“It seems he is very popular,” Lin Lumi said softly. “Is it because he’s very good-looking?”
“Of course!” the girl blurted out. “Senior Brother Mu is one of the two golden brand names of our sect! Not only is his appearance outstanding, but his cultivation is also the pinnacle among the younger generation. Come on, let me take you over!”
These words couldn’t help but stir a trace of anticipation in Lin Lumi’s heart.
“We have to hurry,” the girl urged. “Any later and we won’t be able to squeeze in.”
With that, she pulled Lin Lumi and began pushing her way into the crowd.
Yet, no matter how much she shouted “excuse me,” the surging crowd remained completely motionless.
Squeezed to the point where her clothes were in disarray and her hairpin was slightly askew, the anticipation Lin Lumi felt just moments ago had already vanished into thin air, leaving only a stomach full of complaints.
Well, she was going to see today just what kind of sacred being this Senior Brother Mu was to cause such a sensation.
Just as she was caught in a dilemma, the girl beside her suddenly had a flash of inspiration and bellowed, “Out of the way! The main person has arrived! If you don’t want to watch, then by all means keep blocking!”
These words acted like a freezing spell. The noisy crowd abruptly fell silent and split open to form a path.
Suddenly losing her support, Lin Lumi stumbled forward two steps, only barely managing to steady herself.
She looked up—
Lin Lumi froze.
She stood up straight and closed her eyes in utter despair.
It had to be an illusion, right?
It had to be an illusion for her to see Mu Heng in this jam-packed pavilion, right?
Mu Heng… Senior Brother Mu…
And he was even wearing a sect uniform of the exact same color palette as the girl from earlier…
So the reason this damn Mu Heng didn’t come to take the exam was because he was already a disciple of the Eastern Ridge Lingshu to begin with?!
Lin Lumi snapped her eyes open. She saw Mu Heng curling the corners of his lips, looking at her with smiling eyes, his brow and lashes still carrying that infuriating air of nonchalance.
“Congratulations on getting a perfect score on the written exam.”
As his pleasant voice drifted out, the surrounding crowd instantly began to clamor.
“The sun has truly risen from the west. In the past, we’ve only ever seen Senior Brother Mu reject people, but this is the first time we’ve seen him actively congratulate a girl.”
“I must say, this lady is incredibly beautiful. Standing together, they actually look quite compatible.”
“Don’t speak nonsense. Senior Brother Mu seems to detest people spreading these kinds of rumors the most. Besides, if this gets back to the County Princess of the State of Ming, wouldn’t she be angered to death?”
“It would be for the best if she died of anger. I’ve really found her eyesore for a long time.”
…
As the chaotic discussions drifted into her ears, Lin Lumi twitched her lips. Although she hadn’t fully processed the situation yet, there were too many eyes and ears here; this was absolutely not the time to bicker with him.
Moreover, Mu Heng didn’t seem to have disclosed the fact that he knew her. Since that was the case, she would play along and pretend they were strangers for now.
She cleared her throat and looked up to meet his gaze directly. “Thank you. May I ask what business you have with me?”
Mu Heng stared at Lin Lumi solemnly. In the next instant, he couldn’t hold it in and let out a soft laugh.
“My apologies. I’m not quite used to you suddenly becoming so polite.”
Lin Lumi: ?
“It’s quite good. Keep it up in the future.”
Lin Lumi: ???
She considered herself an emotionally stable person, but facing Mu Heng, she truly found her patience pushed to the limit.
Even in a different place, she still wanted to smash Mu Heng’s dog head.
She forced out a smile. “You must be joking. This is merely basic etiquette. So, what on earth is your business with me?!”
“It is like this. Because your performance in the first written exam was so outstanding, I have been ordered by my Master to come and persuade you to join our Spirit Gathering Sect.”
As soon as these words were spoken, the crowd sighed in amazement once again.
“What did I say! They’re here to snatch her!”
“I heard that yesterday, several sects brought rare medicinal herbs to invite this first-place winner, and she didn’t agree to any of them!”
“She has a name; she’s called Lin Lumi! But this move by the Spirit Gathering Sect is truly ruthless, sending Senior Brother Mu directly to persuade her. What woman could resist that?”
“Exactly. If it were Senior Brother Mu, I would do whatever he said immediately without a single second of hesitation.”
“Though you’d be willing, she doesn’t seem very willing. Look at her staring blankly for so long; she hasn’t given a straight answer yet.”
Lin Lumi remained silent for a long time.
She had already planned to enter the Spirit Gathering Sect, so there was absolutely no need for Mu Heng to step in. But if she agreed immediately now, it would look as though she made the decision for his sake.
She didn’t want to let Mu Heng have even a fraction of that satisfaction.
“Everyone knows that the Spirit Gathering Sect is the head of the eighteen sects,” she said with a curved smile, her tone composed. “In truth, Young Master Mu did not need to come and persuade me. I had already intended to enter the Spirit Gathering Sect to cultivate.”
A trace of amusement flickered in the depths of Mu Heng’s eyes. “Very well. However, my visit today is not only to recruit for the sect, but also to invite you to join our Mystic Law Hall lineage in the future.”
“Mystic Law Hall?” Lin Lumi’s smile suddenly froze. “You’re saying you are from the Mystic Law Hall?!”
“Yes. Why are you so surprised?”
A chill quietly crept up her spine, and a bad premonition blossomed in Lin Lumi’s heart.
She forced herself to remain calm. “Which disciple are you under the Hall Master of the Mystic Law Hall?”
Mu Heng’s eyes flickered slightly.
He hadn’t expected Lin Lumi to ask this question. Did it matter?
But since she had asked, he would answer honestly.
“Master currently only has two disciples. One is myself, and the other is Wei Lingfeng. We entered the sect at the same time, so if you ask which number we are, it is actually hard to calculate. However, according to age, if Miss Lin enters our Mystic Law Hall, you should call me Second Senior Brother.”
Saying this, he took half a step forward, his voice carrying a hint of enticement: “We look forward to your joining very much. Miss Lin, will you consider entering our Mystic Law Hall in the future?”
Before his voice could fade, an uncontrollable stir arose from the surroundings.
“Heavens… I have never seen Senior Brother Mu with such a gentle expression,” a female disciple muttered, clutching her chest.
“What is this Miss Lin still hesitating for? If it were me, I would have nodded and agreed right this second!”
An older sister-disciple in the crowd shook her head, however. “A young lady must maintain some reserve. If she agrees too quickly, it will instead make her look frivolous.”
Surrounded entirely by onlookers feeding on the gossip, Lin Lumi froze in place. The surrounding discussions felt as though they were separated by thousands of mountains and rivers, buzzing and tangling into a blur that she couldn’t hear clearly.
Could it be that she had done something to alter the plot of this world?
The Second Senior Brother in the book was clearly low-key and worked silently. How could he possibly be Mu Heng, this annoying, highly competitive brat who loved to show off all day long?!
Where on earth did Mu Heng kick the original Second Senior Brother to?!
Lin Lumi felt an indescribable frustration in her heart, but she quickly reined in her emotions. “Understood. I will consider entering the Mystic Law Hall.”
Mu Heng froze slightly. He hadn’t expected Lin Lumi to relent so quickly without bickering with him. Things were almost going too smoothly.
The murmurs of the crowd surged once more.
“Didn’t I say so! The other sects had to bring all sorts of rare treasures, but Senior Brother Mu didn’t need any of that—his face alone was enough to persuade her!”
“Of course. Senior Brother Mu’s word is absolute. No woman would refuse him, right?”
“Sigh, I also want to be Lin Lumi for once.”