from the desk and draped it over her fingertips.

 

Then, with an expressionless face, Yan Li raised the hand covered by the silk and struck down swiftly toward Hu Feng’s palm resting on the paper.

 

Slender, fair fingers firmly gripped that wrinkled, old hand.

 

Hu Feng was still holding the spiritual bead pen; now he was gripped by Yan Li’s momentum, and the “D” grade was forcefully crossed out, making a shhh sound of friction on the special grading paper.

 

Without a change in expression, Yan Li repeated the process, using Hu Feng’s old hand to arrogantly draw a large circle around the A grade.

 

The fingertips, imbued with sharp sword intent, suddenly let go, and the cleaning silk fell to the ground.

 

Yan Li lowered her eyes, calmly casting a cleansing spell on her hand, and spoke the second sentence since arriving at the verification barrier:

 

Having lived so long yet possessing cultivation lower than a junior’s. This Sovereign feels you should be called an ‘Ancient Waste of a Snack’.

 

Inside the realm, Chen Qianru and Gu Da were sitting cross-legged, one behind the other, performing the one-on-one healing unique to medical cultivators.

 

The skills of a Soul Transformation-stage medical cultivator went without saying; Gu Da’s mangled shoulders were already beginning to grow new skin. The newly grown flesh was fresh and tender, giving off a sense of vibrant vitality.

 

Chen Qianru withdrew her hand from the spell, pulled out a branch of white jade ointment, dipped a bit on her fingertip, and focused on applying the medicine to Gu Da. Applying this will hurt more, but in a few hours, it will recover perfectly without leaving a scar.

 

Gu Da’s expression froze slightly, her eyelashes trembling. Her tone was flat. Don’t bother helping me; I can do it myself. The results for the initial stage of the Inner-Demon Realm should be transmitted through the wristband soon. Why don’t you check yours first?

 

After advancing from the initial inner-demon stage, there was a short break and a chance to check scores, lasting about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

 

The blood-stained white stone ground began to dissipate slowly, replaced once again by the tender green grass Cheng Fu had seen after crawling out of the tunnel.

 

Cheng Fu lay uninhibitedly on the soft grass, feeling quite leisurely. She picked a grass stem to chew on, her bright eyes half-closed. Just as she was wondering where her Master had gone, she heard Gu Da mention the scores appearing on the wristbands.

 

A few blades of grass poked at Cheng Fu’s face; her fair, petite nose was hidden in the shadows of the grass. She wrinkled her nose slightly and then brought her wrist to her eyes.

 

She squinted, infusing a few strands of spiritual energy into it, and a square, illusory shadow appeared before her a projection of the grading sheet corrected by the instructors in the verification barrier.

 

In the column for the initial inner-demon stage, two sets of handwriting chased each other, refusing to yield an inch between the A grade at the top and the D grade at the bottom.

 

But in the end, for some reason, the sloppy handwriting that had given her a D was crossed out by a beautiful, flowing hand, which then extended all the way to the A and drew a very heroic large circle.

 

She stared at this strange report card, unable to make sense of it.

 

Did two instructors grade her together and then get into a fight?

 

Yan Li’s faint voice suddenly rang out: An ‘A’? Our Little Fu is quite impressive.

 

Cheng Fu jumped up in shock, hurriedly closing the wristband projection, not knowing where to put her hands. She stammered, Ma… Master when did you get back?

 

The snow-haired sword cultivator gazed at her calmly for a moment and replied, I just arrived. I went to handle some matters and came back to check on you after finishing.

 

Having said that, she lowered her eyes. Good results.

 

Cheng Fu felt a bit shy, curving the corners of her lips. Then, as if remembering something, she asked, “Master, do you know which two instructors those two sets of handwriting belong to? The penmanship is quite nice; I’m thinking of visiting them after returning to the academy.”

 

Of course, she had no kind intention of visiting instructors; she simply wanted to know which instructor had given her that D.

 

Once she knew, she would immediately blacklist that instructor and never set foot in his classroom again.

