The Little Master Stays

Li Shiyin and Yao Qingke did not actually start a fight with each other in the end. After exchanging harsh words, the two went their separate ways.

The family of four from Dan Peak and Tian Wenjin were walking in Questioning Dao Square.

Long Qiqi sat cross-legged on the back of Chasing Wind, her hands folded in front of her chest, still angry: "Too arrogant, she's just too arrogant! Arrogant and overbearing, with no regard for others. Shiyin, if you don't beat her into a pig's head tomorrow, don't come back to see me!"

Li Shiyin was most vengeful, and she was also very angry: "The grudge from last time has not yet been avenged. This time if I don't beat her until she screams for her mother, I won't be surnamed Li!"

"Then what will your surname be?" Qin Ran considered that Yao Qingke might possibly lose, but it would be difficult for her to admit defeat, let alone scream for her mother, so he asked Li Shiyin this.

The master was truly professional at sabotaging things. Li Shiyin glared at Qin Ran angrily and snorted: "Then my surname will be Qin!"

"Surnamed Qin?" Qin Ran's heart skipped a beat. He looked away and said, "Surnamed Qin is good..."

Tian Wenjin pondered and said, "After all, Yao Qingke is a veteran powerhouse of our generation in Dao Sword Sect. She has been rampaging in Dao Sword Sect for so many years and has always been very arrogant without any incidents... Her strength is indeed very strong."

"Hmm..." Qin Ran smiled when he heard this. Yao Qingke had not been without incidents before.

"If she wasn't strong, I wouldn't be picking a fight with her!" Li Shiyin replied. "On the contrary, it's you, Wenjin, fighting Lu Junxing tomorrow..."

"Junior Martial Uncle, wait up!" Just as Li Shiyin mentioned Lu Junxing, Lu Junxing's voice came from behind them.

The group stopped and looked back to see Lu Junxing walking over unsteadily with a wine pot in his hand.

He had a smile on his face. When he came closer, he gave Qin Ran a perfunctory fist salute and said, "Junior Martial Uncle, I have often heard Dong Zhongyuan mention the beautiful scenery of Dan Peak as the finest in Dao Sword Sect. I have always loved landscapes the most, and have long wanted to visit Dan Peak, but could never find the opportunity. Today I happen to have the chance, may I?"

In the past two years, Dong Zhongyuan had indeed often gone to Dan Peak to play, but the "beautiful scenery" he spoke of was probably not real beautiful scenery, but rather referring to the female fox demon in the back mountains.

So now when Lu Junxing spoke of wanting to appreciate the scenery, he probably had ulterior motives rather than truly wanting to appreciate the scenery.

But Qin Ran did not care. He smiled and nodded, saying, "Dan Peak is an impoverished place. To be fortunate enough to have you, Lu Junxing, come appreciate it, that is the real scenery."

The two exchanged polite nonsense for a while before continuing on towards Dan Peak and taking flight into the air halfway.

In midair, Lu Junxing seemed bored. After taking a sip of wine, still with the scent of alcohol on his breath, he casually asked, "I wonder if Martial Uncle knows about the pattern of changes in the numbers on the identity tokens during the pre-entry trials?"

Clearly, this was his purpose for coming here.

Lu Junxing had noticed early on that Li Shiyin and Tian Wenjin seemed to know who their opponents would be each day, and had prepared and responded accordingly, especially today with Li Shiyin and Ye Qingxuan's match - it was too obvious.

And just now when Dan Peak was confronting Yao Qingke, Li Shiyin had clearly said "you're next" and such. So it could be deduced that Li Shiyin knew she would be fighting Yao Qingke tomorrow.

After Lu Junxing directly eliminated the possibility that the Sect Master had specially leaked information to Dan Peak, he concluded that Dan Peak itself must have figured out the pattern of changes in the identity numbers.

...If there was a pattern, that is.

To be honest, over the thousands of years, no disciple had ever thought that there might be a pattern to the changing numbers during the pre-entry trials. Everyone had assumed it was random.

After Lu Junxing asked, he waited quite a while without hearing Qin Ran answer. When he looked at Qin Ran, he saw that Qin Ran had his eyes closed, looking profound and unfathomable, unclear what that meant.

"You want to know the pattern inside?" It was Long Qiqi who asked him instead.

