Chapter 51: Chapter 51: Arriving in Succession
Translator: 549690339
Zhou Heng's gaze fell on the entrance of the martial arts hall, where he saw a charming figure standing gracefully.
She was about sixteen or seventeen years old, with delicate features and unparalleled beauty, dressed in a crimson skirt. Noticing Zhou Heng's glance, she waved her hand, her smile blooming like flowers.
It was YunXiu.
“Miss Xiu'er, when did you come back?” Zhou Heng greeted her with a smile. He then remembered that Yun Xiu always came back for the last five or six days of the month.
“Brother Heng, long time no see.” Yun Xiu moved toward Zhou Heng with light steps. Suddenly, she stopped, raised her hand above her own head and gestured to Zhou Heng, sighing, “Brother Heng, have you grown taller?”
A month ago, Zhou Heng had only been half a head taller than her, but now he was nearly a whole head taller.
Yun Xiu was sixteen this year, with a body that had almost finished developing, tall and slender. Perhaps due to practicing martial arts, she was considerably taller than the average girl.
“Hmm, it seems I have grown taller,” Zhou Heng nodded and said with a smile. Ninth Grade is the stage of physique refinement and foundation building, which improves the overall condition of the body. Besides, it was normal for him to grow taller since he was at the age of development.
By the standards of Earth, he had already passed 1.8 meters.
“You look even better!” Yun Xiu praised him openly, then pouted and asked, “Why haven't you come to my house for breakfast these past few days? What's going on?”
“Well…” Zhou Heng scratched his head and replied with a smile, “I'll go tomorrow, definitely tomorrow. Miss Xiu'er, can I still have your buns then?” He couldn't really explain his absence at breakfast lately. He had been practicing Palm Thunder, which often resulted in the accidental death or stunning of innocent birds and beasts, and they'd end up cooked on the spot. In line with the principle of not wasting Nature's gifts, he had been eating these for the past few days instead of going to Yun Xiu's house.
“Of course, you can!” Yun Xiu beamed and then added, “By the way, Brother Heng, I heard you're going to take the test at Chang Xing Sect, right?” “Yes, because I reached Ninth Grade by taking medicine, I have to test my foundation.” Zhou Heng nodded. “The people from Chang Xing Sect are already here, and I guess the test will be in the next couple of days.”
“Then I will be there to cheer you on! Also, I have some good news,” YunXiu said with a smile. “But, I won't tell you now. Wait until after your test and I'll tell you then, see you!”
With that, she turned and left, leaving behind only a faint scent in the air.
“…” Zhou Heng watched her departing figure, internally screaming, girl, don't jinx things!
I'll tell you when… such a sentence formation.
It's too dangerous!
Then, Yu He came over, patted Zhou Heng on the shoulder, and sighed,
“Brother, can you tell me how to win a girl's favor?”
“Huh?” Zhou Heng turned to look at his good friend, gave him a scrutinizing look, shook his head, and replied, ” It' s a matter of the face.”
“Alas, poor me, with my utterly unremarkable face,” Yu He sighed. “Seems like I'll have to go to Yixiang Tower tonight and throw some money around to listen to some tunes, just to maintain a bit of zest in life.”
Yixiang Tower, different from Cuixiang Tower, was named after the scent of young ladies—it was a famous brothel in Huangtong Mansion City. Yu He's favorite pastime was to go there, spend money, and listen to courtesans sing. “The curse of the wealthy,” Zhou Heng didn't hide his envy.
Of course, it was only the money he envied, nothing more.
And certainly not the courtesan girls playing their little tunes, the delicate strumming and plucking.
“Hey, let's not talk about that. How prepared are you for the upcoming test?” Yu He asked with a smile. “I heard that Kong Chengshun is very strong, stern and impartial. You should be careful.”
“Don't worry.” Zhou Heng waved his fist and declared, “I have got this in the bag.”
“That's good to hear. Oh, you remember Liu Changsheng, right?” Yu He continued, “He's about to leave. He's throwing a banquet at my family's restaurant at noon today. He wants to thank you for helping him deal with that Qjan manager last time.”
“That sounds great. I'll go. Why miss out on a free meal?” Zhou Heng said with a laugh.
It was midday.
