Chapter 9
POV: Li Yun
Day of the sect examination
Walking through the crowded streets of Green Jade City as I headed towards the plaza where the examination would be held, Li Mei tagged along with me.
Li Mei, since the first time I saved her, has changed in the last week. Being favored by my mother, her living conditions have improved.
She now lives comfortably in her home after Mom fixed it up, as well as buying her various furniture to liven up the place.
Li Mei was originally embarrassed and ashamed as she tried to tell my mom that she didn't need any of it, but my mom disregarded her comments. It just caused her to pity Li Mei even more, spoiling her and giving her everything.
I chuckled thinking of her embarrassed expression as I turned back to look at Li Mei. With my mother's constant nagging, Li Mei's complexion had improved. After receiving food to cure her malnourished body and a few fixes here and there,
Her beauty revealed itself, making her even more stunning—dare I say, the most beautiful flower in the whole Jade City.
Realizing that I just called her a flower caused my face to blush. I quickly turned back to focus on where I was going while Li Mei kept holding on to my sleeve so as not to get lost in the crowd. She lowered her head, shivering from the gazes she kept receiving from everyone around her.
Feeling the hem of my sleeve tremble caused my face to darken as I glared at the people staring at Li Mei.
I tutted as I quickly took Li Mei's hand into mine to calm her down and reassure her that I was here for her.
Feeling her shivering stop, she gazed at me with a blush, appreciating my gesture as she shyly got closer to me, causing my body to go stiff. We both rigidly walked through the crowd, not noticing the changing atmosphere among the people.
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POV: Zhang Wei
I stared at Li Yun and that girl he saved, cuddling up to each other like a couple.
"Tsk, bastard. You don't deserve happiness, and you especially don't deserve her. She will be mine."
I muttered angrily while looking at them. Suddenly, my focus shifted upward as a feather slowly fell from the sky.
"Huhu, wait for me, Li Yun. And everyone in this wretched city, watch as I burn it all to the ground."
I chuckled menacingly as the shadow behind me, reflected by the light, didn't match my own human form. It looked bigger, bulkier, with wings and horns sprouting all around—looking like a monster.
And so, I turned around and walked into an alleyway as flames surrounded me, concealing the scene from others. After the flames disappeared, so did I.
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POV: Li Yun
We finally arrived at the venue where the sect exams would start. I looked around, examining the other people I'd be competing with.
After counting and sizing them up, in total there were 80 examinees currently present. While sizing up the competition, I counted four of them as strong competitors, having the same stage of cultivation as me.
I then felt a tug on my hand. Looking back, I saw Li Mei curiously glancing around as she exclaimed,
"Wow, there are so many people here. Are you sure you'll be okay, Brother Yun?"
She said, worried.
I smiled and reassured her that I was strong—strong enough to beat anyone here—which seemed to lessen her worry a bit. I then guided her to one of the stands where spectators were seated.
After escorting her to her seat, I waited for the exam to start.
After a few hours, more examinees showed up. Although none were as strong as the other four, the crowd grew.
Then, at the elevated arena in front of us, an old man exuding a strong air arrived. With him were six elders of the Blue Sky Sect, which was obvious due to their attire—blue robes lined with gold, clouds embroidered within.
Looking at the old man at the front and how the six elders treated him with respect, I began guessing who that old man was.
But while I was looking at him, he suddenly turned his gaze to me, surprising me. Just from his gaze, a wave of panic surged in me.
I jumped back in fear but was stopped as I bumped into some of the examinees, causing them to push me back. I hurriedly looked around, noticing the others were acting normal—even though that old man had turned his gaze toward us. But as I turned to look back at the old man, he was gone.
The six elders looked disappointed but quickly fixed their expressions as they prepared to start the sect exam.
But my mind was still on that old man—who he was and what he wanted. Because I knew I wasn't hallucinating. He looked at me.
Shivering at the thought, I grabbed the cross around my neck as I prayed for my safety. It glowed lightly, as if to calm me down, and I thanked the Lord.
Unknown to me, the old man was still there, watching me pray. He was somewhat amused, in an elderly way, as he kept his eyes on me at all times.