In the center of the small courtyard paved with bluestone slabs, a few bamboo leaves, dislodged by sword qi, were still swirling, slowly drifting down.
The dappled bamboo shadows of the afternoon swayed on the stone slabs, and the crisp sharpness of a sword piercing the air lingered in the atmosphere.
Gu Chengming stood still, holding his sword, his breath slightly quickened, the sword tip pointing diagonally at the ground, looking at the figure he had forced back with a single sword strike—the young junior brother who called himself “Liu En.”
Although forced back by a single sword strike, and his shoulder still faintly aching, Liu Enchuan showed no trace of anger on his face; instead, he cheered repeatedly.
“Good! Good! Good!”
He laughed heartily.
“Thank you, ‘Senior Brother Gu,’ for your guidance!”
That address, “Senior Brother Gu,” was uttered with such sincerity, completely free of any psychological burden.
In the cultivation world, the capable come first.
Gu Chengming’s understanding of the Huiyuan Sword Manual far exceeded his expectations, even surpassing him, an elder, in some aspects.
Calling him Senior Brother was nothing to be ashamed of.
What’s more, he was currently using a false name, wearing a disguised face; who would know he was the esteemed Merit Elder Liu Enchuan?
As long as his disguise was solid, calling him Senior Brother wouldn’t cost him a pound of flesh.
Gu Chengming’s impression of this “Junior Brother Liu En” was also quite good.
Not only because this exhilarating spar elevated his understanding of the Huiyuan Sword Manual, but also because of the opponent’s final move, which seemed clumsy but was actually exquisite.
Although Gu Chengming had never seen that move, the characteristic of "Jianxin Tongming" made him feel a slight sense of crisis in that instant.
Undoubtedly, it was an extremely profound sword move.
If one disregarded the limiting condition of the Huiyuan Sword Manual and only considered sword dao cultivation, this “Junior Brother Liu En” was undoubtedly a master far superior to himself.
The two put away their swords and stood, exchanging a few insights.
The more they talked, the more congenial they found each other, feeling as if they had met too late.
Of course, this feeling had subtle differences in their hearts.
What Gu Chengming thought was: “Finally, I’ve found a reliable, durable, and knowledgeable sparring partner!”
As for Liu Enchuan, the more he looked at Gu Chengming, the more pleasing and satisfied he became.
This is the future hope of our Huiyuan Gate!
As he spoke, his tone unconsciously carried a hint of the benevolent and gratified affection of an elder looking upon an outstanding junior:
“Senior Brother Gu, you must practice your sword diligently and not squander this talent. If you encounter any difficulties in cultivation, just... cough, just tell your junior brother.”
Gu Chengming felt a little uneasy hearing this.
This tone... why does it sound like an old man next door advising his grandson?
He simply assumed this junior brother was a sword fanatic, devoted solely to sword practice and ignorant of social graces, unsure how to interact normally, so he didn’t think much of it and just smiled and agreed.
Liu Enchuan also seemed to realize he had been a bit out of line, his tone a little too “benevolent.”
He quickly composed himself, reverted to the cheerful demeanor of a young sword cultivator, and after a brief chat, cupped his hands in farewell.
Watching Liu Enchuan’s departing back, Gu Chengming was in high spirits.
Today’s fight was well worth it!
.............................................................................................
Meanwhile, at Cangjian Pavilion, a certain Elder Yu was not having such an easy time.
Ever since that night, when the story was cut off at a crucial moment, Yu Wenqiu felt as if she had been poisoned by something called “nagging for updates.”
Every day, sitting behind the counter at Cangjian Pavilion, she appeared to be meditating and comprehending the Great Dao, but in reality, her mind was filled with wild thoughts.
Even when disciples came to exchange cultivation methods, she seemed absent-minded.
“Elder, I want to exchange for this Fierce Fire Palm manual.”
“Hmm... what if the protagonist chose the third option?”
“Huh? What did you say, Elder?”
“Cough, cough, nothing. Take it.”
This state continued for two days, and Yu Wenqiu finally couldn’t bear it anymore.
No, I can’t just sit here and wait! If the mountain won’t come to me, I’ll go to the mountain!
She decided to take the initiative and go find that kid Gu Chengming, to ask when the sequel would be delivered!
As an elder, finding the residence of an Outer Sect disciple was incredibly easy.
Just by moving a finger, checking the sect’s disciple roster, even a map precise down to the house number could be retrieved.
Soon, Yu Wenqiu pinpointed the location of Gu Chengming’s residence.
If Gu Chengming knew, he would most likely exclaim, “Holy crap! Gotcha!”
Yu Wenqiu didn’t just rush over; instead, she returned to her cave dwelling to prepare.
She changed out of her conspicuous elder’s robe, putting on a moon-white long dress that looked understated but was actually made of exquisite material, and her hair was simply tied into a bun, adorned only with an elegant jade hairpin.
Once ready, she controlled her escape light and quietly arrived outside Gu Chengming’s residence.
As soon as she landed, she heard a series of dull thuds coming from the courtyard.
“Thump! Thump! Thump!”