Liu Changsheng had been attacked by a ghostly being that had possessed Qian manager; although he only suffered minor injuries, it was still a frightening experience. After a few days of recuperation, he had finally returned to normal. At the banquet table.
There were not many people, only Liu Changsheng, Manager Wang, Yu He, and Zhou Heng.
As Zhou Heng was still practicing his martial arts, they substituted tea for wine. After the “wine” had been passed around three times,
Liu Changsheng straightened his expression and said seriously, “Does Young Master Zhou have any interest in joining the Five Elements Sect as a disciple?” “Ah!??” Yu He, sitting beside him, was so startled by this question that his chopsticks dropped, and he looked at Liu Changsheng with a shocked expression, saying, “Holy smokes, Young Master Liu, are you serious?” The Five Elements Sect!
One of the world's top ten sects, its Grandmaster has reached the formidable Second Rank, truly one of the very top of the Martial Dao Sects.
In Da Qi, whether in terms of prestige or fame, it is only slightly less than one of the three Taoist palaces, the Pure Yang Palace, and one of the four Buddha Sect temples, the Infinite Temple.
It is a sect that countless martial artists dream of joining.
And now, they were proactively inviting Zhou Heng?
“Join the Five Elements Sect?” Zhou Heng was also takenabackby the words and then chuckled, “Is that even possible? Can Young Master Liu directly invite me to join?”
“Ah, this…” Liu Changsheng touched his nose, somewhat embarrassed as he said, “Not just yet, but as long as you agree, I can ask my master to reserve a disciple slot for me.
“After a fewyears, when I reach the Sixth Rank in martial arts, I can accept you as my apprentice. That way, you can naturally become a true disciple of our Five Elements Sect.”
“Young Master Zhou, you have an exceptional comprehension of the Five Elements Path and high talent,” ManagerWang also added, “If you can receive the true teachings of the Five Elements Sect, you will surely reach the Middle Third Rank in the future.”
The vast majority of martial artists all pursue the Seventh Rank level, and those who reach the Middle Third Rank are few and far between.
As for the Upper Third Rank… that is akin to the realm of Earthly Immortals.
There aren't many who dare to hope for such an achievement.
Now, Manager Wang's remark “will surely reach the Middle Third Rank” was already a very tempting proposition for others.
Yu He wanted to speak up and persuade Zhou Heng to agree.
After all, from his business mindset, a fewyears in exchange for the status of a true disciple of the Five Elements Sect was an incredibly lucrative deal.
Compared to the true teachings of the Five Elements Sect, the mere identity of an outer sect disciple of the Chang Xing Sect is nothing to mention.
But in the end, he didn't speak.
Such an important matter should be decided by Zhou Heng himself; he shouldn't influence Zhou's decision with his own persuasion.
Zhou Heng did not immediately respond; he fell into deep thought.
Nobody else spoke either.
The banquet table became quiet.
After a long while, Zhou Heng lifted his head, looked at Liu Changsheng, shook his head with a smile, and said, “It seems that it would require considerable effort on your part, Young Master Liu, no need for that.”
He had declined the offer.
Clang… Yu He's chopsticks dropped again, as he hadn't expected Zhou Heng to refuse.
That was the Five Elements Sect!
The Five Elements Sect!
At Zhou Heng's response, Liu Changsheng was also surprised, but with great poise, he still smiled and said, “Since that is the case, I won't bring this up again. However, if Young Master Zhou is ever interested, a disciple slot will always be kept open for you.”
Manager Wang simply smiled quietly, without saying anything more.
Although neither party made a definitive closing statement, in reality, everyone knew that this matter was now impossible.
Afterwards, the banquet continued quietly and soon came to an end.
Liu Changsheng and Manager Wang returned to rest in the Tian Character Upper Room.
Inside the room.
Seeing that Manager Wang had a displeased expression, Liu Changsheng laughed and said, “What's the matter, Manager Wang? Are you in a bad mood?”
“A little.” Manager Wang nodded and said, “That Zhou Heng actually refused your invitation, who does he think he is?”
“Haha, Manager Wang, that's where you're wrong,” Liu Changsheng shook his head and said, “I just gave him a suggestion, not forcing him to join my ranks. Besides, my Five Elements Sect hasn't fallen on such hard times.”
