“Achoo!” Xia Zheng sneezed and bent down. Xiao Xiang Xue’s sword just barely grazed over Xia Zheng’s shoulder and missed him.
Xiao Xiang Xue was shocked that Xia Zheng had been able to dodge her move at such a close distance. She couldn’t believe it, and wanting to try again, she hurriedly tried to use another move, but her sword was stuck on the accessory on the sheath of Xia Zheng’s sword.
“Senior Brother Xia Zheng is so powerful. He easily dodged a move from Senior Sister Xiao that even Golden Core Realm cultivators would have trouble dodging.”
“Not only that! Look, Senior Brother Xia Zheng easily intercepted Senior Sister Xiao’s sword with the sheath.”
When Xia Zheng had coincidentally bent down and avoided Xiao Xiang Xue’s surefire skill, the sword blade happened to get entangled in the accessories on the sheath. Well, the only reason the sheath was actually able to make the sword stuck was because it was made of good material; otherwise, the sword likely wouldn’t have gotten stuck.
“Look, junior sister, can we…” Xia Zheng quickly tried to suggest a truce and stop the fight before he got severely injured. Xia Zheng’s shoulder felt cold when Xiao Xiang Xue had came at him, and he realized that he had to go back and seclude himself for a few more days again.
However, it was obvious that Xiao Xiang Xue wasn’t willing to give up, and she wanted to get the sword back and fight again, but after tugging on it a few times, the sword was still stuck. She hardened her resolve and tugged the sword with her full strength. Xia Zheng hadn’t expected that, and his feet slipped, so he fell toward Xiao Xiang Xue.
Panicking, Xia Zheng touched all over Xiao Xiang Xue’s body, causing her to get both angry and embarrassed. She wanted to do something, but she couldn’t move.
“Ah! This is the Netherworld Fingers! Can’t believe Senior Brother Xia Zheng has already learned this finger art!” The Netherworld Fingers was a battle art that Xia Zheng had obtained as a reward for winning the previous sect election. It could make someone lose their ability to move for a short time.
It’s amazing how Senior Brother Xia Zheng has already learned the battle art despite how short it has been since he acquired it. Seeing how Senior Brother Xia Zheng can use it so easily and smoothly, it looks as if he has practiced the art for many years.
The Netherworld Fingers was a battle art that was extremely difficult to master, and even the sect master had mastered the Netherworld Fingers to the Great Success level. It would take him a bit of time before he could completely master the Netherworld Fingers and reach the Perfect level.
The summit masters all turned their heads to look at Sect Master, who nodded with a dark expression on his face. “As expected of the genius disciple of our Mysterious Cloud Sect. His mastery over the Netherworld Fingers is close to the Perfect level.”
“Cough. Looks like you lost, Junior Sister,” Xia Zheng said, saluting. While he did learn the Netherworld Fingers, he couldn’t actually use it- with the minuscule amount of Spiritual Energy he had as a cultivator in the Qi Refinement Realm, he would get tried just by gesturing the moves.
Xiao Xiang Xue didn’t respond as she couldn’t speak, but she stared angrily at Xia Zheng.
The stare made Xia Zheng felt a bit guilty as he had touched all over Xiao Xiang Xue’s body, and he had taken extra care of a certain part of her upper body.
“Winner, Dao Summit Xia Zheng!”
Hearing the results, Xia Zheng breathed a sigh of relief, but he felt his shoulders hurt more.
Xiao Xiang Xue recovered as soon as the results came out, and she lunged at Xia Zheng with her sword. “You pervert!”
Xia Zheng simply stood there calmly.
“Xiang Xue! How can you do that?” The Sword Summit summit master blocked the sword for Xia Zheng. Although she felt that Xia Zheng would be able to dodge or block the sword, if she hadn’t blocked it, then their Sword Summit would have lost face.
“B- but, Master, h- he, touched…” Xiao Xiang Xue lowered her head in embarrassment as she spoke. Her whole face was red. It was the first time she had been touched like that.