 

Cheng Fu asked herself: even if her command performance during the battle wasn’t the absolute best, it certainly wasn’t bad enough to warrant a bottom-tier rating. An instructor who gave grades recklessly regardless of a student’s actual performance there was truly no need to attend his classes.

 

Upon hearing this, Yan Li’s habitually cold expression actually became somewhat solemn. She was silent for a moment, her lips moving slightly. You think which handwriting looks good?

 

Cheng Fu looked puzzled. Why was her Master concerned about this?

 

Her thoughts whirled, and she suddenly understood Yan Li’s intent.

 

Cheng Fu had long heard that a single paper shouldn’t be altered too much. Now it seemed the two sets of handwriting on her grading sheet must be her Master’s two different writing styles.

 

This question was her Master subtly asking her which style looked better!

 

Although she didn’t know when her Master had fallen in love with practicing calligraphy, her Master had always had an active-aggressive (tsundere) personality and never spoke directly. Looking at it this way, her understanding was likely ninety percent correct.

 

So, Cheng Fu lowered her brows and carefully studied the differences between the two scripts.

 

The one circling the “A” was fluent, clearly a practiced stroke; the handwriting on the “D” was a bit stuttered, looking as if an elderly person had written it with shaking hands.

 

Cheng Fu felt a sense of mischief. She stretched out her hand with a straight face, pointing at the sloppy handwriting on the “D,” and said seriously: “This handwriting is beautiful. Master, you must tell me which instructor’s masterpiece this is. As soon as the testing realm ends, I will definitely visit them in person and sign up for all of that instructor’s classes next semester!”

 

Having finished, Cheng Fu gave a bright smile and looked up at the expression on Yan Li’s face.

 

Yan Li’s eyes suddenly darkened, and not a trace of a smile remained on the frost-cold, beautiful face. Her voice was deep, with a hint of suppressed anger: “Is that so? Then by all means, go visit him, and don’t come looking for me in the future.”

 

Cheng Fu froze. Before she could speak again, Yan Li’s figure gradually vanished into the void just as she had come, as if she had never been there.

 

Master… what’s wrong? Was there something inappropriate in what she just said?

 

Cheng Fu was suddenly plunged into confusion, her heart drifting up and down. She felt inexplicably afraid; her Master was always reserved and subtle, and in all the days they had spent together, she had never shown such anger as today.

 

Although Master’s face was usually clear and cold without expression, Master was a big ice-block face to begin with; it was completely unreliable to judge her emotions by facial expressions alone.

 

Cheng Fu stood despondently on the spot, her eyes losing focus, to the point that she didn’t react at all to the few times Chen Qianru called her.

 

Chen Qianru waved a hand in front of her. Cheng Fu? What’s wrong? You were talking to yourself there just now, and now you’re ignoring us.

 

Cheng Fu barely managed to pull back her drifting thoughts and replied absent-mindedly, It’s nothing.

 

Chen Qianru sighed, condensed a soul-soothing spell in her palm, and gently pressed it against Cheng Fu’s dark hair. Don’t think too much; the testing realm has only just begun.

 

The tender green grass beneath their feet began to turn illusory. This was the testing realm using scene cues to remind the resting students: the next round of testing is about to begin; be prepared.

 

A strange fragrance reached the noses of the five members of the Qian-1 Team, making Xin Yunze and Liao Zilu sniff hard.

 

Cheng Fu looked up somewhat dazed, seeing herself standing in an ancient, simple study, with the Old Father now with two new scars on his face standing before her.

 

The Old Father’s face was no longer hideous and terrifying; he had returned to a normal human appearance, though his expression was more exhausted than before, with deep forehead wrinkles sagging slightly.

 

She turned to look at her teammates and found that the four of them, including Chen Qianru, had all become illusory figures, looking at Cheng Fu with confused expressions. They likely didn’t understand the current situation either.

 

The Old Father was holding a cloth bundle in his hand. The fabric was coarse and had turned yellow with time; in an inconspicuous corner, one could even see patches on it.

 

His rugged, ugly face moved slightly as he greeted Cheng Fu: Important things are all packed in this bundle. This bundle is an ‘Immortal Bag’; once it recognizes a master, it can only be opened by you.

