Chapter 90: What a Coincidence

A cultivator’s hearing was naturally exceptional. With his mid-Nascent Soul cultivation, Father Zhou could not possibly have misheard his son’s shout.

However, today was the day the shortlist for the Five Sects Conference was being announced at the foot of the mountain. With so many eyes and ears around, Father Zhou could not lecture his son in public. A flash of ruthlessness crossed his brow as he asked the steward beside him in a low voice, “Is that woman named A-Yu truly dead?”

“Replying to Master, it is absolutely certain. The eldest young master personally prepared the body and laid her to rest.”

Father Zhou’s brow did not ease in the slightest. For a cultivation clan to endure, they had to produce offspring with spiritual roots. He could not escape this fate, and neither could his son.

Now that A-Yu was gone, there was still Zhao Ruowu. If Zhao Ruowu did not work out, they could simply find someone else. There were plenty of people eager to marry or form alliances with cultivators. His son was still too green, after all.

“Have someone keep a close eye on him. I do not want any mishaps.”

“Yes, Master.”

Having given his orders, Father Zhou looked back toward where his son had been standing, only to find him already gone. His heart skipped a beat, and an ominous feeling crept over him regarding the outcome of this Five Sects Conference.

“Master, what is wrong? You have a meeting with the head of the Li Family of Tonggui City later. There is still half an hour before the appointed time.”

Father Zhou suppressed the chaotic thoughts in his mind and turned to head toward Sifang Main City.

Meanwhile, Zhou Ji, the object of Father Zhou’s concern, had already squeezed through the crowd to the base of a high platform. This platform had originally been set up by the Suitian Sword Sect for its patrolling disciples to rest, but it had been repurposed today to display the tournament information for the shortlist announcement.

In other words, anyone standing on that platform, even if they were not a disciple of the Suitian Sword Sect, held an extraordinary status.

But how could that be? How could A-Yu be here? Zhou Ji wondered if he was hallucinating out of sheer longing for her. He had failed to cherish her back then, and now… his beloved was long gone.

“Who are you? Bystanders are not permitted to enter.”

Zhou Ji opened his mouth. In Nanfeng City, the Zhou Family was a household that even the city lord had to treat with respect, but before a colossus like the Suitian Sword Sect, he naturally dared not overstep. “I am Zhou Ji of Nanfeng City. I have been shortlisted for the Five Sects Conference. Just now, I saw a friend on the platform, which is why I presumed to come over.”

Nanfeng City… that was a mid-sized city in the south, if he recalled correctly. To be shortlisted for the Five Sects Conference and rank highly, this person’s talent must be quite exceptional. “A friend? What is your friend’s name? If they are indeed up there, I can pass a message for you.”

As for letting him up onto the platform, that was out of the question.

“She… her name is A-Yu. The ‘Yu’ that means speech^[1].” As Zhou Ji spoke, the thought struck him that if it really were A-Yu, she probably would not want to see him again. At this, his spirits could not help but sink.

He had once believed he could overcome any hardship in this world, only to find reality so cruel.

This guy looks normal, so why is his expression changing all on its own? The Suitian disciple was about to head up the platform when he turned and saw someone coming down. Recognizing who it was, he quickly stepped aside, pulling the cultivator surnamed Zhou along with him. He never expected this otherwise refined-looking cultivator to suddenly go wild, rushing straight in front of the Tianji Pavilion’s Little Martial Uncle and babbling incoherently, “A-Yu, it really is you! You aren’t dead, are you?”

Xin Ci was startled. Fortunately, her eldest martial nephew, Song Zijing, pulled her back, preventing her from being grabbed directly. But seeing the person he dreamed of day and night standing right before him, how could Zhou Ji care about any of that? He desperately wanted to get close to her, to tell her that he was not too late, and that he truly loved her.

“A-Yu, it’s me! Don’t you recognize me?”

Xin Ci, however, took two steps back in disgust, her face filled with unfamiliar aversion. “Who are you? How dare you charge at me like this!”

