Chapter 344: Visiting Sun Wentai
Miaomiao wiped Killer Queen with a clean cloth, soaked with unified element spring water from Siren City. The talking katana giggled as if she enjoyed the bath after a light workout.
Zhou Gongjin stared at Miaomiao's lizardman form in astonishment. Usually, only 6th-stage cultivators who had awakened their dao avatars could transform by merging their physical body with their dao avatar. But this 4th-stage cultivator naturally shapeshifted and increased his physical strength at will.
It reminded him of his nemesis in his previous life.
'Ling Tianlong could also transform into a dragonewt despite being a 5th-stage cultivator. But that was five years in the future. By now, his strength should be around 4th-stage or so.'
Zhou Gongjin vividly remembered the tragedy in his previous life, which was the trigger of the Sun Clan's downfall.
After the year that Ling Tianlong had slain the Lich King of Red Sun City, the former traveled to Jianye to search for his mentor, Ling Cao, who left the Mount Hua Sect and become a guest elder in Jiangdong White Tiger Sect.
At that time, Gan Ning, who had recently joined the sect as an outer disciple, had a fortuitous encounter at the Dark Sheep River and inherited the lost technique from a deceased powerful beastman. He returned to the sect to show off his new skills and his unique advanced water element Qi, the Hydro Element.
Later on, Gan Ning was promoted into an inner disciple, and he was instructed to capture a few Horned Sheep by the Dark Sheep River.
Gan Ning and his men ran into Ling Cao at the dark grassland and had a quarrel about the former's inheritance. Ling Cao claimed that it belonged to him as he had obtained permission from Mao Xueyan.
Gan Ning disagreed, and both men fought. When the dust settled, Ling Cao was slain!
Gan Ning was amended from the crime as Sun Bofu deemed it as self-defense. However, the people from the Mount Hua Sect were displeased.
Ling Tianlong, who had inherited the White Tiger's legacy, discovered the truth later on. After that day, that man hunted disciples and elders from the Sun Clan as if he wanted to torment Sun Bofu and Gan Ning.
Ultimately, Ling Tianlong slew Sun Wentai and Sun Bofu before he freed the White Tiger. Gan Ning survived and worked for Sun Bofu's little brother.
The Sun Clan was on a decline ever since. Yet, the mass genocide continued as Ling Tianlong was obstinate in murdering all relatives and friends of Gan Ning. Fortunately, CJ, Xie Tian, and the unknown organization called [God Slayers], joined forces and attacked Mount Hua Sect together. Only then, Ling Tianlong withdrew from the southeast region and never came back.
This series of events plagued Zhou Gongjin's mind ever since he had time-traveled to the past. Now, upon seeing the ability of Miaomiao, the former's PTSD resurfaced.
Blood left in Zhou Gongjin's face, and he could feel the cold and numbness. He got dizzy and nauseous, feeling as if he was about to faint from the stress.
"Gongjin, you look pale. Let's take you back along with Sister Wu, and we'll talk later."
One of the elders reached out to Zhou Gongjin as he knew the latter. After all, they were members of the same clan.
"Uncle Cheng Pu, I'm okay," Zhou Gongjin had a lot to discuss with Miaomiao and others. After all, they might be the keys to prevent the potential tragedy.
"But I insist. We have a lot to talk about your current strength and your purpose for mixing in with the test takers. You're a servant from the Sun Clan, and you shouldn't be taking part in this trial."
In short, Zhou Gongjin had violated the rules of the Sun Clan, and the elder needed an explanation.
Zhou Gongjin wryly smiled. Though today's events were different from what he had predicted, he had achieved his primary goal.
From now on, the sect's elders would pay attention to his existence. Moreover, four people had obtained the right to inherit the legacy of the guardian beast.
Ling Tianlong wouldn't be able to obtain the white tiger's legacies and bloodline anymore!
"Alright. Please lead the way."
Zhou Gongjin looked back one more time. He looked at Miaomiao as if he wanted to memorize his face to the core of his brain.
'Cao Mao, you might be the key to defeat Ling Tianlong. I don't know who you are, but I can use you!'
