Well, Elder Lin really is a good person.
After sighing with emotion for a while, Gu Chengming thought to himself that delivering this storybook in person would better show his sincerity.
Next followed a few more days of recuperation.
It had to be said, the effect of the Huiyuan Sword Manual's fully automatic AFK cultivation was somewhat exaggerated. One must know that the aptitude of Gu Chengming's current body was famously mediocre, one could even say it was a bit poor.
Usually, when he cultivated by himself, it was like huffing and puffing while pushing a heavy millstone; after a long time of hard work, he would only manage to complete a few cycles.
But now, with the Huiyuan Sword Manual tirelessly running cycles within his body, the spiritual qi was continuous and extremely pure. How could his cultivation speed be anything less than several times faster?
Gu Chengming even began to suspect that he would eventually be raised into a useless person by the Huiyuan Sword Manual.
Of course, not everyone... or rather, not every cultivation method, was happy about this.
For example, Hundred Bones Resonating felt a strong sense of crisis rising in its heart.
【It said in shock: What do you mean by helping to run cultivation on its own?!】
Hundred Bones Resonating considered itself to be hardworking enough, but it didn't expect there to be something even more competitive!
Is this a change brought about by Gu Chengming's favorability?
【Dammit, Gu Chengming, increase my favorability!】
"What's the point of rushing me? Shouldn't your own favorability be the one increasing?!"
Gu Chengming was speechless.
After a few more days of rest, the injuries inside Gu Chengming's body finally recovered by seventy or eighty percent.
Although he couldn't engage in high-intensity combat yet, normal movement was no longer a problem.
Choosing a bright and sunny afternoon, Gu Chengming tucked the third part DLC of the storybook, which he had rushed to finish overnight, into his robes and headed toward Yu Wenqiu's residence.
He first went to the Scripture Pavilion, but found it empty. Hearing from the disciple on duty that Elder Lin was not on duty today, he turned directly toward the Bamboo Grove Abode in the back mountain.
It was the same place he had visited last time.
Emerald bamboos screened the area, creating a quiet and elegant atmosphere.
Gu Chengming stood outside the bamboo grove, wondering how to announce his arrival, when the array that originally blocked the bamboo grove seemed to sense his arrival and parted to both sides on its own, revealing a winding path.
Gu Chengming walked straight in along the path.
Passing through the bamboo grove, he reached that familiar small courtyard.
At this moment, Yu Wenqiu was sitting by the stone table in the courtyard. Her expression was cold, her posture lazy yet elegant. One hand supported her chin while the other listlessly flipped through a volume of ancient records.
The afternoon sunlight spilled through the gaps in the bamboo leaves onto her, making her look like someone from a painting.
Of course, Gu Chengming didn't know that this scene was the result of a certain elder, from the moment she sensed him triggering the array, frantically adjusting angles and striking poses in front of a water mirror for a full fifteen minutes.
Hearing footsteps, Yu Wenqiu did not look back immediately.
She waited until Gu Chengming reached her before she acted as if she had just discovered someone's arrival, coughing lightly twice and slowly turning her head.
"Little Gu? When did you arrive?"
Her tone was flat, her eyes vacant—her acting was a perfect ten.
"..."
Gu Chengming complained in his heart: Didn't you open the array to lead me in?
But on the surface, he maintained a respectful appearance, cupping his hands and smiling:
"I only just arrived. Seeing the Elder wandering through the Great Void, I didn't dare to speak and disturb you."
"Mm, since you're here, come and sit for a while."
Yu Wenqiu put down the book she hadn't actually been reading. Her gaze swept over Gu Chengming, and she asked as if casually:
"Are your injuries healed?"
As soon as these words came out, the last trace of doubt in Gu Chengming's heart vanished.
As expected, she was the one who sent the medicine.
"It is all thanks to Elder Yu's pills."
Gu Chengming didn't explicitly reveal the identity of the person who delivered the medicine that night, but spoke with pointed meaning:
"If not for those bottles of miraculous elixirs stabilizing my injuries in time, I'm afraid I would have had to lie in bed for another ten days to half a month."
Hearing this, Yu Wenqiu was inwardly satisfied that Little Gu was sensible, but her face remained as calm as a light breeze. She merely gave a faint "mm" without committing herself.
After the pleasantries, Gu Chengming stopped beating around the bush and directly pulled out the carefully packaged storybook DLC from his robes, handing it over with both hands.
"This is something I wrote during my spare time a few days ago. It serves as a supplement and extension to the previous story's plot. I have specifically come to offer it to the Elder for your correction."
Yu Wenqiu's eyes lit up instantly.
In fact, from the moment Gu Chengming entered the door, her peripheral vision hadn't strayed from the storybook hidden on his person.
Seeing him finally take it out, she suppressed the urge to snatch it immediately, coughed twice, and reservedly reached out to take it:
"Since you have this intention, then this Elder will... take a look."
