The assessment was currently in full swing.
The inner sect selection had concluded earlier than the outer sect, and the bustling noise had gradually dispersed.
Wen Jing sat dressed in new clothes inside her newly allocated courtyard dormitory. Behind her stood several women wearing the uniforms of outer sect disciples from the Spirit Gathering Sect.
Staring at herself in the bronze mirror, she raised her hand to slowly tidy the stray locks of dark hair by her temples. A faint smile played on her lips, her expression carrying an air of composure.
“Xiaolan.” Wen Jing turned around suddenly, her gaze landing on one of the women. Her tone was flat, yet it carried an inherent, oppressive weight. “That woman who dared to clamor against me the other day, have you found out her background?”
The woman whose name was called took a hasty step forward and reported in a lowered voice: “Princess, it has been investigated. Her name is Lin Lumi, and she originates from the Marquis of Anding’s estate in the Yue Kingdom, as the third young lady of the Marquis’s house.”
“The Yue Kingdom?” Hearing this, the smile in Wen Jing’s eyes instantly deepened, and a sneer surfaced on her lips. “So she is just a nobody from some remote, insignificant kingdom. Relying on a few unorthodox tricks she learned, she actually dared to put on airs in front of this Princess.”
She slowly tilted her chin up with a haughty posture, as if inspecting an ignorant little insect.
“I have already entered the inner sect, and all the connections that needed to be smoothed over have been taken care of. Even if she goes to complain now, what can she possibly do to me? Xiaolan, go and tamper with her next assessment. I don’t want her to pass; make sure she takes a massive fall.”
“But, Princess…”
Li Xiaolan’s expression changed, her voice carrying hesitation and fear. She lowered her head, her fingers instinctively clutching the corner of her sleeve tightly. “This matter… I cannot do it.”
“Presumptuous!” Wen Jing barked coldly, flicking her sleeve with the harsh severity of a superior. “If you cannot even handle such a minor matter, what use do I have for you? Don’t forget, your father’s promotion still depends on a single word from my father, the Prince!”
As her words fell, the atmosphere in the room suddenly grew tense.
Li Xiaolan felt a chill run down her spine. Her heart fell into utter chaos, and with a thud, she fell to her knees. Her forehead practically touched the floor as she explained in a frenzy: “Princess, please appease your anger! Please allow me to explain! It is not that I am unwilling, but… that Lin Lumi scored full marks in the very first assessment and was exceptionally admitted directly into the inner sect by the elders. I truly have no way to interfere!”
As Li Xiaolan shivered on the floor, another female disciple next to her saw this and stepped forward as well: “Yes, Princess. We didn’t dare to tell you directly earlier for fear of affecting your assessment. Furthermore, there is one more matter, though I do not know if it is appropriate to speak of it.”
Wen Jing closed her eyes and pressed her fingers against her temple: “Speak.”
She snapped, believing that nothing could possibly be worse than this.
“Yes.” The female disciple caught her breath, looking as though she had summoned all her courage. “That Lin Lumi and Senior Brother Mu have known each other for a long time.”
“What did you say!? How did this get involved with Brother Mu Heng again!?”
Hearing Mu Heng’s name, Wen Jing could no longer sit still.
She pondered for a moment, forcing herself to calm down: “No, I remember Brother Mu Heng is the son of the Prime Minister of the Yue Kingdom. Since this Lin Lumi is the daughter of the Marquis of Anding of the Yue Kingdom, it is not strange for them to know each other.”
“If they were merely acquaintances, it would be fine.” The female disciple’s voice grew even softer. “But that day in front of the candidate dormitories, Senior Brother Mu publicly invited her to join the Mystic Dharma Hall.”
“Absolutely impossible!” Wen Jing’s voice turned sharply piercing. “The selection criteria for the Mystic Dharma Hall are incredibly strict; even I failed to be chosen. How could they look highly upon that wench! What exactly is her relationship with Brother Mu Heng!?”