 

A large, rough hand pressed onto Cheng Fu’s head. A faint white light flashed, and the bundle dimmed for a moment before glowing with a shimmering light, turning into a reflective surface like a bronze mirror. Reflected clearly inside was the face of a somewhat thin youth.

 

Cheng Fu stared fixedly at herself in the mirror. This was what the inner-demon host looked like as a teenager eyes containing the light of hope, not yet having the weathered look of someone who had succumbed to fate.

 

The youth’s face reflected on the bundle disappeared, followed by the Old Father’s raspy sigh:

 

If you truly want to learn the sword and seek immortality that much, Dad really can’t stop you.

 

I was young once, too. I understand the spirit and resentment in your heart but this really is a wrong path. I only understood after walking it myself being a so-called ‘immortal’ in others’ mouths isn’t any more carefree than being an ordinary mortal.

 

His deep gaze looked at Cheng Fu, the luster in his eyes growing brighter, as if covered by a ripple of water.

 

The Old Father’s eyes filled with tears.

 

Dad wanted to break your idea; I didn’t care if you hated me afterward. But at my age, I’ve only just realized, he looked up at the rafters, a droplet sliding down his square jawline: Reasoning is useless; the road must be walked by oneself.

 

Chen Xingzhi, Dad is telling you: don’t regret easily, and don’t walk the path of wicked arts.

 

The Old Father lowered his head again and carefully tied the bundle. His short, thick fingers looked clumsy, but they were remarkably nimble while tying the wrap not at all like those of a rough man with a scar across his face.

 

His expression returned to its usual carefree and uninhibited state as he roughly stuffed the Immortal Bag into Cheng Fu’s arms. Go. I’ve assigned four people to you. Set out to seek the Way.

 

Cheng Fu looked at the Old Father with a complex expression, her lips trembling slightly; she actually felt an impulse to say something to him.

 

Then the Old Father turned his back and waved his hand. No need to say more. Whether you remember me or not in the future, from now on, you are alone, and you have no friends or relatives to speak of.

 

Cheng Fu paused, then gripped the bundle in her hand and walked out without looking back.

 

The moment she stepped over the threshold, Cheng Fu saw her teammates’ figures gradually clear from their illusory state, turning into real people, though their outfits had all changed.

 

Xin Yunze looked down at his clothes and said dissatisfiedly: Why am I in a servant’s outfit? This young master is a real-deal young master; why am I a servant!

 

Cheng Fu didn’t want to deal with this overbearing servant and turned to look at the rest of the team.

 

There wasn’t much change in Chen Qianru, except that the appearance of her medicine pouch had changed into a simple cloth bag, no longer as exquisite as before.

 

Liao Zilu’s outfit was similar to Chen Qianru’s, but she was carrying a large traveler’s pack on her back.

 

Cheng Fu looked down at her own unchanged young master attire and felt the scene was quite strange.

 

She frowned and thought for a moment, finally realizing what was off.

 

Isn’t this the entire Qian-1 Team doing a collective cosplay?!

 

Gu Da’s voice came from her side: I am the traveling bodyguard.

 

The wine-cultivator, with her striking features, was dressed in short, practical clothes, her black hair neatly tied up an aura of dashing heroism that was quite stirring.

 

Liao Zilu looked at Gu Da with sparkling eyes. Sister Da, you’re so cool!

 

Gu Da nonchalantly tucked a stray hair behind her ear and hummed. I think so, too.

 

Cheng Fu: …

 

Servants in the manor quickly prepared the carriage. The master and the servant shared one carriage, while the hired medical cultivator and her assistant shared another. As for the bodyguard with high martial prowess, she naturally sat atop the carriage roof, where she could see the dangers ahead at a glance.

 

A more realistic explanation, however, was that a bodyguard shouldn’t sit in any carriage, and since Xin the Servant was responsible for driving the horses, the bodyguard could only occupy the roof.

 

Under the circumstances, it was quite a desolate sight.

 

Xin the Servant bittery drove the horses, turning to look at Cheng Fu inside the carriage, lamenting: Senior Sister, I actually think our roles could be swapped; I’m more suited to be the young master!

