Chapter 126 – Clearly So Ordinary in Strength

“…The rules for this direct disciple assessment are simple. You seven candidates will determine the sole direct disciple among yourselves. The means of competition include, but are not limited to, martial strength… As long as you gain the consent of the other six, you just need to be the first to leave the assessment room… Lu Yuan, are you listening to me?”

In the corridor leading to the assessment room, Lin Zhiqin stopped and turned to look at Lu Yuan, his eyebrows slightly furrowed.

“I’m listening.”

Lu Yuan subtly lowered his right hand, which he had been staring at the entire way, and replied without changing his expression.

Ever since he successfully comprehended Crane Power yesterday, his interest had been entirely focused on it.

He kept pondering it whenever he had the chance.

Just now, he hadn’t been paying full attention when Lin Zhiqin was speaking to him, resulting in him being caught daydreaming.

“Your Skin Training should be almost perfected, right? Have you practiced the thirtieth move of the Spirit Crane Body?

Stretch out your hand and let me see…”

Lu Yuan was about to extend his hand when Lin Zhiqin suddenly shook his head and quickly said, “Never mind.

It’s meaningless to talk about this now.

Let me remind you of a few things, and you must listen carefully…”

“Coach, go ahead.”

“You have a great talent for martial arts, but sadly, your training time has been too short. The other candidates competing for this direct disciple position have spent ten times, or even dozens of times, the amount of time you have in martial arts. This assessment is inherently unfair to you, so… just do your best.”

Lin Zhiqin’s words sounded comforting, but his tone soon turned serious again, “But there’s one thing you must remember: under no circumstances should you allow yourself to be seriously injured. Crane Style is not an ordinary martial arts gym; they might strike harder. You need to learn to lower your head when necessary. You’re still young, and it’s no shame to be outmatched. But if you sustain any irreversible injuries, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life… Oh, and take this.”

As Lin Zhiqin spoke, he pulled a small white porcelain bottle, about the length of a pinky finger, from his pocket and handed it to Lu Yuan.

“Inside, there’s a red pill that cleanses evil and detoxifies, as well as relieves pain and itching… Use it when necessary. Don’t worry; it doesn’t count as cheating.”

“Cleanse evil and detoxify?”

Lu Yuan took the porcelain bottle, his expression slightly stunned, feeling surprised.

“Is it possible that we might get poisoned during the assessment?”

“Maybe. It’s just a guess,” Lin Zhiqin’s eyes flickered, and he unconsciously looked to the side. He suddenly sighed softly, and said in a low voice, “Actually, missing this direct disciple assessment might not be a bad thing.”

After speaking, Lin Zhiqin shook his head and motioned for Lu Yuan to quicken his pace.

Lu Yuan didn’t hurry to follow but instead looked down at the porcelain bottle in his hand, his brows slightly furrowed.

Lin Zhiqin had even given him a detoxifying pill.

Could there really be a test involving poison in today’s direct disciple assessment?

Since Crane Style is a legitimate ancient martial arts style, it’s not entirely impossible for them to set up a poison test to teach their disciples to be wary of the dangers in the martial world and to be prepared for opponents who might use poison against them.

But what did Lin Zhiqin mean by his last words?

Lu Yuan’s eyes flickered as he carefully placed the porcelain bottle into his pocket and followed along.

After walking for about three or four minutes, Lu Yuan followed Lin Zhiqin to a spacious courtyard.

In the middle of the courtyard were four stone tables and stone stools. The surroundings were filled with bamboo, orchids, and other plants, with a small stream winding around, creating a serene and elegant environment. It looked like a place where affluent families in ancient times would gather and chat.

At this moment, there were about ten people in the courtyard.

Six direct disciples of the Crane Style and their respective direct disciple candidates were present.

There was also Liu Si, whom Lu Yuan hadn’t seen in a while, along with a few servants from Linghexuan, dressed in short shirts, responsible for reception.

The arrival of Lin Zhiqin and Lu Yuan caught the attention of a few people, but they only glanced at them briefly before losing interest.

Most people didn’t even spare them a glance, keeping their eyes fixed straight ahead.