Song Zijing acted immediately. For a Nascent Soul cultivator to subdue a Foundation Establishment cultivator was as easy as turning over his hand. “Young master, I advise you to stay back. This is the Little Martial Uncle of our Tianji Pavilion, not the A-Yu you speak of. If you dare take another step forward, this Lord will not show mercy again.”

Zhou Ji, however, was completely deaf to his words. He struggled violently against the restraint, but his late Foundation Establishment cultivation was nothing before a Nascent Soul True Monarch.

At the critical moment, a middle-aged Golden Core cultivator squeezed through the crowd. He grabbed Zhou Ji and apologized to everyone, claiming that his family’s eldest young master had suffered a cultivation deviation, causing a sudden fit of madness. After bowing and offering respectful apologies, he knocked the raving Zhou Ji unconscious, finally putting an end to the scene.

This was the Suitian Sword Sect’s territory. Although Song Zijing was annoyed by the man, he would not actually take his life. Once the man was taken away, he asked Xin Ci in a concerned tone if she had been targeted by any underhanded means. Although the Tianji Pavilion enjoyed a grand reputation, there were still many cultivators on the continent who did not wish to see the pavilion’s legacy continue peacefully.

Although Xin Ci held the title of Little Martial Uncle, she was young and only at the seventh layer of Qi Refining, and the old pavilion master was rarely home. Song Zijing looked after her like a younger martial sister, so he naturally kept a very close eye on her.

“I’m fine. It’s just that looking at that man makes me feel rather uncomfortable.” Xin Ci’s brow furrowed, her face showing unmasked disgust.

Song Zijing decided to escort her back first. He bid farewell to the two friends behind him and the Little Grand-Uncle Master of Yonglu Mountain.

Song Zijing quickly departed with Xin Ci. Zheng Jin nudged Zhi Lianshan beside him with his shoulder. “This Little Martial Uncle of the Tianji Pavilion is quite…”

“Don’t stir up gossip, Junior Brother Zheng.”

Zheng Jin swallowed the words back down. Of course, he had not actually intended to say them anyway. It was just a rather striking coincidence, and what cultivators feared most were “coincidences.” “Junior Brother Wen, it’s actually quite nice that you can’t see sometimes.”

Eyes could be very deceptive at times. Even cultivators could be blinded by what they saw with their own eyes. When one could not see, the body’s other senses would work together to perceive the world, making it easier to get closer to the truth of things.

Having spent a few days with the two, Wen Xu was clearly much more at ease around them. “Senior Brother Lianshan, could you relay those words to the Sect Master?”

Zhi Lianshan coughed twice, habitually wiping away the blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. “No problem, Little Grand-Uncle Master.”

Zheng Jin: …Is this ever going to end?!

First Zhao Qi, now Zhi Lianshan. He had thought he would get to have some fun at the Five Sects Conference, but instead, he was actually here to solve the Sect Master’s headaches.

“I can’t believe you two got so close behind my back. I’m so heartbroken.”

Zhi Lianshan immediately said with concern, “I’m sorry, but…”

“But what?”

“But the Sect Master told me to keep an eye on you and not let you get too close to Little Grand-Uncle Master.” So he could only get closer to Little Grand-Uncle Master himself.

“Why?!”

“The Sect Master said he’s afraid you’ll corrupt Little Grand-Uncle Master.” Of course, the Sect Master’s actual words were that while he couldn’t control a certain divine dragon, he could still control Zheng Jin. One troublemaker was already enough of a headache; he would absolutely not allow a promising young talent to stray onto the wrong path.

Zhi Lianshan was good-natured, so he didn’t repeat the exact words to rub salt in the wound.

Wen Xu: …Should I leave then?

The Five Sects Conference was finally about to officially begin. The two Nascent Soul geniuses of Yonglu Mountain were responsible for looking after the participating Foundation Establishment and Golden Core disciples. Thus, Wen Xu was finally spared from being dragged around to socialize, giving him the time to focus on practicing his swordplay.

