A rumor began spreading through the Wenjian Sect.
Word had it that a disciple had personally witnessed a female cultivator from Jingshui Pavilion challenge Gu Chengming of Huiyuan Gate to a bout at the training grounds — and lose.
The name "Gu Chengming" carried a certain notoriety among Wenjian Sect disciples, extending across the entire outer sect. A man who had spent three years at the gate and still hadn't budged past the First Realm, Third Layer, yet had the audacity to propose a cultivation partnership to the peerless Dao Seed of Daoning Gate — he was, wherever you went, the kind of delicious gossip that practically told itself.
Only this time, the content of the gossip had shifted somewhat.
"Did you hear? That Gu Chengming actually beat a senior sister from Jingshui Pavilion?"
"Pfft, you actually believe that nonsense? Jingshui Pavilion handles sect inspections — every single one of them is a high-level First Realm expert. Someone at the Third Layer couldn't even graze the hem of her robes."
"Exactly. Probably just some bored disciple cooking up a story for attention. Why not say he ran an Elder through with a single sword stroke while he's at it?"
Most people treated it as a joke.
Jiang Lu was not most people.
The moment he heard the news, Jiang Lu had been polishing his sword. His hand froze mid-stroke.
Others thought it was absurd because they had never seen Gu Chengming's swordwork.
Winning against a First Realm, Ninth Layer with sword technique alone at the Third Layer... it did sound outrageous, admittedly. But when Jiang Lu recalled that day in the courtyard — Senior Brother Gu's transcendent "Sea-Overturning" sword intent — a quiet certainty settled in his chest.
After all, hadn't he himself — a fully respectable First Realm, Seventh Layer — been cleanly and decisively beaten not long ago?
If Senior Brother Gu's swordwork had continued to advance over these past few days, and if that Jingshui Pavilion senior sister had underestimated him and agreed to a pure sword-forms contest without channeling spiritual energy... a Third Layer defeating a Ninth Layer seemed, perhaps, not entirely impossible.
Of course, Jiang Lu understood this only held in the narrow context of swordwork. In a true life-or-death fight, the chasm that realm difference carved between combatants could not be crossed.
What he couldn't make heads or tails of, however, was this: the two of them had been practically inseparable these past few days, coming and going together, with only the occasional bathroom break or trip to the Scripture Library to consult references breaking their routine.
When, exactly, had Senior Brother Gu found the time to spar with someone? Was it while he had slipped off to buy food?
Genuinely curious about the rumor, and wanting to confirm his suspicions, Jiang Lu seized on his visit to Gu Chengming that day and probed with a few carefully worded questions.
At the moment, the two of them were seated across from each other at the stone table in the courtyard.
Gu Chengming had an ancient text open in his hands and was leafing through it at a leisurely pace.
"Senior Brother Gu," Jiang Lu said, picking his words with care, "there's been a rumor going around the sect lately... something about you getting into a fight at the training grounds?"
Gu Chengming's reaction was perfectly unruffled. He didn't even look up, just answered off-handedly:
"Ah, yes. I did have a spar with someone yesterday."
Oh — so it's true!
Jiang Lu's heart gave a lurch, the flames of gossip roaring to life inside him. He scooted closer and dropped his voice:
"Was it... that senior sister from Jingshui Pavilion — You Yuyao?"
Gu Chengming's page-turning fingers paused for just a fraction of a second. He lifted his head, a faint look of dawning realization crossing his face.
"Oh — her name is You Yuyao?"
"..."
You had a whole sparring match with someone and didn't even catch their name?
Jiang Lu was a little speechless — but it did serve as complete confirmation that the rumor was no fabrication. It had happened.
Once the facts were confirmed, a second layer of concern bubbled up in his chest.
He studied Gu Chengming's expression for a moment, hesitating, before carefully venturing:
"Senior Brother Gu... you didn't do anything, ah... excessive during the spar, did you?"
His opinion of Senior Brother Gu had admittedly done a full reversal on account of the swordwork — he had even come to hold him in genuine esteem. But the man had also, with his own two hands, very publicly proposed a cultivation partnership to the Dao Seed, in front of a crowd. That suggested a personality that was, shall we say, rather free-spirited. One might even say unusual.
Jiang Lu was half-convinced that Senior Brother Gu, on a whim, might have done something reckless — verbal teasing, perhaps, or getting handsy.