Her words sounded reluctant, but her movements were incredibly fast. In the blink of an eye, the storybook disappeared into her sleeve, as if she were afraid Gu Chengming would regret it.
After putting away the storybook, Yu Wenqiu's mood clearly improved a lot.
She pointed to the stone stool opposite her, signaling Gu Chengming to sit down, then asked seemingly at random:
"By the way, I heard you were seriously injured this time? How exactly did it happen?"
Gu Chengming had prepared his explanation long ago and replied without changing his expression:
"It was nothing. I was just too aggressive in my training and something went wrong, resulting in a backlash."
"A training mishap?"
Yu Wenqiu's brow furrowed slightly as she looked at him suspiciously.
She sized Gu Chengming up, her gaze carrying a hint of oddness.
This Little Gu usually seemed like a very steady person, how could he make such a low-level mistake?
Moreover, looking at his injuries, although he had recovered well, it had clearly affected his meridians. It didn't look like a simple backlash, but more like he was...
In an instant, a grand drama of "a weak sect disciple suffering from bullying but not daring to speak out for the sake of face" played out in Yu Wenqiu's mind.
Especially when she associated it with those plot points in the storybook about "weak disciples being humiliated by wicked senior brothers," her gaze became even more pitying.
"Little Gu..."
Yu Wenqiu sighed and said earnestly:
"If you... encounter any difficulties in the sect, or if you are being bullied, you can tell this Elder."
"Although I usually don't involve myself in affairs, in this small patch of land, I still have a say. If anyone dares to use their strength to bully the weak, hmph..."
Listening to this, Gu Chengming knew that Elder Yu had misunderstood something and felt amused again.
Thus, he could only skillfully avoid the topic and laughed it off:
"The Elder overstates it. My popularity in the sect is decent, who would bully me? It really was just a training mishap. I will be more careful next time."
Seeing that Gu Chengming didn't want to say more, Yu Wenqiu couldn't press further and could only let it drop.
The two chatted for a while longer, from storybook plots to interesting sect anecdotes, and the atmosphere was quite harmonious.
Seeing that it was getting late, Yu Wenqiu seemed to remember something and suddenly said:
"By the way, for the Disciple Assessment in a few days, have you prepared?"
Gu Chengming said seriously: "I am already in the middle of preparing."
"Mm."
Yu Wenqiu nodded and instructed:
"The rules have changed for this assessment. It doesn't just test cultivation, but places more importance on actual combat and adaptability. Although you... cough, although you might have some hidden troubles causing your cultivation to be damaged, in terms of sword art attainment, this Elder still thinks highly of you."
Gu Chengming was about to agree and say he would work hard.
Just then, that familiar semi-transparent box popped up again without any warning.
【Wisdom Eye activated.】
Three options floated clearly before Gu Chengming's eyes:
【Option 1: Thank you for the guidance, Elder. I will go all out and not fail your high expectations.】
【Option 2: If I perform well, could the Elder grant me a wish...】
【Option 3: Actually, I've always had a doubt. That Master in the storybook... does the Elder think she resembles you?】
No, do you just want me to take a route that can't pass censorship that badly?
He decisively chose the safest Option 1.
"Thank you for the guidance, Elder. I will go all out and not fail your high expectations."
Gu Chengming stood up, bowed respectfully, spoke with sincere tone, and added:
"It's getting late. I won't disturb the Elder's quiet cultivation further. I shall take my leave."
Hearing this, although Yu Wenqiu nodded, a trace of undetectable disappointment flashed in her eyes.
Why is this Little Gu in such a hurry to leave?
Could it be that the posture I struck just now was too high? Did it make him feel a sense of distance?
Yu Wenqiu felt a bit annoyed. Had she known, she wouldn't have put on that cold and aloof act just now.
"Fine, since you have confidence, then go."
She waved her hand, hiding that small bit of emotion in her heart.
"I shall take my leave."
Gu Chengming turned and left.
Once out of the bamboo grove, Gu Chengming breathed a long sigh of relief and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
Luckily he ran fast.
Otherwise, if his galgame Master instincts triggered and he actually seduced the Elder, what would he do?
In the following days, Gu Chengming thoroughly implemented a policy of not going out.
Aside from necessary daily meals and living, he almost never stepped out of his door.
Even when Jiang Lu came to find him several times, he was turned away on the grounds of closed-door sword meditation.
Of course, this wasn't entirely an excuse.
As his body gradually recovered, coupled with the power-leveling of the Huiyuan Sword Manual, although Gu Chengming's cultivation hadn't broken through to the First Realm, Sixth Level, his refinement of sword intent became increasingly pure.
That feeling was very strange.
In the past, practicing the sword was "practicing moves."
Now, practicing the sword was "practicing intent."
【Huiyuan Sword Manual thinks you are very good right now. Quiet, not going out to flirt, belonging only to it.】
【If it could go on like this forever until the end of time, it seems quite nice.】
Peaceful days always fly by.
The day of the Disciple Assessment finally arrived.
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