Yu Wenqiu curiously peeked in.
Inside the courtyard, Gu Chengming was bare-chested, his muscles taut, sweat dripping down his back.
He was repeatedly slamming his body against a thick wooden stake in the courtyard, in an extremely strange, almost masochistic posture.
That was the 'bone forging' method recorded in Hundred Bones Resonating.
With each impact, a faint crisp sound of bones could be heard; just watching it made one feel pain.
Yu Wenqiu’s heart stirred slightly, and her expression became somewhat subtle.
This kid... he’s really pushing himself.
She thought of the Sect Disciple Grand Examination that was about to be held soon.
Gu Chengming working so hard must be to achieve a good result in the Grand Examination and avoid being eliminated by the sect, right?
Recalling how she herself had crammed at the last minute to pass the elder assessment, cultivating sleeplessly through the nights, losing a handful of hair...
A bittersweet feeling of shared suffering arose spontaneously.
Yu Wenqiu sighed inwardly.
She and little Gu not only shared similar tastes in storybooks, but even their experiences of desperately struggling for assessments were so alike.
Since they were kindred spirits, and he was such a diligent child, she, as an elder, naturally didn't want to see him eliminated just like that.
More importantly... she was still counting on this kid to get her the later parts of that storybook!
If he were expelled from the sect and packed up to leave, who would bring her books to read in the future?
Thinking this, Yu Wenqiu couldn't help but ponder how she could help little Gu.
Just then, Gu Chengming, who was focused on his cultivation, seemed to notice the movement at the entrance.
He stopped, wiped the sweat from his face, and turned to look at the courtyard gate.
When he saw the woman standing at the entrance, dressed in a moon-white long dress with a gentle demeanor, he paused, then spoke with some surprise:
“Elder Yu? Why are you here?”
Yu Wenqiu, who was immersed in thoughts of “how to assist struggling disciples,” was startled back to reality by his voice.
Only then did she realize what she had come for.
“Cough, cough!”
Yu Wenqiu awkwardly coughed twice, quickly adjusted her expression, and walked in with her hands behind her back.
“Um... I happened to be passing by and remembered you exchanged for Hundred Bones Resonating a few days ago, so I stopped by to see how your cultivation was progressing.”
She feigned inspecting the somewhat deformed wooden stake, then nodded:
“Hmm, it seems you are indeed very diligent. Although Hundred Bones Resonating progresses slowly, its strength lies in its solid foundation. Your diligence certainly doesn’t betray the painstaking effort... cough, the painstaking effort I put in to make things convenient for you that day.”
These words were twisted and turned, spoken with such grandiosity.
As if a genuine elder was concerned about a junior’s study progress.
Gu Chengming listened, dumbfounded, then quickly cupped his hands and said, “Thank you, Elder, for your concern. This disciple will certainly strive hard.”
Seeing that the groundwork was laid, Yu Wenqiu changed the subject, asking seemingly casually:
“By the way, besides cultivation... that storybook you brought the other day, I glanced through it in my spare time.”
She paused, her gaze flickering, pretending to speak indifferently:
“Some of the plot points... were quite novel. I wonder when you can find the subsequent parts? So I can... hmm, continue to comprehend the truths of the mortal world within them.”
Gu Chengming found it amusing to see her clearly anxious yet desperately pretending not to care.
Looks like I really gained another galgame enthusiast?
Since the other party had come knocking, Gu Chengming no longer intended to hide anything.
After all, they would be cooperating long-term in the future, and letting her know the truth would actually be more beneficial for him to “command the lords in the name of the emperor”... ah no, to establish a deeper revolutionary friendship.
So, he smiled and said, “If Elder Yu enjoys that storybook, then it is this disciple’s honor. Actually...”
He pointed to the stack of unfinished manuscripts on the stone table:
“That storybook wasn’t bought by this disciple; rather, it was something I haphazardly made up and wrote in my spare time.”
Yu Wenqiu’s eyes widened, her face filled with disbelief. She looked at Gu Chengming, then at the stack of manuscripts on the stone table, emanating the scent of ink, and froze completely.
She secretly scanned the contents of the manuscript with her divine sense.
Indeed, it was that familiar handwriting, and the content continued directly from the end of the first part!
The protagonist, at the brink of death, actually revived! And even...
She only took one glance and was captivated, wishing she could finish reading the rest immediately.
But Gu Chengming, at the opportune moment, smiled and said:
“However, this second part is still in creation and not yet finished. It will take some more time; once this disciple has finished writing it, I will send it to Elder Yu.”
Yu Wenqiu subtly withdrew her divine sense, her heart itching as if hundreds of cats were scratching it.
Her current mood was extremely complex.
On one hand, she felt this kid was too detestable! How dare he cut off the chapter! And even hide the book from her!
On the other hand, she felt an unbearable itch and admiration; this little Gu was quite the storybook master.
But in the end, all emotions coalesced into a single thought—
This kid absolutely cannot be expelled from the sect!
If he gets eliminated and packs up to leave, what will happen to my storybook?!
Rate on N.U.
