The Villainous Demon Lord’s Handbook for Success: Rebirth - Chapter 27

Bai Lin followed her for a few steps with its head hanging low. Then, its pace faltered, and it looked back at the grass in disappointment.

The Chu Qingqiu who had been ahead had already vanished. Bai Lin suddenly turned back, its tail drooping. With great effort, it picked up the clothes stained with blades of grass in its mouth, carefully laid them at the doorway, and even patted them twice with its paws to brush away the grass leaves.

Only then did it walk back to Jingshan Palace with its head, which looked twice as large as its body, slumped in a thoroughly dejected manner.

Chu Qingqiu had come quietly and left just as quietly. No one in the room realized that someone had once stopped outside the door. Moreover, Ning Fuyi’s mind was entirely consumed with how to avoid Du Baishuang right now.

“Thank you for your hard work in sewing this, but I am not lacking in clothes. You should keep it for yourself to wear.” Ning Fuyi glanced at the embroidery on top and unobtrusively stuffed the garment back into Du Baishuang’s hands.

“But if Elder Sister does not accept it, I will never be able to repay this favor, and my heart will always feel indebted. If I end up thinking about it day and night, what should I do?” Seeing that Ning Fuyi refused to accept it, Du Baishuang grew anxious, her peach-blossom eyes brimming with tears.

“Besides, Elder Sister’s clothes,” Du Baishuang lowered her gaze as she spoke. Ning Fuyi followed her line of sight and saw the hem of her own robe, a corner of which had been singed by fire during the day.

“You can rest assured. This is just something I wear casually; if it is ruined, I will simply replace it. What is more, the disciples of the Yunji Mountain Sect all have sect uniforms, so there is no need for these on regular days.” Ning Fuyi spoke firmly, pushing Du Baishuang’s extended hands back toward her chest.

“I said I do not want it, so there is no need to send it anymore,” she added.

She spoke these words coldly. Paired with her lowered phoenix eyes, it instantly made Du Baishuang dare not speak further; she merely stood in place, holding back her tears.

Anyone else would feel pity upon seeing her like this, but Ning Fuyi had never possessed the awareness to show tenderness to a fair maiden. She glanced outside and forced a gentle expression: “It is getting late. Even the Yunji Mountain Sect is not entirely safe. You should return to your room quickly.”

With that, she opened the door, half-pulling and half-shoving the young girl out. Waiting until the girl had walked far away while looking back with every step, Ning Fuyi finally shut the door firmly and let out a sigh.

This Du Baishuang, though still young, had a temperament completely identical to her past life.

However, she had still lied just now in order to reject her, claiming they had sect uniforms when they clearly did not. Ning Fuyi turned back toward the study, muttering in her heart that she would have to find Elder Jingshan tomorrow to give him a reminder about this.

After tinkering at her desk for a while longer, she finally stretched, blew out the candle, and prepared to return to Zhuguang Pavilion. However, the moment she stepped over the threshold, she stepped on something and abruptly lifted her foot.

With the help of the bright moonlight, she discerned what looked like folded clothes on the ground. She reached down to pick them up, and the sleek, smooth fabric cascaded open like a waterfall.

It felt feather-light in her hand, as ungraspable as the wind. Its color was a green akin to the tenderest grass leaves, interwoven with a clean white, looking spirited and full of youthful vitality.

Ning Fuyi raised her eyebrows slightly and looked out into the distance, but there were only the mottled shadows of bamboo leaves under the moonlight and the silver plate of the bright moon. There was no trace of anyone else’s aura.

She could feel the difference in the material of this garment; it was certainly not an ordinary sect uniform from the sect. Yet its style was identical to that of the other disciples, and it was absolutely not the one Du Baishuang had made.

She leaned closer to inspect it. The stitching was delicate, and though there was no embroidery, she could feel immortal force flowing slowly within it.

“These stitches look exactly like Senior Brother Rong Jin’s,” Ning Fuyi muttered to herself, before her face broke into a smile. “No wonder I didn’t see Senior Brother today; it turns out he went to make clothes.”

Since she had grown up, she had not worn clothes made by Rong Jin for several years. Having found the whereabouts of her Emei piercers and now receiving a sect uniform, Ning Fuyi’s mood instantly soared, and she hummed a tune all the way back to Zhuguang Pavilion.

