BXBX NOVEL Chapter 125 - 126: Admitting Defeat
Chapter 125 - 126: Admitting Defeat
Upon arriving at the main peak villa, Zhu Minglang discovered that the Sword Sect disciples were watching the excitement.
Zhu Minglang, who also liked to join in on the fun, walked over quickly, wondering if it could be a sword master engaged in a jealous spat.
The Yaoshan Sword Sect was quite encouraging of its disciples’ paired cultivation, so it was not uncommon to see a brawl break out over some alluring senior sister or innocent junior sister within the sect.
Parting the crowd, he almost asked a nearby disciple for a handful of roasted melon seeds when he caught sight of the woman standing on the Bagua Stone Platform and his eyes involuntarily widened.
Was this how Zi Miaozhu showed Nan Lingsha around the Yaoshan Villa??
Hadn’t he already told her that he had no connection with Nan Lingsha, even though her appearance was identical to his wife’s, they were still two different people!
“Huff– Huff–
The Sword Sect’s chief female disciple Zi Miaozhu was panting heavily, her chest heaving, her eyes flashing with a touch of unwillingness. Even her sword-wielding hand was beginning to tremble, her fingers numb to the point of almost losing sensation.
They were of similar ages.
She, Zi Miaozhu, was even the chief female disciple of the Sword Sect Sanctuary; how could she possibly lose to an unknown woman!
Turning to look at Nan Lingsha, she stood silently on the other side of the Bagua dividing line, having not moved from the beginning to the end, and not a single drop of sweat was visible on her cheeks. This meant she hadn’t even used all her strength.
Zi Miaozhu found this hard to accept.
“May I lift your veil? I want to see clearly who I have lost to,” Zi Miaozhu said.
To lose was to lose; there was no point in feeling resentful, as her master had taught her to face her shortcomings and failures squarely.
Nan Lingsha hesitated for a moment, but in the end, she slowly removed the veil from her face.
It was just a friendly contest, and Nan Lingsha had noticed that the opponent’s initial strike had been held back.
Of course, she was also quite satisfied with Zi Miaozhu’s strength; finding someone in Ancestral Dragon City who could match Zi Miaozhu’s level was very difficult.
Zi Miaozhu looked at Nan Lingsha, her gaze losing focus for a moment…
She was more beautiful than imagined.
The Sword Sect disciples were all stunned as well.
It wasn’t just a delicate face that could move everyone with different aesthetic tastes, but the fact that she was so naturally beautiful having already awed everyone with her strength!
“Painter Nan Lingsha,” Nan Lingsha slowly put down her brush and gracefully gave a refined bow.
“Sword Master Zi Miaozhu, I concede defeat,” Zi Miaozhu sheathed her sword and returned the bow.
Zi Miaozhu’s return bow was a bit deeper. When she lifted her head again and met her gaze, she continued, “From now on, I shall regard my fellow brother only with sisterly affection and will harbor no other thoughts.”
“?????” The fog had apparently dissipated, but Zhu Minglang’s mind was more clouded than ever.
“This has nothing to do with me,” Nan Lingsha stated indifferently.
After saying this, regardless of whether Zi Miaozhu understood or not, Nan Lingsha walked towards the edge of the Bagua Giant Stone Platform, gazing at the clear Yaoshan night sky as if committing the mountain scenery to memory.
“But didn’t you say earlier that you hit it off right away and took a liking to each other?” Zi Miaozhu asked hurriedly, more perplexed.
Frowning, Nan Lingsha turned around, only to catch sight of Zhu Minglang cracking melon seeds in the crowd.
“That’s Li Yunzi; you can ask him for the details, ” Nan Lingsha said, pointing at Zhu Minglang, then disregarding the matter, she resumed memorizing the landscape of Yaoshan in her heart.
Li Yunzi??
And who is Li Yunzi!!
Zi Miaozhu stared at Zhu Minglang with wide eyes.
Eh, where’d he go??
Just now his fellow brother was clearly in the middle of the crowd, so how did he disappear in the time it took to speak!
Having arrived at the neighboring peak, Zhu Minglang brought Fang Niannian into the deep forest, where they hunted a wild boar with demon cultivation properties. Zhu Minglang simply started a campfire next to the mountain brook pavilion.
After feeding the two little greedy pigs, Zhu Minglang then returned to his residence in the villa.
By then Nan Lingsha had returned; she was at the wooden table, repeatedly copying the Yaoshan night scene, with many discarded sheets of paper neatly stacked to one side.
Under the lamp, she was concentrating with a refined and elegant demeanor, calm as if she were a lady of a respectable family with poetic talents.
Zhu Minglang didn’t disturb her. Fang Niannian was initially eager to snuggle up, but after some hesitation and contemplation, she chose to give up.
At this moment, Nan Lingsha appeared gentle as water but was actually keeping everyone at a distance!
“Zhu Minglang, do you think Sister Lingsha has intermittent amnesia?” Fang Niannian whispered.
“I’m not sure about her, but I do know of someone who definitely has it,” Zhu Minglang replied.
“Who?”
“You’ll find out when we get to Zhu Gate.”
The next day, the name of the painter Nan Lingsha spread throughout the Yaoshan Sword Sect. After all, what all sect clans cared about the most was reputation, and such sparring and challenges, as long as they held significance, were easily remembered by people.
As the Chief Female Disciple of the Sword Sect Sanctuary, it was indeed a big deal to lose to an outsider from the God and Mortal realm.
Zhu Minglang also felt quite embarrassed. He had returned to the sects of the Supreme Court Continent without making a name for himself, yet the name of Nan Lingsha was quickly spreading across all sect clans.
