The Man Who Inherited the Will of 'Hao'

Listening to that forced vocal fry squeezed out in mid-air.

They clenched.

Jiang Ye's fists clenched.

This guy was incredibly famous in the game. It wasn't because his combat power was particularly amazing, but because he was an absolute master of showing off.

Players hailed him as the man who inherited the “Will of Hao” in the game, the King of Showoffs among all “Jiahaos.”

On the square, the old-timers who had joined years ago were clearly used to this kind of scene.

Quite a few casually called out, “Greetings, Eldest Senior Brother!” before returning to their eating and drinking.

But the newly joined disciples of Sword Peak couldn't hold it together.

Their feet tensed, their toes curling so hard they were about to dig right through the soles of their shoes.

Cringe.

It was so damn cringey.

Only Jiang Ye didn't even bother to lift his head. He kept stuffing his face, too lazy to look at Ye Jinghong showing off on top of the stone pillar.

Beside him, Qin Zhiwei shuddered again. She clenched her hands tightly, a forced smile that looked worse than crying appearing on her face once more as she introduced him to Jiang Ye:

“T-That... Junior Sister Bai, the one up there is our Sword Peak's True Disciple Eldest Senior Brother, Ye Jinghong.”

Jiang Ye's lips twitched violently as he complained inwardly,

“Did Senior Sister Qin get caught committing murder by Ye Jinghong? She's acting like such a shill...”

As if hearing the commotion below, Ye Jinghong, standing atop the stone pillar, finally turned his head slowly.

With a flick of his wrist, the flying sword beneath his feet floated smoothly in front of him, and he stepped onto it with extreme fluidity.

It was a mere distance of three meters, yet this long sword dragged him along for a full minute before slowly arriving in front of everyone.

His eyes were wrapped in a black ribbon, and as the gentle night wind blew, it fluttered his long hair and the ribbon behind his head.

Jiang Ye felt like his “showmanship value” was practically overflowing...

Ye Jinghong stepped off the sword, leaping down in what he thought was a dashing manner.

...And then his foot slipped. He stumbled a massive step forward in the dirt on the spot, nearly faceplanting right in front of everyone.

The entire square fell into a dead silence.

The atmosphere grew incredibly awkward.

Ye Jinghong didn't bat an eye as he instantly regained his balance. He gently patted away the non-existent dust on his hem, still speaking in a deep, gravelly voice,

“A new sword. We haven't fully synchronized yet.”

Jiang Ye wanted nothing more than to pry this Eldest Senior Brother's mouth open right now and drag out whatever tractor was idling in his throat.

There were just too many things to roast; he didn't even know where to start.

Looking up and seeing the ribbon tied over the guy's eyes, his toes began to curl again, cringing so hard he could have dug out a three-bedroom apartment.

Because there was absolutely nothing wrong with the guy's eyes! He wore that stupid ribbon purely to look cool and show off!

Ye Jinghong stood with his hands behind his back once more, tilting up his blindfolded face slightly. After pondering for a moment, he suddenly sighed with emotion,

“On such a beautiful night, to drink and sing wildly with everyone, is this not a delight? Bring wine!”

With that, he dashingly untied a white jade wine gourd from his waist, bit off the stopper with his teeth, threw his head back, and chugged it down.

He let the wine spill down his chiseled chin, soaking a large patch of his robes.

After finishing his wild drink, he flung the gourd aside with a heavy swing and sighed toward the sky,

“Would the mortal world buy my wine for a thousand gold? I drink only thunder, never sorrow!”

Everyone: “...”

Jiang Ye could barely hold it in. Looking up again, his eyes suddenly lit up. Dropping his previous silent attitude, he said with a bright smile,

“Greetings, Eldest Senior Brother! Although I've only just joined the sect, I've long heard of your legendary fame! Seeing you today, you truly live up to your reputation—nay, hearing about you doesn't do you justice at all!”

Ye Jinghong's face, which had been turned away in profile, was instantly locked in place by this massive flattery.

He turned his head, the corners of his mouth curving upward so hard he couldn't hold them down.

Before he could reply, Jiang Ye quickly skipped over the grand speech he had prepared and continued,

“Seeing your magnificent sword-riding style just now, Eldest Senior Brother, a poem naturally sprang to my mind! With my hand clutching...”

