When Hokuto first entered the sect, he had carefully studied the twenty-four halls of the Guiding Heart Sect. Among them, the Blue Heart Hall, known for its focus on the study of board games and strategy, immediately caught his eye.
The reason was simple: back when he had been trapped in the mines, he had accumulated a surprisingly high number of points in [Go & Strategy].
During those two months in the mines, the earliest choices the system presented were the most basic ones—boosts to Strength or Constitution, the kind of fundamental attributes every cultivator needed. But by the second week, new rewards had begun to appear: Basic Skill Points.
These included artistic pursuits like zither, calligraphy, painting, and strategy games, as well as practical crafts such as alchemy, forging, insect taming, and tailoring. Later on, more options emerged: formations, medicine, brewing, and so forth.
And among all these skills, Hokuto's strongest by far was [Go & Strategy].
Unchanging in his resolve, Hokuto passed the entrance tests and followed the sect's provided map straight to the Blue Heart Hall to formally request admission.
Just as entry into the sect required testing, joining a hall did as well. For Blue Heart Hall, the tests came in two forms: first, sparring with another disciple; second, a match of strategy.
When Hokuto stepped onto the sparring stage, the system instantly flashed three options before his eyes:
[Option One: Win the duel with ease. Reward: Eight-Trigram Spear (Profound Rank, Lower Grade).][Option Two: Hold back slightly. Reward: Gilded Plum Blossom Bell (Yellow Rank, Upper Grade).][Option Three: Lose miserably. Reward: +1 Random Basic Skill Point.]
Already mentally prepared, Hokuto selected the third option without hesitation. Exposing countless openings on purpose, he allowed himself to be struck off the platform with a single palm, greeted by the scornful laughter of onlookers.
Yet, when it came to the strategy match, the system—for once—remained silent.
Through his own careful observations over the years, Hokuto had learned the system only presented options at critical junctures. When no options appeared, it meant the choice was of little consequence and would not significantly affect his future.
"So… winning or losing here doesn't matter at all?" Hokuto frowned in confusion.
Later, when he managed to pass thanks to his above-average skill in strategy games and was accepted into the Blue Heart Hall, he realized the so-called "focus on board games" was little more than a decorative flourish.
It was like a student in school—if your math, reading, and writing were all excellent, and on top of that you could play the piano, teachers would praise you as multi-talented. But if your core subjects were a mess while you only excelled at music, those same teachers would tell you to drop the "frivolous distractions" and focus on your real studies.
And in the Guiding Heart Sect, the equivalent of "math, reading, and writing" was martial strength.
Because of this, Hokuto entered the Blue Heart Hall without a single master willing to take him as a disciple. He was relegated to the status of a named disciple—a disciple in name only, with no resources, no teachings, and no support.
But Hokuto didn't mind. After all, the system had already made it clear: taking on a master carried risks. Remaining a mere named disciple wasn't such a bad outcome. He had already chosen his cultivation path—triggering as many system options as possible, steadily raising his basic attributes. Even if each increase was meager, one point at a time, the day would come when all those small gains would add up and he would soar to greatness!
When Hokuto gave a wry smile, his senior brother Roku Bokugai, realizing he had just said something awkward, quickly raised his cup with a grin."Ah, I nearly forgot! Happy birthday, Junior Brother."
"Thank you, Senior Brother." Hokuto raised his cup in return and clinked it against Roku's.
After their meal, as they left the dining hall, Roku clapped Hokuto on the shoulder."I'd better return and report to Master."
"Of course. Safe journey, Senior Brother." Hokuto bowed respectfully.
With a casual wave, Roku departed, leaving Hokuto to continue his leisurely afternoon stroll.
By evening, after triggering five more options, Hokuto returned to the Blue Heart Hall—only to find a striking young woman standing at the door of his humble quarters.
At the same time, she noticed him approaching. Hurrying forward, she bowed and said,"Junior Sister Yanagi Shizune of Water Mirror Hall greets Senior Brother Hokuto."
The girl was stunning. Her eyes sparkled with life, her cheeks were touched with the glow of peach blossoms, and her lips parted like delicate petals, her words as soft as orchid fragrance. She radiated a gentle charm that could disarm anyone.
"Danger level—extremely high!"
From his five years of experience dealing with beautiful junior sisters, Hokuto knew the truth: even a casual brush of the shoulder with one of them was enough for the system to throw out a Profound-rank reward option. And this girl, Yanagi Shizune, was without question the most beautiful one he had ever seen.
Though he was surprised that the system hadn't given him any options this time, Hokuto didn't let his guard down. He immediately cupped his hands and said,"Junior Sister, I fear you've mistaken me for someone else. My surname is Wang."
"Wang…?"
While Shizune blinked in confusion, Hokuto quickly bowed again, stepped past her, and continued walking.
But before he could go far, she hurried to catch up, unrolling a scroll she carried."That's impossible! Look—the person in this portrait is clearly you!"
"Damn… whoever drew this only captured a tenth of my handsomeness, but that's still pretty impressive."
Seeing his own likeness staring back at him from the scroll, Hokuto sighed and replied,"The Blue Heart Hall has many disciples. It's not unusual for some of us to resemble each other. But truly, my surname isn't Jiang. I wish Junior Sister luck in finding the dashing Senior Brother from your portrait."
Just then, another male disciple approached, calling out,"Senior Brother Hokuto! Instructor Teirei asked me to fetch you for a couple of games of Go."
As he spoke, his eyes finally landed on Yanagi Shizune, and he froze, eyes widening in awe. His thoughts were instantly drowned out by a single phrase: "So beautiful…"
The moment Shizune heard the words "Senior Brother Hokuto", she stiffened. Then she stepped in front of him and declared,"So you really are Senior Brother Hokuto!"
Hokuto smiled faintly and shook his head."No, Junior Sister, you misheard. He said Wang Senior Brother."
"No he didn't!" Shizune turned to the other disciple. "Please, tell me—isn't this Hokuto, Senior Brother Hokuto?"
The poor boy, energized as if injected with chicken blood at being addressed by such a beauty, blurted out at once:"Yes! That's him—Hokuto, Senior Brother Hokuto, without a doubt!"
"Ugh… too young, far too young. He has no idea how dangerous beauties like her can be."
Resigning himself, Hokuto put on a pleasant smile and said,"Alright, you're right. It's me. I was just teasing you earlier, Junior Sister."
Shizune giggled behind her hand, her voice soft."Oh, I see. So Senior Brother Hokuto likes to joke. How amusing."
"Huh?"
Hokuto was dumbfounded. He had expected her to at least get angry, maybe scold him before storming away—giving him the perfect excuse to escape.
But instead…
"She actually thinks I'm funny?"
Realizing there was no slipping out of this, Hokuto sighed inwardly, then turned to the male disciple."Go and tell Instructor Teirei I'll be there shortly."
"Understood." The disciple nodded quickly—but lingered, his eyes still darting toward Shizune.
"Hopeless. Utterly hopeless."
Suppressing another sigh, Hokuto faced Shizune once more."So then, Junior Sister—what brings you all the way to Blue Heart Hall to find me?"
(End of Chapter)