Disciples always attracted the most attention.
Young disciples, with infinite potential, were so valued that the Four Major Sect Clans even held a grand competition every two years, which was essentially figures at the level of uncles or masters showcasing their outstanding disciples in public spars in the Supreme Court Imperial City.
Those who stood out would immediately have their names known throughout the nations and city-states of the Supreme Court Continent.
“Senior brother. ”
Outside the door, the call of Zi Miaozhu arose.
Zhu Minglang knew there were some things he couldn’t avoid and walked out to the courtyard with composure.
Zi Miaozhu stood under the phoenix perch pine, by the silver bells that chimed crisply in the night breeze, truly a sight of graceful beauty.
“Junior sister,” Zhu Minglang approached, recalling the words that his grandfather, the Sword Expert, had entrusted to him.
“I was really looking forward to this year’s Great Sect Woods and Family Door competition, wanting to make a name for myself far and wide. However, after today’s battle, I feel I still have much to improve… I wish to travel and see a broader world, ” said Zi Miaozhu.
“Then, be sure to stay safe,” Zhu Minglang said.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be following Aunt Xuehen,” Zi Miaozhu replied. “That’s good. You can learn a lot from her,” Zhu Minglang nodded in agreement.
“The Great Sect Woods and Family Door competition is the highest honor for us disciples, and we prepare for it day and night. But after you, senior brother, came down from the mountain, you never participated in any of the competitions. By then, you had already moved beyond our category of disciples, hadn’t you?” Zi Miaozhu asked.
“Yes, if there were a competition for uncles or masters, I might take part, but those who are older usually mind their reputations too much, preferring not to compete rather than to lose,” Zhu Minglang nodded.
As for the Great Sect Woods and Family Door competition, he hadn’t even heard of it since coming down from the mountain.
Zhu Xuehen never allowed Zhu Minglang to take part in those childish fights, even though he was still a minor at that time.
“So, senior brother, how many years have you been a Dragon Shepherd?” asked Zi Miaozhu.
“If we’re counting formally, not even a year,” Zhu Minglang replied. “Then this time you can participate. As a sword cultivator, you are at the master level. But as a Dragon Trainer, you’ve only just begun; you count as a disciple… The rewards for the annual competition are very generous, and Dragon Shepherds need resources the most, ” Zi Miaozhu said.
“I’ll consider it,” Zhu Minglang thought to himself, calculating the time; the competition was not far off, set for late summer.
Dragon Shepherds required substantial resources: the more abundant the resources, the stronger the strength. After all, if every dragon is seen as an embodiment of the Power of Divine and Mortality, then Zhu Minglang, as a lone cultivator, was simultaneously cultivating four types of Divine and Mortal powers.
This is why Dragon Shepherds become stronger as they progress; God and Mortals only cultivate one type, and many Heavenly Essence and Earthly Splendor elements do not suit them, rendering good items useless.
For Dragon Shepherds with so many dragons, if each one is well-trained and stands out on its own, they would face groups of God and Mortals without fear.
Therefore, the better the resources, the higher the potential!
Any obtainable resources should be taken without hesitation.
Even if they weren’t needed, they should be sold for money!
In the past, Zhu Minglang, who fought the world with his sword, was alone and indifferent to all things; money to him was as worthless as dirt.
Now that he was raising so many dragons, just the monthly dragon food alone was enough to bankrupt Zhu Minglang…
In the future, there would only be more dragon pets.
He would also have to establish his own Dragon Shepherd Teams.
If Nan Lingsha in the future were to seek recompense from him as a God and Mortal, the cost of her expensive Dragon Blood and Blood Dragon Paper would also fall upon him, an unimaginable expense!
Zi Miaozhu’s words also served as a reminder to him.
The resources to be taken were to be seized promptly; competitions like those of the Great Sect Woods and Family Door were about the face of these powerful forces, and the rewards were undoubtedly rich, far better than aimlessly seeking essence around the world.
“Senior brother, senior brother?” Zi Miaozhu saw Zhu Minglang was somewhat distracted and called out twice.
“Ah? What is it?” Zhu Minglang asked.
“Aunt Xuehen is an Orderer of the Li Chuan Continent. If I follow her, I’ll also set foot in the land that you’ve lost yourself in. If I get the chance, I’ll make sure to meet Li Yunzi,” Zi Miaozhu said.
“Actually…”
“Senior brother, spare me those words meant to comfort me. How could I, your junior sister, fail to understand your thoughts? It’s just that often I cannot reconcile myself to it. If Li Yunzi turns out to be even more outstanding than Nan Lingsha, I think I would be happy for you,” Zi Miaozhu said with a smile, her voice carrying a hint of serenity.
“Junior sister, I’m relieved to hear you think this way. After all, in my eyes, you have always been like a real younger sister. In the Zhu Family, I have many blood relatives, but I know well that if I were to lose the dazzling Power of Divine and Mortality, they would treat me like dirt. You, however, regardless of whether I am powerful or weak and ordinary, have always been consistent in your treatment of me,” Zhu Minglang responded sincerely.
Years had passed, and Zi Miaozhu still carried that same reverence.
And she clearly knew that since he became a Dragon Shepherd, his strength had greatly diminished.
Yet she still respected him, treating him with honesty and openness.
Even without the love between a man and a woman, this bond between brother and sister was incredibly precious to Zhu Minglang.
He wondered how many familial relationships within the Zhu Family could compare to what he had with this junior sister.
Perhaps many within were taking pleasure in his misfortune, or even adding insult to injury..