Seeing the uncomprehending look Gu Chengming shot him, Jiang Lu hastily explained:
"Senior Brother may not be aware, but Jingshui Pavilion is actually the inspection division under Daoning Gate — they handle sect discipline. The female cultivators in that pavilion tend to have... rather strong personalities. While Huiyuan Gate doesn't normally fall under their jurisdiction, if you truly offend them badly enough and get put on their watch list, you'll have no end of headaches going forward."
In plain terms: they were a group of "disciplinary officers" with real power and even stronger personalities. If you couldn't afford to provoke them, couldn't you at least avoid them?
Gu Chengming listened, then gave a quiet "ah" and smiled:
"Junior Brother Jiang worries too much. I didn't really ask her to do anything excessive."
Jiang Lu exhaled in relief. "Good, good."
Then Gu Chengming immediately continued:
"I just had her apologize to the Huiyuan Sword Art."
"Cough — cough cough!"
Jiang Lu choked so hard he nearly killed himself.
"Apol — apologize? To whom?"
"To the Huiyuan Sword Art." Gu Chengming pointed matter-of-factly at the wooden sword in his hand. "She insulted this sword art, so I made her apologize. That's perfectly reasonable, isn't it?"
Jiang Lu opened his mouth. A series of meaningless "uh, uh" sounds crawled out of his throat. In the end, he couldn't produce a single coherent word.
"On another note," Gu Chengming shook his head mildly, "that Jingshui Pavilion disciple really has terrible sportsmanship... she started crying after she lost."
At those words, the hand Jiang Lu was using to hold his teacup gave a full, uncontrollable shudder. Half the tea sloshed out.
You didn't just beat her — you forced her to apologize to a sword technique?
And then you made her cry?!
"Is something wrong?"
Noticing Jiang Lu's state, Gu Chengming asked with mild puzzlement.
Jiang Lu drew a deep breath and told himself: it's fine. As long as Senior Brother Gu could demonstrate his extraordinary sword talent at the upcoming evaluation, the Master and the other Elders would treat him as a rare treasure. At that point, even if Jingshui Pavilion wanted to make trouble, Master would find a way to protect him.
Geniuses always had a few eccentric quirks, after all.
He waved a hand and steered the conversation elsewhere with somewhat forced abruptness:
"Right, so — Senior Brother, are you heading to the training grounds today? I heard a few inner-sect seniors will be giving a discourse on the Dao there this afternoon."
"Not today. Some other time."
Gu Chengming smiled and casually drew something from inside his robe, setting it on the stone table: a black token.
"I need to make a trip to the Hidden Sword Pavilion today and return this to Elder Yu."
"?"
Jiang Lu looked instinctively. His gaze landed on the token.
Black iron, engraved with an archaic character — "Qiu" — faintly radiating a quiet pressure.
Jiang Lu's pupils constricted. He recognized it immediately.
This was unmistakably Elder Yu Wenqiu's personal token.
"This item... why does Senior Brother have this?" Jiang Lu's voice had gone slightly off-pitch.
Gu Chengming didn't bother hiding it. He gave Jiang Lu a brief account of what had happened that day: going to collect his resources, finding them withheld, and Elder Yu giving him this token as compensation.
But when Jiang Lu heard that this was compensation from Elder Yu Wenqiu for withheld resources, his expression turned profoundly strange.
Almost instinctively, he shook his head, his tone unequivocal:
"Senior Brother, you've misunderstood."
"Misunderstood what?" Gu Chengming blinked.
Jiang Lu lowered his voice. "That Elder Yu, in our sect, is famously... ahem, averse to cultivation and averse to handling affairs. She may be an Elder, but her favorite daily activity is sleeping and sunbathing in her own courtyard."
He paused here, seemingly organizing his words, then continued:
"Furthermore, Elder Yu comes from an immortal cultivation family — her personal fortune is staggering. Why would she ever pocket those meager cultivation resources of yours? No offense, Senior Brother, but those pills of yours probably wouldn't cover the cost of the spirit tea Elder Yu drinks on a typical day."
"She doesn't even bother collecting her own sect stipend. Why would she care about an outer disciple's pittance?"
Gu Chengming was genuinely taken aback by this.
If Elder Yu hadn't embezzled the resources... then where had they gone?
As Jiang Lu talked it through, the realization caught up with him too.
Right — if Elder Yu hadn't taken those resources, then why had she given Senior Brother that token?
Jiang Lu's voice trailed off. His gaze drifted to Gu Chengming's face and circled it twice.
His eyes took on a distinctly peculiar look.
...
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