“Stop!”

“Oh, then I won't say it,” Jiang Ye muttered to himself. “Did I misjudge him? Does this guy not like flattery...”

“No, don't stop. Continue.”

Although speechless, Jiang Ye continued to recite, “With my hand clutching the bright moon, I pluck the stars; in all the world, there is no one like you!!”

Boom!

The smile on Ye Jinghong's face froze. He stood dazed on the spot for a full five seconds.

Then, under everyone's horrified gazes, this Eldest Senior Brother looked as if he were having a stroke. His entire body began to shake violently, and he muttered like a man possessed,

“With my hand clutching the bright moon... I pluck the stars! In all the world, there is no one... like me?! What a poem! What a masterpiece!!”

Just when everyone was terrified that their Eldest Senior Brother might pass out right then and there,

Ye Jinghong suddenly burst into wild laughter. His voice was so loud it startled the birds in the surrounding woods, sending them fluttering in all directions,

“This poem was practically tailor-made for me! Clutching the bright moon, plucking the stars... in all the world, there is no one like me! Hahaha! Junior Sister! Not only are you incredibly powerful, but your talent also overflows to the nine heavens! You are truly the future pillar of our Sword Peak!!”

In his mind, Bai Zhirou couldn't help but complain,

“I didn't expect you to be this kind of demon...”

Jiang Ye wore an innocent smile on his face, thinking to himself that this “King of Showoffs” indeed loved this sort of thing.

He saw that the timing was just about right.

“Oh my—!!”

“Bai Zhirou's” crisp voice suddenly rang out.

Jiang Ye, with extreme stiffness, “accidentally” kicked one of his newly equipped ‘Green Cloud Boots’ toward the campfire.

He then quickly pulled his foot back and sat down in a hurry. While wiping away the non-existent dust on the shoe's surface with his hand, he grumbled at the top of his lungs,

“Oh dear, oh dear, that scared me to death! I almost ruined the magic tool boots Senior Sister Gu just gave me!”

He put heavy emphasis on the words “Senior Sister Gu just gave me,” terrified that anyone might miss them.

Nearby, Third Senior Brother Gu Changqing and Fourth Senior Sister Qi Linger, who were holding their cups and drinking, froze mid-sip.

Even the usually cold Gu Qingxue couldn't help but let a smile tug at the corner of her lips. She quietly watched her Junior Sister Bai's performance.

Clearly, she found this Junior Sister Bai to be quite different from others and exceptionally amusing.

Ye Jinghong burst into hearty laughter. He waved his hand grandly on the spot and declared loudly,

“Junior Sister Bai, you gifted me such a wonderful poem just now. It is only right that I show my appreciation...”

Before he could even finish his sentence,

Jiang Ye took the initiative and said, “Eldest Senior Brother, my strength is meager, and I happen to lack a protective jade pendant... I think the one on your waist looks quite nice.”

The spectating disciples: “...”

You beat a Foundation Establishment demon beast to death while still in the Qi Condensation realm. If your strength is meager, how are the rest of us supposed to survive?

Faced with Jiang Ye's direct “menu-ordering” behavior,

Bai Zhirou felt her vision go dark in his mind. This is way too blatant and shameless!

To their surprise, upon hearing this, Ye Jinghong not only didn't get angry, but instead felt that this junior sister was a person of true character—and had great taste to boot!

He boldly snatched the jade pendant from his waist and handed it to Jiang Ye, saying proudly,

“Take it! This item is called the 'Purple Mystic Protective Pendant,' a low-grade treasure tool! Inject a sliver of true qi, and it can withstand a full-force strike from an early stage Golden Core expert! To me, it is merely a useless ornament. Giving it to you for protection is only fitting!”

Jiang Ye immediately snatched the jade pendant into his palm, his smile blooming brighter than a flower as he offered polite pleasantries,

“Oh my, oh my! Eldest Senior Brother, how could I possibly accept this? It's far too valuable!”

Then, he followed up with another line of flattery,

“But then again, your swordplay reigns supreme across the ages, Eldest Senior Brother! No matter what monsters or demons cross your path, none of them can last a single exchange against you!”