On the sword trial stage, the disciples from various sects were already in position. The supervising elder checked everyone’s swords and ensured no hidden weapons were present before starting the first round of the tournament.
The top-ranked disciples would face off in the final matches. After the other disciples finished their bouts, the last two standing would qualify for the finals. The supervising elder announced loudly, “The top five disciples on the leaderboard will draw lots: Lin Tanjiu from Feiluan Sect, Yu Ce from Rongyun Sect, Shen Tanqi from Rongyun Sect, Zhao Xiao from Qingliu Sect, and An Yunning from Qingliu Sect!”
The order of matches depended on the draw, and a bad draw could mean fighting four opponents in a row.
Shen Tanqi took a deep breath and glanced at Yu Ce beside him. It wasn’t just about fighting four opponents; among them were the protagonists, and he had heard that Zhao Xiao from Qingliu Sect was not an easy opponent. Watching Zhao Xiao’s moves in the semifinals, Shen Tanqi had never seen such techniques before.
He was genuinely a bit scared.
Yu Ce turned to look at him, curling his lips into a gentle smile. “Don’t be nervous, Ah Qi. It’s just a trial. Win or lose, you’ll always be the best in my eyes.”
Shen Tanqi knew he was trying to comfort him, but images of his mother’s smile and his vow to his parents to become the best cultivator kept flashing in his mind. If he could win this trial, maybe his father wouldn’t regret sending him to Rongyun Sect.
“Don’t underestimate me. When the trial starts, don’t you dare go easy on me.” Shen Tanqi forced a smile, trying to appear relaxed. “Once we’re on that stage, I’ll treat you as a rival.”
The soft light of the overcast sky fell on his face. Yu Ce looked at him silently for a moment, then slowly smiled. “Alright.”
Serious Ah Qi was indeed cuter.
Hearing Yu Ce agree, Shen Tanqi felt even more nervous.
He had to try his hardest, never slack off. Compared to Yu Ce and Lin Tanjiu, these genius disciples, he was like an insignificant speck of dust in the world. It was only with a bit of cunning and slightly better luck than other specks that he managed to stand before them, becoming their rival.
So, Shen Tanqi knew he had to work even harder than Yu Ce and the others.
Although Shen Tanqi was well aware that with his current skills, beating someone like Yu Ce, whom even Xie Chi dared not provoke, was akin to a mantis trying to stop a chariot or an egg hitting a rock. But he wanted to try, he really wanted to try.
If he didn’t give up or slack off, could he truly become a better version of himself?
Live a life without regrets, Shen Tanqi.
He gripped his sword tightly and stepped onto the stage. Yu Ce and Lin Tanjiu had already drawn their lots, and now it was Shen Tanqi’s turn.
Standing before the box of lots, Shen Tanqi’s palms were sweaty. He took a light breath and slowly reached in, feeling around until he found a slip of paper.
He pulled out the slip and, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, carefully unfolded it.
The paper bore a large, elegantly written character.
Four.
He was fourth. Not bad, not the worst.
Shen Tanqi smiled slightly. For someone as ordinary as him, it made sense to draw a middle-of-the-road lot.
Looking up, he saw Yu Ce waving his slip with a ‘1’ on it, smiling somewhat helplessly. “Looks like my luck isn’t as good as yours.”
Shen Tanqi blinked and said, “Of course.”
The male lead had to draw the first lot; otherwise, how could our hero’s journey of constant upgrades and face-smacking be justified?
Lin Tanjiu had the best luck, drawing the fifth spot, leaving the second and third spots to the two disciples from Qingliu Sect.
With their lots drawn, the order for the finals was set.
As the fourth, Shen Tanqi took a seat in the spectator area, quietly waiting for Yu Ce’s match to begin.
Before he could warm the seat, someone sat down next to him.
Shen Tanqi instinctively looked up. The person next to him was wearing a large hood, completely covered by a veil.
“How’s my disguise? Cool, right?”
As soon as the voice came out, Shen Tanqi held his breath in shock and quickly lowered his voice. “Are you crazy? Do you know where you are?”
Shen Tanwu was so bold, sitting right next to him to watch Yu Ce’s trial.
Hearing his words, Shen Tanwu pouted and said, “What’s there to be scared of? I know I’m a demon now, but Yu Ce said this body hasn’t practiced demonic arts, so it doesn’t have any demonic aura. He used some spell to hide my identity. So don’t worry.”
He was so bored in the inn that he was getting bedsores. There was no way he’d miss out on such excitement.
Shen Tanqi rubbed his throbbing forehead and said, “Even so, you should hide better. Sitting next to a competing disciple like this is just asking for trouble.”
Shen Tanwu took out a handful of sunflower seeds from his pocket, which he found in the inn, and shoved them into Shen Tanqi’s hand, not caring at all. “Don’t worry. If someone asks, just say I’m your brother. You really need to stop nagging. Only Yu Ce can tolerate it.”
Taking the sunflower seeds, Shen Tanqi worriedly began to crack them open. “I’m not nagging. I’m concerned about you.”
The sunflower seeds were quite tasty. Sitting next to Shen Tanwu, Shen Tanqi almost felt like he was a child again, watching elementary school gymnastics with his brother.
Except the people on stage were different, and swordsmanship looked a lot like gymnastics.
