Thump, thump-thump.
Two steady knocks came from the courtyard gate, interrupting Gu Chengming's mental review.
He pulled himself out of that clear, enlightened feeling, dragging his sore body, and slowly moved to open the courtyard gate.
A man stood outside the gate.
He wore the same Huiyuan Gate disciple uniform as Gu Chengming. His face wasn't handsome, but his features were distinct, his expression slightly mature, and there was a calmness in his brows that belied his age.
The newcomer's name was Jiang Lu.
He saw the gate open and was about to speak, but the moment he saw Gu Chengming's appearance, he swallowed back the words on the tip of his tongue.
The Gu Chengming before him had his fringe plastered messily to his full forehead, soaked with sweat. His breathing hadn't fully calmed, and he was drenched in sweat, his clothes soaked, looking somewhat disheveled.
Jiang Lu's eyes flickered.
He still remembered that when he first joined the Wenjian Sect, feeling unfamiliar and apprehensive about everything, it was this Senior Brother Gu who guided him through the initiation procedures and showed him around the sect.
He subtly scrutinized the man in front of him.
Although this senior brother's cultivation talent was truly rather poor, it had to be admitted that, purely based on his appearance, he could indeed be described as "exceptionally ethereal and outstanding."
It was a pity, however, that his ambition wasn't on the path of cultivation, and he wasted his precious time elsewhere.
Jiang Lu reined in his scattered thoughts, and his face returned to its usual calm. He cupped his hands towards Gu Chengming and greeted him:
"Fellow Daoist Gu, I apologize for the intrusion. You are..."
His gaze swept over Gu Chengming's soaked clothes, carrying a hint of inquiry.
"It's nothing..." Gu Chengming smiled, his breathing much steadier now. "Just finished practicing swordplay for a bit."
Hearing the words "practicing swordplay," Jiang Lu's expression became somewhat subtle, and he hesitated for a moment.
His purpose for this trip was to deliver a message from his master. He had expected to find a despondent and decadent Gu Chengming, but instead, he encountered this scene. This made the speech he had prepared seem somewhat out of place.
But a master's command was not to be defied. He pondered for a moment and decided to state his purpose.
"Fellow Daoist Gu."
Jiang Lu's tone became more serious:
"I have come here at my master's behest to inform Senior Brother of something."
He slowly explained that recently, the Wenjian Sect had not been peaceful internally. There were many overt and covert struggles among the various "gates" under its jurisdiction, and their Huiyuan Gate was inevitably caught in the turmoil.
"My master asked me to give a reminder."
Jiang Lu's voice was very low:
"Please improve your cultivation as soon as possible. Otherwise, if you perform poorly in the sect assessment a month from now, there's a risk of being expelled from the sect."
At this point, Jiang Lu thought of another possibility circulating privately among the disciples.
It was said that the reason Huiyuan Gate was pushed into the spotlight this time was inseparable from the absurd thing Senior Brother Gu did some time ago.
He actually went directly to that genius junior sister from Daoning Gate, who was known as the "dao seed," and publicly declared his love, wishing to become her cultivation partner.
Leaving aside that the junior sister's temperament was inherently cold as ice and she never showed any pleasantries, just the disparity between these two was like heaven and earth.
This Senior Brother Gu naturally returned defeated, having been thoroughly rebuffed.
After this incident, not only did he become a laughingstock, but the entire Huiyuan Gate couldn't hold its head high in front of disciples from other sects and was secretly ridiculed for a long time.
The consensus was almost that a toad wanted to eat swan meat.
Not to mention the elite disciples from other sects who admired the "dao seed" junior sister, even within Huiyuan Gate itself, many probably felt he had disgraced their sect and wished he would quickly get out of Wenjian Sect.
Of course, Jiang Lu did not voice these dirty speculations and discussions.
He merely fulfilled his duty of delivering the message.
If Gu Chengming could know Jiang Lu's thoughts at that moment, he would probably just feel speechless.
After all, the original "Gu Chengming" did such a thing simply because, in the game, the "dao seed" junior sister's character art was too beautiful, completely hitting his XP system.
Who would have thought that with a few clicks of the mouse, he would actually transmigrate?
After hearing Jiang Lu's words, Gu Chengming fell silent.
In reality, he learned from this body's memories that the Wenjian Sect was already much more humane compared to other cultivation sects.
Disciples like him, facing the risk of "potential expulsion from the sect" due to stagnant cultivation, were rarely encountered in years.
Gu Chengming had been in the sect for so long, yet his cultivation remained at the third level of the first realm, which was rare throughout the entire Wenjian Sect.
The sect provides cultivation resources, so it's naturally impossible to let you keep taking resources without contributing.
Moreover, even if one were truly expelled from the sect, the process wasn't about complete annihilation.
The sect would cripple your cultivation method, use a secret technique called "Cleansing the Spiritual Platform" to make you forget about cultivation, and then give you a large sum of money to return to the mortal world to live as a wealthy man and spend the rest of your days in peace.
But!
Crippling cultivation method? Cleansing the Spiritual Platform?
With the capture target being the cultivation method itself, and the capture having officially begun, isn't this a direct express train to a Bad End in a galgame?
If the cultivation method is gone, the capture target disappears directly, then what's the point of playing?!
With this thought, a strong sense of urgency seized Gu Chengming's heart.
He raised his head, his gaze becoming unprecedentedly solemn. He bowed deeply to Jiang Lu and said in a low voice:
"Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother. I've noted it."
Hearing the address "Senior Brother," a hint of embarrassment appeared on Jiang Lu's face. He quickly waved his hand, correcting him:
"Senior Brother, you're too kind. It's not Senior Brother, it's Junior Brother."
Gu Chengming looked at the other party's "slightly mature" face, which looked at least thirty, and for a moment didn't know what to say.
No, your appearance is a bit too premature, isn't it?
Of course, he couldn't voice such a complaint. He readily changed his address:
"Thank you, Junior Brother."
Jiang Lu waved his hand, seemingly not caring about these things. His gaze fell once again on the iron sword in Gu Chengming's hand, as if he noticed something, and he spoke:
"Senior Brother, you were just practicing the Huiyuan Sword Art, weren't you?"
He paused, then added:
"Coincidentally, Junior Brother has some insights into this sword art. If Senior Brother has any questions, you can always ask me."
Although Jiang Lu's cultivation talent was only average, he possessed an understanding of martial arts techniques far beyond ordinary people.
Perhaps it was out of consideration for the past favor of Gu Chengming guiding him into the sect that he spoke this extra sentence.
Moreover, during this period of inter-gate struggles, if Gu Chengming were truly expelled from the sect due to failing the assessment, it would likely become new ammunition for other sects to attack Huiyuan Gate.
It was also due to this consideration that his master, for the first time, sent him to remind this senior brother.
Gu Chengming's eyes flashed with a hint of light upon hearing this, and he sincerely thanked him again.
Seeing that the message had been delivered, Jiang Lu did not linger. He cupped his hands and took his leave.
Gu Chengming watched the other's back disappear at the end of the path. In the night sky, a bright, clear moon hung high, its cool moonlight illuminating the courtyard.
He closed the courtyard gate, his eyes burning bright.
The message delivered by the other party did not make him feel discouraged; instead, it invigorated him with fighting spirit.
If I don't do a timed strategy, then what's the difference between my identity as a 'Gal Master' and a 'Yuzusoft Fan'?
System, add points for me!
Rate on N.U.
