C4 Sect Competition
Lee Daoquan and Su Jiuming had grown quite familiar with each other. Given his status as the eldest senior brother, it was only natural for him to extend an invitation to Su Jiuming to join the sect's grand competition the following day.
At the moment, Su Jiuming was occupied with the task of watering an unremarkable little tree. The task already demanded a considerable amount of water, and Lee Daoquan's sudden appearance caused Su Jiuming to startle and slosh most of the water from his bucket.
"Senior Brother, I really don't need to go. Ordinary disciples might not get it, but surely you understand. I... I'm not even on par with a new Outer Sect disciple," Su Jiuming protested, clearly not keen on the idea. "I'm supposed to demonstrate my skills at the competition, but if I go, wouldn't I just bring shame to our master?"
As Su Jiuming lamented the loss of the precious water, he continued to make excuses. Without any cultivation skills, fetching water from the stream at the base of the mountain was an exhausting ordeal for him, nearly enough to wear him out completely. For cultivators, such a task was trivial, but for him, it was a herculean effort. To pit himself against cultivators who could effortlessly command the elements was nothing short of a suicide mission.
"Junior Brother, the first day is merely a contest among the Outer Sect disciples. We, as direct disciples, can simply observe. There's really no pressure," Lee Daoquan reassured him.
Over the past few days, Su Jiuming had repeatedly confided in Lee Daoquan about his lack of cultivation and inability to practice. Although Lee Daoquan remained somewhat skeptical, he chose to believe him. This only deepened his respect for Su Jiuming: a man without a shred of cultivation, yet capable of such precise control over sword qi, must have dedicated immense effort and shown true dedication to swordsmanship.
"Moreover, as the sect's chief disciple, you're expected to make an appearance. What would the Outer Sect disciples think if you didn't?" Lee Daoquan reasoned, showing empathy while gently persuading his junior.
"Senior Brother, I'll relinquish the title of chief to you. Can we just skip it then?" Su Jiuming offered, hoping for a way out.
"No," Lee Daoquan replied, a touch exasperated by Su Jiuming's reluctance, yet resolute in his decision to have Su Jiuming attend the grand competition. After all, he himself had worked tirelessly to earn the title of chief, and it wasn't something Su Jiuming could simply cast aside.
But what could be done? With his level of swordsmanship, Lee Daoquan was outmatched by Su Jiuming, so how could he possibly justify holding the position of chief?
Su Jiuming couldn't win the argument, so he reluctantly agreed to join the Grand Competition. Yet, the most significant development was the sudden mission from the system: participate in the sect's Grand Competition and receive a spirit animal as a reward. A spirit animal, how incredibly rare!
Day in and day out, Su Jiuming tended to his hillside garden, raising flowers and fish. Without Lee Daoquan, his life was nothing more than that of a farmer, unable to even travel and explore. Sometimes, Su Jiuming felt as if he wasn't part of a grand sect at all but merely a peasant living in the wilderness.
Even without any cultivation, having a spirit animal would be a boon. Filled with eager anticipation for the spirit animal, Su Jiuming accompanied Lee Daoquan to the competition site.
"It's the senior brother! He's come to watch our competition!"
"The chief is here, too. I'd love to see the chief demonstrate his skills."
"Maybe there's a chance? The Inner Sect disciples have to participate in the Sect's Grand Competition, right?"
"Who would dare challenge the chief? Rumor has it the chief has reached the Nascent Infant peak. How can we, the Outer Sect disciples who are only at the Foundation Building stage, compete with him?"
"…"
The atmosphere electrified as the two arrived, signaling the start of the Grand Competition. "Junior brother, don't be nervous. Just enjoy the spectacle," Lee Daoquan murmured to Su Jiuming, exuding the confidence of the eldest senior brother.
Su Jiuming nodded, his attention turning to the bouts below. The Outer Sect disciples, still at the Foundation Building level, weren't particularly strong. Their slower movements allowed Su Jiuming to follow the action closely, making the viewing experience all the more enjoyable.
It's often said that experts appreciate the technique, while laymen enjoy the spectacle. At that moment, Su Jiuming was the layman, thoroughly engaged in the excitement of the matches, cheering along with the other disciples for the victors, showing none of the reserve expected of a chief.
Lee Daoquan stood to the side, offering insightful critiques on the disciples' techniques, which proved to be greatly beneficial to them.
"The head hasn't offered much feedback throughout the event. He doesn't seem that much more skilled than us."
"You don't understand. He's showing respect to our eldest senior brother. If the head were to handle everything, what would be left for the eldest senior brother to do?"
"…"
Yet, to the Outer Sect disciples, this only confirmed what eldest senior brother Lee Daoquan had said: their chief was exceptionally humble, often keeping a low profile and maintaining a calm demeanor.
And so, without Su Jiuming's awareness, he significantly boosted his standing among the disciples.
The image of an approachable chief was a resounding success, something Lee Daoquan, who had brought Su Jiuming to the competition, hadn't anticipated to be so impactful.
"Jiuming, how do you find the competition?"
"It's quite vibrant, with a great atmosphere among the disciples. The martial arts arena is also quite grand – a testament to the stature of a major sect."
Su Jiuming observed attentively, not particularly concerned with who was asking, and responded with genuine insight.
"Well, if that's the case, we can't let only the Outer Sect disciples take the stage on the first day of Veiled Moon's grand tournament. The Chief should also step up and demonstrate his prowess."
Bai Yifeng was delighted by Su Jiuming's response. He wasted no time in using a voice transmission to announce Su Jiuming's upcoming performance to all the disciples in the arena, leaving him no room for second thoughts.
"…"
He had suspected that acquiring the spirit animal wouldn't be easy, and indeed, it was his turn to enter the fray.
Though he had braced himself for this moment, Su Jiuming couldn't help feeling somewhat exasperated. How could the Sect Master behave in such a manner?
With a bitter look, Su Jiuming glanced at Bai Yifeng, then turned to Lee Daoquan, his face etched with resignation.
Bai Yifeng was convinced he was a chosen one, but Su Jiuming knew he was merely mortal. How could he possibly spar with these cultivators?
"This folding fan is versatile, suitable for both offense and defense, and is quite the magical artifact. It should hold up well against Foundation Building cultivators."
Feeling somewhat guilty under Su Jiuming's intense gaze, Lee Daoquan approached and handed a folding fan to him, before escorting him to the martial arts platform.
Although he felt duped, Lee Daoquan's gesture had touched Su Jiuming. Sadly, that sentiment was short-lived and shattered in an instant:
"The chief's adversary is Mei Cheng, an Outer Sect disciple who has just entered the False Core Stage. He's already considered a powerhouse among his peers."
Lee Daoquan had just assured him that handling a Foundation Building opponent would be no issue, but facing someone at the False Core Stage was a whole different challenge.
Lee Daoquan himself started to panic, feeling at fault, and couldn't bring himself to meet Su Jiuming's eyes. He hurried off to speak with Bai Yifeng.
But Bai Yifeng simply shook his head and, casting a nonchalant glance at Su Jiuming, remarked, "Jiuming is the chosen one. He'll be fine."
How come I wasn't aware that I'd be fine? Is this some kind of joke?
As the competition commenced and Mei Cheng charged at him with full force, Su Jiuming felt a surge of despair.
Just my luck, he thought. My life is now on the line.