Not long after, Fang Wenxun squeezed through the crowd, hunched down, and sat next to Shen Tanqi, asking, “Junior brother, I called you earlier. Why didn’t you respond?”
Shen Tanqi: “Uh…”
Could he say that seeing his senior brother’s face sent a chill down his spine?
“I wasn’t ignoring you.” Shen Tanqi decided not to elaborate, avoiding further alarming Fang Wenxun. “I was busy talking to Yu Ce and didn’t have time to respond.”
Hearing this, Fang Wenxun felt somewhat relieved. He glanced curiously at Shen Tanwu, who was sitting next to Shen Tanqi, and whispered, “Is this your friend?”
“I’m his brother.” Shen Tanwu naturally leaned over and extended his hand to Fang Wenxun. “Nice to meet you.”
Fang Wenxun looked at the outstretched hand, hesitated, then tentatively shook it. “Nice to meet you too, I’m his senior brother.”
Handshake etiquette? Do people from Shuoxia all do this? Wait, isn’t Shen Tanqi the only legitimate son of the Shen family? Could this be a cousin from a branch family?
“Senior brother, I’ve heard so much about you!” Shen Tanwu continued enthusiastically. “My brother often talks about you, saying you’re kind, handsome, and always helping him out. You should come to our place sometime; I’ll treat you to a meal.”
Shen Tanqi glanced at him. He didn’t remember ever mentioning Fang Wenxun to Shen Tanwu.
His brother’s ability to make things up was getting stronger. Still, he wasn’t wrong about Fang Wenxun’s character.
Fang Wenxun, feeling a bit shy, waved his hand. “Oh, it’s nothing. I didn’t know he thought of me that way.”
Shen Tanqi smiled and said, “Senior brother, your kindness and helpfulness are well-known among the Rongyun Sect disciples.”
Fang Wenxun was deeply moved. Having felt invisible as the senior brother for so long, he finally felt acknowledged.
He pressed his lips together, his eyes slightly wet, and quickly looked toward the stage at Yu Ce, changing the subject in a low voice. “Speaking of which, Junior Brother Yu’s swordsmanship has become even more refined. It’s strange, though. We hardly ever see him practicing, but he’s always so impressive in actual combat.”
Shen Tanqi paused his sunflower seed cracking and looked up at Yu Ce on the stage. The two were locked in a tense duel, but Yu Ce seemed effortlessly in control, quickly assessing his opponent’s strength after just a few moves.
“He wasn’t just wandering around during his travels,” Shen Tanqi said with a hint of pride, speaking softly. “He was out there battling demons, experiencing countless fights. Naturally, his swordsmanship surpasses ours.”
Hearing this, Fang Wenxun nodded in agreement, sighing softly. “Indeed. But Junior Brother, you…”
Shen Tanqi knew Fang Wenxun wasn’t particularly optimistic about his chances against Yu Ce in the upcoming battle.
Firstly, while Shen Tanqi practiced swordsmanship regularly, his cultivation level placed him at the bottom of the top five disciples in terms of skill.
Secondly…
Since entering the sect, from major sect competitions to daily practices, even down to a minor competition like the Lotus Festival, Shen Tanqi had never defeated Yu Ce.
Never.
Fang Wenxun watched Shen Tanqi cracking sunflower seeds and didn’t want to dampen his spirits, so he simply said, “Junior Brother, observe Yu Ce’s moves closely. It will help you counter them when you face him.”
Shen Tanqi nodded and replied, “I’m watching.”
Even if he closed his eyes, Shen Tanqi knew exactly which moves Yu Ce would use. Before the sect competition began, they sparred daily, and just by a slight movement of Yu Ce’s hand, Shen Tanqi could predict his next move.
Sigh.
The more he thought about it, the more Shen Tanqi realized how unrealistic it was to think he could defeat Yu Ce. During their sword practices, he could barely even touch Yu Ce’s clothes. How could he possibly win in a real fight?
Just as he was feeling anxious, the outcome on the stage had already been decided. The genius swordsman stood on the platform, his demeanor as serene as snow, his robes fluttering with grace. His gaze was fixed firmly on Shen Tanqi, and there was a gentle smile playing on his lips.
Yu Ce shook the sword in his hand and chuckled softly, “I’ll wait for you.”
His smile was tender, as if it were just an ordinary day, meeting Shen Tanqi for a friendly sword duel. Afterward, they could hold hands and return home together, buy groceries, cook, play with their children, and have snowball fights or swing on swings.
A soft warmth seemed to brush across Shen Tanqi’s heart, and suddenly he realized that whether he won first place or not didn’t seem so important anymore.
He had pushed himself, worked hard to prove that he wasn’t the lazy Shen Tanqi who used to drift through life. Could he now consider himself quite capable?
Would his mother think so too?
His head was gently rubbed, and Shen Tanqi looked at Shen Tanwu beside him. The man lowered his hat brim, glanced at the Red flower symbolizing the top spot on the points leaderboard. Shen Tanqi’s name had two flowers next to it. Shen Tanwu smiled and said, “Don’t feel pressured. In my eyes, you’re already the best.”
That kid who used to practice with little twigs had finally grown up.
In the eyes of his family, Ah Qi was the best child. This was something that would never change, whether it was his mother or his brother.
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