…
Two elders brought Wu Guotai and Zhou Gongjin away, leaving Miaomiao, Gan Ning, Zhu Qiao, and Huang Gongfu there.
The group awkwardly looked at each other.
Huang Gongfu coughed, "Cao Mao, I'm sorry from before. I couldn't stop my colleague, and I ACCIDENTALLY attacked you."
Miaomiao shrugged as he reverted back to his human form, "No harm's done. Let bygones be bygones."
"G-Good. Very good. Oh, about your abode, this is a serious problem for girls," Huang Gongfu turned to Zhu Qiao. "I'll tell you this in advance. 50 outer disciples share one barrack. Ten inner disciples share a house, and most disciples are men. In our sect, there are only five female inner disciples, including you."
"…"
Zhu Qiao's face darkened as she had a bad feeling about this.
Huang Gongfu confirmed the bad news, "Outer disciples have no problem separating dorms or barracks by genders since there are enough people to form their all-female faction and kind elders to protect them. However, inner disciple residence is a different territory. Among the inner disciples, noblemen and rich merchant sons took control and divided the inner sect among themselves. They formed factions and competed for housings and resources… including women! All four inner disciples came here as innocent maidens, but they lost their purity within a year. Now, they become trophies for the stronger faction, and they sell their bodies for cultivation resources. The elders, including Wu Guotai, also ignore this stupid custom."
Gan Ning whistled as he looked forward to joining the chaos and power struggling among the inner disciples. Miaomiao sighed and shook his head, thinking of these hormone-driven brats as incompetent losers as they couldn't even woo women normally and resorted to a barbaric method.
As for Zhu Qiao, her expression distorted in disgust.
"Can I quit and turn back? I don't want to join this sect anymore," Zhu Qiao raised her hand.
Miaomiao giggled, "If you go back, you will be sent back here eventually. Welp, sucks to be a woman in this world. But hey, you're a succubus. You will have to spread your legs eventually."
"…"
Huang Gongfu had an apologetic smile on his face, "I'm sorry about this, little girl. You might have to rely on your strength or your comrades from now on. Also, I'm not as heartless as those elders. I'll take you to see my sect master, and I'll try to make an exception for you. Cao Mao, you too, come with me."
The kind elder guided the three youngsters to the island mountain peak.
…
Walking for an hour, Miaomiao, Gan Ning, and Zhu Qiao reached the sect master's abode at the top of the mountain peak.
The flatland on the mountain peak was above the cloud. Stary sky was bright and pristine enough for a pervert like Miaomiao to stop and admire the scenery.
A lone one-story wooden shack, a small vegetable garden, bundles of dry lumber, and a small henhouse made this place look like a sage's residence.
However, a strange brown crystal floating on top of the shack reminded Miaomiao of his pylon tower. It also leaked yin and yang essence, filling the air with dense Qi.
Gan Ning's eyes sparkled as he hadn't seen a massive spirit stone before. He took a deep breath and absorbed the Qi in the air in glee.
Zhu Qiao flinched as she stared at the unrefined spiritual ore, which was larger than the shack in front of her. A few seconds later, she scoffed as she had several better refined spiritual veins, essence cores, and a few soul stones in her system inventory.
She didn't lack cultivation resources as she could keep completing side-quests or paid the system with her demonic essence in exchange for system currency points. Then, she could exchange them for gacha tickets, which could be used to roll for godly weapons, artifacts, pills, consumable items, or cultivation resources.
As such, Zhu Qiao wasn't impressed with the crystal, spiritual ore, or whatsoever. Unless Sun Wentai could fetch her several high-graded soul stones, she couldn't be moved by this meager rock.
As for Miaomiao, he simply glanced at it and smirked. His pylon tower gave out denser Qi, and it summoned life essence rain. Moreover, Mao Xueyan's Holy Grail continued to produce spring water, which could instantly heal physical wounds.
In a way, Jiangdong White Tiger was a lot poorer than Siren City.
Seeing the reactions of these youths, Huang Gongfu was surprised. Gan Ning's reaction was normal, but Zhu Qiao and Miaomiao looked odd.
