The sun tilted westward, and the golden crow sank below the horizon.
As the last thread of evening light fell across the Sword-Questioning Stone, the entrance-disciple evaluation finally drew to a close.
Compared to the first two rounds, the third — the realm assessment — frankly had very little to boast about.
First realm, fifth layer. Spiritual energy pure, but not yet complete — still a hair's breadth from the sixth layer.
Among disciples who had been training for several years, that was middling at best. One might even call it unremarkable.
By the sect's demanding standards, that realm score was nothing more than a "B-plus."
However, Huiyuan Gate's evaluation system did not judge on cultivation alone.
Elder Zhou, the elder overseeing the final tallying of scores, pinched the jade slip recording Gu Chengming's results and let his furrowed brow slowly relax.
Dao-heart: A-plus — one in ten thousand. Sword art: A-plus — brushing the threshold of intent.
Those two marks of "A-plus" had hauled that rather sorry-looking "B-plus" right up with them.
In the end, Elder Zhou swept his brush across the slip.
Overall grade: A-mid.
The golden rankings board hung high overhead, flickering with spirit-light. Thousands upon thousands of disciples' names crowded its surface — and Gu Chengming's name had squeezed itself into the top ten, landing squarely at seventh place.
Up on the high platform, Elder Zhou — presiding over the whole affair — cleared his throat, his voice carrying as though it sounded right beside the ear:
"The evaluation is concluded. Rankings are set."
"By sect law, all disciples listed in the top ten shall have their monthly stipend doubled. In addition, each month they will receive three Spirit-Gathering Pills, be granted one day's reading access to the second floor of the Scripture Library, and hold priority right to select an inner-sect elder for cultivation guidance."
Spirit-Gathering Pills were fine supplements for cultivation practice — precious treasures for outer-sect disciples. And the second floor of the Scripture Library housed a considerable number of advanced techniques, a place ordinarily accessible only to inner-sect disciples.
Even Gu Chengming felt a quiet stir in his chest at that.
But before Elder Zhou had finished, his tone shifted:
"Yet the Great Dao is a contest — those who do not advance will fall behind. The resources the sect provides are meant to spur you ever forward, not to let you rest on your laurels."
"Therefore, this ranking is not fixed."
"Starting tomorrow, any disciple not currently in the top ten may issue a challenge to any disciple who is. The victor takes the defeated disciple's rank and receives the full rewards."
Here Elder Zhou paused, and his tone warmed slightly:
"As for the defeated — though they lose their place, they have proven they once stood at the summit. So the sect will not cut off their path. The defeated party retains half the supplementary rewards, until the next monthly ranking bout."
Hearing that second half of the rules, Gu Chengming raised an eyebrow.
You still get half even if you lose?
That was rather more than he'd expected.
Huiyuan Gate had a surprisingly human touch to it — leaving even the losers with something to eat. You could even call it a fairly generous safety net.
It was just...
With the sect head having announced the rules, the gazes of those around Gu Chengming seemed to shift somehow.
Most of the other top-ten disciples were at the eighth or ninth layer of the first realm — deep foundations, diverse techniques, not easy opponents.
Gu Chengming alone, despite his rock-solid Dao-heart and fearsome sword intent, had cultivation as an obvious weak point.
Gu Chengming suddenly had the nagging feeling he'd walked into a trap.
As Elder Zhou announced the evaluation fully concluded, the crowd gradually dispersed.
Quite a few disciples clearly wanted to come up and chat, but held back by the rumors circulating among the sects, most simply offered a distant bow and moved on.
That was something of a relief for Gu Chengming.
He politely declined Jiang Lu's suggestion of a celebratory outing and set off back down the mountain path alone.
Just as Gu Chengming was about to turn onto a quiet side trail, a familiar silhouette had appeared there without his noticing — standing with hands clasped behind his back, robes swaying in the mountain breeze, carrying an air of effortless, otherworldly ease.
"Elder Ren."
Gu Chengming offered a bow.
Ren Wencai turned around, his usual smile in place. He looked Gu Chengming up and down — and was visibly, entirely satisfied.
"You did well today."
"It is all thanks to Elder Ren's guidance these past days. This disciple dares not take the credit."
"Ah, no need for such formality between us."
Ren Wencai waved a hand, then added a gentle word of caution:
"But don't let today's success go to your head. You made quite a splash, yes — but you've also made yourself a target. You heard the rules: in the days ahead, there will be no shortage of people looking to give you trouble."