“Junior Sister Xiao is skilled in battle, so I had no choice but to use the Netherworld Fingers. If Junior Sister is bothered by it, then I will accept punishment for it.”
The speech made the crowd marvel at Xia Zheng’s character, and even Xiao Xiang Xue was a little impressed. The Sword Summit summit master looked at Xia Zheng and then at Xiao Xiang Xue, and an idea formed in his heart.
“Everything is permitted within the rules.” After glaring at Xiao Xiang Xue, the Sword Summit summit master turned to look at Xia Zheng. “Xia Zheng, if you have time, please come to the Sword Summit and teach Xiao Xiang Xue. You guys should communicate with each other frequently.”
“Disciple accepts invitation; I will definitely go.” Go to the Sword Summit? Teach this Xiao Xiang Xue? No way, I’m not a masochist. I’m not going not going not going. Of course, Xia Zheng couldn’t really say that out loud, so he could only refuse for the moment and then just go into seclusion.
“Hmph, trying to get my disciple to go to your Sword Summit again. Which female disciple is it this time, Junior Sister Guan?” An old Daoist slowly walked down from the observation platform.
“Senior Brother Jiang, you!”
“You what you! You keep trying to poach my disciple. Let me warn you, if you dare to do this again, I- I will… I will kill myself by headbutting the stone monument on your summit- cough cough…”
Seeing this, Xia Zheng walked over to the old Daoist, and asked with concern, “Are you okay, Master?”
“I’m okay, won’t die yet!”
The disciples were supposed to listen to the sect master’s speech next, but Xia Zheng’s master insisted on leaving, so he had no choice but to follow. The sect master didn’t blame them and just told Xia Zheng to take care of his master and gave him a few pills before they left.
The disciples all watched Xia Zheng leave, and even Xiao Xiang Xue “unintentionally” looked at Xia Zheng a few times.
After catching up to his master, Xia Zheng asked, “Master, are we not accepting disciples this year? Why did we leave so early?” We need to accept someone! I need another disciple so I can push all my chores onto him!
The Dao Summit currently only had one disciple apart from Xia Zheng, and that disciple was his master’s mount! He had a huge appetite, and while he normally was in the body of a small pig, he could expand to multiple meters long, although Xia Zheng had never seen it happen.
“New disciples? Hmph! A bunch of untalented people.” The old Daoist sighed after he said that. He turned to look at Xia Zheng, his eyes filled with hope. “Your master has suffered heavy injuries, and the chance to become an immortal is extremely slim. I can only put all my hopes onto you.”
The pressure is huge. I’m only at the Qi Refinement Realm right now, and even though I’m already cultivating very hard, the results don’t seem to be very effective. I don’t think I’ll be able to reach the Golden Core Realm at all. I don’t know how Master got injured, but there must be a story behind it. I’ve seen this plot many times. Can an injury without a story really be an injury?
“Xia Zheng, you’re the most talented genius I have ever seen. As for the other untalented people, let fate decide.”
Xia Zheng was a little embarrassed about being praised and scratched his head. He also felt a little ashamed receiving the praise.
After saying that, the old Daoist flew away and disappeared. Xia Zheng looked at the Dao Summit, sighed, and slowly walked back.
In the end, only one newcomer came to the Dao Summit. However, this made Xia Zheng excited, and he hurriedly went out to greet the newcomer.
“Senior Brother!”
Xia Zheng could tell that the newcomer was even more excited than him, as the newcomer was yelling before he got very close. The newcomer was running toward Xia Zheng at a very fast pace and was waving his hand while running.
Mhmm, a good newcomer.
“Senior Brother, my, my, my sword!”
Faq (frequently asked questions).¹
Translator’s Notes:
¹ 草，一种植物. (Grass, a type of plant). 草 is pronounced cao, which has a similar pronunciation to 操 from 我操, which means (what the) fuck. The “joke” (I think) is that by explicitly stating 草 to be a type of plant, there is no need to “censor” the curse word. I debated whether to use faq (frequently asked questions) for fuck or sheet (a piece of fabric) for shit for the joke.