Chapter 3

Ah Yuan clearly enjoyed the romantic gossip. She smiled with narrowed eyes for a moment, then drew a seven-stringed crystal zither from her storage ring.

Her jade-like fingers drifted over its strings before she said brightly,

“Each of these seven strings was made from a hair taken from the heart of one of the seven great ferocious beasts of antiquity. As for the frame…”

She paused, her gaze sweeping over my conspicuously empty waist.

“I heard the jade pendant Master meant to give you on the day of the Immortal Trials was made of mystic ice, an exceedingly rare material. But this zither of mine… is made entirely of mystic ice.”

I understood. She had come to show off.

I glanced at her.

Then I looked at everyone else in the plaza, their faces alight with excitement as they waited for us to quarrel.

After a moment of silence, I adopted a solemn expression and asked in the spirit of scholarly inquiry,

“Then tell me precisely where this mystic ice came from. Which ferocious beast supplied each of the seven strings? And where did your master obtain such a treasure?”

I had a reason for asking.

Ah Yuan carried no shortage of treasures, and the spiritual energy around her was so dense it seemed almost solid. I had been stuck at mid-stage Foundation Establishment for some time, but merely standing near her made my cultivation base show faint signs of loosening.

I kept her talking only because I wanted to remain close to her a little longer. With luck, I might even break through.

My motives were perfectly innocent.

But when Ah Yuan heard my questions, she froze. A moment later, her eyes abruptly reddened.

She stamped her foot and scolded me in a delicate voice. “You think you know so much, don’t you? What right do you have to humiliate me?”

Me: “?”

Had she lost her mind?

Consumed by the feeling that she had been humiliated, Ah Yuan abandoned her supplies and ran off, calling over her shoulder,

“Just you wait! At the next Immortal Examination, I’ll make you lose to me!”

I was dumbfounded.

Heaven knew that now I understood she was Shen Du’s future cultivation partner, I had no desire whatsoever for revenge. The difference in our strength was far too great. I wanted only to keep a respectful distance.

How had I managed to offend her for no reason at all?

I returned to Forgecraft Peak dejectedly, only for a dark figure to drop down in front of me.

Then someone snatched away the supplies I had just collected.

Li Yuan pulled out all the spirit stones, counted them twice, and curled his lip in dissatisfaction.

“Those old men on the main peak are getting stingier by the day.”

Speechless, I said, “Master, leave me some.”

He did not answer. He rummaged around again, then asked in confusion, “What’s this?”

The instant he spoke, a butterfly flew out and transformed into a line of words in midair:

—Immortal Examination Notice. Participant: Zhao Fuqu.

My face changed dramatically. No wonder Ah Yuan had threatened me. She must have received her notice already and planned to humiliate me at the examination.

Li Yuan could not have cared less. He pocketed the spirit stones and turned to leave.

I hurriedly wrapped myself around his leg and begged him every way I knew how to help me, if only so I would not lose too horribly.

Li Yuan spread his hands. “You’ve seen the state of our peak. Your master has the will but not the means.”

I wailed, “Master, you’re still an elder of the sect. Just give me a few spiritual artifacts! Everyone from the main peak is coming for blood. I’m afraid I’ll never see tomorrow’s sun!”

Li Yuan said, “Then surrender.”

I said, “…But anyone who places receives spirit stones as a reward.”

I could not help it. I was desperately poor. The spirit stones issued by the main peak never made it into my hands.

The lesser secret realm would open in three months, and I still hoped to save enough money for a few defensive talismans.

Sure enough, the moment Li Yuan heard that, his eyes lit up.

“How many spirit stones?”

I raised five fingers, thought better of it, and lowered two.

“Anyone who enters the top hundred receives three hundred high-grade spirit stones, plus another hundred for every opponent they defeat.”

The actual reward was five hundred, but I could hardly give him all of it.

Three hundred was still respectable. After pondering for a moment, Li Yuan tossed me a key from his storage pouch.

“This is the key to the artifact vault I’ve built up over the years. Take whatever you like!”