 

Cheng Fu was lazily leaning against the soft cushions of the carriage with her eyes closed. Hearing this, she didn’t even open them, saying casually: Forgotten? The Sword Sovereign hates disciples who constantly call themselves ‘young master.’ Be steady, you hear?

 

Xin Yunze immediately shut his mouth and stopped mentioning the role swap, honestly whipping the horses. But Cheng Fu, prompted by her own words, slowly opened her eyes.

 

She looked dazed at the exquisite and beautiful window frame of the carriage. The things “Master hates” were just something she had made up on the spot. If one were to ask what Master truly liked she couldn’t say.

 

Cheng Fu smiled bitterly and stopped looking at the scenery outside.

 

She still didn’t understand why her Master had left in anger. Indeed, frankly speaking, she hadn’t known Yan Li for long. How could she claim to understand her preferences or her temper?

 

Most of the analyses she had made were just her own self-righteous conjectures.

 

A Sword Sovereign at the peak of Great Mahayana and a replacement like her, who had transmigrated from the modern world—how could they ever be on the same path?

 

Cheng Fu gave a self-mocking, faint smile. These things weren’t hard to understand. She hadn’t wanted to think deeply about them before, simply because she wanted to indulge a bit longer in the tender times before her.

 

She was not, after all, a person of this world. Finishing the mission early and going home was the right path.

 

The rumbling sound of the carriage wheels grew clearer in Cheng Fu’s ears. From the sound, she could tell the carriage was no longer in the wild, but had moved onto a man-made stone-paved road.

 

The stone slabs were not smooth, with slight jolts; they must have entered a bustling small town.

 

Xin Yunze’s voice came intermittently from outside the swaying carriage curtains: We’ve reached the Wudao Continent! I didn’t expect this place to be so close. It didn’t tire out this young mas—ptui, ptui, ptui, what young master! It’s me.

 

The noise of the surrounding crowd grew louder, and Xin Yunze’s complaints about driving the carriage became less noticeable. Damn it, I can’t control the direction of this carriage at all; it’s all the testing realm’s Inner-Demon Script! So annoying!

 

Cheng Fu listlessly lifted the carriage curtain to watch the people coming and going in the bustling town.

 

She had sharp eyes and, in a flash, saw a youth in dark brown short clothes with a shifty gaze and a rat-like face. He was standing in a corner of the street, frequently glancing toward the two carriages on Cheng Fu’s side.

 

Cheng Fu frowned. This person’s clothes were somewhat scruffy, he was tall and thin, and his sharp features made him look less like an honest resident and more like a wandering swindler specialized in deceptive schemes.

 

The jolting of the carriage suddenly stopped with a Whoa!” Xin Yunze halted the horses and shouted: The Inner-Demon Script is over; we’ve likely reached the place. Out, out!

 

Cheng Fu nimbly pulled back the curtain and hopped off the carriage. Sounds of landing followed one after another as Chen Qianru and Liao Zilu quickly walked forward.

 

The [Inner-Demon Script] had guided them to park in front of an inn that was simple to the point of being crude.

 

The plaque over the inn’s door hung crookedly, and the red-painted characters were clearly peeling. It seemed to have been operating here for quite some time.

 

Pingan (Safe) Inn.

 

Cheng Fu stared at this sign. Usually, something was bound to happen in such a commoner’s inn. Martial arts disputes were prone to arise in such mixed and chaotic places.

 

It was called Safe, but in reality, the most unsettling place was an inn like this.

 

Liao Zilu stood with her hands on her hips, looking at the entrance, and rubbed her nose in confusion. No way. This young master’s own bedroom at home was magnificent. Why would he stay in such a broken inn while out traveling?

 

Hearing this, Cheng Fu looked down at the “Immortal Bag” hanging at her waist. It was bulging, and through the slightly open gap, one could see a flash of brilliance; clearly, there was no lack of money inside. He shouldn’t have to stoop to staying in such a cheap inn.

 

“Did we miss some part of the Inner-Demon Script?” Cheng Fu asked.

 

Xin Yunze immediately jumped up and wailed, No, Senior Sister! I drove the carriage all the way; if the route deviated even slightly, the testing realm would force it back. How could I have missed a part? I drove until I felt like vomiting!