He paused here, his voice taking on a more earnest, fatherly weight:
"Your fellow disciples mean no ill, but young cultivators have competitive hearts — that's only natural. Your cultivation is still shallow. If things become too much to handle, there's no shame in stepping aside. Winning and losing are both part of the path. If you forfeit that half-stipend, so be it — don't let it damage your Dao-heart."
Gu Chengming blinked, a touch of surprise flickering through him.
He'd expected Ren Wencai to use this moment to push him — to hold his position in the top ten and bring honour to the sect. Instead, this elder was genuinely worried about him being under too much pressure, and had even pre-emptively built him a way out.
"This disciple understands."
A note of genuine sincerity crept into Gu Chengming's voice:
"This disciple will keep Elder Ren's words in mind, and act within his means."
"Good. As long as you've thought it through."
As he said this, Ren Wencai flicked his wrist, and a pale green jade tablet appeared in his palm.
"You are training in the outer sect. Should you encounter any difficulties in your cultivation, or find yourself short on resources, you may bring this token and come find me."
Those words were chosen with great care.
He hadn't brought up taking on a formal disciple — that would have seemed too eager, and would have lowered his standing. Better to first plant a seed of goodwill, extend a kindness.
If young Gu went on to accomplish something in the future, this favour would not be forgotten.
Gu Chengming looked at the jade tablet in his hand, his mind clear as a mirror.
This Elder Ren was a man of real consideration.
Even in his past life, elders willing to offer goodwill this openly — with so little ulterior motive attached — had been genuinely rare.
Gu Chengming accepted the tablet with both hands, offered a deep bow, and let a touch more sincerity into his voice:
"Many thanks for Elder Ren's generosity. This disciple will not disappoint your expectations."
Seeing that, the warmth in Ren Wencai's smile deepened.
"Off you go. You've had a long day — rest early. As for the challenges in the coming days... don't worry too much. Do your best, and that's enough."
Ren Wencai patted Gu Chengming on the shoulder, left those parting words of encouragement, then clasped his hands behind his back and turned away, strolling off into the moonlight with easy grace.
Gu Chengming held the jade tablet — still warm from Ren Wencai's hand — and watched until the elder's figure vanished into the night before he finally looked away.
Elder Ren might have low expectations of him — but those resources were very real.
It'd be a shame not to fight for them.
The night was dark as ink, the moonlight silver as silk.
Gu Chengming pushed open the gate to his small courtyard. The old hinge let out its familiar creak.
The moment he stepped inside, a line of text appeared before him.
[Huiyuan Sword Art says: wonderful — he isn't hurt, it didn't have to worry, what a good child.]
Huiyuan Mama? Since when did that happen?
Gu Chengming felt a faint unease. The Huiyuan Sword Art's commentary was getting more and more doting by the day.
By comparison, the other one was being rather eccentric.
[Hundred Bones Resonance says: Gu Chengming, hear me out — is it possible, just maybe, that everything it experienced in that illusion was actually real?]
Gu Chengming couldn't be bothered to respond.
[Hundred Bones Resonance continues to ramble: that great terror of standing at the edge of life and death, that shattering enlightenment born from breaking and rebuilding — every near-death reversal in the illusion, every breakthrough at the brink of annihilation, the insights had come flooding like a spring.]
[If those insights could be recorded and cultivated... why worry about ever failing to achieve the pinnacle of cultivation?]
Gu Chengming took a sip of tea and thought: in his past life, he'd had dreams like this all the time.
In the dream, he'd feel like inspiration was pouring from him — he'd conceived a world-shaking literary masterpiece worthy of the Nobel Prize, plot twists perfectly layered, every logical thread immaculate.
Then he'd wake up, excitedly grab a pen to write it down — and by halfway through, realize: what on earth is this drivel?
He suspected Hundred Bones Resonance was in much the same state right now. The technical term was: still half-asleep.
But Hundred Bones Resonance, the more it thought about it, the more excited it got.
[Hundred Bones Resonance has an epiphany]
[It believes this is a heaven-sent opportunity, not to be missed]
[Hundred Bones Resonance enters seclusion]
Gu Chengming's hand froze halfway to his mouth, teacup still raised.
"?"
Wait — you're serious?
Hold on, you actually went into seclusion?
Gu Chengming's head was full of question marks.
Naturally, life in the days that followed continued as usual for Gu Chengming.
He'd assumed challengers would be lining up at his door — after all, his seventh-place ranking looked, on paper, like the easiest target in the top ten.
Strangely, however, three full days passed without a single challenger. Not even someone scouting for information.
That left Gu Chengming rather puzzled.