It was as if they possessed something more valuable than the floating spiritual ore vein.
"Such prodigal children. Haiz," Huang Gongfu shook his head, disappointed by the youth's attitude. Then, he walked toward the shack.
Before the elder could knock on the weak wooden door, a tall silhouette of a muscular man with a bare chest walked out of the shack with a hatchet.
"Gongfu? What are you doing here with those children?"
The man was Sun Wentai, the sect master of Jiangdong White Tiger Sect. Currently, he wore only leather pants, and his messy long hair covered half of his face.
From everyone's perspective, Sun Wentai looked like a muscular barbarian or a caveman.
Yet, nobody voiced out their remark as the vibe in the air threatened them. The nascent soul cultivator before them was on a different league than the previous three elders.
Even Miaomiao could feel it. This person's combat prowess might be on par with Ma Ping.
"My lord, these children are the successful candidates of the white tiger's exam this year."
"Hoh? Three of them at once? Nice!"
"There's one more, but he's your son's servant."
"Who?"
"Zhou Gongjin, that troublesome sworn brother of Bofu."
"Bah!" Sun Wentai rolled his eyes and slouched his shoulders, disappointed, "What the hell was he doing here in the exam? Didn't he know that our servants are prohibited from taking the tests!?"
"He… intentionally hid his cultivation base. I think he wants to inherit our guardian beast's legacy."
"That fool… Well, it doesn't matter. He has proven his worthiness alright. Send someone to give him a copy of a sky-grade cultivation manual. Then, keep him in the city. Don't let him roam the sect. This place is reserved to cultivate non-clan members! If Gongjin wants recognition, let him take jobs from my clan instead."
"Understood."
The Sun Clan and Jiangdong White Tiger Sect operated differently – The sect cultivated promising youths from other clans or families while the Sun Clan nurtured their children or their servant's children.
The treatment, training regime, resource allocation, and training environment were not the same. Depending on their social status and achievements, clan members could potentially get a higher payroll than inner disciples could have, but weak clansmen might barely get enough wage to make ends meet.
Sun Wentai thought that Zhou Gongjin wanted to get a higher salary by being an inner disciple, so he was annoyed.
"What about these three? Why are you taking them here?" Sun Wentai pointed at the three youths.
Huang Gongfu wryly smiled and looked at Zhu Qiao, "This is Zhu Qiao, the daughter of Zhu Huifang."
"Oh?"
The irritated expression on Sun Wentai's face disappeared, replaced with a joyful look. He grinned from ear to ear, "So, little girl. Are you here to marry my son?"
Zhu Qiao flinched again. She cupped her fist and bowed, hiding her frown, "I'm sorry. I would like to postpone the decision to a later date."
"Hahaha! I understand. I think I get the gist of it. Living in the inner disciple abode is too dangerous for you, right? Very well, I'll arrange a place for you to stay. How about you stay at my wife's abode and become her legacy disciple? With that kind of status, I doubt any horny moron in my sect can touch you."
Zhu Qiao bit her lower lips and glanced at Miaomiao. Hesitated for a few seconds, she raised her head and looked into the eyes of Sun Wentai, "I have a condition."
"Oh sure. What do you need?"
"I will not marry your son unless he can advance to the 7th-stage! However, during the meantime, if I ever find a better marriage partner than Sun Bofu, who is stronger and more suitable, I can freely cancel the engagement with Sun Bofu!"
Sun Wentai's face changed. He sneered at the girl, "Do you think there is someone more talented and promising than my son?"
Zhu Qiao revealed a faint smile, "Who knows? Maybe, he's closer than you think."
"…"
As soon as Zhu Qiao finished her sentence, Sun Wentai's killing intent locked on to Gan Ning and Miaomiao.
"So, one of them is among you?"
Gan Ning shrunk back in fear.
However, Miaomiao activated his killing domain to repel the threatening killing intent pressure of the sect master.
"It's rude to show hostility against a foreign diplomat without even letting me speak a word."
Sun Wentai chuckled as he found Miaomiao amusing. Then, his face darkened as he revealed his war face.
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