 

Just then, an inn attendant suddenly walked out.

 

The attendant was all smiles, greeting Cheng Fu with great diligence and enthusiasm. Ah, this way, please! Are you guests headed for Zhiwang? This small shop is best at welcoming such distinguished guests. We even have internal channels to help you better for the Zhiwang exams!

 

The members of the Qian-1 Team suddenly fell silent.

 

Could this young master have been lured into this inn by such an obvious scamming pitch?

 

Before Cheng Fu could answer, her hands and feet moved uncontrollably, following the attendant’s steps into the inn.

 

Cheng Fu:..

 

She looked down at her limbs, which had begun to move in coordinated motion on their own, her eyes empty.

 

Little Master Chen, you really are a genius.

 

The hall on the first floor of the inn was crowded and very noisy. The exterior of the inn was broken and dilapidated, but the interior was unexpectedly clean and tidy, not as crude as the storefront.

 

There were many men and women in fine clothes in the hall, drinking, singing, and joking. The lines of servants beside many tables were long, showing that many inside were young masters and ladies from wealthy families.

 

The attendant led the five to a round table in the hall and said with a smile: Guests, our shop has a seating fee. The round tables in the hall are two taels of silver per person, and the private rooms are ten taels. What do you think?

 

Liao Zilu’s brow immediately furrowed, and she said sharply: “You black-hearted shopkeeper! Two taels is enough for me to get four or five top-tier rooms in another inn. To just take a break here, you want two taels of silver the moment our backsides touch the chairs?”

 

The attendant’s smile didn’t fade, but a slight sharpness appeared in his eyes. If you think our shop is black-hearted, you are welcome to turn around and leave. In this world, there is no reason to force you to pay.

 

Just as Liao Zilu was about to say something more, Cheng Fu raised her hand, heroically produced ten taels of silver, and slammed them on the table. She then sat down naturally. Everyone, sit. It’s just ten taels; this Master can afford it.

 

While keeping an arrogant face, she was secretly enjoying herself. There was plenty of money in the Immortal Bag; spending ten taels didn’t matter.

 

Besides, it wasn’t her money anyway; she spent the currency in the testing realm without hesitation or heartbreak.

 

Is this what it feels like to be a big spender? So good!

 

The attendant immediately changed his expression, looking delighted. Right away! I’ll first bring you a pot of our shop’s signature spiritual tea.

 

Chen Qianru was busy organizing the bottles and jars in her medicine pouch at her seat and looked up upon hearing this.

 

The waiter soon brought the spiritual tea to the table. Cheng Fu’s nose twitched; she smelled a slightly bitter but fragrant medicinal scent, which suddenly felt somewhat familiar.

 

She seemed to have smelled this scent somewhere before.

 

She looked up at the attendant but saw that he wasn’t delivering the tea alone; beside him stood an emaciated person.

 

This person had a rat-like face and shifty eyes it was the man in short clothes she had seen peeking at their carriages on the street.

 

The man in short clothes was now composed, with no trace of the lecherous or shifty behavior he had shown on the street; his face even held a smile, making him look like a completely different person.

 

The waiter put away the tray, wiped his sweat, and said: This is our shop’s special consultant, responsible for giving you the lowdown on Zhiwang Academy. He can give constructive advice tailored to your personal conditions, helping you effectively step through Zhiwang’s gates.

 

Cheng Fu actually became interested.

 

This shop not only overcharged but also seemed to have hired many wandering swindlers to fool these more-money-than-brains young masters. They spoke with well-rehearsed lines and looked confident when facing customers; they must have plenty of fraud experience and be making a fortune.

 

She raised an eyebrow, her eyes full of hope, looking very interested. “Ah, so this is our Consultant Master? Sit, sit, please sit.”

 

Attendant: Old rule seating fee is two taels of silver.

 

Cheng Fu: “…”

 

She gritted her teeth and slammed down a silver ingot.

 

The Consultant Master immediately beamed with joy. Heh, guest, let me tell you, this Zhiwang Academy.