Not that undisturbed days were ever unwelcome.
With Hundred Bones Resonance gone into seclusion, Gu Chengming shifted his attention to the Flowing Cloud, Moon-Following Sword Art.
This sword art, how to put it...
Had a truly terrible personality.
Gu Chengming tried interacting with it, and the sword art's response was blunt and immediate.
[Don't touch it.]
Not someone who gave up easily, Gu Chengming decided he needed a different approach.
He'd worked out two defining traits of the Flowing Cloud, Moon-Following Sword Art so far.
One: it despised sword cultivators. Two: its emotions swung violently.
Put it together...
A world-weary, easily-triggered disaster waiting to happen?
Gu Chengming felt a chill.
Still, there was something to be gleaned from its backstory.
Its hatred of sword cultivators stemmed from the fact that it had originally been a cultivation method for music practitioners — a technique forcibly remade into a sword art against its nature.
Perhaps approaching it from the angle of music could break through the current deadlock?
With that thought, Gu Chengming was struck by a sudden wave of dizziness.
Piercing Insight activated.
——Yes! There it is — been waiting for you!
A quiet spark of delight. Gu Chengming fixed his gaze on the options before him:
[Option 1: Join Flowing Cloud Moon-Following in cursing out sword cultivators.]
[Option 2: Self-harm — carve decorative scars into yourself.]
[Option 3: Cater to its interests — compose some musical pieces, and try to move it through music.]
Good lord, what is Option 2 even about.
Winning over a disaster-prone diva requires mutilating yourself?
Well — actually, knowing the Flowing Cloud Moon-Following's personality, a sword cultivator hurting themselves might genuinely raise its approval rating.
But no matter how Gu Chengming thought it over, it seemed wildly unreliable — and besides, the Huiyuan Sword Art would never allow it.
As for the other two: Option 1 probably wouldn't amount to much.
That left only Option 3.
Gu Chengming rubbed his chin.
He hadn't had much exposure to music in this life — but in his past life, he'd grown up steeped in pop music like any modern person.
If he was going to reach this former "music cultivator," he'd need to bring something with real weight.
Too classical, and it might be bored of it. Too modern, and it might not understand. He needed a middle ground: something with the flavour of classical antiquity, but with a fresh sensibility — something that captured that faint, melancholic elegance.
A flash of inspiration.
——"Ode to the Orchid Pavilion."
No sooner thought than done — he set to it immediately.
As his mind moved through the piece, his sea of consciousness seemed to truly fill with a drifting, lilting melody.
The piece came to an end.
The Flowing Cloud Moon-Following Sword Art finally reacted.
[...]
[What is this supposed to be?]
Gu Chengming's expression stiffened.
——Hey! You can criticize me all you want, but don't insult the original!
Of course, he didn't dare say that out loud.
[Flowing Cloud Moon-Following says: the five tones — gong, shang, jue, zhi, yu — are all off. Every transition is forced and graceless.]
[It sneers: sword cultivators really do have the most vulgar taste.]
My deepest apologies, O classic. I have done you a great dishonour.
Yet just as Gu Chengming was certain this attempt had failed—
[Flowing Cloud Moon-Following Sword Art Affinity +5]
[Current Affinity: 10 / Stranger]
Gu Chengming: "..."
Qingxin Formula — it seems you've found your kindred spirit.
...
Days slipped by like water — placid, with a faint edge of monotony.
After the spectacular failure of "Ode to the Orchid Pavilion," Gu Chengming refused to give up.
He wondered: perhaps that piece was too delicate and graceful — not suited to the Flowing Cloud Moon-Following's temperament? Or perhaps his hopelessly off-key mental rendering had simply butchered the classic beyond recognition?
So over the next few days, he regrouped and changed tactics.
To match the sword art's "world-weary" streak, he even hunted out a few pieces with darker, more broken-sounding melodies.
The Flowing Cloud Moon-Following ignored every one of them. Apparently it genuinely found his musical attempts grating.
All right — that avenue seemed to be a dead end.
Just as Gu Chengming was about to go into the courtyard to run through the basic sword arts a few more times, an urgent knock sounded at the courtyard gate.
"Senior Brother Gu — are you in?"
A familiar voice. Jiang Lu.
Gu Chengming sheathed his sword and went to open the gate.
There stood Jiang Lu, expression distinctly peculiar.
"Junior Brother Jiang?" A small flicker ran through Gu Chengming's chest. He stepped aside. "Come in and talk."