“Uh, that's, the young master makes sense,” Manager Wang still felt somewhat dissatisfied and said, “But he really thinks toohighly of himself, not recognizing what's good for him.”
“Manager Wang, regardless, Zhou Heng has helped us out. Don't harbor that thought,” Liu Changsheng's expression became serious as he solemnly said, “Even if Zhou Heng has refused my invitation, he will still be my friend in the future.”
“Yes, young master, I understand,” Manager Wang nodded.
He originally harbored no ill will towards Zhou Heng, but had felt a touch of resentment when his young master was refused. Now awakened to the proper perspective, that resentment vanished.
“Moreover, do you think 1 wanted to invite him to join my Sect just because of his talent in the way of Five Elements?” Liu Changsheng walked over to the window, looking out at the sun.
“Is there another reason?” Manager Wang asked curiously, knowing that although his young master enjoyed martial competition, he was not someone who acted rashly—on the contrary, he was astute with strong insight.
“I happened to see that Zhou Heng carried a talisman on his person,” Liu Changsheng said with a smile, “Although I didn't see the whole thing and don't know its specifics, I could recognize that it was the script style of a Pure Yang Palace talisman.”
“Does the young master mean that someone from Pure Yang Palace has already been in contact with Zhou Heng!?” ManagerWang's eyes widened in astonishment and he said in shock, “Why then would he participate in the outer disciple selection of Chang Xing Sect?”
“Pure Yang Palace is extremely strict about accepting disciples, and the process is cumbersome, having contact does not imply that he's already a disciple. Otherwise, I wouldn't want to take him as my disciple,” Liu Changsheng gently shook his head, then added, “But one thing is beyond doubt, if a person from Pure Yang Palace didn't value him, he wouldn't have their talisman. This means he must have even more extraordinary aptitude.”
“I understand,” Manager Wang nodded earnestly and said, “The young master has keen insight. Befriending this Zhou Heng will not bring us any harm.”
“Exactly,” Liu Changsheng nodded slightly and smiled, “In a couple of days when he undergoes the test, let's also go take a look. Maybe we can offer some help.”
Yu He and Zhou Heng made their way back to the martial arts hall together.
On the way.
Yu He couldn't help but ask, “Why didn'tyou agree to Liu Changsheng? Isn't the true discipleship of the Five Elements Sect good?”
“Hehe,” Zhou Heng chuckled and said, “If I could enter the Sect right now and receive the true teachings of the Five Elements Sect, maybe I would have agreed. But in a few years…”
He shook his head lightly, smiling without a word.
“What about in a few years?” Yu He was puzzled and said, “Are you afraid Liu Changsheng won' t make a breakthrough to the Sixth Rank in a few years? That shouldn't happen, his father is an elder of the Five Elements Sect, a celebrated figure on the Earthly Rankings.”
“No, what I mean is…” Zhou Heng laughed and said, “In a few years, I might be stronger than him. By that time, even if I wanted that disciple position, he probably wouldn't be comfortable offering it. Better to just end it now.”
“Ahl?” Yu He's jaw dropped, and he smacked his lips in wonder, “Is this what it means to be a genius??”
“Heh, I'll take that as a compliment,” Zhou Heng laughed, about to unabashedly praise himself some more when he suddenly felt a chill on his back, as if something had set its sights on him. He quickly turned around, but found nothing there.
“What's wrong?” Yu He asked, puzzled.
“It's nothing,” Zhou Hengshookhishead with a slight frown and said, “Let's head back to the martial arts hall first.”
After Zhou Heng and Yu He left, on the rooftop of a nearby building, two figures appeared out of thin air.
A man and a woman, one tall and the other slender.
The girl appeared only fifteen or sixteen, exquisitely beautiful yet still somewhat immature—it was none other than Pei Luoling.
Standing beside her was a middle-aged man who looked to be in his forties, burly and robust, dressed in a black robe, with muscular arms, a face framed by a full beard, exuding an aura of natural authority.
“The kid has good perception,” the middle-aged man said with a smile, “Just now, although I did not intentionally hide my gaze and it even carried a bit of sharpness, martial artists below the Seventh Rank might not notice, but he sensed it instantly. Hmm, not simple.”