The woman lowered her head in silence. Only when the Princess’s breathing had calmed down a bit did she speak cautiously: “It is quite strange… That day, Senior Brother Mu claimed they were childhood sweethearts, but Lin Lumi said they were sworn enemies. Later, I asked several disciples from the Yue Kingdom in private, and they all said the two had been rivals since their youth, constantly fighting tooth and nail at the academy.”
“Sworn enemies…” Wen Jing slowly repeated the words, frost gradually forming in her eyes. She tilted her chin up slightly, the corners of her lips curving into a cold, grim arc. “Rather kill the wrongly accused than let the guilty slip away. Even if they are sworn enemies… I will not allow her to take another single step near Brother Mu Heng.”
Beside her, Li Xiaolan’s throat bobbed slightly as she asked in a trembling voice: “The Princess means…?”
Wen Jing tapped her fingers gently on the tabletop, a frigid smile lingering on her lips: “I recall there is a rule in the sect assessment. If a disciple questions the strength of an admitted candidate, they may petition for a re-evaluation, demanding a public duel with the outer sect disciple. If the candidate fails the duel, they can be rightfully expelled from the sect gates.”
“B-But, Princess,” Li Xiaolan’s face turned pale, “this move carries immense risk. The challenger must present concrete evidence, and more importantly… if the opponent wins the duel, the challenger will be permanently expelled from the Eastern Ridge Lingshu. Lin Lumi’s strength is something we all witnessed that day; I’m afraid she indeed…”
“Shut up!” Wen Jing slammed her palm onto the table, causing the jewelry on the table to clatter loudly. “Whose side are you on anyway!? Besides—” She suddenly leaned in close, the beaded tassels hanging from her golden hairpins brushing against Li Xiaolan’s pale cheek, “who said I would personally step forward to question her? This petition should naturally be raised by you.”
Her finger gently lifted Li Xiaolan’s chin, her voice as soft as poisoned honey: “Remember, I absolutely will not tolerate Lin Lumi staying in the Eastern Ridge Lingshu. If this is not accomplished, not only will your father’s official career be ruined, but I will make sure you have no place left to stand in the Eastern Ridge Lingshu… Do you understand?”
Li Xiaolan’s fingernails dug deeply into her palms, but she could only lower her head and reply in a hoarse voice: “…Yes.”
The entrance assessment of the Eastern Ridge Lingshu had finally drawn to a close.
The newly admitted disciples who passed the assessment were led to a spacious white marble plaza. The sun was scorching, and the plaza was densely packed with youthful faces.
At the far end of the plaza atop the high platform, the sect leaders of the eighteen sects were still nowhere to be seen.
Lin Lumi and Hua Tian stood close together.
Bored out of her mind, Hua Tian couldn’t help but tug at her collar and lower her voice: “Why are these sect leaders late, leaving us standing here in the dry heat to bake? If I had known, I would have brought an umbrella. I’m practically dying of the heat.”
“Is that so?” Lin Lumi teased with a smile. “You were very excited just a moment ago.”
“That was before I got baked. Now I take my words back.”
Before her words could even settle, three clear, resonant chimings of a bell suddenly drifted from the high platform, echoing in everyone’s ears.
In an instant, the entire plaza fell silent as if pressed down by an invisible hand, and all the chatter vanished.
The eighteen sect leaders arrived through the air one after another, their wide sleeves fluttering. As their figures descended, their robes billowed like scrolls slowly unfurling.
Their seats were arranged in a single row, high above the plaza like eighteen immovable mountains, exerting a heavy pressure. Wherever their gazes swept, no one dared to look them in the eye.
Finally, it was about to begin.
The sect leader of the Spirit Gathering Sect, who sat in the center, stepped forward slowly. He swept his gaze across the crowd below and then spoke in a measured tone.
As he spoke, his voice was like a booming bell, full of breath, each word resounding with force: “Today, your entry into our sect proves that each of you is a chosen talent, one in a hundred. I believe no one will object to this.”