Inside the courtyard, a pin drop could be heard. Only a gentle breeze swept by, stirring a few withered yellow leaves that swirled around the unconscious Su He and Li Miao.
【Hundred Bones Resonating watched this scene, feeling a thrill shoot from its tailbone straight to its skull.】
【Isn't this the plot from storybooks where a villainous extra, unable to defeat the protagonist, cries and runs back to fetch reinforcements? The elder arrives aggressively, intending to overpower with authority, but the protagonist remains neither humble nor arrogant, publicly humiliating the opponent again, leaving them utterly disgraced.】
【This further corroborates the theory that Gu Chengming is its 'Destined Cheat'.】
【Hundred Bones Resonating Affection +3】
Gu Chengming listened to the excited chatter in his mind, his expression still calm. He merely flicked his wrist, twirled the wooden sword, and placed it behind his back.
“You yield.”
Elder Liu stood rooted, her chest heaving, face grim, staring intently at her two disappointing disciples on the ground, her fingers trembling, knuckles white.
How could she not understand what was happening?
If the first time in the Market City was an “ambush”, she could still claim Gu Chengming was despicable and shameless.
But what about this time?
Right in front of her, they were prepared, even taking the initiative to create distance. The result? They couldn't even touch his clothes and were knocked down within two breaths.
What did this prove?
It proved that the previous “ambush” was merely an excuse! It proved that these two girls were simply inferior in skill and refused to admit defeat.
“Oh dear...”
Ren Wencai broke the silence at the opportune moment.
He strolled leisurely to Su He and the other's side, hands behind his back, bent down to feign a check-up, then straightened up, looking at Elder Liu with a concerned expression:
“Junior Sister Liu, it seems your two disciples are indeed a bit...”
He deliberately paused, as if unable to speak, then sighed again:
“They usually focus only on cultivating arts, but isn't their physique a bit too weak? How could they fall with just a light touch from my Outer Sect disciple?”
As he spoke, he deliberately sighed, scolding Gu Chengming with a tone of disappointment:
“Gu Chengming! Really, you!”
“Didn't I tell you to spar? How could you use so much strength? What if you injured the two Senior Sisters? Hurry and apologize to Elder Liu!”
Gu Chengming readily complied, immediately cupping his hands:
“This disciple knows his mistake, next time I will definitely be careful with my strength and be gentle.”
“You... you all...”
Elder Liu trembled with rage, pointing at the master and disciple duo, unable to utter a complete sentence for a long time.
Although her temper was fierce and unpleasant, and she was famously protective of her own, to reach the position of Elder in Wenjian Sect, she still possessed basic discernment and reason.
Lost means lost.
And it was the kind of loss where nothing was left.
If she were to make a fuss now, it wouldn't just be her face she lost, but the face of Daoning Gate.
Elder Liu took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the anger in her heart.
“I was mistaken in this matter, and wronged a good person.”
“Blame me for being blind, blame me for not knowing what's good for me, please forgive me.”
With that, she flicked her sleeve, sweeping up the unconscious Su He and Li Miao from the ground.
She didn't even have the face to stay another second, wind rising beneath her feet, transforming into a streak of light, carrying the two burdens, she shot into the sky in disgrace, vanishing into the horizon in the blink of an eye.
That retreating figure looked utterly pathetic.
“Junior Sister, take care!”
Ren Wencai called out to the retreating figure.
Only when the streak of light completely vanished did Ren Wencai retract his gaze and turn around.
He looked at Gu Chengming, the smile in his eyes almost overflowing.
This Liu An usually relied on Daoning Gate's large numbers to trip him up in sect meetings. Today's incident simply allowed him to vent all the pent-up frustration of many years.
Moreover...
Ren Wencai's gaze swept over Gu Chengming, a hint of admiration added to his eyes.
Before, that Wine Old Man had gone to great lengths to poach him, even giving Gu Chengming the Cangxian Wine Sword Art.
Ren Wencai had originally been a bit worried that young Gu wouldn't be able to resist the temptation and would actually switch to cultivating that sword art, eventually being lured away by the Wine Old Man.
But now it seems..
Facing the temptation of a profound sword art, he was able to guard his true self and remain unmoved by external things.
Truly worthy of being a disciple of Huiyuan Gate.
Of course, he had no idea that Gu Chengming couldn't cultivate it because his attribute points were insufficient.
Ren Wencai reined in his smile, returning to his usual detached and unfathomable demeanor.
He stood with his hands behind his back, nodded slightly, and spoke in a faint tone:
“Hmm, well done.”
“You both upheld the sect's reputation and didn't truly harm a fellow disciple's foundation. Your grasp of discretion was acceptable.”
Gu Chengming quickly lowered his head: “Thank you for the Elder's praise.”
Ren Wencai looked at Gu Chengming, growing more satisfied the more he looked, but his mind began to scheme.
That Wine Old Man even gave him a cultivation technique. If he, as a legitimate elder, didn't show any appreciation, wouldn't he seem too petty?
What if this kid thinks things through later, decides Hunyuan Sect offers better treatment, and runs off?
No, I have to give him some benefits.
“Cough.”
Ren Wencai lightly coughed, flipped his palm, and a yellowed thin booklet appeared in his hand.
“Your performance today was quite good. And I see that while your sword art is fast, there's a slight lack of power between moves, relying purely on technique to win.”
“This book, 'Flowing Light Sword Shadow', was obtained by this old man during his early travels. Although it's not some peerless divine technique, its strength lies in its agility and versatility, specializing in the 'Speed' technique.”
“Take it and study it well. Do not disappoint this old man's painstaking efforts.”
As he spoke, the booklet lightly floated into Gu Chengming's hand.
Gu Chengming's heart stirred.
“Many thanks to the Elder for bestowing this art!”
Ren Wencai nodded in satisfaction.
Then, his gaze fell upon Jiang Lu beside him.
If only Gu Chengming were rewarded, it would be unfair and not conducive to unity among fellow disciples.
As the saying goes, 'rain and dew nourish all equally'.
“Jiang Lu, although you didn't make a move today, your timely report counts as a meritorious deed.”
Ren Wencai flicked his hand, and two exquisite small porcelain bottles flew towards Jiang Lu.
The latter somewhat clumsily caught them and offered his thanks.
He thought to himself, no wonder Master told him to interact more with Senior Brother Gu; this was the reason.
In a way, he also basked in the reflected glory.
.....................................................................................................................
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