Although the Sword Peak Master was often taken advantage of verbally by these people, no other peak master could match him when it came to taking on disciples. He accepted anyone who caught his eye, and after a period of time, the newly inducted disciples would inherit the fine traditions of Sword Peak.
The Sect Master sat at the head seat, his mouth twitching slightly as he watched the man take in yet another group of potential troublemakers.
The costs of repairing the sect and purchasing medicinal herbs were going to increase again.
After the personal disciples and inner disciples of each peak master had been selected, the square was a mix of joy and sorrow. Those who hadn’t been chosen wore expressions of dejection tinged with a hint of hope if they couldn’t get into the inner sect, they could still enter the outer sect. Tianyan Sect was unquestionably the number one sect on the continent, and in the overall environment, even joining the outer sect was better than joining a small sect’s inner sect.
But not everyone could enter the outer sect either. The selection mechanism was unclear, and for those who hadn’t yet found a place, it felt like gambling.
Xiao Nian stood alone, far from the crowd. From the mocking glances directed at him, he knew his aptitude wasn’t good enough. However, he had an excellent mindset and was already considering his next option or perhaps wandering as a rogue cultivator wouldn’t be so bad either.
Deep in thought about his future plans, he saw a token flying toward him and instinctively reached out to catch it. Only after catching it did he realize it read “Outer Sect Disciple Token.”
His mentally resilient self experienced a mix of shock, confusion, and delight in that moment in short, it felt like a pie had fallen from the sky and landed right on him.
The white-robed senior brother at the front, after distributing the last disciple token, announced in a clear voice: “Those who have received disciple tokens are henceforth disciples of Tianyan Sect. Those who did not receive one, do not be discouraged it is not that your aptitude is insufficient, but rather that Tianyan Sect is not the right fit for you. There are many sects across the continent. I wish you all the best in finding a sect that suits you, and may your paths be smooth.”
Baili Qinglan did not take disciples and had not gone to the outer grounds. Shu Chen stayed behind as well, and upon hearing this senior brother’s polite words through the projection mirror, he couldn’t help but admire some people’s emotional intelligence.
Tianyan Sect had firmly held the number one position, and they still understood the importance of social grace.
After the selections were confirmed, the disciples followed their guides back to their respective residences. The lively square quickly quieted down, and those who did not belong to Tianyan Sect were also politely “escorted” out.
Shu Chen stood in place without a word, waiting until everyone outside had left, yet his master still hadn’t moved.
He wasn’t tired, but it was strange he couldn’t help but wonder if the man had fallen asleep.
Another quarter of an hour passed before Baili Qinglan finally stood up. Upon hearing the word “Master,” his body stiffened almost imperceptibly for a moment.
“What is it?”
The familiar cold voice dispelled the strange thoughts in Shu Chen’s mind.
“Master, this disciple still has matters to attend to and won’t be returning with you.”
Baili Qinglan turned around, silently regarding him for a moment. “Granted.”
After receiving permission, Shu Chen saw that the other man still wasn’t moving, so he had no choice but to leave on his own.
After meeting with the male lead, he would go to the library to search for any books on mind-reading techniques.
The dividing line between the outer and inner sects was very clear, and Shu Chen easily located the male lead’s whereabouts.
His appearance only further confirmed the suspicions of the disciples who had already doubted Xiao Nian. A five-element spiritual root getting into Tianyan Sect there was definitely someone backing him.
Before Shu Chen could even approach, the outer sect steward responsible for guiding new disciples hurried over and greeted him enthusiastically: “May I ask what business this senior brother has here?”
Being called “senior brother” by a man who looked at least two decades older than him, Shu Chen suppressed the weird feeling and said seriously, “I’m here to find someone.”
The steward said, “Who is senior brother looking for? I’ll summon them for you.”
Shu Chen met the male lead’s gaze from across the distance. “Thank you, but I’ve already found them.”
The steward was very good at reading the room and immediately assigned the best courtyard to Xiao Nian and two others.
From then on, the evidence that Xiao Nian had someone backing him was conclusive.
Shu Chen ignored the undercurrents of tension and followed Xiao Nian into the room he had just chosen.
Seeing the little freak carefully close the door behind them, Xiao Nian knew trouble had arrived.
“Young Master, is something the matter?” Xiao Nian took the initiative to sit on the empty bed, claiming the only place to sit in the room.
Shu Chen looked around in dissatisfaction, his gaze finally landing on the empty wooden table.
Forget it. He needed to maintain his image, and standing wasn’t tiring anyway.
Seeing this, Xiao Nian braced himself the little freak was scheming again.
Shu Chen slowly approached the bed, saying innocently to the male lead who was inching backward, “What are you hiding from?”
Xiao Nian recalled the scene when the other had transformed into a little child, and the sense of pressure instantly dissipated. He sat cross-legged on the bed and said with a smile, “I’m not hiding. The bed is dirty aren’t you afraid of getting your clothes dirty, Young Master?”
The room hadn’t been occupied for a long time, and a layer of dust had settled on the bed. His excuse wasn’t unreasonable.
Unfortunately, Shu Chen wouldn’t be dissuaded. He knelt on the bed with both legs, blocking the male lead’s path off it.
“I recently obtained something, and I want to put it on you.”
Xiao Nian forced a smile and said through gritted teeth, “Someone of my status isn’t worthy of wasting good things.”
The last three words were enunciated very clearly, as if deliberately mocking the other.
Shu Chen shook his head with a serious expression. “I think it suits you perfectly especially this thing.” He pointed at the male lead’s heart.
Xiao Nian gritted his teeth and dropped the act. “Go on then, what are you planning this time?”
Shu Chen held a transparent ring in his hand and said with complete unreasonableness, “Let me put a collar on you, so I can find you wherever you go.”
Unsurprisingly, the moment those words left his mouth, the two of them ended up in another bout of hand-to-hand combat, and the instigator was once again pinned underneath.
Shu Chen sighed and said, “Why bother? You have to go through this every time such a waste of effort.”
During the selection, Xiao Nian hadn’t even been this angry when mocked by the other competitors, but now his fury hit its peak. “Listen to yourself do you even hear what you’re saying? Would you be happy if I put a collar on you?”
Shu Chen answered honestly, “No.”
Xiao Nian glared at him fiercely, the veins on his clenched fists bulging.
Shu Chen understood how he felt, but his hands kept moving, ignoring the murderous look in the male lead’s eyes as he fastened the collar around his neck, then pricked his finger to bind it with blood.
“You can’t take it off without my permission. Consider it beg me to help you hide it.”
Xiao Nian was too furious to bother with him for the moment.
Shu Chen fiddled with the high-grade spirit artifact around his neck and kindly advised, “Look, this is already a fact you can’t change. Wouldn’t it be better to go along with my wishes and minimize the losses?”
Xiao Nian had no idea how someone with such a pure and noble face could say something so shameless.
Xiao Nian stared at Shu Chen without blinking, and after a moment, said with a smile that hid a knife, “I beg you to help me hide it.”
Shu Chen: “No sincerity.”
Xiao Nian said angrily, “Shu, don’t go too far.”
Shu Chen released his hold on him and got up from the bed. “Then just wear it like that. I don’t mind either way.”
“Wait.” Xiao Nian grabbed his sleeve in surrender, softened his voice, and made the greatest concession, “I beg the young master to help me.”
Shu Chen accepted the olive branch, reaching out to touch his neck. “Wouldn’t it have been better to do this from the start? Don’t waste time next time.”