 

He leaned in mysteriously and lowered his voice. “As everyone knows, Zhiwang’s entrance exam is the hardest to pass. Every year, an untold number of aspiring students are filtered out by this exam.”

 

Cheng Fu nodded solemnly. Yes, I once took the Zhiwang exam and was sent back on the first day.

 

So said the Sword Sovereign’s disciple, who hadn’t needed to take the exam but had been brought directly into the academy.

 

Xin Yunze had been quietly drinking tea, but upon hearing this, he started choking, his eyes bulging, yet he couldn’t manage to say a single word.

 

It doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter. Failing the exam just means you haven’t found the right path for yourself. The Consultant Master advised Cheng Fu kindly, his expression gentle. “Come, tell me about your basic situation. What is your cultivation realm?”

 

Cheng Fu answered honestly, I haven’t reached Foundation Establishment yet.

 

The Master choked for a moment but then resumed his kind smile. That’s fine too. Let me test your perception.

 

He held up two fingers and waved them slightly in front of Cheng Fu, then straightened his expression. “What did you perceive from my ‘Two-Finger Zen’? Talk about your understanding just say your honest feelings.

 

Cheng Fu smiled, her fist under the sleeve tightening slightly. Master, forgive my stupidity, but I truly couldn’t see anything ingenious about it.

 

The only thing she could see was that this swindler’s techniques had room for improvement; his words made it easy to think he wasn’t very bright.

 

The man in short clothes first sighed and lamented, then looked solemn and said deeply: Guest, your talent isn’t high, and your perception is truly poor. With anyone else, I’d think further talk is useless. But I see you are a transparent person, so I will kindly point you to a clear path.

 

Liao Zilu raised her tea high, just enough to precariously hide the frantic upward curve of her mouth.

 

Cheng Fu showed a look of nervousness, reflexively reaching out to grab the sleeve of the man in short clothes. Master, please, please guide me! I can give you money, anything! Please show me a clear path!

 

Xin Yunze choked again. This time it was quite severe, the youth’s fair face turning bright red from coughing.

 

The man in short clothes reached into his collar and fumbled around, pulling out a white card with slightly wrinkled edges.

 

Although the edges were not quite neat, the material of the card was quite good, glinting slightly under the inn’s skylight.

 

The man pursed his sharp lips, his already small eyes narrowing into slits, as if he thought this made him look more mysterious and authoritative. He held the card with both hands and handed it to Cheng Fu with great care.

 

A low voice sounded in Cheng Fu’s ear: Guest, take a quiet look keep it covered, don’t let those around us see.

 

Cheng Fu found it funny but didn’t show it. She nodded with a tense expression and, following the man’s suggestion, raised her arm to block with her sleeve, burying her head to look at the card.

 

The clean white card was made in a very modern business-card format, with the most prominent feature being a small portrait on the left side.

 

Snow-white hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her eyes were pitch-black a woman of peerless beauty.

 

She actually bore a few resemblances to her Master.

 

In the next second, Cheng Fu’s clear pupils suddenly contracted, because the name at the top of the card was clearly written in two upright regular-script characters: Yan Li.

 

The expression on Cheng Fu’s face finally cracked slightly. This was truly treating a living person like a fool to be swindled; if anyone were to fall for such a trick, you could say they were a fool’s mother opening the door for the fool stupid to the extreme.

 

Seeing the visible shock and cracks in Cheng Fu’s expression, the man in short clothes grew even happier, certain that the young master before him was a fat sheep ready for the slaughter. He sighed imperceptibly, his eyebrows slightly raised. “Well?”

 

Cheng Fu: Forgive my bluntness, but did you make this ‘Yan Li’ business card yourself?

 

As the words fell, she suddenly felt a slight ripple in the air in front of her.

 

The man in short clothes never expected Cheng Fu to say such a thing after seeing the card. He grew a bit anxious. What do you mean ‘made it myself’? This was handed to me personally by Sword Sovereign Yan!

 

Cheng Fu gave an Oh. Is that so? Then your connections are truly broad, to be able to socialize even with someone of Sword Sovereign Wurong’s level.