Because of the selection tomorrow, not many people were resting in Zhuguang Pavilion. Most of the disciples had gone to the back mountain to step up their cultivation in hopes of securing a spot at the Shaoyao Grand Assembly. Only Ning Fuyi went to bed early, closing her eyes to sleep.

Relying solely on her immortal force, she would definitely not be chosen, so she had to build up her strength to face tomorrow.

To gain power as soon as possible and to avoid repeating the same mistakes, she had to use any means necessary.

The next morning, at the first crow of the rooster, Ning Fuyi opened her eyes. The sky was still dark. She reached out to find the sect uniform from yesterday and draped it on to change. This clothing was indeed extraordinary; when she first put it on, it felt as if she were wearing nothing at all, but after a moment, it seemed to blend into her skin, and her entire body grew warm.

To her even greater delight, a small brocade pouch had actually been sewn into the wide sleeves of the garment. Although it could not hold as much as the Yinian Bead, it still possessed a considerable amount of space. Ning Fuyi patted it with satisfaction and tossed the things she had tinkered with yesterday inside.

“I must definitely find an opportunity to properly thank Rong Jin today,” she thought to herself.

Only after Ning Fuyi went to the dining hall alone to have breakfast did she spot Liu Wenzhu, who had just returned from the back mountain. Not only was she covered in dust, but a few tattered blades of grass also hung from her shoulders; one could tell at a glance that she had not slept all night.

“Yiyi,” seeing Ning Fuyi, she walked closer with a bitter face. “I am so nervous right now that my hands are shaking. What should I do?”

“What is there to fear?” Ning Fuyi reached out to remove the grass from her shoulder. “You are the grand young mistress of the Liu family. Could you possibly lose to them?”

“But I still have not mastered the sword technique taught by the Elder.” Liu Wenzhu exhaled, her delicate hand gripping her sword tightly. “I do not know if I will be matched against Li Chaoan. Though she is detestable, she is ultimately considered a genius among this generation of disciples and broke through to the Bright Realm long ago. If I face her, I am bound to be eliminated.”

Li Chaoan. She was indeed an opponent, Ning Fuyi thought to herself.

“Alright, alright, trust me, you will definitely be able to go to the Shaoyao Grand Assembly.” Ning Fuyi comforted her with a beaming smile, then took her by the wrist and headed toward Yunshen Hall.

The sky had already broken into dawn, and the distant, dark-colored mountains gradually grew distinct under the illumination of the morning sun. The mountain mist dispersed, and the trees deepened into a lush green.

Today was cloudless. The broad white jade platform in front of Yunshen Hall was completely revealed to sight. Disciples had already arrived in twos and threes, manipulating the dharma artifacts in their hands to strike brilliant lights into midair. In the distance, on the steps at the entrance of Yunshen Hall, tables and chairs had already been arranged for the use of the various elders.

Suddenly, a whistle blew. The disciples instantly ceased their movements and moved in unison toward Elder Pingyao, who had appeared in the center of the white jade platform at some unknown point, standing in several rows.

Ning Fuyi and Liu Wenzhu stood at the back of the queue, listening as Elder Pingyao spoke.

“All of you are participants in this selection, so you naturally know this is different from past contests. Everyone must go all out, but you must not harm the lives of your fellow disciples. Anyone who violates this command will be expelled from the Yunji Mountain Sect immediately.” Elder Pingyao’s resonant voice amplified several times, echoing in midair.

“This selection is divided into three rounds. The first tests strategy, the second tests immortal force, and only the third is actual combat. In the end, the Sect Master along with the elders will select the candidates based on everyone’s performance. Have you all heard clearly?”

Everyone responded in unison, then lowered their heads to whisper among themselves.

“To think there is actually a test of strategy! I originally thought we would just fight. I could still win when it comes to martial strength, but once it involves using my brain, I am at my wit’s end!” a disciple standing in front of Ning Fuyi said indignantly.

“Yeah, I practiced sword techniques all night yesterday, and my head still hurts now. How am I supposed to make it think?” Groans echoed through the crowd.

“Silence!” Elder Pingyao barked. The crowd instantly hushed. With a wave of her long sleeve, dozens of stone tables appeared before the hall, each separated by an arm’s width, arranged in a neat square formation.