“Wen Xuxu, you’re finally back! I thought the Sect Master sold you by the jin [approx. 0.5 kg] to the Suitian Sword Sect!”

Bian Chunzhou happily pulled out a copied Shadow Retention Stone and handed it over. “Look, Chen Zuizui and I picked these out, and we even traded some with Senior Sister Huo and the others. They’re all exciting arena matches from the foot of the mountain.”

Wen Xu felt a warmth in his heart. “Even if I were sold by the Jin, why did you think it would be to the Suitian Sword Sect and not the Hehe Sect?” From his personal experience, Sect Master Ding of the Hehe Sect had been much friendlier to him, even bringing up their famous Grand Elder surnamed Jun.

“Well, probably because we’re at the Suitian Sword Sect.” Bian Chunzhou obviously knew such a thing would never happen. “I heard they announced the official roster for the competition today. I wonder how many of the people on the arena match Shadow Retention Stones we recorded made the cut?”

What a coincidence; Wen Xu had just come from the announcement site. “Want to know? Let me check.”

“You know? Don’t tell me…”

Wen Xu shook his head. “No, I just happened to be there. The Little Martial Uncle of the Tianji Pavilion said she was curious about the roster, so we went over to take a look together.”

“Tianji Pavilion’s Little Martial Uncle? Since when does the Tianji Pavilion have a Little Martial Uncle?” Bian Chunzhou was confused. He shouldn’t have remembered incorrectly.

“She is a new disciple of the old Pavilion Master, a female cultivator named Xin Ci. She is only at the seventh layer of Qi Refining right now, so of course you haven’t heard of her.” Wen Xu knew Bian Chunzhou was well-informed, but just like him, this female cultivator was making her first public appearance in the cultivation world, so the news hadn’t spread yet.

“Wow, then isn’t her talent absolutely incredible? I heard the Tianji Pavilion’s recruitment criteria are extremely harsh, like one in a million.”

Bian Chunzhou felt like he had heard of too many favored children of heaven recently. He was almost losing his sense of what the word “genius” even meant. It felt like he couldn’t take a wrong turn without bumping into some genius or another, each with more titles than the last.

Lately, the Suitian Sword Sect was practically crawling with geniuses. Single Spiritual Roots were actually considered common now; only Mutated Spiritual Roots were still the rarest of the rare.

“She must be. The Sect Master said she is very likely to inherit the Tianji Pavilion.”

Bian Chunzhou was astonished. “That amazing?”

Wen Xu shook his head. He had no interest in the inheritance of the Tianji Pavilion. Knowing that Chunzhou loved gossip, he changed the subject. “Speaking of which, on the high platform where they announced the roster today, I also…”

That day, when he was watching the commotion on the streets of Sifang City with Chunzhou and Bushi, Wen Xu had been absentminded, but he had a good memory. He naturally recognized that the male cultivator who had called the Tianji Pavilion’s Little Martial Uncle “A-Yu” today was the very same Young Master Zhou, who had been entangled with another woman on the street back then.

How should he put it? Whether in the cultivation world or the Mortal Realm, such self-righteous men were never in short supply.

“Huh? You ran into him too?”

Bian Chunzhou pointed toward the door at Chen Zui, who was walking in with his saber. “We ran into him too. We even recorded his arena match!”

Chen Zui probably guessed what the two of them were talking about. He silently walked to the side and began wiping his saber, clearly not interested in the slightest.

“So he really is a two-timing scumbag. Serves him right. He finally hit a brick wall.”

Bian Chunzhou gave a couple of snorts. The next day, when they went to watch the individual matches of the Five Sects Conference, they saw this late Foundation Establishment cultivator surnamed Zhou again. He seemed to be looking around for something, and after failing to find his target, he actually walked over to them.

More accurately, he seemed to be walking toward Wen Xuxu.