The two sat down at the stone table in the courtyard. Gu Chengming poured two cups of clear tea, watching Jiang Lu's hesitant, almost-but-not-quite-speaking expression, and felt a quiet unease settle in.
"Has something important come up, Junior Brother Jiang?" Gu Chengming asked, feeling him out.
Jiang Lu picked up his teacup — but didn't drink. He just turned it slowly in his hands, and after a long pause finally squeezed out a single sentence:
"Senior Brother Gu — something huge has happened."
Gu Chengming's heart gave a lurch.
"Good news or bad news?"
Jiang Lu hesitated a moment, brow creased, as though carefully choosing his words. At last, he spoke:
"Well... for everyone else, it's bad news. But for Senior Brother Gu, it's good news."
Gu Chengming: "?"
Is this some kind of riddle?
"What exactly happened?"
"Senior Brother has been behind closed doors these past few days and might not have heard. In just these three days, every single top-ten ranking in the disciple evaluation — every one except Senior Brother's — has changed hands completely!"
"Every single one?"
Gu Chengming was genuinely surprised.
He recalled that the other nine had all been quite capable — and if every spot had changed, why hadn't anyone come for him? By all logic, shouldn't he have been the easiest target?
Before Gu Chengming could dwell on the question, Jiang Lu launched into the full story of this bizarre affair that had unfolded in the outer sect over the past few days.
It turned out that the very day after the evaluation ended, one of the top-ten disciples had deliberately lost a challenge to a close friend — handing over his rank on purpose.
By the rules, though he'd lost, the sect still awarded him fifty percent of his original rewards as consolation for a top-ten holder losing their seat.
His friend, now in the top ten, received the full rewards.
The two had a private arrangement: the friend would give eighty percent of his full take back to the original holder.
The result: the "loser" had forfeited his rank, but the resources he actually pocketed came to fifty percent from the sect's consolation, plus eighty percent from his friend's share — totalling one hundred and thirty percent of the original reward.
More than if he'd defended his rank the hard way, by thirty percent.
And the friend, while only keeping twenty percent, had gotten that twenty percent for free — since he'd never had the skill to crack the top ten in the first place, a cut of anything was pure profit.
"?" A question mark floated over Gu Chengming's head.
You can actually game the system like that? That's basically ranked-mode boosting, sect edition.
He suppressed the urge to make a comment and asked, "So what happened after?"
"After? It all came out, naturally. The Enforcement Hall elder had been in seclusion — but when he came out and looked at the ledger, the rewards paid out in those few days exceeded everything from the past ten years combined. Nearly knocked him flat."
"Every disciple involved was forced to return all illegally obtained gains, and sentenced to three months of wall-facing reflection at Repentance Cliff, plus a thousand transcriptions of sect rules. Apparently the queue of disciples being escorted there stretched all the way down to the foot of the mountain."
"And Senior Brother Gu — in the entire current top ten, you are the one and only disciple who is completely clean, without a single stain!"
"The elders have all been singing your praises — saying your Dao-heart is unshakeable, unmoved by external temptation, a model for all disciples to follow!"
Gu Chengming: "..."
Good thing nobody had invited him along — otherwise he'd have been taking a cut too.
That thought stayed firmly inside his head. Outwardly, Gu Chengming assumed a grave expression:
"As a sword cultivator, one should seek all things through honest means — what the sword can claim directly, the sword claims directly. To go around the back for petty gain is to court the loss of one's Dao-heart. The trade is not worth it."
Jiang Lu clasped his hands in a respectful bow:
"Senior Brother's integrity is admirable! I confess I was tempted myself, Junior Brother is ashamed to say. Hearing Senior Brother speak like this, I am deeply embarrassed."
Gu Chengming waved a hand to dismiss the formality.
They chatted idly for a while longer before Jiang Lu rose to take his leave.
After seeing him off, Gu Chengming reflected privately that the sword cultivators of the Wenjian Sect were a shifty bunch.
The night breeze was cool, drifting through the old scholar tree in the courtyard — leaves whispering and rustling, a few of them spinning slowly down to settle without sound against the ground.
Gu Chengming glanced up at the sky. The clouds had thickened, swallowing most of the moonlight.
He looked back down, and was just about to turn and head inside — when his steps suddenly halted.
The next moment, a line of text appeared before Gu Chengming:
[Hundred Bones Resonance: Supreme Boundless Myriad-Qi Dao-Source True Sovereign of Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, Unrivalled Lord of the Universe, Emperor of Cultivation! (CG not yet unlocked)]
[Current unlock progress: 0%]
Holy — Hundred Bones Resonance, you actually pulled it off?!
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