 

Having said that, she rubbed her brow, feeling a bit mentally exhausted, and then raised her cup of spiritual tea to take a sip.

 

From a blind spot she couldn’t see, the exquisite face with snow-white hair and black eyes from the business card was right behind Cheng Fu. Yan Li stared fixedly at Cheng Fu’s back as she drank her tea, her gaze deep and dark.

 

Hearing this, the man in short clothes feigned modesty. No, no. Just old acquaintances from the past. Back then, Sword Sovereign Yan hadn’t yet achieved such fame; I just took advantage of being close by.

 

At the tea table, the sounds of Xin Yunze and Liao Zilu’s coughing rose and fell, and even Cheng Fu fell silent, only nodding slightly as she drank her tea sip by sip.

 

Seeing no response from the table and everyone either coughing or drinking tea, the man felt a bit awkward. He cleared his throat to cover it up and said: Guest, these servants you brought out don’t seem to be feeling well; did they catch some illness on the road?

 

While speaking, he was suddenly startled by his own guess and moved his backside outward imperceptibly.

 

The slight movements of an ordinary person naturally didn’t escape the eyes of the five cultivators of the Qian-1 Team. For a moment, a trace of disgust and contempt appeared in the eyes of Liao Zilu and Xin Yunze.

 

Cheng Fu’s expression wasn’t great either; she also gave a feigned light cough and said: “Don’t trouble yourself over my people, Master. We’ll discuss the matter of applying for Zhiwang again tomorrow. I’m a bit tired; tell your attendant to arrange a room.”

 

Seeing this, the man in short clothes couldn’t say much more and waved to the attendant.

 

Cheng Fu finally stood up and, as she turned toward the stairs, her footsteps suddenly froze.

 

Before her were Yan Li’s calm and cold features, her black eyes deep and gloomy. Only when Cheng Fu turned around did the long-frozen gaze finally move slightly.

 

Cheng Fu’s expression cracked as she rubbed her eyes, only to see her Master’s gaze grow even deeper, filled with a dense emotion she couldn’t understand.

 

When did Master get here? Just how much did she hear!

 

Inside the top-tier room of Pingan Inn, Cheng Fu sat upright on a rosewood chair, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Yan Li.

 

Yan Li, as usual, didn’t stand on ceremony and sat directly on the bed in the guest room.

 

Before Cheng Fu could ask anything, Yan Li looked straight at her and spoke first: For what reason did you call out my name inside the testing realm?

 

She didn’t refer to herself as this Master.

 

Cheng Fu was stunned for a moment, and suddenly.

For a moment, Cheng Fu felt utterly bewildered.

When had she ever addressed her Master directly by her given name? Even if she were given a hundred times her usual courage, she wouldn’t dare be so reckless.

Cheng Fu’s bright eyes flickered, and her rosy lips pursed slightly in a rare pout. How could your disciple dare to call Master by her name so flippantly?”

As the words fell, the atmospheric pressure in the room plummeted once again.

The spiritual power around Yan Li surged, causing the snow-white hair that had been resting silently over her shoulders to tremble. A subtle look, somewhere between a scold and anger, suddenly flashed in her eyes. Her lips parted slightly, yet for a moment, she found herself unable to speak.

After a long while, Yan Li seemed to finally settle. She spoke slowly: The moment you called my name, I tore through space to reach you immediately.

Cheng Fu frowned. She had clearly been playing house with that traveling swindler just now.

Wait… calling her by name?

Cheng Fu suddenly remembered a question she had asked that con artist.

Did you make this ‘Yan Li’ business card yourself?

At that moment, her eyes had happened to land on the name column of the card, so she had naturally read her Master’s name aloud. Though she felt a slight sense of impropriety after saying it, she hadn’t given it a second thought afterward.

Startled, Cheng Fu raised her eyes to meet Yan Li’s heavy, indignant gaze.

Master did you tear through space to get here just because you heard me say your name?

The room fell into a temporary silence. In the stillness, the sound of sand grains trickling through the hourglass on the desk could be heard clearly.

Only after some time did Yan Li’s cold yet calm voice ring out again: I thought you were in mortal danger, and that was why you blurted out your Master’s name.