“Stand before your respective tables according to the names this Elder reads.” Elder Pingyao picked up the roster in her hand and read out the names one by one.

“Shi Shuishu, Chou Yong, Fan Zimo, Shao Bing, Mian Tiao, Liu Wenzhu, Ning Fuyi, Li Chaoan.”

Ning Fuyi’s and Liu Wenzhu’s names were the last to be called. The two of them stood behind their stone tables, imitating the others. The morning sun was already somewhat piercing. Ning Fuyi squinted her eyes to look ahead; the posture of dozens of people arranged in a formation looked rather grand. Meanwhile, many people had already gathered in the shade before the hall. Aside from the familiar elders and the managing disciples of each courtyard, there was also Mei Chengsi, whom she had not seen in a long time. He had a stern expression, and his brocade robes embroidered with gold thread gleamed under the sun.

Ning Fuyi looked to the other side, and Chu Qingqiu’s graceful figure bumped into her line of sight. It was a rare occasion today that she was not wearing all white; instead, she had changed into a deep blue dress. That color was like the profound depths of the ocean, accentuating her aura with majesty and serenity, and making her exposed skin look even fairer.

Ning Fuyi took only a single glance before averting her eyes, lowering her gaze to stare at the stone table.

Suddenly, with a clack, an ordinary-looking wooden box abruptly appeared on each stone table. The body of the box was covered in intersecting patterns, resembling an extremely complex mortise-and-tenon structure, yet entirely different.

“Mechanisms are profound and exquisite, a technique that disciples of our sect must cultivate. Now, everyone will be given the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn. Any disciple who fails to crack this mechanism and obtain the item inside the box will be eliminated!” After Elder Pingyao finished speaking, she made a gesture toward the front of the hall, and a managing disciple ran out before the crowd to light a stick of incense.

Upon hearing this, everyone hurriedly lowered their heads to fiddle with the mechanisms. For a moment, clattering sounds echoed everywhere, interspersed with rising and falling sighs; everyone in sight was scratching their heads in frustration.

Yet a surge of joy welled up in Ning Fuyi’s heart. In her past life, her natural talent had been poor. Seeing that she could not learn immortal methods, Ning Changfeng had simply taught her mechanism arts in private, aiming to give her a way to make a living relying on mechanisms after he died. Therefore, she was actually quite accomplished in the study of cracking various types of mechanisms.

A clang came from her side. Ning Fuyi looked askance, right into Li Chaoan’s smug eyes and her deliberately exaggerated lip movements: “You actually have the nerve to participate in the selection? You truly aren’t afraid of embarrassing yourself!”

Ning Fuyi did not speak. Instead, she lifted her hand to pick up the box on the table. As her fingertips groped along it, a click was heard, and she opened the first lock.

Li Chaoan’s expression instantly changed. Before she could voice another provocation, she hurriedly lowered her head to fiddle with her own mechanism box.

An imperceptible smile played at the corner of Ning Fuyi’s lips. She did not look away but kept her gaze fixed on Li Chaoan. The moment Li Chaoan finally cracked the first lock, Ning Fuyi flicked her fingertip and opened the second lock with a click.

Looking at Li Chaoan’s expression, which looked as if she had swallowed feces, Ning Fuyi would have thrown her head back and laughed out loud had they not been in the middle of a competition.

Thus, she kept pace with Li Chaoan like this, dismantling the mechanisms all the way. Just as a sweating Li Chaoan cracked the second-to-last lock, Ning Fuyi held her box up high to signal her completion while opening the final lock with a click.

The gaze of everyone on the field instantly focused on her raised hand. The box was already wide open, revealing a pitch-black stone inside. The moment it came into contact with the air, the stone rapidly expanded to the size of half a wall, settling firmly upon the stone table.

An uproar broke out all around. Some people hurriedly turned back to solve their own boxes, while others cried out in surprise.

“How did she crack it!”

“She never listened during lectures on regular days, yet she is actually first place now?”

“Quick, quick, quick, do not waste time, half the incense has burned down!” someone cursed in anxiety. It was not until Elder Pingyao spoke up that quiet was restored.