Lin Zhiqin led Lu Yuan to stand beside a short-haired, fair-skinned middle-aged woman. She smiled at him and then started speaking quietly with Lin Zhiqin.

Lu Yuan had seen this woman several times before. She was one of the direct disciple of Crane Style and was quite powerful.

The other direct disciples’ attitudes towards Lin Zhiqin varied from superficial politeness to cold indifference, but this woman had the best relationship with him.

However, the candidate disciple she brought had a very poor attitude towards Lu Yuan. She was a girl with an egg-shaped face, her hair tied in a ponytail, looking to be in her early twenties. Every time they met, she never acknowledged Lu Yuan, even worse than Wang Xu had been in the past.

Lu Yuan stood behind Lin Zhiqin, and the girl with an egg-shaped face standing behind the short-haired woman glanced at him sideways, still showing no intention of interacting with him.

Lu Yuan had defeated this girl with an egg-shaped face several times in the Consciousness Space.

Naturally, he maintained a good mindset, standing calmly as if he were an old Buddha, observing everything with a serene demeanor.

Standing at the front of the group, Liu Si seemed to see that everyone had arrived, so he ordered someone to bring a chair. On the chair, they placed a purple incense burner.

Then, they lit a stick of sandalwood incense in the burner.

The smoke from the sandalwood incense rose straight up like a pillar.

As the incense slowly burned, the subtle sounds in the courtyard gradually diminished until it was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop, with only the sound of the gently flowing stream remaining.

Finally, the incense stick burned out.

Liu Si announced, “Will the seven candidates please enter the room.”

Lin Zhiqin turned and gave Lu Yuan a look, and Lu Yuan took two steps forward, then followed the other six candidates up the courtyard steps.

Inside was a large room with the door wide open. Looking from the outside, you could see the brown wooden floor inside, and the walls on all four sides had the large character “Crane” written on them.

“Once you enter, the entire room will be completely sealed. The air inside is sufficient for the seven of you to breathe for three hours. If no direct disciple is decided within those three hours, all of you will lose your qualification. There is a button at the exit of the room. As long as it is pressed continuously for more than thirty seconds, the door will open from the inside. The first one to walk out of the room will become the new direct disciple… And one more thing, everything you do inside the room can only be seen by the master.”

Liu Si softly explained the rules of the assessment to the seven candidates.

Then he stepped aside, gesturing for them to enter.

It was said to be a set of rules, but it seemed more like there were no rules at all.

Lu Yuan instinctively squeezed the detoxifying pill Lin Zhiqin had given him in his pocket, thinking deeply, and took the last position among the seven, slowly walking in.

As soon as he fully entered the room, just as Liu Si had said, the door closed behind them.

The continuous sound of mechanical operations was clearly from the thick steel door, more than a palm’s width.

The assessment had officially begun.

…

“Let’s wait.”

After the seven candidates, including Lu Yuan, entered the assessment room, and the door closed behind them.

The short-haired woman invited Lin Zhiqin to sit at a nearby stone table.

The other direct disciples also took their seats, and Liu Si instructed the servants to quickly bring tea, fruits, and snacks.

There were seven direct disciples, just enough to fill the four stone tables.

“Try this crane spirit cake. I remember it used to be your favorite. Back when we were practicing together, after getting scolded by the teacher, you would wake up in the middle of the night crying, and giving you a piece of this would stop your tears immediately.”

The short-haired woman pushed a plate of freshly served, long, white pastries towards Lin Zhiqin.

“Thank you, Senior Sister.”

Lin Zhiqin thanked her, picked up a piece of the pastry, and took a bite.

As he chewed, he seemed to remember something, fell silent, and tears suddenly welled up in his eyes.

“Alright, alright…”

The short-haired woman gently patted Lin Zhiqin’s shoulder and comforted him softly, “No matter what, we are all family. Surviving that great upheaval in our sect, we are closer than siblings. Third Senior Brother and Fifth Junior Brother often mention you. Although the teacher is angry with you, he always keeps you in his heart. Do you know why Momo’s surgery could be arranged?”

Lin Zhiqin’s chewing abruptly stopped. He raised his head in shock and said, “Was it because of the teacher?”

