Chapter 103

Zheng Weiqi shook her head playfully and swayed her body, pulling out another book from her storage bag and handing it to him. Jiang Si, as motionless as a sculpture, took it with a dazed expression.

Upon lowering his head and reading it, it said, “My Genius Husband.”

It stabbed right at his heart, as if each word was mocking his stupidity and weakness. Zheng Weiqi must have done it intentionally.

Jiang Si felt his breath constrict, almost spitting out blood. “Woman… you’re challenging my limits.”

Zheng Weiqi politely smiled, accepting the “intellectual tax” he handed over. “It’s okay, didn’t it work out? We have plenty of time ahead, we can continue.”

Jiang Si struggled to breathe, trying not to be angered by her.

Taking the money, Zheng Weiqi bid farewell to this poor soul with a satisfied smile, then hugged her junior sister and walked to the other side of the banquet.

Ning Ning was amused by her bold maneuvers, laughing incessantly. Between their conversations, they didn’t notice a few discreet glances from the crowd.

“I saw her, the girl from Xuanxu Sword Sect.”

A charming young woman sat on the artificial mountain, smiling faintly at the young man in red, leaning against the mountain beside her. “Rong Ci, last time we were completely played by her. This time, we can finally compete openly… Let’s agree, whoever catches her first wins; no snatching.”

Rong Ci retracted her gaze, lazily smiling. “Of course.”

“Oh,” her gaze landed on the black-clad youth holding a sword in the corner of the banquet, and the girl covered her lips and chuckled lightly, her voice as sweet as honey. “That’s Ning Ning’s junior brother, right? The two of us just watched her talk, and he gave us a fierce glare.”

As she spoke, she twirled a strand of hair around her fair finger, a predatory glint flashing in her eyes, as if hunting prey. “He looks quite nice. Who knows, he might be an interesting person… right?”

Meanwhile, at the Wanjian Sect,.

Xu Ye looked at his senior sister nervously. “Senior sister, you’ve been grinning for half an hour straight, more than you did in the past six months combined… Is your mouth cramping?”

“You wouldn’t understand.”

Su Qinghan restrained the long sword at her waist, stopping its humming due to excitement. “The Ten Method Assembly is a chance for martial artists to exchange skills. Don’t you want to spar with them?”

Xu Ye, timidly, replied, “Probably… I guess?”

Catching sight of the purple-clad girl in the crowd, Su Qinghan’s expression became slightly subdued. “Junior sister Ning Ning’s performance in the Xiaochongshan was quite outstanding. In this trial, many will challenge her.”

Remembering Ning Ning’s trouble with Niguang Island with the Haoran Sect, Xu Ye nodded unconsciously. “Indeed. Ning Ning will surely face danger this time. Senior sister, do you want to help her?”

“Help her?”

Su Qinghan chuckled lightly, a determined gleam appearing in her eyes. “I’ll be the first to defeat her.”

The scenery of Luan City was perfect, complemented by fine wine and cuisine that made people linger. If it weren’t for a sudden voice echoing in her ears, Ning Ning would have been willing to call tonight an “unparalleled night.”

However, when that voice appeared, her “unparalleled night” instantly turned into a “source of many troubles.”

“Young friends, I am Luo Yuanming, the Lord of Luan City. After discussions among the elders, it has been decided to open the trial secret realm tonight, which marks the first round of the Ten Method Assembly.”

As Ning Ning listened carefully, she looked up and met Zheng Weiqi’s eyes, clearly indicating that she had received the same message.

“Before the first round of the trial, each of you will receive a specially made token. Once you enter the secret realm of Jiuyou Mountain, you can challenge others and seize their tokens at will.”

The voice continued, “Traps, schemes, and collective cooperation are all allowed. If someone’s token count reaches zero, they will be immediately forced to leave the secret realm. Those with the lowest token count at the end of the trial will also be eliminated.”

“The trial will last for three days, and there are many adventures waiting to be discovered in the secret realm. So—”

“The flying boats will arrive at the City Lord’s Mansion immediately to carry you to Jiuyou Mountain. Please prepare yourselves.”

At this statement, the whole room erupted into chaos.

Not only did the assembly add the rule of token snatching, but it was also the first time such an announcement was made during a banquet, which was like a bolt from the blue. Many people were unprepared and felt anxious, not knowing what to do.

And as Luo Yuanming spoke, within the time it takes to burn half an incense stick, several flying boats arrived as promised, breaking through the thick clouds that hung over the City Lord’s Mansion like cotton.

It was like a surprise test; it seemed all teachers in the world were the same kind of rogues.

“The token count cannot be zero…”

Zheng Weiqi smiled helplessly. “Isn’t this clearly encouraging everyone to kill each other? Those elders are getting more malicious every year.”

As a nascent soul stage sword cultivator, Zheng Weiqi would naturally not be placed in the same location as Ning Ning, who was at the Golden Core stage, to ensure fairness.

After some thought, she entrusted Ning Ning with some advice, feeling somewhat worried. “I heard that junior sister performed well in the Xiaochongshan. She might attract trouble because of this. Remember to be cautious and try to meet up with other members of the sect.”

Ning Ning obediently nodded.

The flying boats hovered grandly in the air, with long ladders snaking down several steps.

The elders, who were probably secretly watching the excitement somewhere, were nowhere to be seen from start to finish. The disciples were divided, some happy and some worried, clamoring as they boarded one by one.

Among all the people from the Xuanxu Sword Sect, He Zhizhou, who was taking the opportunity to eat and drink, was the last one to board. He ate too much and couldn’t sit down, so he had to stand at the door of the flying boat, supporting his waist and peering down.

As the flying boat slowly ascended, the people and objects on the ground became smaller and blurrier.

The outlines of the houses had been submerged in the night, and countless lights flickered in the wind, like dots of colored ink spreading on pure black paper. The faces of the people also became unclear, half engulfed by darkness and the other half shaded by the firelight.

As He Zhizhou looked around, he spotted the elders of the Xuanxu Sword Sect in the top-floor attic, seeming to meet his gaze, and they all raised their arms and waved.

He Zhizhou felt moved in his heart.