"There really is a pattern?" Lu Junxing looked at the little loli on the tiger's back in surprise.

"There really is!" Long Qiqi said proudly. "It's a very simple pattern."

She looked at Lu Junxing. "Do you want to know?"

"If possible..." Lu Junxing said.

But Long Qiqi shook her head and did not directly tell him the pattern.

"What?" Lu Junxing frowned, puzzled.

"What?" Long Qiqi sneered. "Don't tell me you want to get such important information for free?"

Lu Junxing pondered for a moment, then asked Long Qiqi again: "What's my number for this round then?"

"7."

"What about tomorrow?"

Long Qiqi looked at him, then still answered: "1."

Upon hearing the answers, Lu Junxing determined their authenticity. He rummaged around in his Infinity Bag and took out a small jar of wine, handing it to Long Qiqi as he said, "This wine was something I happened to obtain when I went to play in Xuanqin some years ago. It can improve one's constitution and is very suitable for you."

Long Qiqi accepted the wine jar and wanted to open it to take a look, but on second thought, Lu Junxing's character was still trustworthy after all; and no one at Dan Peak was much of a wine lover anyway, so if she opened it, Lu Junxing would likely benefit instead.

She silently put the wine into her Infinity Bag without opening it.

Seeing this, Lu Junxing secretly praised Long Qiqi for being magnanimous.

"I trust in your reputation, Lu Junxing..." Long Qiqi said with a smile after obtaining a benefit. "Go ahead, what exactly do you want to know? Your next opponents? Or..."

"I want to know the pattern itself." Lu Junxing quickly said.

"Oh..." Long Qiqi looked at Lu Junxing. "Still wanting to learn, huh."

The group soon arrived at Dan Peak. Long Qiqi did not go back on her word and properly taught Lu Junxing how to deduce the identity numbers.

It was now May, early summer. Within Dan Peak, lush trees provided shade, green grass was everywhere, and floral fragrances permeated the air. There were mountains and waters, waterfalls and lakes. Though tiny, it was a complete world, a beautiful scene perfect for men.

By Sword Washing Lake, drooping green willow branches, white pear blossoms, pink peach blossoms, all sorts of early summer scenes were being staged at Dan Peak.

Under a chinaberry tree, Lu Junxing saw white and red flower petals drifting in the breeze onto the clear lake surface. The lake surface also had broad lotus leaves, with a few delicate lotus buds dotted between the broad leaves.

"Sword Washing Lake, haha..." He laughed and praised, "It can be called a paradise, a different world here. Junior Martial Uncle really knows how to enjoy life."

Qin Ran modestly smiled.

In the end, Dan Peak treated Lu Junxing very warmly.

When night fell, the four juniors were at the Pavilion in the Middle of the Lake again. As usual, the three girls sat at the stone table inside the pavilion, while Chasing Wind sat on the long embankment outside the pavilion.

"Why did you tell Lu Junxing about the changes in the identity numbers?" Li Shiyin asked Long Qiqi.

"There are only eight people left now. Actually everyone knows the others' strengths clearly, it's almost transparent. The identity numbers don't have that big of an effect anymore." Long Qiqi said. "Since Lu Junxing wanted to know, why not tell him and get some benefit in exchange. Waste not, want not."

"Alright then!" Long Qiqi was the brain of their group, so Li Shiyin didn't feel good about objecting to her decisions. She just said, "But now he knows his opponent tomorrow is Wenjin."

"Let him know then, no big impact." Tian Wenjin spoke up. "There is a gap between me and Senior Brother Lu's strength. It won't make a difference just because he knows now."

Li Shiyin seemed to want to say something but held back.

"There's nothing much to say about Wenjin's side, just fight however you usually would." Long Qiqi said. "I guess you guys wouldn't agree to me drugging Lu Junxing either... What about you, Shiyin? Want me to give Yao Qingke the full treatment tonight?"

Li Shiyin shook her head. "No need, I still want to defeat her fair and square! Make her convinced in heart and mouth."

"Someone like Yao Qingke, even if she loses, still may not necessarily submit to you." Long Qiqi said. "But since you want to rely on pure strength, forget it. In any case, your words today must have put her on guard... Sending Chasing Wind over now might be dangerous too."