“Of course, it was because of the teacher.”

The short-haired woman spoke calmly, “Take this opportunity during the assessment to apologize to the teacher. Tell him you regret it, and when that person returns, personally cut off his head and present it to the teacher. Show your attitude, and the teacher might forgive you and take you back as a direct disciple…”

“Teacher…”

Lin Zhiqin, with pastry crumbs on his lips, trembled, as if wanting to say something.

But his face continually showed signs of struggle, hesitation, and pain.

The short-haired woman didn’t press him, changing her tone gently, “You need to make a decision quickly. If you delay, you might lose this chance forever.”

“In a few years… Second Senior Brother might become the new sect leader of Crane Style.”

“Hmm?!”

Lin Zhiqin was suddenly startled. The complex expression on his face vanished as he looked at a person not far away.

This person had thick black hair and a rosy complexion, making it difficult to determine his exact age. He sat alone at a table, exuding an invisible aura with every gesture, quietly sipping tea.

Second Senior Brother has nearly comprehended the True Intent, and the disciple he’s recommending is about to become the new direct disciple…”

The Short-haired Woman sighed again, “It’s quite a coincidence that person is coming back now. If Second Senior Brother also takes credit for killing that person, his future as sect leader is almost guaranteed.”

“True Intent… Has Second Senior Brother reached that stage already?”

Lin Zhiqin’s expression fluctuated as he glanced around and said, “The other Fellow Disciples won’t just let him dominate, will they?”

The Short-haired Woman smiled faintly, “What can they do if they don’t want to? At most, they can make it difficult for him regarding the direct disciple matter, but they likely won’t succeed.

I’ve seen Xiao Mubai, the disciple Second Senior Brother is recommending. He’s indeed outstanding, and with Second Senior Brother’s support, he is nearly unstoppable.”

The Short-haired Woman glanced towards the assessment room door and sighed softly, “At twenty-five, he’s proficient in martial arts, combines Crane Power with a true skill he has mastered. He likely has other means up his sleeve. This talent, even if nurtured by Second Senior Brother, surpasses what we had back then… Among the six people in there, who can stop him? Who has the qualification to stop him? The teacher, upon seeing him, wouldn’t have a reason not to accept him…”

Lin Zhiqin remained silent, continuing to eat the pastry in his hand, bite by bite.

…

“Click”

The door behind them closed completely.

In the vast assessment room, only seven people remained.

Almost everyone instinctively spread out.

Lu Yuan also quietly took a couple of steps to the side and quickly noticed Wang Xu and others exchanging glances rapidly.

The direction their hostility pointed was clearly towards Xiao Mubai, who stood not far from Lu Yuan, head lowered and motionless since entering.

“It seems… something interesting is about to happen.”

Lu Yuan blinked.

Originally, he had planned to come in and swiftly sweep through the few people present, quickly passing this assessment.

But seeing the current situation, he decided he wasn’t in such a rush anymore.

With his arms crossed, Lu Yuan took on a spectator’s stance, curiously looking back and forth between the two sides, waiting for their long-planned “performance.”

“Get ready…”

The muscular man with a crew cut whispered, giving a look to the person next to him. The other four immediately moved.

They formed a pre-rehearsed formation, slowly attempting to surround Xiao Mubai, who stood at the front with his back to them.

But before they could completely spread out into a semicircle,

Xiao Mubai, who had been standing motionless, suddenly spoke.

“You… bunch of trash.”

Uh…

The unabashed voice echoed clearly in the enclosed space, making it particularly noticeable.

The movement of the five men, including the muscular man with a crew cut, instantly froze.

Even Lu Yuan was momentarily stunned.

He observed the white-haired young man, who was now the closest to him, with great curiosity.

This person, with such ordinary strength… but his opening line was truly arrogant.

“Only trash would come up with such a lousy and despicable tactic.”

Xiao Mubai said, slowly turning around.

His cold, handsome face came into view.

“Finding someone to impersonate my younger sister, my mother… saying my whole family was kidnapped, trying to affect my mood and state. Such a pathetic idea… how did you even come up with it?”

Xiao Mubai’s gaze swept across everyone in the room as he spoke, word by word.