“See, Uncle Zhantu, I told you, someone who can tell such good stories can't be bad at martial arts,” Pei Luoling exclaimed with joy, the middle-aged man beside her being Pei Zhantu, who, according to family lineage, was her uncle.
Pei Zhantu, a collateral member of the Pingzhou Pei Clan, Fifth Rank Sect Master, serving as the Martial Affairs Commissioner of Pingzhou County.
“He indeed qualifies as a genius,” Pei Zhantu nodded and said, “A youth with such talent should have no problem receiving Huangtong Mansion's support policies.”
“But I heard the application Longxing Martial Arts Hall made for him was rejected,” Pei Luoling said indignantly, a rumor she had overheard in a tea house during the day.
Moreover, the ones discussing it were trainers from the Changsheng Martial Arts Hall and the Tongchang Martial Arts Hall, lending some credibility to the claim.
As it happened, Pei Zhantu personally came to Huangtong Mansion City to “fetch” her back, and she took the opportunity to set her terms: She would return, but only if this matter was perfectly resolved.
“Rejected?” Pei Zhantu's eyes narrowed slightly as he smiled and said, “Then let's wait and see how this young man performs after passing the Chang Xing Sect's test. I'll see how Tian Chong behaves then.”
“Uncle Zhantu, you are so wise!” Pei Luoling chirped joyfully.
Amidst a thousand mountains and valleys, the ocean of clouds surged, devoid of human trace.
Suddenly, a crane's call rang out through the sky. A massive white crane soared through the clouds and mist, stirring up great waves as it ascended into the high skies, speeding across the towering mountains and sweeping through the ether.
On this white crane lay a middle-aged Taoist, his hair and beard unkempt, his features somewhat handsome. His Taoist robe was wrinkled, stained with grease, and some parts had even hardened into crusts.
“Glug, glug!” The Taoist took a big swig of wine from his gourd, belched contentedly, his tipsy eyes blurred as he muttered to himself.
“Da Qj's northern part, in Pingzhou County of Huangtong Mansion City, Zhou Heng of Longxing Martial Arts Hall… Such that Jiang Jian called a lad of high caliber, hmm, might as well take a look… *hic*… hehe, good wine… glug, glug-”
As evening approached, Lin Cang knocked on Zhou Heng's training room door.
“What's the matter, Master Lin?” Zhou Heng asked as he saw the troubled look on Lin Gang's face.
“Those two bastards, Huang Jingfu and Hong Kang, are no good!” Lin Cang gritted his teeth, took a deep breath, and then exhaled slowly, “Zhou Heng, I'm sorry, I had you training the Running Clouds Falling Sun Sword these past days, yet I never imagined they would stoop so low.”
“What happened?” Zhou Heng looked perplexed.
“They proposed a barehanded test!!” Lin Cang recounted the test rules he'd heard from Lei Xiuyan, ending with indignation, “This is clearly a deliberate attempt to suppress you! You've just learned your hand techniques for a few days, how can they test you like this?”
“Master Lin, please calm down,” Zhou Heng smiled, “Actually, I think this test proposal is reasonable.”
“What? What did you say?” Lin Cang was stunned and exclaimed in astonishment, “Are you confident you can make Kong Chengshun block you three times? He's a master ranked ninety-ninth on the person list.”
“That confidence,” Zhou Heng's lips curved slightly, revealing a self-assured smile, “I indeed have it.”
Two days later.
In front of the Martial Affairs Office of Huangtong Mansion, a large and spacious arena was erected, along with a temporary stand for important “spectators.”
Many people eager to watch the spectacle flocked to the site.
Zhou Heng, the one being tested, arrived early at the venue, mounting the stage to wait.
The heads and trainers of Tongchang Martial Arts Hall, Changsheng Martial Arts Hall, and Longxing Martial Arts Hall, as well as core apprentices, all gradually made their appearance.
Yun Xiu, Pei Luoling, Liu Changsheng, Manager Wang, and others, also positioned themselves at places with a good view to wait.
Zhou Heng ignored the noisy din surrounding the stage, sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed.
Circulating his inner Qi, he calmly meditated.
Suddenly, his eyes snapped open, turning towards the other side of the stage.
Kong Chengshun had arrived and climbed directly onto the platform.
The testing bout!
Was about to begin!