“Enough!” Elder Pingyao called out loudly. She walked quickly to Ning Fuyi’s side and reached out to examine the mechanism box. Upon discovering that it had indeed been opened using the mechanism, she studied Ning Fuyi’s face in surprise.

She raised her hand: “Ning Fuyi, pass.”

The moment these words were spoken, even the expressions of the various elders before the hall shifted in shock, and they began to look at one another. Finally, Elder Jingshan spoke with a frown: “Sect Master, this Ning Fuyi has always been a do-nothing with terrible cultivation. The mechanism box was personally designed by me; it is absolutely not something her intellect could crack. I should still go over and take a look, lest she used some sort of trick.”

Having said that, just as he was about to stand up, he was stopped by Elder Yuanming beside him. A gentle smile filled Elder Yuanming’s thick-browed, kindly face, but the words he spoke were not quite so soft: “Elder Jingshan’s words are incorrect. Elder Pingyao’s mechanism arts are not beneath yours. Even Elder Pingyao has said nothing, so what doubts do you still have?”

“You!” Just as Elder Jingshan was about to retort, he was interrupted by Mei Chengsi. He curled his mustache and smiled: “Elder Yuanming speaks reasonably. Since it has been confirmed by Elder Pingyao, this Venerable believes Elder Pingyao.”

He stopped halfway through his sentence and turned toward Chu Qingqiu, his eyes crinkling into slits with a smile: “What does the Exalted Goddess think?”

Chu Qingqiu’s gaze had been resting on Ning Fuyi in the distance the entire time. Hearing this, a flash of fierceness crossed her eyes, after which she merely said flatly, “Likewise.”

The disciples did not know about the surging undercurrents before the hall and were still working hard to solve the puzzle. At this time, led by Li Chaoan, several people also cracked the mechanism one after another, and the same large black stone appeared on their tables.

Ning Fuyi sensed Li Chaoan’s furious gaze, but she did not look at her again. Instead, she high-fived Liu Wenzhu, who had just finished her mechanism and whose face was flushed with anxiety.

“Awesome,” Liu Wenzhu secretly gave her a thumbs-up.

The stick of incense burned out, and the disciples who had not finished left the field gloomily. The queue that had consisted of dozens of people just now was suddenly reduced by half, making the remaining people even more nervous and completely silent.

“Next round. Do you see the stones you just uncovered? This is the Vajra Darkstone, which cannot be pried open by human strength; it must be infused with immortal force to be shattered. Likewise, you have the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn. Those who fail to make it shatter will be eliminated!” Elder Pingyao’s voice rang out once more, and the managing disciple from before lit another stick of incense, its wisps of blue smoke rising into the sky.

The crowd had no time for much commotion. They all lowered their heads, unleashing various colored lights from their palms to infuse into the stones before them. For a moment, the entire white jade platform was filled with a riot of colors; if one looked down from the sky, it resembled a colorful galaxy, quite spectacular.

This time, Ning Fuyi did not have it so easy. Her cultivation was limited; how could her immortal force compare to others? She could only grit her teeth and endure.

The stones around her burst apart one by one, and cheers rose and fell. Only Ning Fuyi and a few other disciples of the Mortal Realm were still continuing. Ning Fuyi had no time to listen to the cynicism of those around her; instead, she suddenly switched to using both hands, channeling what little power she had within her body to go all out.

In the end, she was the only one left. Many people broke into a sweat on her behalf. Finally, an instant before the incense burned out, the stone before her eyes cracked with a clack. Ning Fuyi took two steps back, painting heavily, only to realize that sweat had already drenched her collar.

“Yiyi, you did it!” Liu Wenzhu called out loudly as she threw her arms around Ning Fuyi’s shoulders, taking out a handkerchief from her bosom to wipe her sweat. At the same time, Elder Pingyao blew her whistle, announcing the end of the second round.

Perhaps because this round was relatively simple, no one else was eliminated. The stone tables on the field were removed one by one, and in their place appeared three square arenas constructed from jade. The space above the arenas was surrounded by a translucent membrane, forming a massive dome to protect those outside from being injured.

“Why do I feel like the real competition has just begun?” Behind Ning Fuyi, the bald male disciple said with trembling legs, “I have never seriously contested with anyone before. If I don’t break a leg today, I’m afraid I won’t be able to leave the stage.”

“Speak less of such discouraging words,” the female disciple with high pigtails scolded him.

While the disciples over here were full of trepidation, Elder Pingyao had already begun reading names over there. The people called were paired up in twos and walked into one of the arenas, with three groups contesting simultaneously.

None of the people in the first wave of three groups were familiar to Ning Fuyi, but most of them used fire and lightning element spells. For a moment, the transparent domes were filled with blue lightning and yellow-red blazing fire, crackling as if they were undergoing a tribulation. The shocks made the entire Yunshen Hall shake, scaring the disciples who had not yet taken the field until their faces turned pale one after another.

By the time a round ended and the people inside walked out with charred faces while supporting each other, this sense of terror spread even more thoroughly.

Ning Fuyi currently possessed no demonic power, and everything before her eyes was unknown. Thus, she closed her eyes slightly, silently reciting the heart mantras she had recalled last night in her mind.

Very soon, her name was called. After Ning Fuyi opened her eyes, her heart instantly sank. She saw Li Chaoan standing right in front of her, smiling as she brandished the rare, thousand-year-old precious sword that was crackling in her hand.

“Young Sect Master, that is Li Chaoan. Why don’t you just admit defeat?” the bald male disciple behind her said cautiously. “Her cultivation is enough to enter the North Courtyard. You cannot beat her.”

“If the Young Sect Master feels it is embarrassing, just exchange a couple of moves before begging for mercy. It is better than losing an arm or a leg,” the female disciple with high pigtails advised out of kindness.

Liu Wenzhu, whose name had also been called, frowned and blocked the way in front of her, saying softly, “This is too unfair. I will go beg Elder Pingyao to swap opponents for you and me.”

“No need,” Ning Fuyi spoke. She gently pulled Liu Wenzhu away, reached out to the weapon rack placed to the side, casually drew a sword out, and gripped it tightly in her palm. Her voice sounded eerie.

She had long been unable to tolerate this Li Chaoan.

A cold light suddenly flashed in her eyes: “Why must the one who loses an arm or a leg be me?”

At Elder Pingyao’s command, the second group of disciples walked into the domes. A few gasps of admiration came from before Yunshen Hall, and a managing disciple said, “Isn’t that Ning Fuyi? If I am not mistaken, her opponent is Li Chaoan?”

“Li Chaoan is one of the few geniuses among this generation of young disciples. With Ning Fuyi facing her, won’t she lose her life?”

“What nonsense are you talking!” Rong Jin said. “I will go tell Elder Pingyao to change the opponent.”

“Stop!” Elder Jingshan spoke out to reprimand him. “The Yunji Mountain Sect has always been fair. One can choose to withdraw before the match. Since she did not choose to do so, if her skills are inferior, she must be eliminated. Where is there any talk of changing opponents!”

All the disciples were already prepared. Following Elder Pingyao’s command, a rumbling heavenly thunder suddenly resounded within the center arena. Dark clouds completely obscured the dome, and dozens of lightning bolts struck simultaneously at that slender figure dressed in light green. That person was instantly knocked down to the ground. Like an earth-shattering event, even the distant mountains seemed to be shaking.

Chu Qingqiu rose abruptly but was caught by the wrist by Mei Chengsi beside her, who curled his mustache and smiled: “It is merely a disciple contest; there is bound to be a winner and a loser. Why is the Exalted Goddess so agitated?”

The arena in the center was already silent. The dark clouds slowly dispersed, making it possible to clearly see that the crumpled body on the ground was indeed Ning Fuyi. The onlookers gasped one after another, slowly drawing closer in terror, and someone screamed loudly, demanding to stop the contest.

No one could see Chu Qingqiu’s movements clearly. The scalding copper teapot by her side suddenly opened its lid on its own, and a pot of tea was entirely splashed onto Mei Chengsi’s face. While it turned his skin crimson, it also caused his entire person to fall backward. The hand gripping Chu Qingqiu had no choice but to let go, and he fell disgracefully flat on his back.

At the same time, just as Chu Qingqiu was about to flash forward, Rong Jin suddenly pointed toward the arena and shouted loudly: “Exalted Goddess, look quickly! Fuyi, Fuyi is standing up!”

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